DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -Kansas and Baylor spent more than two hours waiting to play last Saturday. Once the whistle blew, the Jayhawks showed why they’re the only unbeaten team left in the Big 12.
No. 15 Kansas (6-0, 2-0) pounded the Bears 58-10 in a game that ended more than 5 1/2 hours after it was supposed to start because of lightning and rain delays. The Jayhawks have never started 6-0 under coach Mark Mangino.
“It was an unusual day to say the least,” Mangino said. “Our kids were able to stay focused and do a good job under the circumstances.”
Despite playing a weak nonconference schedule reminiscent of Kansas State under Bill Snyder, the numbers the Jayhawks are putting up are tough to ignore. They are second in the nation in points allowed per game (9.5), points scored (50.3), and along with top-ranked Ohio State are the only teams to allow fewer than 10 points per game.
Thunderstorms delayed the start of the Kansas-Baylor game by 1 hour, 45 minutes. Soon after Marcus Hereford’s 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown put Kansas ahead 10-3, weather forced the teams off the field for another 31 minutes.
The weather did little to disrupt the Jayhawks’ offense. They scored the most points in a conference game in school history.
The Kansas coaching staff did their best to downplay the delays, telling the players to take their pads off and either take a nap or listen to music. Breakfast bars and fruit were brought in for the second delay.
Lightning was the least of Baylor’s concerns. The Bears gained just 202 yards of total offense, and quarterback Blake Szymanski threw three interceptions before getting pulled.
“We continue to play very well on defense,” Mangino said.
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SAVAGE IS A BEAST: Oklahoma State running back Dantrelle Savage earned Big 12 offensive player of the week honors after rushing for a career-high 212 yards in the Cowboys’ 45-14 win over Nebraska.
Coach Mike Gundy credits Savage with giving the Cowboys’ offense a lift since returning from an injury four weeks ago.
“He’s a leader for our team because of the way he approaches the game,” Gundy said. “He’s a competitor, and I think your team rallies around players like that.”
Savage leads the Cowboys with 622 yards rushing, despite missing two games, and he has gained over 100 yards in each of the last four outings. Oklahoma State is 3-1 since Savage returned.
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SHOWDOWN IN COLUMBIA: Two of the nation’s most prolific passers square off Saturday when Graham Harrell and Texas Tech meet Chase Daniel and Missouri.
Harrell leads the nation with 450.1 yards passing per game and has thrown 31 touchdowns while helping the Red Raiders get off to a 6-1 start. Daniel ranks fifth nationally at 345.5 yards per game.
The comparisons between the two signal-callers are natural, given the gaudy numbers they’ve put up running spread offenses.
“What they both do well beyond their numbers is lead their unit,” Tech coach Mike Leach said. “Chase relies on mobility a little more. … Graham’s a little more in the pocket.”
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RE-BUFFED: Colorado’s three-game winning streak – highlighted by a win over No. 4 Oklahoma – came to a crashing end last week in a 47-20 loss at Kansas State.
The Buffaloes fell into a tie for second place in the Big 12 North with the Wildcats.
Colorado was 1-of-12 on third downs in the game and committed four turnovers en route to its worst loss of the season. Still, the Buffaloes have doubled their win total from last year with five games to play.
Colorado hosts Kansas this week in a game with Big 12 North ramifications.
“When you look at the evolution of a program and the evolution of a team, you have to go through some issues, and there’s no way to explain that,” Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said. “Sometimes experience has to happen for them.”
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EXTRA POINTS: Oklahoma’s Curtis Lofton was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the week after picking up a career-best 18 tackles and a fumble return for a touchdown that helped seal the Sooners’ win over Missouri. Kansas State’s Brooks Rossman was named the league’s special teams player of the week after hitting four field goals, including a career-long of 52 yards. He’s the first Kansas State kicker to hit four field goals since 2004. … Iowa State will face four teams ranked in this week’s Top 25 over the final five weeks of the season. The Cyclones, a woeful 1-6, still have No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 15 Missouri, No. 15 Kansas and No. 25 Kansas State on the schedule. … Four of the nation’s top 10 teams in scoring play in the Big 12, and all average at least 40 points per game: Kansas (2), Texas Tech (3), Oklahoma (4) and Missouri (10).
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