Big 12 football standings after week 9

Kellen O’Halloran

October 31, 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.

With five weeks left of Big 12 play, the BYU Cougars find themselves atop the standings after staying undefeated last weekend with a win against University of Central Florida. The only other remaining undefeated team, Iowa State University, will play Texas Tech University on Saturday after having a bye in week nine. These two teams will not match up this season. BYU’s remaining opponents are all unranked, while Iowa State is set to play Kansas State University in week 14.

Conference Games

BYU 37 – UCF 24

No. 11 BYU remained unbeaten with a 37-24 victory over UCF at FBC Mortgage Stadium on Saturday. The Cougars jumped out to a 17-0 lead and controlled the game with a 40:28 to 19:32 time of possession advantage. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff led BYU, throwing for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns. Retzlaff also rushed for a 29-yard score. Running back LJ Martin added 101 rushing yards and a touchdown, as the Cougars totaled 480 yards of offense. Despite UCF’s fourth-quarter rally, led by RJ Harvey who finished with 127 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, BYU’s defense sealed the win with two interceptions. The Cougars, who head into a bye week, will face the University of Utah on Nov. 9 as they look to remain atop the Big 12 standings.

No. 17 Kansas State 29 – Kansas 27

Chris Tennant’s 51-yard field goal with 1:42 remaining lifted No. 17 Kansas State to a 29-27 victory over rival University of Kansas. The win extended their dominance over the Jayhawks to 16 consecutive games. Kansas State trailed 27-23 late in the third quarter but rallied behind key defensive plays and Tennant’s clutch kicking. After linebacker Austin Romaine forced Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels to fumble with 3:44 left, Kansas State took over at the Jayhawks’ 48-yard line, setting up Tennant’s game-winning field goal.

Kansas State was led by quarterback Avery Johnson, who threw for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding a rushing score, helping the Wildcats recover from a slow start. DJ Giddens led the ground attack for the Wildcats with 102 rushing yards, including a crucial 54-yard run in the third quarter.

Baylor 38 – Oklahoma State 28

Sawyer Robertson accounted for 4 touchdowns, leading Baylor University to a 38-28 victory over Oklahoma State University on Saturday, ending an eight-game home losing streak in Big 12 play. Robertson threw for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding 73 rushing yards. The Bears amassed 345 rushing yards, led by Dawson Pendergrass, who ran for 142 yards and 1 touchdown on just six carries, including a late 55-yard score. Bryson Washington added 78 rushing yards, complementing a balanced offensive attack that totaled 565 yards.

After a 17-17 tie at halftime, Robertson’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Ashtyn Hawkins and an eight-play, 95-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter gave Baylor control. The Cowboys cut the deficit to 31-28 late, but the Bears pulled away late and the win with LeVar Thornton Jr.’s late interception.

TCU 35 – Texas Tech 34

Josh Hoover threw for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns as TCU rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat Texas Tech University 35-34 on Saturday. After trailing 31-14 late in the third quarter, TCU completed the comeback with Hoover’s deep 84 yard touchdown pass — tied for the 12th-longest in school history. Texas Tech had a chance to respond, but quarterback Will Hammond fumbled after taking a hit from Hakeem Ajijolaiya with 1:38 left, sealing the Horned Frogs’ victory.

For Texas Tech, Hammond took over after starter Behren Morton was injured and contributed 121 passing yards and a rushing touchdown. Big 12 rushing leader Tahj Brooks added 121 yards on 30 carries, extending his streak of 95-plus yard games to 18.

West Virginia 31 – Arizona 26

Nicco Marchiol threw 2 touchdown passes and led West Virginia University to 3 fourth-down touchdowns, as the Mountaineers held off University of Arizona’s 31-26 on Saturday night at Arizona Stadium. The Mountaineers built a 24-7 lead with key fourth-down conversions, including a fake field goal touchdown run. Marchiol, starting in place of the injured Garrett Greene, completed 18 of 22 passes for 198 yards, adding a 54-yard touchdown strike to Traylon Ray. West Virginia finished with 405 total yards.

Arizona rallied late behind quarterback Noah Fifita, who threw for 294 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 34-yard score to Tetairoa McMillan, who finished with 10 catches for 202 yards. Fifita added a 3-yard rushing touchdown to pull the Wildcats within 31-26, but they couldn’t get the ball back after Marchiol’s third-down completion to Jaylen Anderson that iced the game.

Houston 17 – Utah 14

Jack Martin kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the University of Houston to a 17-14 victory over the University of Utah. A.J. Haulcy’s interception with 1:55 remaining set Houston up at its 46-yard line. The Cougars ran the ball eight times to reach the Utah 25, setting up Martin’s game-winner — the program’s first last-second field goal victory since 2009.

Utah jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Isaac Wilson to Brant Kuithe, who finished with 113 receiving yards. Later, Micah Bernard’s 14-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter gave the Utes a 14-7 advantage, but Houston responded with 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to get the 17-14 win. This is the Utes’ fourth straight loss despite out-gaining Houston 306-291 in total yards.

Colorado 34 – Cincinnati 23

University of Colorado, Boulder secured bowl eligibility with a 34-23 victory over University of Cincinnati on Saturday night. Two-way standout Travis Hunter became the first player to ever win Big 12 Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in the same week following the win. The Buffaloes are now 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, keeping them in contention for a conference championship game berth.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders had a stellar night, completing 25 of 30 passes for 323 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for a score. Hunter caught nine passes for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns and contributed defensively with two tackles and four pass breakups. Isaiah Augustave led the Buffaloes’ rushing attack with 91 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. For Cincinnati, quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 48 rushing yards. Corey Kiner led the Bearcats’ ground game with 94 yards on 17 carries, but the Bearcats couldn’t overcome Colorado’s explosive offense and fell short in the fourth quarter.