West Virginia and Baylor trying to stay undefeated in Big 12

By foxsports
Published

Here are some things to watch in the Big 12 Conference in Week 9:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 10 West Virginia at Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers (6-0, 3-0 Big 12), trying to stay undefeated before the initial College Football Playoff rankings come out next week, have held their three league opponents to a combined 43 points. Texas Tech, the Big 12's top scoring team with at least 38 points in every other game, had only 17 against West Virginia. Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1) has won three games in a row and is among the league's top scoring teams at 41 points per game. Before becoming WVU's coach in 2011, Dana Holgorsen spent the previous season as Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Mike Gundy.

BEST MATCHUP

Texas freshman WR Devin Duvernay vs. Baylor. While maybe a subplot for the eighth-ranked Bears (6-0, 3-0), who are the league's top defense, Duvernay was a highly touted recruit that had signed with Baylor last spring. Duvernay was among several signees that never reported to Waco after coach Art Briles lost his job, though it was discovered that his national letter of intent with the Bears was never submitted to the Big 12 anyway. Duvernay has three TD catches, one in each of the last three games and all at least 63 yards long .

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

That wild 66-59 loss to No. 16 Oklahoma last Saturday was Texas Tech's fourth loss the last two seasons when scoring more than 50 points. That stretch started with a 55-52 loss last season to TCU, which is where the Red Raiders play Saturday. ... Texas RB D'Onta Foreman has eight consecutive 100-yard rushing games, second in school history behind Earl Campbell's 11 in a row in 1977. ... TCU linebackers Travin Howard (69 tackles) and Ty Summers (65 tackles) are the league's top two tacklers. ... Iowa State and Kansas State are playing for the 100th time. They have met every year since 1917, with the Cyclones holding a 49-46-4 series advantage.

LONG SHOT

No. 16 Oklahoma (5-2, 4-0), which has won 12 consecutive Big 12 games, is a nearly six-touchdown favorite against Kansas (1-6, 0-4). The Jayhawks have lost their last 16 conference games. The Sooners are 11-0 under coach Bob Stoops against Kansas, and won those games by an average margin of 29 points.

IMPACT PERFORMER

Joe Mixon became the first Oklahoma player ever with at least 200 yards rushing (263) and 100 yards receiving (114) in the same game, for an FBS season-high 377 all-purpose yards against Texas Tech. He also had five touchdowns, the most by a Big 12 player in a game this season.

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Compiled by AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas.

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AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org