Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:
Game of the week
No. 20 Arizona (2-0) at No 14 Kansas State (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m. ET (Fox)
While this matchup of Wildcats that was announced in 2016 won’t count in the conference standings, it is the first game this season between ranked opponents from the league. Big 12 newcomer Arizona’s nine-game winning streak is the longest for any FBS team after defending national champion Michigan lost to Texas last week. That also matches the school record first set from 1974-75 and previously equaled in 1997-98. Arizona, which makes its first trip ever to Manhattan, Kansas, won 31-0 in the last meeting in 1978 and leads the series 5-1-1. Arizona needed a second-half comeback to beat FCS team Northern Arizona 22-10 last week. Kansas State won 34-27 at Tulane after VJ Payne’s interception in the end zone in the final seconds. Wildcats safety Jack Fabris returned a fumble 60 yards for K-State’s FBS-best 133rd non-offensive touchdowns since 1999.
The undercard
RJ Harvey and Division I rushing leader UCF (2-0) play Saturday night at TCU (2-0) in the first game between conference foes this season that does count in the standings (Utah’s win over Baylor last week wasn’t considered a league game since it was scheduled before the Utes became Big 12 members). Harvey averages 134 yards a game and his six rushing TDs are the most among P4 players. UCF has run for 419 yards per game. The Horned Frogs have allowed only 413 total yards, including 127 by LIU last week.
Impact players
Utah senior defensive ends Van Fillinger (three sacks) and Connor O’Toole (2 1/2 sacks) lead the league in quarterback sacks, and both made plays that led to touchdowns for the 12th-ranked Utes in their 23-12 win over Baylor. Fillinger blocked a field goal that was returned 77 yards for a score. O’Toole, a receiver for Utah in 2020 and 2021 before switching to defensive end, had a strip sack for a fumble recovered at the Baylor 3 to set up an earlier touchdown.
Inside the numbers
Baylor’s Palmer Williams is the nation’s leading punter with a 57.9-yard average. All six of his punts at Utah went more than 50 yards, including kicks of 79 and 76 yards. … Three Big 12 running backs rushed for more than 100 yards in each of their first two games: Harvey, Giddens and Kansas’ Devin Neal. … West Virginia’s “Backyard Brawl” against Pittsburgh is the Mountaineers’ most-played series. Saturday will be the 106th meeting. The former Big East rivals renewed their series in 2022 after a 10-season hiatus.
Some instate foes
Cincinnati is headed to Miami (Ohio) for the 128th meeting in the nation’s oldest FBS non-league rivalry, dating to 1888. The “Victory Bell” series is tied 60-60-7, and the Bearcats had won 16 in a row before Miami’s 31-24 overtime win last season. That is one of six non-conference games Saturday that match Big 12 teams against instate foes. Texas Tech and North Texas have split their eight previous meetings, the last in 2001. No. 12 Utah is going to Utah State; No. 13 Oklahoma State plays at Tulsa, Houston hosts former Southwest Conference rival Rice, and Colorado is at Colorado State.
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