Photo courtesy of TCU Athletics
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Sports Network) -
BAYLOR: Coming off a bye week, the Bears had to rally for a 48-23 win over Sam Houston State to move to 2-0. In a game that wasn't supposed to be close, the Bears found themselves trailing 20-10 at halftime. However, quarterback Nick Florence finally got the offense going in the fourth quarter, using his arm and his legs to help the team pull away. He finished with 312 yards and three touchdowns passing. A 60-yard run in the final frame helped set up Glasco Martin's five-yard TD run that gave Baylor a 31-23 lead. Terrance Williams had a big day, finishing with 131 yards and two TDs on six catches. Although the Bears did not have a 100-yard rusher, they totaled a solid 232 yards and two scores on the ground, averaging a collective 5.9 yards per carry. Up next, they'll visit a dangerous ULM squad in a nationally televised game on Friday night.
IOWA STATE: The Cyclones are 3-0 heading into their bye week. After yielding just six points at Iowa last week, they held Western Illinois to three points on Saturday. Through three games, the Cyclones rank 13th nationally in scoring defense (10.7 ppg) and 16th in total defense (280 ypg). The offense came up with two quick touchdowns in this latest contest, and the defense went on to stifle the Leathernecks to the tune of 178 total yards. It was the first time since 2004 that ISU held an opponent to under 200 yards. It also marks the first time the Cyclones have held back-to-back opponents without a touchdown since 1965. Reserves played much of the game against a Western Illinois squad that managed only eight first downs. The Cyclones rushed for 264 yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry as a team. Steele Jantz threw for 209 yards and three scores, while Chris Young caught a pair of TD passes. Following their bye, the Cyclones will host Texas Tech on Sept. 29.
KANSAS: The Jayhawks opened their Big 12 schedule with a tough 20-6 setback to new league member TCU. The Jayhawks were able to hang around thanks to the defense generating four takeaways, although the offense wasn't able to do much with those opportunities. Dayne Crist connected on 19-of-39 passes for 303 yards and an interception for the Jayhawks (1-2, 0-1), who have lost two in a row since opening the season with a win over South Dakota State. Andrew Turzilli hauled in three passes for 100 yards. Tony Pierson caught six passes for 99 yards and carried the ball nine times for 35 yards. It was a 10-6 game until the Horned Frogs created some distance with 10 points in the third quarter. The Jayhawks, who have played all three of their games at home, will now hit the road for three of their next four. They'll play at Northern Illinois this Saturday before getting a bye the following week.
KANSAS STATE: The Wildcats are off to a 3-0 start following Saturday's 35-21 triumph over North Texas. With the victory, they remained at No. 15 in the latest poll. Collin Klein threw for 230 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, also adding 85 yards and a score on the ground. Klein completed 15-of-20 passes, five of which went to Tramaine Thompson for 102 yards and two scores, for the Wildcats (3-0), who were coming off a 52-13 drubbing of Miami- Florida last Saturday. Still, the signal-caller was far from pleased with his team's execution and vowed to get it cleaned up in practice this week. Chris Harper added five receptions for 78 yards in the win. K-State was clinging to a 14-13 lead early in the second half before pulling away with touchdowns on three consecutive drives. The Wildcats, who held a slim 373-353 edge in total offense, will visit sixth-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday for their first league test of the season.
OKLAHOMA: The No. 6 Sooners were idle this week, and they will have had two weeks to prepare for Saturday's showdown with No. 15 Kansas State in their Big 12 opener.
OKLAHOMA STATE: Backup quarterback J.W. Walsh threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns, as the Cowboys cruised to a 65-24 rout over the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at Boone Pickens Stadium. Walsh entered the game midway through the first quarter when starter Wes Lunt went down with a left knee injury and exited the field on crutches. Walsh also made plays with his legs, running for 73 yards and a touchdown. Oklahoma State (2-1) dropped out of the national rankings with last week's loss at Arizona, but the Cowboys responded with big play after big play in this contest. Josh Stewart had nine catches for 104 yards and two TDs, while Blake Jackson finished with 112 yards and a TD on five catches. Joseph Randle led the ground attack with 21 carries for 105 yards and a pair of scores. It was a 44-0 game at halftime, as the redshirt freshman Walsh led his team to points on all eight series in the first two quarters after taking over for Lunt. OSU gets a bye this week.
TCU: It wasn't pretty, but the Horned Frogs pulled out a 20-6 win at Kansas in their first league game as a Big 12 member. Brandon Carter caught a pair of touchdown passes from Casey Pachall, and the Horned Frogs overcame four turnovers to rally for the victory. Two of those turnovers came in the red zone, which head coach Gary Patterson knows cannot happen against stiffer competition. Pachall completed 24-of-30 passes for 335 yards for TCU (2-0, 1-0 Big 12), which has won 10 consecutive games dating back to last season, currently the longest active streak in the country. Waymon James carried the ball 12 times for 99 yards for the Horned Frogs, who play Virginia next Saturday. Clinging to a 10-6 lead in the third quarter, TCU got some separation with 10 straight points, and Kansas was not able to answer.
TEXAS: The Longhorns looked impressive in Saturday's 66-31 rout of Ole Miss. Through three contests, they rank eighth nationally in scoring offense (49.3 ppg) and are fifth in turnover margin (+2.0). David Ash threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in Saturday's victory. Ash completed 19-of-23 passes while Malcolm Brown tallied 128 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries for the Longhorns (3-0), who were coming off a 45-0 rout of New Mexico. Mike Davis caught five passes for 124 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's win, while Marquise Goodwin had 102 yards and a score on two catches. In all, Texas racked up 350 rushing yards on 54 carries. Goodwin added to the total with 80 yards and a score on two rushes, while Johnathan Gray chipped in 50 yards and Joe Bergeron had 48. The defense notched three interceptions and set the tone early when Steve Edmond returned a pick 22 yards for the game's first score. Texas is off this week, before resuming play Sept. 29 at Oklahoma State.
TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders improved to 3-0 with Saturday's 49-14 pasting of New Mexico. Typically known for their high-powered spread offense, the Red Raiders currently rank second in the nation in total defense (160.3 ypg), second in pass efficiency defense (79.3), and are tied for eighth in scoring defense (10 ppg). Make no mistake, the offense is still capable of putting up points in bunches. Seth Doege threw for 340 yards and a whopping six touchdowns on Saturday, as New Mexico fell behind big early. Doege completed 27-of-35 pass attempts, while Eric Ward led the squad with five receptions for 90 yards and three scores. Darrin Moore also caught five passes, one for a touchdown, and Jace Amaro caught a pair of scores and had 57 yards receiving. The Red Raider rushing attack was also impressive with Eric Stephens (118 yards) and Kenny Williams (105) each reaching the century mark on the ground. The Red Raiders will have two weeks to prepare for their Big 12 opener at Iowa State next Saturday.
WEST VIRGINIA: Coming off a bye, the Mountaineers drubbed James Madison on Saturday, 42-12. Geno Smith threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns on 34- of-39 passing and Stedman Bailey caught 13 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns in the easy victory. Bailey's three touchdowns move him into third place all-time in school history with 21 receiving touchdowns. Cedric Thomas (1976-80) holds the record with 23. Tavon Austin hauled in 11 balls for 113 yards and a touchdown and Shawne Alston rushed for 62 yards and a score for the Mountaineers (2-0), who have won 13 straight against FCS programs. Head coach Dana Holgorsen was pleased with the play of his quarterback for the second week in a row. WVU was never really challenged in this one, scoring TDs on each of its first three drives and leading 28-3 by halftime. The Mountaineers host Maryland this Saturday before opening Big 12 play on Sept. 29 at home against Baylor.