Bret Bielema seems to have a way these days of rubbing people the wrong way.
You know that to be the case when Kliff Kingsbury gets riled, then states his case. The Texas Tech coach did just after the Red Raiders traveled to Arkansas and upset Bielema’s Razorbacks 35-24.
Rarely does the Texas Tech coach find much to go off on. The mild-mannered Kingsbury is usually quite poised, win or lose, but something stuck with him over the summer. Bielema said it, and Kingsbury took it as a shot at his father, and every proud coach who works to make Texas high school football the best in the land.
“That’s a program that prides itself on being physical,” Kingsbury said of Arkansas, which was coming off a stunning upset loss to Toledo. “At the Texas High School Coaches (Association) convention this summer, (Bielema) stood up and said, ‘If you don’t play with a fullback we’ll kick your (butt). If you throw it 70 times a game, we’ll kick your (butt).’ He just got his (butt) kicked twice in a row and probably next week by A&M as well, so that did feel good.”
Although Bielema did not target Kingsbury personally, his work as a clinician was viewed as spitting on the family crest.
“I’m the son of a Texas high school coach,” Kingsbury added. “Texas high school coaches, probably 90 percent of them, run a spread offense. For him to walk in there and say those (things), it definitely rubbed me the wrong way.”
Apparently, the Texas Tech coach relayed that message just fine to his team.
The Red Raiders rode the arm of quarterback Patrick Mahomes to 493 total yards while their defense allowed just three second half points. Suddenly, a program that has not yet taken off under one of its former Air Raid quarterbacks now stands 3-0 after winning just four games last season.
With the Big 12 schedule up next, beginning with back-to-back matchups against the league’s two co-favorites, TCU (Sept. 26) and Baylor (Oct. 3), the victory was a certifiable boost.
“It’s chaotic,” wide receiver Jakeem Grant, who threw for a touchdown on a 72-yard halfback pass, told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. “It’s kind of like we won a Super Bowl.”
Actually, with this statement win (the Big 12 finished 2-0 against the SEC after Oklahoma nipped Tennessee a week earlier), bigger games now await.
But don’t expect Texas Tech to insert a fullback. Or, abandon its spread formation.
BAYLOR (2-0, 0-0)
Game: Idle.
Next: vs. Rice, Sept. 26.
IOWA STATE (1-2, 0-0)
Game: Toledo 30, Iowa State 23 (2OT). Sam Richardson could not even get off a fourth down pass in the second overtime as Iowa State suffered its second straight defeat. Toledo, a member of the Mid-American Conference, won for the seventh time in 10 years and second week in a row over a Power 5 conference team after stunning Arkansas a week earlier. The Cyclones scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to forge overtime, but managed just a field goal from PK Cole Netten, who missed a 32-yarder for the win at the end of regulation.
Takeaway: The run game had been a big problem for Iowa State, which averaged just 70 yards coming into the game, the worst mark among Power 5 teams. RB Mike Warren helped the Cyclones get untracked with 126 yards on 21 carries, but when it mattered, the Cyclones, who finished with 207 yards on the ground and 481 total, could not deliver.
Richardson passed for 269 yards, going 25 of 42, but was pressured heavily in the second overtime and could not find open targets. Richardson was sacked by the Rockets’ Tre James to provide an inexplicable ending as the ISU quarterback rolled right but never released the football.
In spite of the loss, and the comeback needed in the fourth quarter, Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads sounded somewhat defiant after the Cyclones committed a whopping 14 penalties for 113 yards.
“I didn’t feel that we were underdogs coming into the game,” said Rhoads, “and I would stand by that after the game. We did some things that Iowa State football usually doesn’t do.”
That could be, but Iowa State did go 0-9 for a last-place finish in the Big 12 a year ago and now faces conference play again coming off a second straight loss. At least the Cyclones get to open at home against another struggling team, Kansas, and they get an extra week to prepare.
“It’s coming regardless. It’s coming next week and we’ll take advantage of it and we’ll have a great week,” vowed Rhoads, who did nothing to pry himself off the hot seat. “We’ll practice and get better. We will go out and recruit and we will get the Iowa State brand out there nationally.”
Next: vs. Kansas, Oct. 3.
KANSAS (0-2, 0-0)
Game: Idle.
Next: at Rutgers, Sept. 26.
KANSAS STATE (3-0, 0-0)
Game: Kansas State 39, Louisiana Tech 33 (3OT). QB Joe Hubener fired a 31-yard touchdown strike to WR Kody Cook to begin the third overtime. Although the two-point conversion failed, the Kansas State defense held and the Wildcats survived at home. PK Jack Cantele, a backup summoned because of injury, booted four field goals, the longest from 44 yards to tie the game at the end of the second OT. Hubener passed for 195 yards and three touchdowns, while RB Justin Silmon added 114 yards rushing on 24 attempts. It marked just the third overtime game ever for Kansas State and the first since 2011.
Takeaway: In the days leading up to the visit from Louisiana Tech, Bill Snyder harped about his team’s inefficiency in the red zone. Words from the coach did little good, however. The Wildcats again bogged down in that territory and even committed an early turnover while managing just six first-half points.
The ironic twist was that Kansas State eventually went into overtime, where most plays are run from the 20-yard line on in. Hubener delivered with two TD strikes, the first going on a 22-yarder to WR Dominique Heath, who admitted his catch in the back of the end zone was “a little lucky” in traffic.
“Just one play can change an entire game and once we made the (first overtime TD), we started rolling on offense,” Heath added. “We have to keep building. We made a lot of mistakes. La. Tech has a good team, but we’ve got to get ready for conference. We’ve got better teams coming up.”
That is true, and the Wildcats have an off week to find some cures for a red zone slowdown that has found them produce just eight touchdowns on 18 trips inside the 20.
At least Cantele was up to the challenge against Louisiana Tech. The senior was demoted last year following a poor performance against Auburn.
“Honestly nothing was going through my mind,” Cantele said. “I wanted to make sure I lined up correctly and just let the rest take care of itself.”
Another positive for the Wildcats was the play of Silmon, a freshman who did not start. His performance ended a 15-game stretch in which Kansas State did not have a 100-yard game from a running back. Yet Silmon was also disgusted with the red zone breakdowns.
“We just need to finish,” he said, “and there are no excuses for it.”
Next: at Oklahoma State, Oct. 3.
OKLAHOMA (3-0, 0-0)
Game: Oklahoma 52, Tulsa 38. In just his third start for Oklahoma, QB Baker Mayfield set an OU record with 572 total yards and accounting for six touchdowns. A walk-on transfer from Texas Tech, Mayfield completed 32 of 38 passes for 487 and four touchdowns, while adding two more scores off 13 carries for 85 yards. RB Samaje Perine added 152 yards and WR Sterling Shepard had eight receptions for 144 yards. The Sooners rolled up 773 yards, but allowed Tulsa to stay in it as the Golden Hurricane countered with 603 yards.
Takeaway: Just three years ago, Johnny Manziel manufactured a bit of his legend as a Heisman Trophy quarterback by dogging Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Certainly on that day, the Sooners staff became aware of just how influential an elusive quarterback can be in a college attack.
Well, Mayfield is beginning to draw comparisons to Manziel, especially after dodging rushers and converting big gains in the victory against Tulsa.
“He has a good ability to feel the rush when the rush is on him,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “He can get out and scramble away from it and even look downfield and wait for someone to come open, or make the decision to run when he has the lane to run. He’s pretty heady that way.”
Mayfield and the Sooners wasted no time getting started after needing fourth quarter heroics to rally from a 17-point deficit at Tennessee a week earlier before securing a double-overtime victory.
A 39-yard strike to Dede Westbrook, followed by a 22-yarder to Durron Neal was how the track meet with Tulsa got started. When it was over, the Sooners had averaged 9.1 yards per play and generated 39 first downs. Mayfield averaged 12.8 yards per attempt.
Some material was apparently left on the cutting room floor.
“Who knows what we could have done had we just executed all our stuff,” warned Mayfield, who broke the OU record for total yardage of 554 yards set by Landry Jones against West Virginia in 2012.
As it was, Oklahoma was part of one of the most productive offensive days in history. And the improvisation shown by Mayfield quickly makes him one of the most difficult quarterbacks to defend in college football, one who could have Oklahoma threatening again in the Big 12 after a disappointing 8-5 finish last year.
“That’s just playing football,” Mayfield said of his adjustments. “You just drop back with your initial plan, to read the defense and go through your reads with some of your receivers, and then when the defensive lineman comes through, obviously you’re not going to sit there and take it. You’ve got to react, and your instinct takes over.”
Next: vs. West Virginia, Oct. 3.
OKLAHOMA STATE (3-0, 0-0)
Game: Oklahoma State 69, Texas-San Antonio 14. The Cowboys generated points on all seven of the turnovers they forced and also managed 217 yards on the ground, including 104 yards and two touchdowns from RB Chris Carson. QB Mason Rudolph added 280 yards passing, completing 17 of 23 attempts, with two touchdowns. Oklahoma State forced UTSA QB Blake Bogenschutz into four turnovers — two off fumbles and two off interceptions — before the redshirt freshman was removed late in the first half.
Takeaway: Defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer knows he can nit-pick, and will do so when he addresses errors the Cowboys made. For a day, however, Spencer decided to keep those issues to himself.
“When we get in (the film room), there’s going to be a lot of negatives we point out,” Spencer conceded. “But I’d be hypocritical if I didn’t let them celebrate this and be proud of these turnovers.”
The takeaways were stressed throughout the offseason after Oklahoma State managed just 14 all of last season, then recorded half that many in one game by reading and reacting to anything UTSA tried.
The onslaught began early as Bogenschutz fumbled on the Roadrunners’ third snap. CB Miketavius Jones scooped the ball for the Cowboys and scored on an 11-yard return. Then on UTSA’s next series, S Jordan Sterns caused Bogenschutz to fumble again and LB Jordan Burton recovered.
“I was like, ‘Shoot the ball came out,”‘ Sterns said after trying to wrap up on a tackle but managing to pop the ball loose with his helmet. “It was definitely exciting,” Sterns told The Oklahoman. “That’s my first big forced fumble like that, where we’re actually getting it back.”
If Spencer has his way, Sterns and the Cowboys will generate more such plays after the lack of takeaways a year ago caused the OSU defense to spend considerable time on the field.
“I’ve been laboring, I’ve been sweating it out, I’ve been stressing over it,” Spencer added. “For them to cause them and get them, that was just one of those exhale moments.”
Next: at Texas, Sept. 26.
TCU (3-0, 0-0)
Game: TCU 56, SMU 37. The Horned Frogs needed every bit of the firepower provided by QB Trevone Boykin, who passed for 454 yards and five touchdowns. The last TD strike came just past the midway point of the fourth quarter, with TCU clinging to a five-point lead. Boykin connected with WR Josh Doctson for a 42-yard completion. Doctson had five receptions for 171 yards and two scores. RB Aaron Green added 164 yards on 21 rushes, with two TDs, the last coming on a 1-yard carry in the final minute. TCU claimed the rivalry’s prize, the Iron Skillet, for the 14th time in the last 16 meetings.
Takeaway: With the TCU attack, Boykin is comfortable throwing to an array of receivers and also adept at scrambling out of trouble and making plays with his feet. He added a touchdown carry to his five scoring strikes.
Still, when the Heisman Trophy candidate needs to lean on someone for help, he often tries to spot Doctson.
“Josh does what he always does … he makes plays,” Boykin said. “He’s like a security blanket. When we need a play, he’s one of the guys we go to.”
Going to guys offensively is becoming a must for the Horned Frogs, who have been riddled with injuries to key defensive players and struggled to make stops against SMU, which has quickened its offensive pace under first-year coach Chad Morris.
Defensive issues have become so acute for TCU that the Frogs’ string of turnovers forced in 27 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the Bowl Subdivision, was snapped.
When asked about TCU’s defensive shortcomings, Boykin only shrugged.
“We just try to go out and play ball. We have faith in our defense, just like they have faith that we are going to go out and score,” he said. “We are really just doing what we do. We try to score a lot of points. It’s all good with me at the end of the day as long as we win.”
Next: at Texas Tech, Sept. 26.
TEXAS (1-2, 0-0)
Game: California 45, Texas 44. Making just his second start, freshman QB Jerrod Heard rallied Texas from a 21-point deficit and set a school record with 527 yards of total offense. A tie, however, came down to a PAT attempt by PK Nick Rose and the senior missed wide right. Heard put Texas in position to tie it by scoring on a 45-yard keeper with 1:11 remaining to cap an 81-yard drive which took only 40 seconds. The TD was the third for Heard, who rushed for 163 yards on 24 carries. He added 364 yards passing, going 20 of 31 with one interception.
Takeaway: A tumultuous week at Texas began with the firing of athletic director Steve Patterson. That move put a little more pressure on second-year coach Charlie Strong, whose hiring by Patterson contributed to the dislike for Patterson, who also riled boosters with his personality.
On the field, the Longhorns engaged in what was easily their best offensive performance to date behind Heard, who began the season as a backup but took over when starter Tyrone Swoopes struggled mightily in a season-opening loss at Notre Dame.
As good as Heard was, however, Texas could not overcome a poor defensive performance as it yielded a season worst for points and rushing yards (280). The Golden Bears scored 31 unanswered points over one stretch despite playing without their leading rusher, Daniel Lasco. RB Khalfani Muhammad led Cal’s ground assault with 164 yards and one touchdown while QB Jared Goff passed for 268 yards and three scores.
Nonetheless, a frantic rally gave Texas a chance to at least send the game into overtime.
“This one here hurts because you watch our team and you watch Jerrod take off, and there’s a minute and 11 and we go and score,” Strong said. “An extra point is like automatic. I didn’t even look (at the kick).”
Despite the defeat, Strong sensed the performance as a step forward heading into Big 12 play.
“I hope this is one that turned the corner for us, because when you look at this, it’s a lot of mistakes, but they can be corrected,” said Strong, who stands 7-9 as the Longhorns coach. “To watch us play and fight back the way we fought back, that’s where (the result was encouraging) more than anything — 21 down and it could have really gotten away from us.”
Next: vs. Oklahoma State, Sept. 26.
TEXAS TECH (3-0, 0-0)
Game: Texas Tech 35, Arkansas 24. QB Patrick Mahomes completed all but four of the 30 passes he attempted for 243 yards and a touchdown, while adding 58 yards rushing and two more scores to fuel the Red Raiders. WR Reginald Davis grabbed five receptions for 115 yards. Mahomes threw two interceptions, but Texas Tech still managed two touchdowns on five of its nine possessions. One of those series included a kneel-down to cap the victory at Arkansas, one of the Raiders’ former Southwest Conference rivals.
Takeaway: Sometimes when scouring over game tape, plays that seem meaningless in previous games get tweaked into something meaningful. That was the case on a halfback pass Texas Tech WR Jakeem Grant threw for a 72-yard touchdown.
A year ago against Arkansas, Grant was situated in the backfield and carried the football against Arkansas in a 49-28 loss. The play did not fool the Razorbacks, who seemed to recognize the formation again.
“We ran the play where he ran it against them last year and they triggered like crazy,” Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “So we’d seen them (on tape), knew the corner was aggressive, the safety was aggressive, and it worked out.”
Grant, the Big 12 leader in receptions, added a team-high eight catches for 75 yards.
Next: vs. TCU, Sept. 26.
WEST VIRGINIA (2-0, 0-0)
Game: Idle.
Next: vs. Maryland, Sept. 26.
NOTES, QUOTES
–Oklahoma almost had to add a disclaimer to its explosive performance that netted a 52-38 victory over Tulsa. Lost in the dazzling array of skills displayed by QB Baker Mayfield was a poor defensive performance that left the Golden Hurricane within seven points with 19 minutes remaining.
Worth noting is that Tulsa’s first-year coach, Phillip Montgomery, was previously the offensive coordinator at Baylor. The Sooners will face similar looks from the defending Big 12 champion Bears on Nov. 8.
“Baylor and Tulsa are a mirror image. They’re identical,” Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “We’re going to have to find a better way to deal with it. It should have been 38-10 at halftime, and then all hell breaks loose. You’re going to give up plays, but defense is about an attitude and an edge. Our attention to detail, we’re having problems.”
Indeed. Tulsa struck for 603 yards, the fourth-most against an Oklahoma team coached by Bob Stoops, who took over the Sooners in 1999. Two second quarter fumbles Oklahoma lost inside the Tulsa 25-yard line helped the Golden Hurricane draw within 31-24 at halftime. Tulsa scored on a 43-yard Hail Mary at the end of the half after recovering a squib kick.
“We’re not discouraged,” said NB Steven Parker. “This is basically a step for us to say, ‘Hey, we can’t get too big-headed.’ We’ve got to come to work every single day. We can’t sleep on any team.”
–TCU coach Gary Patterson figured to answer any question about injuries with disdain. After all, he prides himself on fielding strong units. And two, he happens to coach, which means emphasizing that the next man up must step in and succeed.
Nonetheless, the situation is becoming dire for the Horned Frogs and any hopes they have of contending for the Big 12 title and being considered for the College Football Playoff.
While holding off crosstown rival SMU in a game far closer than anyone predicted, two additional defenders were injured. One, CB Ranthony Texada (knee) was ruled out for the season. Another, DE Terrell Lathan (shoulder), will probably miss the Sept. 26 game at Texas Tech. That leaves the Frogs without eight defensive starters they expected to have when the season began.
“I’m not going to make this about, ‘We got people hurt,”‘ Patterson said. “That’s not what this program is built on. People have got to step up.”
Manning so many spots with backups, however, creates obvious weaknesses. SMU exploited many of those, rolling to 508 yards. QB Matt Davis, a Texas A&M transfer, passed for 330 yards, going 17 of 31 with one touchdown and forcing TCU to win a shootout behind its own star quarterback, Trevone Boykin.
Without Texada, the Horned Frogs used sophomores Torrance Mosley and Nick Orr as cornerbacks. Mosley drew two pass interference penalties and was replaced by senior Corry O’Meally, who was also flagged for interference in the fourth quarter. In that period, SMU shaved the deficit to 42-37 before Boykin and Co. put the game out of reach.
–Texas Tech is rarely recognized for its defense, but to secure a road upset at Arkansas, the Red Raiders locked down in the second half. They allowed just three points after the break. The Razorbacks punted just once, but that was one more attempt than Texas Tech had the entire game.
Credit S Jah’Shawn Johnson for his ability to cover the field. The redshirt freshman was in on a game-high 16 tackles and had several significant stops, including a strip and recovery on a late fumble by the Razorbacks’ Alex Collins.
“He’s a ballhawk,” Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said of Johnson. “I’ve said it before: In high school they set him about seven yards from the line of scrimmage and he just chased the football. He’s had to learn our schemes and techniques. But when the football is there, he’s going to fly down and try to make a play on it.”
The Red Raiders allowed 424 yards. Consider, however, that in a 49-28 loss to Arkansas a year ago, the Hogs gained 438 yards just on the ground.
Collins managed to rush for 170 yards to pace Arkansas this time, yet Texas Tech was able to protect the lead and got more stingy as the game wore on, a sign of better conditioning. That’s encouraging, particularly since TCU and Baylor are next up on the Texas Tech schedule.
“To be able to hold them to three points in the second half, we’re proud of that,” said CB Tevin Madison, who added 11 tackles.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Obviously it’s a frustration for a team that is used to historically, and is very proud about, playing defense. It may be our job not to win total yardage, but the job to hold them to one less point. If that’s what our job is, that’s what our job is.” — TCU coach Gary Patterson.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 3 IN THE BIG 12:
1. Texas Tech was inspired by its coach, Kliff Kingsbury, who listened to offseason comments by Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and took them as a knock on Texas high school football. Hey, whatever works. The Red Raiders climbed to 3-0 and could surprise in the Big 12 behind QB Patrick Mahomes.
2. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield wowed a home crowd with his improvisational skills while setting a school record for total yards as the Sooners outlasted Tulsa. The Texas Tech transfer has shown great poise through a 3-0 start. Oklahoma’s defense, however, was far too benevolent in the shootout.
3. Oklahoma State secured seven takeaways, half of last season’s total, and throttled Texas-San Antonio behind another strong performance from QB Mason Rudolph. The need to force turnovers was stressed repeatedly throughout the offseason and fall camp. The Cowboys apparently got the memo.
4. TCU continues to be ravaged by injuries and is short eight defenders it was counting on to play key roles. The Horned Frogs put up little resistance against arch-rival SMU, but QB Trevone Boykin overcame that problem. The Heisman candidate passed for 454 yards and five TDs as TCU kept the Iron Skillet.
5. Kansas State was extended into overtime by Louisiana Tech, which is expected to contend in Conference USA. The Wildcats bogged down too many times in the red zone, but PK Jack Cantele made four field goals, including a clutch 44-yarder in OT. LB Elijah Lee keyed the defense with 12 tackles.