Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:
Game of the week
No. 11 Iowa State (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (5-3, 3-2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Iowa State is going into November without a loss for only the third time in the program’s 133-year history. The other times were 1916 and 1938. The Cyclones, who are coming off an open date, have allowed only 14 points and 133 yards passing per game. They have won their last five Big 12 games — they have never won six in a row. Texas Tech is coming off back-to-back losses after starting 3-0 in league play. The Red Raiders blew a 17-point lead after halftime in a 35-34 loss at TCU last week. Big 12 rushing leader Tahj Brooks has rushed for at least 95 yards in 18 consecutive Tech games, one short of matching the longest FBS streak since 1996. He has at least 100 yards in 15 of those games. The Cyclones are second-to-last in the Big 12 allowing 170 yards rushing per game, including 354 in their last game.
The undercard
No. 15 Kansas State (7-1, 4-1) goes for its fifth consecutive win since a lopsided 38-9 loss in its Big 12 opener at still-undefeated BYU on Sept. 21. The Wildcats play Saturday at Houston (3-5, 2-3), which has won two of three games since being shut out in each of its first two conference games. The teams have played only once before, in the Cougars’ Big 12 debut last year when they lost 41-0 in Manhattan, Kansas.
Impact players
Baylor linebacker Matt Jones had a career-high 10 solo stops and 12 tackles overall in a win over Oklahoma State last week. He had three tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble at the goal line. He leads Baylor (4-4, 2-3) with his nine tackles per game that rank second in the Big 12. He is tied for the league lead with three sacks. Jones had 11 tackles last season against TCU (5-3, 3-2), which plays in Waco on Saturday.
Inside the numbers
Oklahoma State’s five-game losing streak matches its longest since the program lost five in a row in 2014. The last longer streak was seven losses in a row in 2000. The Cowboys (3-6, 0-5) will try to end that skid in their homecoming game against Big 12 newcomer Arizona State (5-2, 2-2). The Sun Devils lost to Oklahoma State each of the past two seasons. … Arizona plays a game in the Eastern time zone for the first time since 1999 at UCF on Saturday. … Wildcats WR Tetairoa McMillan leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally with 982 receiving yards. … Six teams have their second and final open dates this season: No. 9 BYU (8-0, 5-0), No. 23 Colorado (6-2, 4-1), Cincinnati (5-3, 3-2), Kansas (2-6, 1-4) Utah (4-4, 1-4) and West Virginia (4-4, 3-2).
Bowling reservations
Colorado (6-2, 4-1) became the fourth Big 12 team to get bowl eligible with its win over Cincinnati last weekend. BYU, Iowa State and K-State already had six wins needed for bowl eligibility. Arizona State, Texas Tech and TCU can all get their sixth win this weekend.
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