Quarterbacks key for Iowa State, Texas
Iowa State’s season turned around when true freshman quarterback Brock Purdy was handed the starting job. Texas’ season has done the same because sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger has kept the starting job.
The Cyclones play at Texas on Saturday night in a virtual eliminator for the Big 12 Championship Game. And quarterbacks are a big reason why both teams have had breakout seasons.
Ehlinger has orchestrated multiple game-winning drives and given the Longhorns continuity. Until this season, Texas had sifted through a new quarterback and new offensive system seemingly every season.
“Most of the credit goes to Sam and his ability to retain what he learned last year and improve,” UT coach Tom Herman said Monday on the Big 12 teleconference.
Meanwhile, Purdy has led Iowa State to five straight wins, throwing 13 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. “He’s got a ton of moxie,” Herman said. “The kid’s really cool under pressure.”
ISU won’t appeal suspension
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell says the Cyclones won’t appeal the suspension of star tailback David Montgomery, who will miss the first half of the showdown against Texas.
Montgomery and Baylor defensive lineman Greg Roberts were ejected last week after Roberts threw a punch at Montgomery and Montgomery retaliated with a swing.
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Campbell said. “David is one of the great leaders of all-time, and he responded to a negative situation. Nobody’s more disappointed than David.”
Baylor coach Matt Rhule said Roberts, the son of OU’s 1978 Outland Trophy winner Greg Roberts, was “extremely apologetic” about the incident. Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer also was ejected after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties but was not subject to future suspension.
Campbell said he’s more disappointed with the multiple melees against Baylor than he is losing Montgomery for a half.
“That’s not football,” Campbell said. “One of the things we’ve worked really hard on is doing things the right way. Who started it, who didn’t start it, what the situation was, that’s irrelevant at this point ... cooler heads didn’t prevail. For a quarter, there wasn’t a lot of dignity in the game.”
5 seek bowl eligibility
With two weeks left in the regular season, five Big 12 teams are fighting for bowl eligibility.
And four of those teams play Saturday against another team in the club — 4-6 Kansas State hosts 5-5 Texas Tech, and 5-5 Baylor hosts 4-6 TCU.
At least six wins are needed for bowl eligibility. The other Big 12 team still with a chance at six wins but not there yet is 5-5 Oklahoma State, which hosts West Virginia.
Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said the chance to make a bowl is “huge,” because it gives coaches extra practices to work with young players. “You can’t put a value on that.”
For Baylor, coming off an 1-11 season that followed a sexual-assault scandal that rocked the program, a bowl game would be a fabulous way to finish the season.
“No group of seniors have been through more than they’ve been,” Rhule said.