Big 12 Football Recap: Week 5

The Big 12 Conference saw all 10 member schools square off in head-to-head matchups over the weekend for the first time this season. While TCU kicked the conference slate off with a dominant showing against No. 18 Oklahoma, Kansas remained unbeaten and now sits atop the standings, while No. 9 Oklahoma State held off a late rally from No. 16 Baylor.

Here are the Week 5 summaries from an active and impactful weekend of Big 12 football.

Kansas 14, Iowa State 11

The Jayhawks won an absolute rock fight in Ames, escaping with a 14-11 win despite totaling only 213 yards and going scoreless throughout the entire second half. Turnovers and missed opportunities doomed the Cyclones, who saw kicker Jace Gilbert miss three field goals including a potential game-tying kick in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Iowa State turned the ball over twice, with quarterback Hunter Dekkers throwing an interception.

Jalon Daniels was contained by the Cyclone defense, completing just 7-of-14 passes for only 93 yards as Kansas also struggled to run the football, something the Jayhawks have done successfully throughout the season. Wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson continued a solid start to his season, recording 13 receptions for 101 yards to lead the Cyclone offense.

Iowa State (3-2) will host No. 20 Kansas State on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m. No. 19 Kansas (5-0) will look to defend its new rank with a home game against No. 17 TCU at 11 a.m.

No. 9 Oklahoma State 36, No. 16 Baylor 25

The Cowboys emerged from their bye week and passed their first significant test of the season, rallying behind a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown from Jaden Nixon and strong fourth-quarter defense to take down the Bears in Waco. Quarterback Blake Shapen and wide receiver Monaray Baldwin connected for two deep touchdowns in Baylor’s 22-point third quarter, with the first going for 49 yards and the second going for 70 yards.

While the Bears outgained Oklahoma State 457-376, Shapen’s two interceptions allowed the Cowboys more chances to score. Baylor also struggled on third down, going 3-for-11 in the loss while Oklahoma State went 6-for-15. The Bears also surrendered two sacks in the game. Quarterback Spencer Sanders overcame an inconsistent outing to complete 20-of-29 passes for 181 yards, one touchdown and one interception while rushing for 75 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Shapen went 28-for-40 for 345 yards, two scores and two picks.

Now No. 7 in the nation, Oklahoma State (4-0) will host Texas Tech in Stillwater on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m. Baylor (3-2) will play at West Virginia on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m.

No. 25 Kansas State 37, Texas Tech 28

Quarterback Adrian Martinez built on his stellar effort against Oklahoma last week, rushing for 171 yards and three touchdowns while completing 12-of-19 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown as the Wildcats scored 17 fourth-quarter points to take down the Red Raiders in Manhattan. In a run-versus-pass matchup, quarterback Donovan Smith threw for 359 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Texas Tech offense, which edged the Kansas State offense 473-459 in total yards despite 343 rushing yards by the Wildcats.

Kansas State’s defense made enough plays when necessary, sacking Smith six times and forcing four Red Raider turnovers to secure the conference win. Although Texas Tech was able to move the football, compiling 26 first downs in the game, the Red Raiders finished a combined 6-for-17 in third and fourth-down situations. Running back Deuce Vaughn was again fantastic for the Wildcats, rushing for 170 yards and averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

Texas Tech (3-2) travels to face No. 7 Oklahoma State on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m. No. 20 Kansas State (4-1) will take on Iowa State in Ames in an evening matchup at 6:30 p.m.

Texas 38, West Virginia 20

The Mountaineers struggled to muster any position momentum against the Longhorns, who contained West Virginia’s rushing attack and saw quarterback Hudson Card find wide receiver Xavier Worthy for two touchdowns in a well-rounded victory Saturday night. Card turned in his best performance of the season, completing 21-of-27 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to Worthy, who went for 119 yards on seven grabs. Running back Bijan Robinson added 21 carries for 101 yards and a score on the ground.

Texas dominated the first half, outscoring West Virginia 28-7 over the first and second quarters. The Mountaineers, who had averaged 217.5 rushing yards per game entering the matchup against the Longhorns, recorded only 61 rushing yards in the loss. Even worse, running back C.J. Donaldson exited late in the game with a head injury and his status for the future is undetermined. Along with having the worst overall record in the Big 12, West Virginia is now one of three teams (Oklahoma and Iowa State) that are 0-2 in conference.

The Mountaineers (2-3) host Baylor on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. Texas (3-2) will renew the annual Red River Rivalry against eventual SEC mate Oklahoma on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m.