Quote of the Week:
Oklahoma State's rushing outburst against Washington State caught some by surprise, considering new coordinator Dana Holgorsen is a Mike Leach passing disciple. So read what OSU head coach Mike Gundy said about his homework on Holgorsen:
“I researched him a little more than I think people give me credit for. I was told by enough people that he's not necessarily interested in statistics and throwing the football. He's interested in scoring points and ultimately winning the game.''
Bits and pieces:
Colorado safety Parker Orms is out for the season after tearing knee ligaments in a non-contact situation against Colorado State. ... Texas A&M All-America outside linebacker Von Miller left Saturday's game for good in the second quarter with a slight knee sprain. ... Texas Tech had two field goals blocked with different kickers. ... Missouri rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Illinois. The last time the Tigers made a comeback from that far and won was the 2005 Independence Bowl against South Carolina. ... Kansas State offensive tackle Ethan Douglas (lower leg) is expected to miss a few weeks. ... Texas tailback Cody Johnson sprained an ankle on the second play against Rice, coach Mack Brown said, but didn't tell anyone and tried to keep playing. ... The temperature on the artificial turf at Texas Tech during Sunday afternoon's game reached 148 degrees.
A whole bunch of Big 12 football coaches are praying today that the old adage about making the most improvement between the first and second games is true.
Kansas has the longest road ahead after a 6-3 home loss to Division I-AA North Dakota State. The only other setback KU had suffered against a lower-division opponent was in 1987 to then I-AA Louisiana Tech.
Coach Turner Gill's offense was a mess.
The Jayhawks lost two fumbles and threw an interception. The rushing game, other than a 51-yard reverse, produced just a 1.4-yard average in 31 carries. And all three second-half timeouts were gone by midway through the fourth quarter because of confusion.
“We had taken care of the ball for the most part in scrimmages and practices,'' Gill said Monday. “But we all don't know how a player is going to respond until you play a football game.''
It won't get easier this week with No. 16 Georgia Tech coming to Lawrence.
The struggles weren't limited to programs that are rebuilding.
No. 7 Oklahoma needed an interception with 4:12 left to secure a 31-24 win over 31-point underdog Utah State. The Sooners gave up seven pass plays of between 25 and 59 yards to a team picked to finish in the middle of the Western Athletic Conference.
“Each guy just took a play here and there and gave up a big play,'' OU coach Bob Stoops said Monday. “Some of them were simple and guys who have made plays before, so I feel strong that we'll be able to correct some of the mistakes.''
Quarterback Landry Jones was far from midseason form, completing just 47 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions.
“He started off really well,'' Stoops said. “Then for whatever reason in the middle part he got a little rushed. I don't know if he didn't trust his protection. He was forcing it a little bit.''
No. 5 Texas, which has been working on a renewed running game since last spring, saw its top two backs combine for just 120 yards in 33 carries against Rice. The Owls were 83rd in rushing defense a year ago.
“We made some progress, but we sure aren't there yet,'' UT coach Mack Brown said. “We know how to throw it. We've got to go back and continue to learn how to run it.''
Even No. 8 Nebraska, after a 39-point win, has some question marks.
NU allowed Western Kentucky tailback Bobby Rainey to rush for 155 yards. That matched the fifth-best total by an opposing runner in Memorial Stadium history.
Rainey will never be confused with the others ahead of him on that list: Penn State's Curt Warner (238 yards), Oklahoma State's Dantrell Savage (212) and Barry Sanders (189) and Texas A&M's Stephen McGee (169).
Husker coach Bo Pelini said Monday his defensive line played “pretty well.''
The bigger issue, he said, was the loss of linebacker Will Compton late last week to a foot injury. Compton was calling defenses after a previous injury to Sean Fisher (broken leg).
“When you lose your ‘quarterback' — the guy who was making all the calls on Thursday — it's going to create some issues for you,'' Pelini said. “But I'm not real concerned. I know things are really easily fixable.
“A lot of those things are communication issues and alignment issues.''
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Compton had surgery late last week on his foot and is expected to miss at least four weeks.
Run, baby, run
For only the second time in its 15-year history, the Big 12 had three players rush for more than 200 yards in the same week.
Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter raced for 257 yards in 21 carries against Washington State. Kansas State's Daniel Thomas dashed for 234 yards in 28 carries against UCLA. Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray slithered for 218 yards in 35 carries against Utah State.
Hunter, slowed last season by a severe ankle injury, had 208 yards in the first half. He played only one possession in the second half. Overall, he had six runs of between 17 and 66 yards.
OSU coach Mike Gundy said seeing Hunter succeed led to good feelings throughout campus.
“He stands for what we think is the ideal student-athlete,'' Gundy said. “Last year, he went through a difficult time, and he is really hungry.
“He looks good to me. He had acceleration, he stayed low to the ground and made people miss in space. So he looked pretty close to where he was a couple of years ago.''
Hunter's total wasn't close to an Oklahoma State record. In fact, it was only the 12th-best performance — not surprising at a school that has produced Sanders, Thurman Thomas, Terry Miller, Ernest Anderson and Tatum Bell.
The Big 12's other “triple 200'' came on Oct. 14, 1998 when Kansas' David Winbush (268), Texas' Ricky Williams (259) and Oklahoma's DeMond Parker (220) topped 200 yards.
Spur of the moment
Coaches talk all the time about game-time decisions on personnel. Kansas State's Bill Snyder almost went to the limit in picking a place-kicker for Saturday's 2:30 p.m. game against UCLA.
Snyder said it wasn't until 2:20 that he decided to go with sophomore Anthony Cantele of Wichita, Kan., over senior Josh Cherry of McCook, Neb.
Cantele made his only field goal, a 35-yarder, and all four extra points. He also bombed four kickoffs for touchbacks, the most at K-State in the past 17 games.
Contact the writer:
444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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