Big upsets lead to a wild first weekend of Big 12 play
The Kansas Jayhawks finished off non-conference play with a big win this week, but the majority of the conference got started with conference play. And the results contributed to one of the wildest weekends that we have seen in a while. With upsets and on-field drama all over the place, there could be some big ramifications for the rest of the season.
Let's take a quick look around the rest of the play from the Big 12 in Week 4 of the season.
West Virginia 33 - Virginia Tech 10
It was a slow start for the Mountaineers, but the lack of Virginia Tech firepower ultimately won out as the Mountaineers dominated the second half to hold on to the Black Diamond Trophy with a 33-10 win on Thursday.
JT Daniels only threw for 203 yards and 1 touchdown, but CJ Donaldson went over 100 yards again, and Justin Johnson got close (83 yards), scoring a rushing touchdown.
The defense was the star here, with a Jacolby Spells interception return for a touchdown the biggest play of the night.
#17 Baylor 31 - Iowa State 24
The Baylor Bears benefited immediately from a questionable targeting penalty, and the Iowa State Cyclones were unable to recover as Baylor held on for an important victory.
Baylor QB Blake Shapen outdueled Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers and the Cyclone running game couldn't make up the difference, as their comeback bid fell short.
The tone was set early in this one, as Iowa State defensive back Beau Freyler was ejected for targeting that was only caught by replay officials. It was a borderline call that brought in the early boos, and Matt Campbell was visibly frustrated with the officials for the entire game. He even burned a timeout just so he could yell at the officials.
TCU 42 - SMU 34
The Iron Skillet is coming home to Fort Worth, as the Horned Frogs were able to hold off SMU late to claim a 42-34 victory, finishing non-conference play with a perfect 3-0 record.
Max Duggan had three passing touchdowns in the first half, but the running game secured this victory in the fourth quarter. Emari Demercado scored twice in the fourth quarter after an interception early in the 4th quarter.
The rushing defense was better in this one (except at the goal line), with SMU only tallying 104 rushing yards. But the Mustang offense looked pretty dangerous in the passing game when they weren't turning it over
Texas Tech 37 - #22 Texas 34
The Texas Longhorns had every opportunity to win this game, but a fumble in overtime quickly ruined any hopes for the Longhorns. The Red Raiders got big contributions from Donovan Smith and an opportunistic defense to shock Texas in a 37-34 overtime win, putting them in a tie for first place in the Big 12.
Another strong defensive effort from the Longhorns was wasted, as 2 sacks and 8 total tackles for loss weren't enough to keep the Red Raiders from taking home the victory thanks to a late rally. But a late Texas Tech field goal wasn't enough, as Hudson Card led Texas down the field in 21 seconds to tie the game.
Kansas State 41, #6 Oklahoma 34
In an upset that is so common that some may not consider it to be an upset anymore, the Kansas State Wildcats went into Norman and came out with a 41-34 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners.
Adrian Martinez scored 5 total touchdowns, including 4 rushing scores, but it was his ability to eat up yards on the ground that kept Oklahoma at arms length the entire game. The Oklahoma offense found its footing under Dillon Gabriel, but the defense didn't have an answer for a Wildcats team that was looking to make a big statement after a puzzling loss to Tulane last week.
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