Surging Iowa State stuns fourth-ranked TCU
AMES, Iowa — TCU is no longer unbeaten.
The Horned Frogs have only themselves — and a resurgent Iowa State defense — to blame.
Kyle Kempt threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns, and 25thranked Iowa State upset fourth-ranked TCU 14-7 on Saturday, leaving the Big 12 without an undefeated team heading into November.
Iowa State’s win might have seriously hampered the league’s ability to get a team into the playoff after missing out a year ago. But TCU coach Gary Patterson believes the Horned Frogs still control their own destiny.
TCU (7-1, 4-1 Big 12), Oklahoma State (7-1, 4-1) and Iowa State (6-2, 4-1) are tied atop the league — and the Cowboys play in Ames in two weeks.
“We’ve still got a chance to play for a Big 12 title. Does it hurt our chances for the playoff ? Probably. We still played good enough defense to win,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said.
Marcel Spears intercepted a Kenny Hill pass with 1:16 left to seal it for the Cyclones.
They forced a pair of turnovers in the red zone in the second half in winning their fourth straight game, two of them over teams ranked in the top five on game day.
“We go into games thinking we’re going to try to shut teams out,” Iowa State linebacker Joel Lanning said of a defense that held the Horned Frogs scoreless.
Kempt put Iowa State ahead 14-0 at the break with touchdown passes to Matt Eaton (17 yards) and Hakeem Butler (4 yards).
TCU answered to open the second half on a 94-yard kickoff return by KaVontae Turpin. But Brian Peavy intercepted Hill in the end zone in the third quarter and brought it back 70 yards, and Willie Harvey caused Hill to fumble a ball recovered by Iowa State at its own 15yard line with 7:11 to go.
Hill had his worst game of the season, finishing 12 of 25 passing for 135 yards and those two very costly interceptions.
The Horned Frogs also committed 11 penalties for 104 yards.
“The reality of it is, it’s hard to stay the course. But these kids are doing that,” said Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. OKLAHOMA 49 TEXAS TECH 27
Baker Mayfield completed 22 of 34 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns, and he ran for another score to lead No. 10 Sooners to victory at Norman, Okla.
Rodney Anderson had 181 yards rushing and a touchdown, and Abdul Adams returned from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury to add 95 yards rushing on 10 carries for the Sooners (7-1, 4-1 Big 12).
CeeDee Lamb totaled nine receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns, while Mark Andrews added six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma, which amassed 617 yards of total offense.
Nic Shimonek passed for 322 yards and four touchdowns on 22 of 36 passing for Texas Tech (4-4, 1-4). Tre King had 113 yards rushing on 24 carries, while T.J. Vasher added five receptions for 98 yards, and Keke Coutee had four catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. OKLAHOMA ST. 50 WEST VIRGINIA 39
Mason Rudolph threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the No. 11 Cowboys over the 22nd-ranked Mountaineers at Morgantown. W. Va.
A senior, Rudolph earned his 29th win as a starter, breaking the school record set by current coach Mike Gundy from 1986 to 1989.
“I felt great today,” Rudolph said. “I was pretty confident. I think had it been my freshman year and I hadn’t practiced all week.
“I might have been a little mentally kind of out of it. I’m just really confident in our offense the way I can grasp it.”
Rudolph finished 20 of 34 for 216 yards. The national passing yards leader prevailed in a matchup with Grier, who entered the game first in the FBS with 26 touchdown passes.
Grier threw four interceptions, and his streak of seven straight 300-yard passing games ended. He finished 20-of-42 for 285 yards and two touchdowns.
In winning its fourth straight, Oklahoma State (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) scored four touchdowns following West Virginia turnovers, and the Mountaineers couldn’t come back from their biggest deficit of the season.
Freshman J.D. King ran for a season-high 142 yards and scored twice in place of Big 12 leading rusher Justice Hill, who left after fumbling the ball away in the game’s first series. King had 36 carries, more than doubling his previous high for the season.
West Virginia (5-3, 3-2) entered fifth in total offense in the nation and was limited to 347 yards, 192 under its average. KANSAS ST. 30 KANSAS 20
The Wildcats got a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from D.J. Reed and made several other crucial plays in the punt and kick return game, setting them up for a win victory over the upset-minded Jayhawks at Lawrence, Kan.
Alex Barnes added 128 yards and two TDs rushing for the Wildcats (4-4, 2-3 Big 12), who snapped a two-game skid with their ninth consecutive win over their biggest rival.
The Jayhawks (1-7, 0-5) got within a touchdown when Carter Stanley hit Steven Sims with a 60yard touchdown pass with 6:51 to go.
The Wildcats’ Matt McCrane hit his third field goal from 41 yards out with 1:21 remaining to put the game away.
Stanley finished with 418 yards passing. Sims hauled in nine catches for 233 yards.