Big XII feasts on sugary schedule

By John Hillman  |   Monday, September 08, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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The Big XII could have easily lapsed into a diabetic coma Saturday night. After feasting on a multitude of cupcake and creampuff opponents, the conference achieved a perfect 12-0 mark this past weekend.

Most schools waltzed through their undermanned competition. Oklahoma dominated Cincinnati, 52-26; Kansas blanked Louisiana Tech, 29-0; Missouri obliterated Southeast Missouri State, 52-3; Kansas State blew away Montana State, 69-10; Texas manhandled UTEP, 42-13; and lowly Baylor quashed Northwestern State, 51-6.

As expected, the quarterbacks for the winners turned in outstanding performances. The Sooners' Sam Bradford completed 29-of-38 passes for 395 yards and five touchdowns, while Todd Reesing tossed four scoring passes for the Jayhawks in a 32-of-38, 412-yard performance.

Missouri’s Chase Daniel just missed a perfect passing day, hitting 16-of-17 throws for 245 yards and three TDs, and Josh Freeman of Kansas State posted similar numbers, connecting on 16-of-21 tosses for 288 yards and two scores. Baylor’s Robert Griffin took advantage of his first starting assignment, throwing three touchdown passes among his 15 completions; in total, he amassed 294 aerial yards.

But last week’s 12-0 record is tarnished with some of the wins generating more questions than answers. Special teams and defense allowed Texas Tech to escape with a 35-19 road victory over Nevada.

Eric Morris returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, and despite giving up 488 yards, the Red Raider defense held the Wolf Pack to four field goals until late in the game. Offensively, Texas Tech struggled with Graham Harrell tossing only one touchdown pass, totaling just 297 passing yards, and completing a meager 19 passes on 46 attempts.

Defense also saved the day for Colorado and prevented the Buffs from falling twice in a row to FCS teams. Two years ago, the Buffaloes lost 19-10 to Montana; last weekend, they trailed Eastern Washington 24-17 with four minutes remaining.

Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins then engineered a 57-yard touchdown drive to tie the game. With less than two minutes to play, Cha’pelle Brown intercepted an Eagle pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, providing the Buffs a 31-24 win.

Texas A&M remains the Big XII’s most puzzling team. The Aggies struggled in Albuquerque but left with a 28-22 win over New Mexico, avoiding their second straight embarrassment after losing 18-14 to Arkansas State in Week 1.

However, the victory may prove costly for A&M. Starting quarterback Stephen McGee sprained his right shoulder on the opening series and never returned. Backup signal-caller Jerrod Johnson threw three touchdown passes but only hit 10-of-19 attempts for 124 yards.

Running back Mike Goodson also sustained a first-half injury and played only briefly in the second half. With Goodson limited to six carries for 9 yards, the Aggie ground game totaled only 92 yards on 39 tries.

Three weeks remain before Big XII conference play begins. But with Texas Tech and A&M showing signs of weakness, the South title race points toward the Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas as the key matchup.

At that contest, fans can munch to their hearts' contest on State Fair of Texas goodies such as corny dogs, funnel cakes and fried candy bars. However, with a berth in the conference championship at stake, the Cotton Bowl menu likely features raw meat instead of sugary snacks.
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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today....
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