Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:
Arizona (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) at No. 14 Iowa State (4-0, 1-0), Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
The Wildcats and Cyclones meet for the first time since 1968, now
Big 12 opponents and both coming off open dates.
Iowa State has trailed for only 28 seconds this season and is looking to start 5-0 for the second year in a a row. The Cyclones won a school-record 11 games last year. Rocco Becht, 14-6 in his Big 12 starts, has thrown a touchdown in 22 consecutive games, a school record and the longest active FBS streak.
The Wildcats are sixth nationally in scoring defense (8.7 points a game) and seventh allowing 222 total yards a game. After a disappointing 4-8 debut in the Big 12 last year, Arizona is trying to get to 4-0 for the first time since being the Pac-12 runner-up in 2014.
No. 24 TCU (3-0, 0-0) at Arizona State (3-1, 1-0), Friday, 9 p.m. EDT (Fox)
Defending Big 12 champion Arizona State, which opened league play with a game-ending field goal to win at Baylor, has won its last eight home games. TCU has a seven-game winning streak going back to last season. They play for the first time since 1975.
Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson is the Big 12 leader with 31 catches and five TDs, and second at 89.3 yards receiving per game. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover leads the nation at 333.3 yards passing per game, and has had a different 100-yard receiver in each game. The latest was Eric McAlister with eight catches for 254 yards and three touchdowns against SMU. He leads the Big 12 at 106.7 yards per game, while teammate Jordan Dwyer (nine catches, 136 yards in opener at North Carolina) is third (85.7 ypg).
— Baylor's Bryson Washington has three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. He ranks second in the Big 12 with 103.8 yards per game and four TDs.
— Houston quarterback Connor Weigman, the transfer from Texas A&M, hasn't had a turnover this season while throwing for 569 yards and four TDs, and running for 142 yards and three scores. The Cougars are 3-0 for the first time since 2016.
— Colorado's Kaidon Salter last week became the sixth different Big 12 QB this season to pass for at least 300 yards and three TDs in a game without an interception. The Buffs (2-2, 0-1) host No. 25 BYU (3-0, 0-0).
Oklahoma State (1-2) will play its first game in 20 years without Mike Gundy as head coach — a span of 260 games since the start of the 2005 season. Gundy was fired Tuesday, four days before the Big 12 opener at home against Baylor. The Cowboys have lost their last 11 games against FBS opponents, including instate rival Tulsa last week. ... No. 12 Texas Tech, the highest-ranked of four Big 12 teams in the AP Top 25, has an open date after its first 4-0 start since 2013. That was the last time the Red Raiders ranked higher, at No. 10 after a 7-0 start before a five-game losing streak. .. Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0) is third nationally averaging 8.38 yards per game. The Bearcats play at Kansas (3-1, 1-0), where Jalon Daniels is third in the country with 12 TD passes. ... UCF head coach Scott Frost has won 16 consecutive games. The Knights are 3-0 in his return after going 13-0 season in 2017 before he left for Nebraska.
West Virginia (2-2, 0-1) is hurting on offense going into Saturday's game against Utah (3-1, 0-1). Top running back Jahiem White sustained a season-ending knee injury in the second game and Tye Edwards, who ran for 141 yards in his place the following week, sat out last week with a hip injury. Coach Rich Rodriguez also said starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol visited a specialist this week after being bothered by foot pain for a few weeks. Three offensive line starters are also banged up.
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