Big 12 Week 3: Turmoil In Stillwater, WVU Wins Backyard Brawl Against Pitt

Week 3 of college football saw some improvements across the board for teams in the Big 12, but some teams fell short.

Week 3 Winners:

Baylor:

After an upset loss to Texas State to open the season and a blown lead against Utah in Week 2, the Baylor Bears finally have a win in the 2023 season. The Bears stayed dominant in their game against the LIU Sharks on Saturday, allowing only 7 points on the way to a 30-7 victory.

Looking ahead, Baylor welcomes No. 3 Texas to Waco on Saturday.

BYU:

The Cougars weren't expected to fare well when they travelled to Fayetteville to play against the Arkansas Razorbacks, but nevertheless, they persisted. That effort paid off when BYU walked away with a 38-31 upset over the Razorbacks.

Next up, the Cougars travel to Lawrence, Kansas to face the Jayhawks.

UCF:

Headed into the fourth quarter ahead 41-0, things went well for the UCF Knights in their game against Villanova. The near-shutout was interrupted by 14 points scored by the Wildcats, but an additional touchdown from the Knights ended the game 48-14.

This Saturday, the Knights play their first Big 12 game against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas.

Kansas:

Tied 10-10 at the half, things could have gone either way in the Jayhawks game against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Luckily for Kansas' undefeated streak, the Jayhawks were able to put together an additional 21 points to seal away the game 31-24.

The Jayhawks welcome BYU at home on Saturday. Both teams are undefeated this season.

Oklahoma:

The Sooners put on a show against Tulsa on Saturday, including a 28-point first quarter on the road to a 66-17 win. Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 28-31 passes for 421 passing yards.

Next weekend, Oklahoma travels to Ohio to face Cincinnati in the Bearcats' first Big 12 game of the season.

TCU:

The Horned Frogs get the glory of being able to claim the first conference-game win of the season in the Big 12, with a 36-13 win over Houston. TCU's Chandler Morris threw for 314 yard, two touchdowns and a single interception against the Cougars.

Looking ahead, TCU welcomes their Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex rivals, Southern Methodist University. TCU currently leads the TCU-SMU rivalry 52-42-7.

Texas:

Tied 10-10 heading into the fourth quarter, the Wyoming Cowboys appeared to be putting on as fierce a competition as the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Longhorns. However, Texas was able to turn it around and score 21 unanswered points to cap off a 31-10 victory.

Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers performed less than expected, completing only 11 out of 21 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns.

This weekend, Texas travels to Waco to face the Baylor Bears, who are coming off their first win of the season against LIU.

Texas Tech:

Much like the Baylor Bears, the Red Raiders also claimed their first win of the season on Saturday, with a 41-3 victory over Tarleton State in Lubbock on Saturday.

This weekend, Texas Tech travels to Morgantown, West Virginia to face the Mountaineers.

West Virginia:

Speaking of the Mountaineers, the team was able to pull of an impressive 17-6 win over Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl. Only allowing two field goals in the first half, West Virginia shutout the Panthers in the second half.

The Mountaineers welcome the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday.

Week 3 Losers:

Cincinnati:

Statistically, the Bearcats lead the Miami (OH) Redhawks in total yards, both passing and rushing, but numbers on paper don't translate to outcome on the field. A field goal from the Redhawks tied up the score 24-24 in the fourth quarter, and with Cincinnati unable to respond in time, the game was sent to overtime.

The Redhawks scored again in overtime, with an 8-yard touchdown pass, but the Bearcats were unable to do the same, ending the game with a 31-24 loss.

Cincinnati returns home to welcome the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday.

Houston:

The Cougars fell victim to TCU over the weekend, falling 36-13. Houston has a chance to recover however, as they welcome fellow Sam Houston namesake, the Sam Houston University Bearkats, to Houston, Texas.

Iowa State:

The Cyclones came up short on Saturday, falling 7-10 against the Ohio Bobcats. The game was scoreless headed into the second half, and a fourth-quarter touchdown wasn't enough to bring the Cyclones to victory.

Ahead, the Cyclones return to Ames, Iowa to welcome Oklahoma State, who are also coming off a loss this past weekend.

Kansas State:

While BYU was able to walk into Southeastern Conference country and walk away with a win, the Wildcats weren't as lucky. Kansas State actually held a 24-17 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Missouri Tigers put on an impressive comeback, gaining a slight edge over the Wildcats.

Down 24-27, and with a little over five minutes remaining, Kansas State kicker Chris Tennant was able to tie up the score with a 26-yard field goal.

Not to be outdone, the Tigers attempted to make their way across the field, but sat midfield with a mere three seconds left on the clock.

This is where Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis stepped in, and was able to launch the ball 61 yards just past the crossbar, ending the game 30-27 as time expired.

Kansas State welcomes UCF in Manhattan on Saturday.

Oklahoma State:

The Cowboys suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, and what a loss it was. Plain and simple, Oklahoma State was outplayed on all sides of the ball, falling short in total yards, rushing, passing and yards per play on the way to a 33-7 loss against Southern Alabama.

The Cowboys look to improve against Iowa State on Saturday.