By: David Ware (@davidware)
Records Are Made to Be Broken
On June 1, 2023, Bowling Green Quarterback Kyson Carey found Wide Receiver Jeff Frey for a 94-yard touchdown to set the record for the longest passing play in the history of the CFSL. That record has stood since Season 17, but all records are made to be broken and this one included.
Allow me to set the stage for you. West Virginia held a very explosive Kentucky Wildcat offense to a mere 34 points but struggled some on offense. With 1:05 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, West Virginia takes over with the ball touching their own goal line. Quarterback Gunner Rice lines up in the shotgun with a four-wide receiver set and gets rid of the ball just as Kentucky Defensive Tackle Perry Harrison reaches him.
Rice launched the football to the 30-yard line on the right side of the field to find a streaking Wide Receiver Hunter Dowell, who had blown past three defenders. Dowell was running down the field and everyone watching was wondering if he would have the energy to keep his distance and get the score. All of a sudden Kentucky Free Safety Jarred Kline made a diving effort to tackle Dowell at the two-yard line but was not successful and the Mountaineers scored the touchdown on the 99.75-yard pass and converted the two-point conversion.
If this play did not excite you, you need to check your pulse. It may go down as one of the most exciting plays in the history of the CFSL. Dowel finished the game with four catches, 160 yards, and an exciting touchdown. While the Wildcats did win, the Mountaineers have a ton of momentum to build on and should be super proud of their performance against a top team.
Back-To-Back
Last week I noticed the crazy trend for Texas Longhorns Cornerback Valente Martinez and how every fourth game he was having two interceptions and including a touchdown. This week against Alabama, Martinez decided to skip a few games and added two more interceptions to his career total. He also took one of his interceptions back for a touchdown. That is two weeks in a row that Martinez has had multiple picks and a pick-six.
The two turnovers helped Texas defeat the third-ranked Crimson Tide 69-38. The sophomore cornerback now has eight interceptions in his career and is only two away from tying Duke Stover for fifth most in school history.
Should he remain at Texas for the entirety of his career, he has a great chance to pass the Texas Longhorns Legends Joey Cass and Darian Conner with 14 interceptions each. Heck at this rate he could do it in the next three weeks. Well maybe not, but I will not put anything past him with the way he has been playing lights-out defense.
I will have to admit that having eight interceptions in just 12 games is insane production. The previously mentioned Conners had six through his first 12 games and Cass had just three in the same span.
News and Highlights Around the Big 12 in Week 3
Colorado Halfback Taylor James had a busy night against the Tennessee Volunteers as he had 28 carries for 176 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Buffalos to a 44-22 win in Knoxville. Quarterback Sky Sanders also added 404 passing yards and four touchdowns in the performance. On the defensive side, Rui Lang had six tackles, three of those being for a loss and two sacks. Lang even forced a fumble for the Buffalos.
Over in Norman Oklahoma, Athletic Director Dustin Hall became Oprah with the rushing touchdowns and gave one to the quarterback and both halfbacks. The Oklahoma Sooners Quarterback Himoteo Del Este continues to push his name into award conversations with 313 passing yards, 120 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns. The halfback duo of DJ Yost and William Avery continues to produce at a high level. Combined, they had 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns while splitting the carries almost completely evenly.
The Texas A&M Aggies may have fallen short against Florida, but Wide Receiver Eli Riggins had a great night with 10 catches for 156 yards. Fellow Wide Receiver Buck Stackhouse added 8 catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
The LSU Tigers started out trying to keep pace with Auburn, but quickly fell off in their Week 3 loss. The safety duo of Cash Thomas (who had 14 tackles and a sack) and Jason Jennings (who had 16 tackles and an interception) did all they could to keep Auburn out of the endzone.
Big 12 Results for Week 3
West Virginia lost to Kentucky 24-34
Oklahoma defeated Georgia 52-27
Colorado defeated Tennessee 44-22
Texas A&M lost to Florida 38-55
Texas defeated Alabama 69-38
LSU lost to Auburn 24-66
Big 12 Week 4 Schedule
Tuesday
Texas at LSU 6:30 pm (Twitch)
Wednesday
Oklahoma at West Virginia 6:30 pm (Twitch)
Thursday
Texas A&M at Colorado 8:30 pm (Twitch)
Big 12 Game of The Week
This week we could see a game that has major implications on playoff seeding as the Texas Longhorns travel to Baton Rouge to play LSU. These were the two favorites in the conference, and while the Aggies and Sooners are making some noise and could alter the top two, one can’t help but wonder if this week’s game will be the deciding factor for the conference winner.
Texas will be rolling out a new quarterback this year as Bo Jones is taking over for the remainder of the season. The Tigers have a case for the most difficult out-of-conference schedules so far and two of their games have finished within two points. Last week against Auburn there was a bit more of a struggle. Texas is coming in after a huge win against Alabama, but how will their new offense handle the defense of LSU? There is a lot on the line this week, so who will show out the most? Until next time, keep your game face on and your spirits high!
