Week 11 of the college football season is officially in the books, as it was another big weekend for the Big 12. The action started early in Lubbock and ended Saturday afternoon in Tucson.
Here are the good, bad, and ugly from Week 11 in the Big 12.
The Good
Houston
It was pretty by any means, but Houston found a way to get the job done in Orlando on Friday night. Connor Weigman threw three interceptions including a costly pick six but thankfully the run game was rolling with 223 yards on the ground led by Amare Thomas. Also, Houston’s defense locked in for the second half. UCF had 24 points in the first two quarters, and the Cougars held them to just a field goal in the second half and came up with the game-ending pick to seal the deal. Winning on the road is tough, but Houston responded well after a disappointing loss a week ago.
Texas Tech
The game of the year in the Big 12 turned into a boring one because Texas Tech absolutely dominated BYU from start to finish. The defense held the Cougars scoreless for three quarters and held them to just 67 rushing yards while forcing three turnovers. Even when the offense had trouble punching it into the end zone, the defense more than made up for it. If not for the lack of touchdowns, Tech may have won this game by 40. This is the best team in the Big 12 when healthy and it’s not even close.
West Virginia
Despite turning the ball over three times, West Virginia found a way to get the big win at home. Scotty Fox Jr. struggled at times but was able to lean on guys like Diore Hubbard and Curtis Jones Jr. when they needed a score. It was also nice to see West Virginia shut down Colorado’s run game and get back on track. Don’t look now, but this team is playing its best football in the month of November.
Iowa State
Iowa State’s defense did everything it could for four quarters and did a great job of slowing down TCU’s air attack. The defense got a pair of takeaways early on and even got the offense the ball back twice late in the fourth quarter. And when the offense needed a drive or a crucial play, Rocco Becht was able to lead the way. Of course, I can’t forget about Aiden Flora’s punt return for a score that completely turned the game upside down. It was a gusty and gritty win for the Cyclones.
Arizona
How about Arizona’s defense? They held Kansas to just three points in the second half and completely shut down a good Kansas offense. And when the offense needed a late drive, Noah Fifita came through and delivered. With the win, Arizona now punches their ticket to a bowl game and have a real opportunity to win eight games.
The Bad
UCF
Even though they lost, UCF put up one hell of a fight against Houston. The defense came up with four takeaways, which included a pick-six and gave Connor Weigman fits all night. However, they struggled to stop the run at times. Meanwhile, the offense looked great in the first half, but they went ice cold in the second half as they put up just three points. And with a chance to at least tie or win the game, backup quarterback Davi Belfort threw a costly interception that ended the game. If not for the bad throw, I believe this game could have gone into overtime, and then who knows what would have happened.
Colorado
Even though Colorado lost, they looked a whole lot better than they have in their last two games. Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis showed some fight and showed why he should be the starter moving forward. However, he also was sacked seven times and didn’t have a lot of help out there. With the loss, Colorado falls to 3-7, which means their season will be done at the end of the month.
TCU
For TCU to look as bad as they did after a bye week was quite surprising. The defense was fine, but the offense looked rusty the entire game. Josh Hoover threw a pair of picks early on and then when the offense was moving the ball to potentially take the lead, they fumbled. TCU’s offense was bad enough to let Iowa State hang around, and a punt return completely changed the game. It also didn’t help that they missed a chip-shot field goal either. Between the offense and special teams, TCU didn’t necessarily deserve to win that one.
Kansas
Typically when I talk badly about Kansas, I talk about their defense. But against Arizona, it was the offense that had trouble scoring. Jalon Daniels couldn’t get the offense going in the second half as Kansas scored just three points in the final two quarters. To me, this team feels stale, and something has to change. Last season we saw this team play great football late and at no point this season have I felt like this team has hit their peak.
The Ugly
BYU
It’s hard to blame BYU for performing so poorly in Lubbock because that’s what happens when you face a team like Texas Tech on the road. The defense did its best, but the offense was nowhere to be found. Bear Bachmeier had his worst game of the season, and he had zero runs in the run game. Plus, it didn’t help that BYU turned the ball over three times. The good news for BYU is that this is their first loss of the season and they still control their own destiny when it comes to the Big 12 title game.
