Big 12 Football Recap: Week 1

TCU’s strong second-half showing resulted in a 38-13 win over Colorado on the road Friday evening. The Horned Frogs are 1-0 to start the season, but how did the remainder of the Big 12 Conference fare against their respective opponents during Week 1 of the CFB season? Let’s take a closer look at the other nine schools and the results of their games.

West Virginia 31, No. 17 Pittsburgh 38

The Backyard Brawl lived up to its name Thursday evening, with the Mountaineers taking an early lead before the Panthers rallied for 28 second-half points to upend West Virginia and transfer quarterback J.T. Daniels. Perhaps the largest moment of the game occurred late in the fourth quarter, where Daniels fired the ball to wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who bobbled a perfectly-thrown pass into the hands of defensive back M.J. Devonshire, who returned the interception 56 yards for the game-winning Pittsburgh touchdown.

Daniels went 23-of-40 for 214 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, while C.J. Donaldson rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries. Ford-Wheaton had nine catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns for the Mountaineers (0-1), who will look to bounce back against Kansas on Saturday at 5 p.m. in West Virginia.

Central Michigan 44, No. 12 Oklahoma State 58

What appeared to be a blowout in the making wound up becoming a more competitive game for the Cowboys, who allowed 29 second-half points against the Chippewas of the Mid-American Conference. Despite the second-half collapse on defense, Oklahoma State received plenty from quarterback Spencer Sanders, who threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns while adding 57 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

The Cowboys (1-0), who wound up allowing 546 yards including 424 passing yards to the Chippewas, will face the Pac-12’s Arizona State at home on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Tennessee Tech 10, Kansas 56

Are the times of the Jayhawks struggling against lower-tier opponents officially over? Kansas dominated from the opening kickoff on Friday, leading 21-0 after one quarter and finishing with 297 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground in the win. Devin Neal needed only four carries to rush for 108 yards and two touchdowns, while Sevion Morrison and Daniel Hishaw Jr. combined for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

The Jayhawks (1-0) will travel to face West Virginia in Big 12 action Saturday at 5 p.m.

Southeast Missouri State 10, Iowa State 42

The Cyclones began the Hunter Dekkers era with a 32-point win on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore threw for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns, three of them going to leading wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who logged eight catches for 128 yards. Jirehl Brock ran for 104 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries to lead Iowa State on the ground.

Dekkers and the Cyclones (1-0) have a huge rivalry matchup at Iowa scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. The Hawkeyes won the 2021 contest 27-17 at Iowa State.

UTEP 13, No. 9 Oklahoma 45

Each of the ranked teams in the Big 12 emerged victorious in Week 1 including the Sooners, who won their first game under new head coach Brent Venables and UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns to tight end Brayden Willis. Marcus Major added 54 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while Eric Gray led Oklahoma with 102 rushing yards on 16 carries.

The Sooners (1-0) will have another tune-up game against Kent State on Saturday at 6 p.m.

South Dakota 0, Kansas State 34

The Wildcats may have added Nebraska transfer quarterback Adrian Martinez, but it was the Deuce Vaughn show as usual over the weekend, with the dynamic running back carrying the ball for 126 yards and a touchdown. Despite nearly 300 yards on the ground, Kansas State struggled in the air, with Martinez completing 11-of-15 passes for only 53 yards. The Wildcat defense generated four sacks and forced one turnover in the victory.

Kansas State (1-0) will face Missouri at home on Saturday at 11 a.m. in a Big 12 vs. SEC clash.

Albany 10, No. 10 Baylor 69

The Bears rushed for seven touchdowns in their first game of the 2022 season. Quarterback Blake Shapen was sharp as he took over for former starter Gerry Bohanon, throwing for 214 yards and two touchdowns while finishing 17-of-20. Breakout wide receiver candidates Monaray Baldwin and Hal Presley combined for seven catches, 140 yards and two scores. Baylor’s defense recorded two sacks and one forced turnover, but penalties hurt the Bears throughout the game. Baylor finished with eight penalties for 75 yards in the win.

The Bears (1-0) will have a ranked showdown with No. 21 BYU on Saturday at 9:15 p.m.

Louisiana-Monroe 10, Texas 52

Five-star quarterback and Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers made his widely anticipated debut for the Longhorns, firing for 225 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Texas ran for three touchdowns in the win, with one coming from veteran running back Bijan Robinson, who led the Longhorns with 71 yards on 10 carries in the game. Texas had just 25 penalty yards while totaling three sacks and one forced turnover on defense.

The Longhorns (1-0) will enter the gaunlet against No. 1 Alabama on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Murray State 10, Texas Tech 63

Sophomore quarterback Donovan Smith didn’t start the matchup against the Racers, but he sure finished the job, throwing for 221 yards and four touchdowns while completing 14-of-16 passes to fuel the Red Raider offense. Tahj Brooks ran for 50 yards and three touchdowns on six carries for Texas Tech, who eclipsed 600 total yards despite committing nine penalties for 65 yards. Loic Fouonji caught four balls for 110 yards and two scores.

The Red Raiders (1-0) will lock up with No. 25 Houston on Saturday at 3 p.m.