Killer Frogs

Big 12 Football Week 4: Underdogs Win All Conference Games

Texas Tech and Kansas State get big wins; Kansas rolls

Barry Lewis

© Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

So, who had the Kansas/Kansas State game on November 26 as the game to determine which teams head to Arlington the next week for the Big 12 title? After yesterday, it’s possible.

In the three nonconference matchups, the Big 12 teams had no problem. West Virginia keeps the Black Diamond Trophy. TCU gets the Iron Skillet back. And don’t look now, folks, but Kansas is 4-0!

Here is how each Big 12 team fared, plus some of the key results in the Top 25:

West Virginia (2-2, 0-1) at Virginia Tech (2-2)

West Virginia wins 33-10

In another Mountaineers rivalry game played on a Thursday night, West Virginia went into Blacksburg and came home with the Black Diamond Trophy. Forget that loss to Kansas. West Virginia had a good game on both sides of the ball. JT Daniels threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns. CJ Donaldson ran for 106 yards, his third time over 100 yards in four games. And the Mountaineers’ defense held Virginia Tech to only 10 points. West Virginia plays at Texas next week.

TCU (3-0, 0-0) at SMU (2-2)

TCU wins 42-34

The Iron Skillet is back in Fort Worth for the first time since 2018. In the Sonny Dykes return to the Hilltop, the Frogs took control early and held on to keep a late-surging SMU at bay. For a full recap of the game, see our article here.

Iowa State (3-1, 0-1) vs. #17 Baylor (3-1, 1-0)

Baylor wins 31-24

Baylor came into Ames as a 2.5-point underdog but came away with a strong road win. The first half was a back-and-forth affair, and the Bears took a 17-14 lead into the locker room at the half. Early in the 4th, Baylor had a 31-14 lead. Iowa State would score ten in the 4th, but it was not enough. Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen threw 19-26 for 238 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. For the Cyclones, Hunter Dekkers threw 23-36 for 284 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Kansas (4-0, 1-0) vs. Duke (3-1)

Kansas wins 35-27

The Kansas Jayhawks are only two games from being bowl eligible. Let that soak in for a moment. For the first time all season, they did not score at least 48 points. But it was still enough for the win. The Jayhawks are 4-0 for the first time since 2009. Quarterback Jalon Daniels threw 19-23 for 324 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran the ball 11 times for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0) vs. #22 Texas (2-2, 0-1)

Texas Tech wins 37-34 OT

Just like they did in 2008, the fans in Lubbock went wild and stormed the field in another unexpected win over Texas. It was possibly the last time the Longhorns played in Lubbock, at least for the foreseeable future. Texas is on its way out of the conference, and Tech wanted to give them a going-away gift to remember. The last minute of regulation and overtime was where the drama was. Texas had a 10-point lead at halftime and led 31-17 late in the third quarter. Tech was able to tie the game 31-31 with just over eight minutes left. With 0:25 remaining, Trey Wolff kicked a 45-yard field goal in what looked to be the game-winner for Tech. But Texas wasn’t done, and with 0:06 left, Bert Auburn kicked a Texas field goal to send the game to overtime. In the first possession of the overtime, Texas running back Bijan Robinson, who never fumbles, did just that. Tech recovered. All they had to do was make the field goal, and Wolff did just that, giving Tech the win.

#6 Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1) vs. Kansas State (3-1, 1-0)

Kansas State wins 41-34

Yo, Adrian! Adrian Martinez, that is. The Nebraska transfer returned to Norman with his new team and made a statement win. Sure, he threw 21-34 for 234 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. But more importantly, he ran the ball 21 times for 148 yards AND four rushing touchdowns. For the third time in the last four seasons, Kansas State beat Oklahoma. Talk about having someone’s number. Or in another state, since 2012, Oklahoma has only lost nine home games – four of those were to Kansas State. We’ve said all season that KSU could be the dark horse for the championship this season. Last night’s win put the league on notice. Martinez has found the right place for him to play. Watch out. This dude can run.

Noteworthy Top 25 Games:

#1 Georgia (4-0) vs. Kent State (1-3)

Georgia wins 39-22

#5 Clemson (4-0) at #21 Wake Forest (3-)

Clemson wins 51-45 2OT

#10 Arkansas (3-1) at #23 Texas A&M (3-1)

Texas A&M wins 23-21 (game played at AT&T Stadium, Arlington)

#11 Tennessee (4-0) vs. #20 Florida (2-2)

Tennessee wins 38-33

#25 Miami (FL) (2-2) vs. Middle Tennessee State

MTSU wins 45-31

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!

Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well. Download the KillerFrogs app on Google Play or in the Apple App Store. 

Published
Barry Lewis
BARRY LEWIS

Barry is the publisher/managing editor for KillerFrogs.com. He has been a Horned Frog since the Jim Wacker era and loves covering all of TCU's sports. 

Home/Football