By: David Ware (@davidware)
Well That Did Not Go As Expected
Going into Week 3, the Big XII had a small window to pass the Big 10 as the top conference during non-conference games. Not only did that window shut, there were still fingers in the line of fire that got slammed into the window. Undefeated Oklahoma was overmatched from the opening kickoff losing by 21 at Michigan State.
Quarterback Himoteo Del Este had a career-tying night, but not in the way the Sooners wanted. He threw three interceptions and only two touchdowns. This Sooner offense flows the trajectory that Del Este takes them. In 12 career games, Del Este has only had four games with multiple interceptions and unfortunately for Oklahoma, they have lost all four of those games.
The Spartan’s defense also held him to the lowest rushing yards of his career and snapped his seven-game streak with at least one rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown. Halfback DJ Yost had her lowest rushes in a game all season with just nine, but she did scrape 38 yards out of it and two rushing touchdowns to try and spark the offense. She added 240 kick return yards, including a long of 52 yards, to put the team on the scoreboard.
On the defensive side of the ball, Akuma Hunter and Maverick Sanders both had nine tackles as they did their best to limit the Michigan State offense which had a solid night and was 61% on third downs all night. The defense had one interception by Cornerback LaMarr Carr and 10 pass deflections from a combined four players. Oklahoma still has a great opportunity going into conference play to get some big wins and jump back up in the rankings. There is no reason to panic if you are a Sooner, the playoffs are well within your grasp still.
The Lone Star
Texas is the Lone Star state, but in the CFSL and the Big XII, no one expected them to be the “lone star” in the win column. To be fair though, Penn State did have an 11-point fourth-quarter comeback to send the game to overtime. That’s when the Texas Longhorns had the Matt Miller interception in the endzone during Penn State’s first possession. Texas then scored a touchdown on their possession to clinch the overtime win and at least give the Big XII a win this week.
The Longhorns had three wide receivers approach the 100-yard mark this week as Quarterback Spunky Tolbert spread the ball around the field. Tolbert had 398 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Dylan Powell, Charlie Jo, and Blake Brock all had at least 94 yards and Quan King added 74 yards as well. The defense had a couple of big-time playmakers this week as well, as Linebacker Brandon Chen had 10 tackles with three for a loss and Cornerback Valente Martinez had eight tackles. With the win, the Longhorns move to (2-1) on the season and in second place in the Big XII.
Notable Players This Week in the Big XII
Colorado made a huge fourth-quarter comeback attempt but it was just short and it’s not from a lack of effort from Cornerback Jules Sanders. He had eight tackles, two for a loss, a sack, an interception, and a pass deflection. While West Virginia was upset by Tennessee, Wide Receiver Crosby Donahoo went off for six catches and 167 yards with a long of 61 yards. LSU Quarterback Tavon Moss had a productive game and passed for 357 yards with two touchdowns against a stingy Alabama defense. The Texas A&M Aggies lost a heartbreaker to the Auburn Tigers, but Wide Receiver Eli Riggins had seven catches, 141 yards, and a touchdown in the game. Cornerback Ryu Rambo added 11 tackles with three of them being for a loss and a sack in the losing effort.
Big XII Week 2 Results
Texas A&M lost to Auburn 27-22
Texas defeated Penn State 30-24
Oklahoma lost to Michigan State 51-30
West Virginia lost to Tennessee 34-29
Colorado lost to Florida State 45-38
LSU lost to Alabama 44-27
Big XII Weekly Non-Conference Results
(1-5) with a -53 Point Differential
Big XII Final Non-Conference Results
(7-13) -38 Point Differential
Big XII Week 3 Schedule
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Colorado at Texas A&M 6:30 pm CST (Twitch)
West Virginia at LSU 8:30 pm CST (Twitch)
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Oklahoma at Texas 6:30 pm CST (Twitch) (CFSL’s 2,000th game)
The game will be played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas
Potential Big XII Game of the Week
I am not sure if there has ever been a more obvious game of the week candidate before but in case you missed it, the CFSL will have its 2,000th game in league history so of course it’s the game of the week. Now enter the Texas and Oklahoma rivalry and it’s that much better. Oklahoma is first in the Big XII right now due to a point differential lead but Texas can take over first and set themselves up for a conference title run. Everyone in the CFSL needs to be tuned in for this historic game!
