Big 12 football rankings week 7

Kellen O’Halloran

October 17, 2024

The Arizona football team runs onto the field at Arizona Stadium with fireworks on Saturday, Nov. 18. No. 19 Arizona beat the No. 16 University of Utah 42-18.

Big 12 play started off this week with the biggest upset in all of college football. ASU beat No. 16. University of Utah 27-19. ASU handed Utah its second straight loss of the season. ASU now sits fourth in the Big 12 standings with Texas Tech, Iowa State and BYU remaining as the top three teams.

Conference Games

Arizona State 27 – Utah 19

Arizona State pulled off a 27-19 upset over No. 16 Utah, handing the Utes their second straight loss. Utah’s offense struggled in the red zone, going 3-for-4 but settling for 4 field goals and a touchdown. Although the Utes won the possession battle (32:29) and totaled more first downs (22 to ASU’s 15), drives were killed by quarterback Cameron Rising who threw three costly interceptions. ASU’s Cam Skattebo led the way for his team with 158 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, including a late 47-yard touchdown run. Arizona State’s win total at the beginning of the season was set at 4.5 and with this most recent win they have exceeded that.

No. 9 Iowa State 28 – West Virginia 16

Carson Hansen rushed for 3 touchdowns, and Rocco Becht threw for 265 yards and a score as No. 11 Iowa State University defeated University of West Virginia 28-16 in Morgantown West Virginia. The Cyclones remain undefeated for the first time since 1938 and extended their Big 12 road win streak to six games. Iowa State’s defense forced two critical interceptions turning both into touchdowns to break open a close game in the second half. Iowa State controlled the pace with long, methodical drives, including a 91-yard scoring series. The Cyclones’ top-ranked defense shined again, securing their spot atop the Big 12 standings.

No. 14 BYU 41 – Arizona 19

Jake Retzlaff threw for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns, and No. 14 BYU forced four turnovers to secure a 41-19 win over University of Arizona. With the win, the Cougars matched their best start since 2020. The player of the game for BYU was Parker Kingston who caught a 20-yard touchdown and threw a 33 yard touchdown pass on a trick play. Chase Roberts, LJ Martin, and Martin also score touchdowns for BYU. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker capped the win with a 21-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter. Although Arizona took an early 7-0 lead on a 95-yard drive, costly turnovers derailed their chances. Noah Fifita threw for 275 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted three times and lost a fumble. BYU capitalized on those mistakes, scoring 17 points off turnovers in the second half to put the game out of reach.

Cincinnati 19 – UCF 13

Brendan Sorsby bounced back from two early interceptions to throw for 241 yards and a touchdown, leading University of Cincinnati to a 19-13 win over University of Central Florida. The Bearcats led 10-3 at halftime after Sorsby ran for a 3-yard touchdown and Nathan Hawks kicked a 22-yard field goal. UCF tied it at 10 in the third quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Kobe Hudson, who finished with 114 yards on seven catches. Cincinnati regained the lead with a 51-yard field goal by Hawks and a 4-yard touchdown pass from Sorsby to Tony Johnson. UCF added a field goal late, but their final drive came up short when linebacker Jared Bartlett sacked UCF’s Jacurri Brown on the game’s final play, stopping the Knights at the Cincinnati 25-yard line. The game featured five turnovers, with both defenses holding their opponents to season-low point totals.

Kansas State 31- Colorado 28

No. 18 Kansas State University survived a fourth-quarter rally from University of Colorado, Boulder, pulling off a 31-28 victory Saturday night. The Buffaloes took a 28-24 lead with 3:12 remaining after Shedeur Sanders connected with LaJohntay Wester for an 11-yard touchdown, capping off a comeback from a 21-7 deficit. However, Kansas State responded quickly, going 84 yards in three plays, with quarterback Avery Johnson hitting Jayce Brown for a 50-yard game-winning touchdown. Colorado’s final drive ended on an incomplete fourth-and-5 pass, sealing Kansas State’s win. Sanders threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns despite missing key receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. in the second half. Omarion Miller stepped up with 145 receiving yards, but Colorado struggled on the ground, finishing with -29 net rushing yards. Kansas State racked up 423 total yards, led by DJ Giddens’ 182 rushing yards. Johnson threw for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for another score, guiding Kansas State to a key road victory.