Big 12 championship and playoff implications, and a possible matchup of third-string quarterbacks.
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Boone Pickens Stadium began to hush. If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma and Baylor gets upset by TCU or Texas, so the dream is still alive.
UCONN 20, No. 13 HOUSTON 17: In East Hartford, Connecticut, Noel Thomas caught two touchdown passes, including a 45-yarder on a trick play in the fourth quarter, and the Huskies (6-5, 4-3 American Athletic Conference) beat the Cougars.
During the Big 12 coaches teleconference, Briles spoke about a bone in his leg.
ISU has rushed for at least 200 yards in seven of its last nine games. “He is an extremely talented player that just has a gracious attitude about him”.
“I haven’t heard anything about that”, said Art Briles, when asked Saturday night about Kendal throwing his hat into the ring for the UNT job.
Johnson may get another opportunity – most can agree on this classification now – next week against rival TCU.
“They were able to run the ball behind those big guys, and then they were able to throw down the field to those fast guys”, Gundy said. True freshman Jarrett Stidham played two-and-a-half games more than competently, helping Baylor to 10-point halftime lead.
Stidham is not the only player who is in doubt.
No. 19 NAVY 44, TULSA 21: In Tulsa, Oklahoma, quarterback Keenan Reynolds ran for 81 yards and a touchdown while directing a Navy (9-1, 7-0, No. 16 CFP) offense that rolled up 512 yards.
Stidham completed 12 of 22 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Ending undefeated seasons in November will always earn favor from the committee, but it’s unlikely to be enough to put Baylor’s destiny back in its own hands after last week’s loss.
The two backup quarterbacks led Baylor to 700 yards (304 rushing) against the same defense that tore apart TCU when it was completely healthy.
“It gives us more options, but it gives the linebackers pretty free if the guards want to double team me…so it makes a lot of stuff happen”, said junior defensive tackle Andrew Billings. “We were hungry. Everybody was talking down on us once again”.
“He was too good of an athlete to stand over there with a cap on backwards”, Briles said.
“Tonight”, Johnson said, “we just wanted to come out and get that last game out of our minds”. Baylor came with uncertainty and questions.
Oklahoma State’s comeback magic finally ran out after three double-digit-point rallies in conference competition.
Oklahoma State finishes its regular season with a game against Oklahoma and Baylor will face a spunky but depleted TCU squad that lost to the Sooners on Saturday.
This time OSU responded, with a 77-yard drive in 10 plays.
– Kansas coach David Beaty will make his Sunshine State rivalry debut when the Jayhawks (0-11, 0-8) play at Kansas State (4-6, 1-6) on Saturday, their last chance to avoid a winless season.
That’s when Johnson stepped in, produced compelling accuracy straightaway and upheld the Baylor philosophy that, “Everybody’s a starter”, as Cannon put it. The first-drive touchdown pass “kind of helped me settle the nerves a little bit”, he said.
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Oklahoma State is a four-point home underdog after picking up its first loss of the season last Saturday against Baylor. Instead, Iowa State went for the win in regulation. By the end, the Baylor players would walk the ramp toward the locker room, a hard season near its end, Johnson gliding along quietly among teammates and Stidham helped off by a safety under his right arm and a staff member under his left.
