Texas and Big 12 Football Capsules: Texas QB McCoy's next win ties NCAA record

AUSTIN — For a guy who one night four years ago looked a bit overwhelmed by the bright lights of Texas football, Colt McCoy sure has won a lot of college games.

Forty-one, to be exact.

And if No. 2 Texas (9-0, 5-0 Big 12) beats Baylor (4-5, 1-4) on Saturday, McCoy will tie Georgia’s David Greene for the most victories by a major college quarterback.

That would be a pretty nifty record considering he lost the second time he put on the burnt orange jersey.

McCoy won the starting job as a freshman in 2006, the year after Vince Young led Texas to the 2005 national title. Many assumed the kid from small-town West Texas would struggle to thrive in the shadow left by Young’s legacy. A 24-7 loss to Ohio State on national television in his second game only fueled those fears.

But he grew up fast.

McCoy has been the heart of the offense ever since that loss, leading Texas to at least 10 wins in each of his first three seasons. He is 41-7 in his career and has the Longhorns among the leaders in the national title chase again this season. His name is among those in the Heisman Trophy discussion.

McCoy said the wins record would be special and called it one of the "greatest records" for a quarterback, but one that he would share with teammates.

McCoy said he didn’t think about the mark until coach Mack Brown told him his 40th win (41-14 at Oklahoma State) sent him past Peyton Manning on the career list.

"If I was in it to break records, I’d have quit a long time ago," McCoy said. "I’m here to win."

Texas is a heavy favorite to get McCoy win No. 42. The Longhorns have won 11 in a row over the Bears and have outscored Baylor by an average of 47-12 since 1999.

But Baylor got Texas’ full attention with a rare Big 12 road win at Missouri last week that included 427 yards passing from freshman quarterback Nick Florence, a school record.

Florence wasn’t even the starter when the season began. He was sitting behind sophomore starter Robert Griffin until Griffin tore up his knee in the third game. Baylor won the next week, then lost four in a row.

Florence seemed to find all the right connections with his receivers against Missouri and rallied the Bears to the win.

"He played with a lot of poise, a lot of confidence and a lot of belief," Baylor coach Art Briles said.

Brown was impressed by the victory.

"(Briles) turned a team that was devastated by the loss of Robert Griffin and turned them into a high-powered offense," the Texas coach said.

Now Florence will be asked to top that performance against a Longhorns defense ranked No. 1 in total defense and rush defense. The freshman’s two victories are far short of McCoy’s 41, but he acts like he’s ready for the challenge.

"I start with the ball" on every play, Florence said. "If I don’t have confidence, then no one else is going to have confidence."

Sooners, Aggies seek bowl eligibility

NORMAN, Okla. — Bit by bit, Oklahoma’s grand dreams have been nibbled away by the tiniest details.

Long ago, the Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12) had their dreams of returning to the BCS championship game dashed, and now any hope of continuing an unprecedented run of three straight Big 12 championships is gone, too.

Four losses by a combined 12 points have doomed Oklahoma to one of its worst seasons since Bob Stoops took over as head coach in 1999.

"It’s hard how close we’ve been in so many games," center Ben Habern said. "I feel like we’re just a few plays away from being 9-0 right now. That’s one thing that we’ve got to deal with and one thing that we’ve got to get past. ... It’s weird seeing Oklahoma 5-4. Everybody’s used to seeing them with no losses or maybe one loss and still in the national championship hunt."

Heading into Saturday night’s game against Texas A&M (5-4, 2-3), the only stakes left aren’t so high: continuing a run of 10 straight bowl games under Stoops. The Aggies come in with a matching record and seeking the same goal, though for them it would mark a return to the postseason after a year away.

"Last year, we were in a certain situation where we had a chance for the national championship. We wanted to finish strong," Sooners defensive captain Gerald McCoy said. "We don’t have that same opportunity this year, but we have pride in being at the University of Oklahoma, so we still want to finish strong. Nothing changes."

After hanging in through tough blows with the loss of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham, a second-team All-American, the Sooners are dealing with an avalanche of bad news this week.

Three more starters are out for the rest of the season with injuries, with the team absorbing its first fall from the Top 25 in four years.

"You can’t let a loss or four losses bring you down. You’ve just got to keep on pushing and finish out strong," McCoy said. "We’re not about giving in."

This week’s losses include two more starters from an offensive line that has yet to overcome the departure of four starters from last season’s run to the BCS championship game. Guard Brody Eldridge (neck) and tackle Jarvis Jones (heel) join guard Brian Simmons (knee) on the sidelines, leaving even less experience along the front line.

"You can accept that and have that kind of attitude, that defeatist attitude and ‘Woe is me,’ or you can respond," Stoops said. "You have to come out and keep responding and keep playing, and you challenge the other players that ‘Regardless of your experience, you’re here. You need to play well."’

The same line that struggled last week against a Nebraska defense led by tackle Ndamukong Suh will be go head-to-head this week with Von Miller, who leads the nation with 15½ sacks.

"I really just want to win and go to a bowl game and all the other stuff is second tier," Miller said. "If you don’t win, it really doesn’t feel as good as if you were winning. All that other stuff is bonus. If you don’t win, it’s really not quite as important.

"I’d trade every last sack to be undefeated right now."

Texas A&M’s strength has been an offense that leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally with 477.6 yards per game. Quarterback Jerrod Johnson tops the Big 12 in total offense.

Oklahoma counters with a defense giving up an average of only 12.3 points, the seventh-fewest in the country. That group allowed only seven first downs in a 10-3 loss at Nebraska last week, giving up the only touchdown after the Cornhuskers returned an interception to the 1-yard line.

"We have to work really hard this week to do something against them," Aggies offensive lineman Michael Shumard said. "It will be our biggest challenge of the year."

-- Jeff Latzke

TTech, Okla St revisit program-changing shootout

STILLWATER, Okla. — When Mike Leach last brought his Texas Tech team to Oklahoma State, he concluded the trip with a scathing assessment of his players as "soft" and lacking the toughness needed to win.

He called out his offense, which had racked up more than 700 yards, as "incredibly front-runnerish" for putting the defense in a situation where it had to get a late stop. And he criticized the defense for failing to stand toe-to-toe with the Cowboys and do its job in the 49-45 loss.

When the Red Raiders got back home, there was a change at defensive coordinator.

And Leach’s post-game fireworks weren’t even the most notable from that 2007 game. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy used his time at the podium to lash out at a newspaper columnist for an article on the Cowboys’ change at quarterback, unleashing a pick-on-me-instead, "I’m a man! I’m 40!" tirade that has lived on in commercials and Internet videos.

Gundy was 12-15 as the Cowboys’ coach at that time and the program was coming off a humbling loss at Troy in Zac Robinson’s first start at quarterback when they beating the high-flying Red Raiders.

"That was a big win for us," Gundy said. "As a coach you don’t realize that I think there’s a lot of pressure outside that people put on players and coaches. And coaches don’t really realize it because we just coach and do our job and we understand what’s going on."

The shootout victory was a watershed moment for Oklahoma State. The No. 17 Cowboys (7-2, 4-1 Big 12) are 22-10 since then and appeared in the Top 5 earlier this season for the first time in 24 years.

But the game wasn’t even a speed bump for the Red Raiders (6-3, 3-2). In fact, it was perhaps a catalyst for the program’s rise last season, including a landmark win against Texas and a rise to the No. 2 ranking.

Ruffin McNeill, who got the job when Leach lost his temper, turned Tech’s defense into a respectable unit, making the team more than just an offensive juggernaut.

"A lot has changed, just the whole mentality of the defense," said Tech defensive back Jamar Wall, a senior. "We were kind of sluggish around that game and you could tell. Everything has been different after that game, from running on and off the field to everyone running to the ball, all kinds of small detail things that you can tell led up to big things."

In that 2007 win, OSU had three players rush for 100 yards in the same game for the first time in school history. Tech defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich resigned the next day.

"That’s when we made the change and played harder," Leach said. "Ruffin brings a lot of enthusiasm and inspiration. He’s got a lot of enthusiasm personally and I think it rubs off on the players. We have a more inspired unit out there."

When the teams meet Saturday night, Oklahoma State will be trying to keep some pressure on No. 3 Texas and keep the Longhorns from clinching the Big 12 South title. At the same time, it’s a chance to make up for a 56-20 defeat in Lubbock a year ago that was the Cowboys’ worst performance of the season.

"I think most of us look back on that game kind of disappointed in the way it turned out," said OSU’s Andrew Mitchell, who filled in at right tackle for the injured Brady Bond last week. "It got away from us pretty quick."

Tech’s revamped defense held Oklahoma State to its lowest scoring total and a season-low 19 first downs last year.

The Red Raiders, meanwhile, racked up more than 500 yards against OSU for the second straight year — after the Cowboys allowed a school-record 718 yards in the 2007 game.

"It’s going to be a pretty big task," Oklahoma State tailback Keith Toston said. "I wouldn’t call it a rivalry game but it’s a game that us as an offense, we have to go try and match whatever their offense does."

-- Jeff Latzke

No. 4 TCU can back up title talk vs. No. 16 Utah

FORT WORTH — Before fourth-ranked TCU can really start thinking about a national title, there is that trophy Utah currently has — the one kept from the Horned Frogs last season in heartbreaking fashion.

While TCU (9-0, 5-0 Mountain West) has become a national championship contender even without guaranteed access to the Bowl Championship Series, the Horned Frogs still have company atop the conference standings in the No. 16 Utes (8-1, 5-0).

The two will play Saturday night in TCU’s biggest home game in 25 years.

The Utes are listed as a nearly three-touchdown underdog, but they’re not intimidated. And for good reason: Utah is the defending league champ and the team on the opposite end of TCU’s long winning streaks.

TCU’s 11-game winning streak began after a 13-10 loss at Utah last November. The Horned Frogs have also won 12 in a row at home since losing two years ago to the Utes.

"You’re on the throne until somebody dethrones you. We’re still the champions until somebody proves it otherwise," Utah receiver Jereme Brooks said. "It’s great. I like being the underdog."

Not only are the Horned Frogs trying to get the Mountain West title, they’re trying to get where Utah has twice been before. The Utes were the original BCS buster in 2004 and last year capped an undefeated season with a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama while being the first outsider to play in two of the big-money bowl games.

TCU is fourth in the BCS standings, the highest ranking yet for a team from a conference without an automatic bid. The question is not whether the Frogs are this season’s BCS buster but can they be the first outsider to play for a national title.

The Frogs also have their highest AP ranking since 1956 and their first home sellout since Big 12 foe Texas Tech visited three years ago. The last time they had a higher ranking for a home game was at No. 1 during their undefeated 1938 national championship season with quarterback Davey O’Brien.

"All that stuff is great for the fans, great for alumni, our students, faculty and everybody us. For us, we have to focus in on the people that wear the red and black (Utah)," coach Gary Patterson said. "If we don’t get it done, everybody will forget about it."

TCU players and coaches vividly remember Utah fans storming the field to celebrate a thrilling comeback and the tears in the locker room after last year’s game.

The Frogs had led 10-0 and outgained Utah 416 total yards to 275. But they missed two field goals in the fourth quarter and let the Utes drive 80 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the final minute.

"Last year was a heartbreaker, to go in the locker room and see a bunch of guys in tears and all that. That sticks with you," said third-year starting quarterback Andy Dalton, a junior. "That’s a feeling that you never want to feel."

That hurt would be exponentially worse if it happens again because the national title hopes would vanish.

Utah’s BCS chances this season took an early hit with a loss at Oregon, but the Utes have since won six in a row.

"The first thing we tell our guys, ‘TCU is a very good football team. We respect them. They’re hitting in all phases,"’ Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "The bottom line is we’ve played some good football this year as well."

The Utes found a new spark in freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn, who in his first start last week hit 18 of 28 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns at New Mexico. He rested in the fourth quarter of Utah’s best offensive showing of the season, 557 total yards and 45 points.

TCU leads the Mountain West with 37 points a game and matches BYU with a league-high 459 yards per game. Combine that with a defense that leads the league and is top-five nationally allowing 241 yards and 11 points per game, and it’s clear to see why the Frogs are one of the nation’s best teams.

Now if they could just get past Utah.

"Our destiny is in our hands," Frogs defensive end Jerry Hughes said.

-- Stephen Hawkins

Keenum takes Houston's aerial show to UCF

ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida coach George O'Leary doesn't have any illusions about what the Knights have to do to keep pace with No. 13 Houston and the Cougars' prolific quarterback Case Keenum.

Big 12

Kansas State going for Big 12 North

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Two things that weren’t supposed to happen in the Big 12 North:

1. Missouri losing at home to Baylor.

2. Kansas State celebrating Bill Snyder’s return by capturing the Big 12 North championship.

The first has happened. The second, even more improbably, might be about to.

Battered Missouri (5-4, 1-4 Big 12) could have something to say about that, however. A week after the long-woeful Bears handed the Tigers a 40-32 defeat in Columbia, virtually stripping them of any chance of a third straight North title, they will try to become the first visitor to win in Manhattan this season.

If Kansas State (6-4, 4-2) closes out its first unbeaten home campaign in a decade, the Wildcats will be 5-2 in the division with one game to go. Nebraska (3-2) would be their nearest pursuer with three games left and the two square off next week.

Picked fifth in the preseason poll, the Wildcats’ quick turnaround since Snyder came out of a three-year retirement has fans proclaiming him once more one of the greatest college coaches ever.

They’ll get no argument from anyone in the Big 12.

"I’m a big coach Snyder fan," said Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. "I always have been and I have great respect for him. They are playing good football right now."

At the heart of the turnaround has been two players Snyder brought in after replacing the fired Ron Prince.

Quarterback Grant Gregory, a transfer, is 4-2 since Snyder made him the starter. And running back Daniel Thomas leads the Big 12 with 1,087 yards and has enabled Snyder to play a ball-control offense.

During a 5-0 stretch in the stadium named in his honor, Snyder’s defense has given up just 10.8 points, 39.6 yards rushing and 233 total yards per game.

Also not to be overlooked is the dangerous Brandon Banks. The kick returner-wide receiver leads the NCAA with four touchdown returns and will tie the NCAA record if he gets a fifth.

"He is a guy that can change the game," said Pinkel. "We are certainly going to need to have a strategy on how we’re going to handle it."

The Wildcats know they hold their destiny in their own hands.

"We know what we have in front of us," said Gregory. "We know we have a huge test this week. It’s also a great opportunity to finish an undefeated home season. I don’t know how many times that’s been done in K-State’s history, but that’s a huge goal in our locker room."

The Wildcats will be facing a potent Missouri offense if Blaine Gabbert can throw the ball the way he did in the losing effort against Baylor. The first-year starter threw for 468 yards, 12 yards short of the school record.

One school record that did fall was most yards receiving by two players, with Danario Alexander getting 214 and Jared Perry 145.

"They are a dynamic team, especially in the first half," said Snyder. "If you look at the tape, regardless of which half it is, you can tell that they are a pretty good team. They do some awfully good things on defense. Even when Blaine Gabbert was injured and couldn’t move, their offense still put up pretty good numbers."

Missouri’s incentive is to qualify for a bowl game. Five postseason appearances in a row would be a record for the Tigers. But can they pick themselves up and dust themselves off after the shocking loss to Baylor?

"We’ve got to get the team ready for Kansas State, and do everything we can," said Alexander. "This week we’re going to be stricter. The seniors are going to try to get everyone going on the same page."

It will be senior day for the Wildcats, making the day even more special.

"It’s the last time playing in front of this crowd. (The fans) have done a lot for us this year," said senior defensive tackle Jeffrey Fitzgerald. "Hopefully, we can reward them with an undefeated home record."

-- Doug Tucker

Nebraska not going to ease up on Reesing

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The curious case of Todd Reesing has taken an unexpected turn, one Kansas coaches, players, even Reesing himself can’t figure out.

Undersized quarterback bucks the odds, becomes a record-breaker at a BCS school, guides it an Orange Bowl victory, generates Heisman Trophy buzz — the story had a perfect arc headed into Reesing’s senior season.

After piling up more yards, records and wins in the early going, Reesing’s last few games and a march toward glory went up in a puff of losses and interceptions.

Now, there’s little hope of a division title, tenuous position for a bowl game and the longest losing streak of Reesing’s Kansas career. This isn’t how he, or anyone else, expected it to end.

"I don’t have any answers," Reesing said after Saturday’s 17-10 loss to Kansas State.

But with Reesing’s struggle comes an opportunity.

Nebraska (6-3, 3-2 Big 12) is still in the hunt for the Big 12 North title, a half-game behind Kansas State. The Cornhuskers, coming off a 10-3 win over Oklahoma, haven’t won in Lawrence since 2003 and would really like to erase memories of a 76-39 beatdown the last time they played there.

Reesing and the Jayhawks are down? The Cornhuskers want to keep it that way in the 104th meeting of the nation’s longest uninterrupted series.

"You definitely want to go in there and keep, for instance, kicking the dog," Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. "You want to keep kicking it and keep moving forward and run it over and then go to the next one."

Reesing should at least provide a moving target.

Bothered by a strained groin the previous three games, he seemed more mobile against Kansas State last week, avoiding the rush in the pocket, scrambling for a few decent gains.

And Nebraska has seen firsthand what Reesing can do. As a sophomore, he threw for 354 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in the 37-point win in Lawrence, then threw for 304 yards and three more TDs in last year’s 45-35 shootout loss in Lincoln.

A few bad games in a row isn’t enough to fool the Cornhuskers into thinking Reesing has lost his mojo.

"Todd Reesing is still a great quarterback, no matter what’s been happening the last couple weeks," Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick said. "We’re going to take the approach that he’s 100 percent healthy and he’s back to his old self. We’re just going to get a good scheme going, kind of base it around him, get pressure on him and hopefully force a lot of indecision."

Indecision has hurt Reesing during his slump.

Always supremely confident, the three-year starter has been plagued by mistakes the past four games. Because he throws so much, Reesing is going to have his share of turnovers. Usually it isn’t this bad, though. Reesing has 10 turnovers the past four games, including three in the first half against Kansas State and interceptions on the first three possessions against Oklahoma.

Of course, it’s not all Reesing. The four-game losing streak, the longest at Kansas in three years, can’t just be heaped on the quarterback’s shoulders.

The offensive line, up and down all season, has had breakdowns, leaving Reesing running for his life at times. The running game, once sharp behind Jake Sharp, has been almost nonexistent since the senior got hurt, putting more pressure on Reesing and the passing game.

"We’re not going to get down from losing games," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "We’re going to find a way to get better, that’s the way we do it here. We keep looking for solutions. Nobody is feeling bad for themselves, there is nobody pouting."

Nebraska finds itself with a quarterback dilemma of its own.

Junior Zac Lee opened the season as the starter and stayed there the first seven games. Coming off an eight-turnover debacle against Iowa State, he was replaced by freshman Cody Green against Baylor on Oct. 31 and got the start again last week against Oklahoma.

But with Green struggling with the big-game atmosphere, Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini pulled him after five series — and no first downs — and put Lee back in. Now the coach isn’t saying who’ll get the start this week.

"Whatever I feel is going to give our football team the best opportunity on any given week or any given circumstance, that’s what I’m going to do," Pelini said.

-- John Marshall

Iowa State looks for elusive 6th win vs. Colorado

AMES, Iowa — Iowa State and Colorado enter Saturday’s game hoping to set some milestones.

The Cyclones are trying to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2005, something few thought possible in the first season under coach Paul Rhoads.

The Buffaloes are just trying to win a road game — something most figured they’d have accomplished by now.

Iowa State (5-5, 2-4 Big 12) has been one of the league’s biggest surprises outside of Kansas State. Though the Cyclones have dropped two straight in rather ugly fashion, 35-10 at Texas A&M and 34-8 at home against No. 17 Oklahoma State last week, they can clinch at least a shot at a postseason bid by beating Colorado (3-6, 2-3).

The Buffaloes are 0-4 away from Boulder this season.

"All our goals will be taken care of if we play and win these games to the best of our ability. That’s all we can do," Iowa State linebacker Fred Garrin said. "If we play our best and do everything that the coaches teach us to do, it will take care of itself."

The Buffs are again scuffling under third-year coach Dan Hawkins, and they’ll need to sweep their final three games to reach .500.

But Colorado has a little extra bounce in its step after beating Texas A&M 35-34 last week. The Buffs rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns, including a 22-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Hansen to Patrick Devenny with 2:04 left.

Of course, that win came at home. Colorado has yet to win a road game this season — though it has had to make trips to West Virginia, Texas and Kansas State — and doing so would be a major boost for a team that stumbled to a 1-4 start.

"We just have to bring more to the table, we really do. You have to have more concentration, more intensity, more enthusiasm, and more focus," Hawkins said about playing on the road. "There has to be a heightened sense of focus and energy."

For Iowa State, a coveted sixth win would help cap a remarkable turnaround for a program that went 9-27 from 2006-08 and 3-21 in the Big 12.

The Cyclones have stumbled, though, since forcing eight turnovers in a 9-7 win at Nebraska on Oct. 24.

Iowa State’s offense struggled without quarterback Austen Arnaud in their loss at Texas A&M, and it didn’t fare much better in a decisive defeat at the hands of the Cowboys.

Arnaud threw three interceptions in his return from a bruised throwing hand and running back Alexander Robinson rushed for just 51 yards, including a season-low 3.2 yards per carry.

Iowa State has scored just 27 points in its last three games, though they’ll be facing a Colorado defense that’s allowed 30 or more points in five of its last six games.

"We’ve been really flat. I don’t think we’ve had enough intensity coming into the game," Iowa State wide receiver Marquis Hamilton said. "We need to work on starting fast and maybe playing with a little more consistency throughout the game."

While the game will have little impact on the Big 12 North race, there’s plenty at stake for the Cyclones and Buffs.

Iowa State would gladly head off to whatever bowl would offer them a spot after spending the last three winters at home, and Colorado has just two chances left to pick up that elusive road win.

To make matters worse, the Buffs have to turn around and play Oklahoma State in Stillwater just five days after its date with the Cyclones.

Iowa State has "certainly played well this year and have earned their stripes. Our backs are still against the wall and they are trying to get bowl eligible, and a lot of things are on the line for both football teams," Hawkins said.

-- Luke Meredith