Big 12 Football Roundup: West Virginia faces trap game in Stillwater; Texas, Texas Tech in search of upsets

By Cody Soto
Sports Writer

Texas (3-4, 2-2) at No. 11 Kansas State (5-1, 3-0)

Texas looks for a convincing Big 12 win as it travels to Manhattan, Kan., to take on No. 11 Kansas State Wildcats in Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday morning.

The Longhorns took a thrilling 48-45 win over Iowa State at home last week after kicker Nick Rose nailed a 21-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the game. Texas headed into the fourth quarter knotted up with the Cyclones at 31 apiece and used two touchdowns from running back Malcolm Brown with the field goal to take the win. Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes passed for 321 yards for one touchdown and an interception in the team’s first win since Sept. 27 over Kansas.

The Wildcats are the only team undefeated in Big 12 play going into Saturday’s matchup and have the opportunity to widen its chances of a conference title with a win over Texas. Kansas State beat then-No. 11 Oklahoma 31-30 in a dramatic fashion in Norman, Okla. Quarterback Jake Waters had 225 passing yards to account for two touchdowns and added a rushing score of his own. The Wildcats blocked a game-tying extra point attempt in the fourth quarter and used strong defense to stop Oklahoma from scoring with less than four minutes to go.

Texas and Kansas State face off at 11 a.m. on ESPN.

No. 22 West Virginia (5-2, 3-1) at Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1)

No. 22 West Virginia looks to keep its three-game Big 12 winning streak alive as it travels to Stillwater, Okla., to play Oklahoma State in Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Mountaineers are coming into the matchup with a big 41-27 win over then-No. 4 Baylor. Quarterback Clint Trickett threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns for the Mountaineers, and the team racked up 456 total offensive yards over the Bears. Receiver Kevin White also had a strong showing with 132 receiving yards on eight receptions for two touchdowns for the Mountaineers.

On the other hand, Oklahoma State fell out of the AP Top 25 Poll with a 42-9 loss in Fort Worth against No. 12 TCU. The Cowboys only put up 256 total offensive yards and turned over the ball twice in the game. Oklahoma State failed to score a touchdown in the matchup and was only allowed three field goals in the first half. Quarterback Daxx Garman was 10-for-25 for 132 passing yards with two interceptions. He did not complete a pass in the second half in the team’s first Big 12 loss this season.

West Virginia plays Oklahoma State at 2:30 p.m. in Stillwater. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Texas Tech (3-4, 1-3) at No. 10 TCU (5-1, 2-1)

Texas Tech is looking for an upset on Saturday afternoon as it faces No. 10 TCU at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.

The Red Raiders snapped a four-game losing streak with a 34-21 victory over Kansas in Lubbock Saturday afternoon. The team rallied for 505 offensive yards behind quarterback Davis Webb, who posted 288 passing yards on 44 attempts and three touchdowns in the win. Running back Justin Stockton punched in another score on a 21-yard run in the fourth quarter to seal the win. The team averaged 5.9 yards per rush in Saturday’s game to take its first conference win of 2014.

The Horned Frogs host their second straight home game after rolling over Oklahoma State 42-9 last Saturday. Quarterback Trevone Boykin threw a career-high 410 yards for three touchdowns and one interception to help the Horned Frogs to 676 total offensive yards in the game. Running back B.J. Catalon contributed two touchdowns for Boykin and posted 102 rushing yards on 10 carries in the win.

The TCU defense only allowed three field goals the entire game from the Cowboy offense and forced Oklahoma State to go home with 258 offensive yards.

Texas Tech and TCU will play at 2:30 p.m. in Fort Worth on FOX.