Four of the five Big 12 teams ranked in the top 25 to start the season are now unranked and find themselves sitting in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings. The two remaining undefeated Big 12 teams who started out the season unranked, BYU and Iowa State, both escaped potential upset losses this past weekend. However, both teams survived and remained atop the conference standings. 

Conference Games

BYU 38 – Oklahoma State 35

Jake Retzlaff’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Darius Lassiter with 10 seconds left lifted No. 13 BYU to a 38-35 win over Oklahoma State University on Friday night. Retzlaff threw for 218 yards, 2 touchdowns, and rushed for 81 yards and a score, guiding the Cougars to a 75-yard game-winning drive in the final minute. Lassiter led the receivers with 129 yards on six catches. Oklahoma State briefly took the lead with 1:13 left on Alex Bowman’s touchdown pass to Brennan Presley, but BYU responded with the late heroics. Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II had 107 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, but BYU’s defense, led by Harrison Taggart’s 11 tackles, held strong when it mattered.

No. 10 Iowa State 38 – UCF 35

University of Central Florida came close to a major road upset but fell 38-35 to No. 9 Iowa State University after Rocco Becht’s game-winning 1-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds left at Jack Trice Stadium. Becht overcame two interceptions and accounted for 371 total yards, leading the Cyclones to their first 4-0 conference start. UCF dominated on the ground with 354 rushing yards. RJ Harvey ran for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns, including an 80-yard score, while quarterback Jacurri Brown added 154 rushing yards and a 67-yard touchdown in his first start. A 63-yard pick-six from BJ Adams helped the Knights build a 28-14 lead, but the Cyclones responded with three second-half touchdown drives to help them win the game.

No. 17 Kansas State 45 – West Virginia 18

Avery Johnson led Kansas State University to a 45-18 victory over University of West Virginia, throwing for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns. Despite West Virginia’s focus on stopping the Wildcats’ top-tier rushing attack, DJ Giddens scored 2 rushing touchdowns and added a 53-yard catch. K-State leaned on explosive plays, including a 60-yard TD pass to Jadon Jackson and a 42-yard pick-six by Marques Sigle. The Wildcats broke open the game in the second half, outscoring the Mountaineers 28-8. West Virginia struggled with injuries, including to quarterback Garrett Greene. West Virginia was able to string together some good drives, but failed to capitalize on red-zone chances. 

Cincinnati 24 – ASU 14

University of Cincinnati secured a 24-14 victory over ASU at Nippert Stadium, overcoming an early deficit and leaning on a strong first-half performance. After Arizona State opened with a 66-yard touchdown drive, the Bearcats responded with 24 unanswered points before halftime. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who accounted for 232 total yards and 2 rushing touchdowns, helped the Bearcats build a 24-7 lead at the break. Despite a scoreless second half for Cincinnati, their defense held Arizona State in check. Cam Skattebo led the Sun Devils with 2 rushing touchdowns and 75 yards on 17 carries, including a third-quarter score that cut the deficit to 24-14. Quarterback Jeff Sims, making his first start for ASU, finished with 155 passing yards and 53 rushing yards but couldn’t lead a late comeback.

Kansas 42 – Houston 14

Jalon Daniels threw 3 touchdown passes and ran for another as University of Kansas snapped a five-game skid with a 42-14 win over University of Houston. Daniels finished 16-of-21 for 247 yards, while Devin Neal rushed for 108 yards and 2 scores, tying Kansas’ career touchdown record with 43. The Jayhawks built a 28-14 halftime lead, thanks to a deep touchdown pass to Quentin Skinner and two more scores from Neal and Casey in the first half. Cobee Bryant tied a school record with three interceptions, shutting down Houston’s offense in the second half. Kansas’ defense recorded 12 tackles-for-loss, with DJ Withers recording two sacks.. Kansas improves to2-5, earning their first conference win of the season.

Colorado 34 – Arizona 7

University of Colorado, Boulder bounced back from last week’s loss with a convincing 34-7 win over University of Arizona on Saturday. Shedeur Sanders threw for 250 yards and accounted for 3 total touchdowns. The Buffaloes started off strong and built a 28-7 lead going into halftime. The Buffaloes’ defense smothered the Wildcats, recording seven sacks and holding them to 245 total yards. Arizona’s star receiver Tetairoa McMillan was limited to just 38 yards on five catches, and quarterback Noah Fifita struggled under pressure, throwing an interception and losing a fumble. Colorado’s balanced attack featured 148 rushing yards, helping them dominate the time of possession battle. Despite a quieter second half offensively, Colorado’s defense continued to shine, with contributions from players like Samuel Okunlola and Keaten Wade, who combined for four sacks. 

Baylor 59 – Texas Tech 35

Baylor University quarterback Sawyer Robertson threw for a career-high 5 touchdowns, leading the Bears to a 59-35 victory over Texas Tech University on Saturday. A Lubbock native, Robertson completed 21 of 32 passes for 274 yards, connecting with Josh Cameron for 3 touchdowns. After taking a 24-14 halftime lead, Baylor pulled away in the third quarter, scoring 28 unanswered points. Bryson Washington added 116 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns as the Bears snapped an eight-game conference losing streak. Baylor’s offense totaled 529 yards, while its defense forced turnovers to halt Texas Tech’s six-game home winning streak. 

TCU 13 – Utah 7

The University of Utah football team lost to TCU 13-7 on Saturday night, marking their third straight defeat and a 1-3 start in Big 12 play. Utah’s offense struggled with only 267 total yards, while the defense played well limiting TCU to just 13 points. The Horned Frogs led 10-0 at halftime, thanks to a 23-yard field goal and a 1-yard touchdown run by Josh Hoover in the first half. The Utes finally scored in the third quarter with a 71-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson to senior Money Parks. However, Utah couldn’t capitalize late, ending the game with an interception and a turnover on downs. 

Big 12 Standings

1. BYU (7-0, 4-0 in Big 12)
2. Iowa State (7-0, 4-0 in Big 12)
3. Kansas State (6-1, 3-1 in Big 12)
4. Cincinnati (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12)
5. Colorado (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12) 
6. Texas Tech (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12)
7. Arizona State (5-2, 2-2 in Big 12)
8. TCU (4-3, 2-2 in Big 12)
9. West Virginia (3-4, 2-2 in Big 12)
10. Utah (4-3, 1-3 in Big 12) 
11. Arizona (3-4, 1-3 in Big 12) 
12. Baylor (3-4, 1-3 in Big 12)
13. UCF (3-4, 1-3 in Big 12) 
14. Houston (2-5, 1-3 in Big 12) 
15. Kansas (2-5, 1-3 in Big 12) 
16. Oklahoma State (3-4, 0-4 in Big 12)

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