It only takes a couple of weeks to get hot.
We received our first Big 12 matchup between Arizona and No. 11 BYU last weekend, with the latter hanging a 28-17 win over Noah Fifita and the Wildcats on Saturday at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo. For a first test, Kalani Sitake‘s program certainly met the task as his sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns, two caught by Kyle Kasper.
Our own Pete Mundo listed the Cougars atop his Week 2 Big 12 Power Rankings and understandably so. Apart from that Arizona-BYU game, the league finished a combined 10-4 last week against a myriad of opponents, including the SEC. Arizona State and Kansas each fumbled opportunities against Texas A&M and Missouri respectively, but there’s plenty to like from Big 12 coaching jobs through the end of Week 2: a big-time upset in Stillwater, the Utes looking like the Utes again, and another Collin Klein win.
Kalani Sitake, BYU
Sitake and BYU leave the Arizona win with some confidence after beginning the season with a softball in Utah Tech. They look like the Big 12 contender we’ve come to understand, and the Cougar defense was able to make Fifita just uncomfortable enough to dampen the effect of his 230 passing yards on Saturday. Tausili Akana sacked Fifita 2.5 times and BYU’s defense kept their visitor off the board for the entirety of the second half. This game hardly tells the tale of the season, but it’s a strong start for Sitake.
BYU (2-0) travels to Colorado State (2-0) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
Eric Morris, Oklahoma State
Boy did Mr. Morris need this one. The Ducks were as high as a 23.5-point favorite walking into Stillwater, and after the Tulsa lost it felt like someone had simply punctured the Oklahoma State balloon after it’d just left the ground. Defensively, the Cowboys looked great limiting Dante Moore and Oregon to just 12 first downs, 5-of-14 on third down and 0-for-3 on third down. The thing is, we know how good Oklahoma State should be offensively, and, while it was enjoyable to see his team put it together, I’ve gotta believe Morris was happier with Skyler Cassity’s defensive grade in Week 2, highlighting by a late Dierre Hill Jr. fumble.
Oklahoma State (1-1) preps for Murray State (1-2) at home on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
Morgan Scalley, Utah
The Morgan Scalley handoff is seemingly going better than Dante Moore‘s fourth-quarter pitch to Dierre Hill last week at Oklahoma State. He’s responsible for two dominant victories over Idaho and Arkansas by a combined final score of 109-24. Devon Dampier completed 18 of 24 attempts for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Razorbacks; The Utah defense, headlined by linebacker Jonathan Hall and tackle Jireh Moe through two weeks, should hold steady at Utah State this week.
The Aggies (0-2) host Utah (2-0) on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT on FOX.
Collin Klein, Kansas State
The Collin Klein era is off and rolling with the Kansas State Wildcats driving past Nicholls and Washington State to begin the season with a pair of high-powered victories. Quarterback Avery Johnson, running back Rodney Fields and defensive end Wendell Gregory have all arrived as advertised. This week marks an important step with Tulane, which, in just three all-time meetings, owns a 2-1 lead with wins in 1988 and 2022, when Klein was still part of the Chris Klieman staff. Last time around, the Wildcats rolled down to New Orleans and defeated the Green Wave 34-27 for the first time in school history.
Tulane (1-1) travels to Manhattan to challenge Kansas State (2-0) in one of the first games of the Saturday slate. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
