College Confidential

K-State QB Klein continues to dominate Heisman poll, WVa's Smith slips to 5th

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein remains the runaway leader in today’s seventh installment of the Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Poll. Klein, who received all 10 first-place votes from members of the voting panel for a second consecutive week, threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 83 yards and two scores in last week’s 55-24 victory over Texas Tech.

Klein’s closest pursuer is Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, the runner-up for a second consecutive week. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, the leader through each of the first five weeks of balloting, slipped from third to fifth in this week’s poll heading into Saturday’s game against TCU.

The Scripps poll is the longest-running Heisman Trophy poll in the nation. Since its inception in 1987, it has correctly forecast the Heisman winner in its final weekly installment in 21 of 25 years, including last season. Below is a look at this week’s poll and a list of voters:
 
This week's top five:
 
Player, School, Season Stats, Poll Points (first-place votes in parentheses).
 
1. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State, 1,630 passing yards, 70.9 completion pct., 12 TDs, 2 interceptions, 634 rushing yards, 16 TDs, 50 (10).
 
2. LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame, 80 tackles, 5 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered, 1 sack, 31.
 
3. QB A.J. McCarron, Alabama, 1,684 passing yards, 68.9 completion pct., 18 TDs, 0 ints., -51 rushing yards, 0 TDs, 19.
 
4. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 1,527 passing yards, 58.7 completion pct., 12 TDs, 6 ints., 1,093 rushing yards, 12 TDs, 17.
 
5. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia, 2,414 passing yards, 74.2 completion pct., 26 TDs, 2 ints., 56 rushing yards, 1 TD, 10.
 
Others receiving votes: Oregon RB Kenjon Barner 8, USC WR/KR Marqise Lee 7, Oregon RB/WR/KR De'Anthony Thomas 4, Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel 2, USC QB Matt Barkley 1, Clemson QB Tajh Boyd 1.
 
Last week's top five:
 
1. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State, 50 (10)
 
2. LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame, 20
 
3. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia, 18
 
4. QB A.J. McCarron, Alabama, 16.
 
5. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State, 12.
 
Voters: Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Randy Beard, Evansville Courier & Press; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Bob Condotta, Seattle Times; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; John Helsley, The Oklahoman; Mike Griffith, Mlive.com; Todd Jones, Columbus Dispatch, and Michael C. Lewis.
 

_ Jimmy Burch 

Mack Brown focused on defense, not offense

Mack Brown has been spending more time with the Texas defense in recent weeks, and for good reason. The Longhorns rank 96th nationally in total defense. 

For much of his 15-year tenure at Texas, Brown spent most of his time working with the offense. After all, he was an offensive coordinator with Iowa State and Oklahoma in the 1980s. But things are a little different this year in Austin, with the Longhorns on pace for one of the worst defensive performances in the program's history. 

"He's in our meetings, he's watching us at practice more," senior safety Kenny Vaccaro said. "He used to watch the offense a lot, now he is watching us more. It's a little different."

Brown shifted his focus to the defense following UT's embarrassing 63-21 loss to Oklahoma on Oct. 13, when Texas surrendered 677 total yards. The next week, Baylor gashed the Longhorns for 607 yards--but Texas pulled out a 56-50 win. UT (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) had several defensive issues last week in a 21-17 win against Kansas, but the unit allowed just 75 yards in the second half.

"I did think that was by far one of our best defensive performances," Brown said. 

Still, it's unlikely Brown will be excusing himself from defensive meetings in the near future. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has struggled to correct the issues that have plagued Texas all season: missed assignments, shoddy tackling and poor communication. 

Against Kansas, Diaz drew some criticism from the head coach for inserting a pair of freshman linebackers--Peter Jinkens and Dalton Santos--with the Jayhawks pinned back on their own 7-yard line. KU broke off a 64-yard run and later scored on the drive to tie the game at 7 in the second quarter. 

"I don't like inexperienced players inside the 20 on either end," Brown said. "That's something we've talked about a lot. That was a key play in the ballgame. We not only lost points, but we gave up the possibility of points offensively. Those [linebackers] were getting out on the next play and it was a play late when I saw it. That won't happen again."

Diaz, though, is not worried that his players are receiving mixed messages now that Brown is more involved. 

"That is not happening," Diaz said. "This is more Mack understanding our issues and the easiest ways we have to come across and fix them. There is no issue with the togetherness of this team."

It's not about the coaches, it's about the product on the field.

"Mack is a guy that coaches without a lot of ego. I'm a guy that coaches without a lot of ego," Diaz said. "I don't think anybody really cares about anything other than just finding a way to get it done."

So far, Texas hasn't gotten it done defensively. Perhaps Brown can change that. 

By Austin Laymance/Special to the Star-Telegram

Lady Bears dominate Oklahoma City in first exhibition game

A crowd of almost 7,500 watched Tuesday night at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, as the Lady Bears blew past Oklahoma City University in a 91-42 victory.

“The returning players were a little rusty, but you kind of expect that for the first game,” Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey said. “I felt the freshmen did fine, I just told them to go play. We weren’t looking at the scoreboard, we were just glad to be playing a game.”

The Lady Bears had no need to look at the scoreboard as they scored 66 of their 91 points inside the paint, resulting in a 57 percent field goal percentage. The defense forced 29 turnovers and held the Stars to just 26 percent shooting from the field.

Baylor started strong with an 11-0 lead and carried the score to 19-2 by the 13:06 mark. The team capitalized on 19 forced turnovers and a 51 percent shooting percentage to gain a 49-15 lead by halftime.

“We just wanted to show the freshmen that you have to keep the lead up,” junior Odyssey Sims said. “Just because you are up doesn’t mean that you can give up layups. You can’t take a play off, you have to keep playing hard.”

Senior Brittney Griner and Sims led the Baylor scoring offense with 16 points each. Other scoring leaders included seniors Brooklyn Pope and Kimetria Hayden who each scored 11 points throughout the night. All Lady Bears recorded at least one point throughout the night.

“It’s good to get the first game jitters out of the way,” Griner said. “You try and get used to playing in front of a crowd again and you get to play with the freshmen for the first time.”

Baylor’s second and last exhibition game will be Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center when the Lady Bears host Shaw University before opening the regular season against Lamar on Nov. 9 at noon in Waco. -- Savannah Pullin

Longhorns sticking with David Ash at quarterback

Case McCoy rallied Texas in the fourth quarter to beat Kansas on Saturday, but the junior is still the Longhorns' backup quarterback. David Ash will start against Texas Tech this week despite a poor outing against the Jayhawks.

McCoy led a pair of scoring drives in the fourth quarter of a 21-17 win at KU, including a touchdown pass to D.J. Grant with 12 seconds remaining to avoid the upset. But that was not enough to convince the UT coaching staff to make a switch at quarterback this week. 

"It was a staff discussion yesterday and David's body of work has been really good, he's played as one of the best quarterbacks in the country," Coach Mack Brown said on Monday.  

Ash was pulled in the fourth quarter against Kansas after throwing two interceptions and going 8-of-16 for 63 yards. In his first series, McCoy guided Texas on a seven-play, 84-yard scoring drive capped by Marquise Goodwin's 11-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14. After Kansas regained the lead with a chip-shot field goal, McCoy drove Texas 70 yards for the game-winning score. 

"It was tough, but I was real proud of Case and how he stepped up and saved the day," Ash said.

McCoy converted a crucial fourth-and-six with an 18-yard pass to Jaxon Shipley to keep the final drive alive. He finished the game 6-of-8 for 109 yards and one touchdown. McCoy hoped to be named the starter this week, but will instead continue to back up Ash. 

"I was prepared to be the starter and that's about all I'm going to say on that," McCoy said. "Bottom line is I prepare every week like I'm going to be the starter and if I get thrown into the fire again, I'm going to prepare just like I did and hopefully have the same outcome."

Ash had been reliable for Texas this season heading into the Kansas game and was ranked ninth in the FBS with a 70.2 completion percentage. But he struggled to find his receivers and had two costly turnovers with Texas in scoring position. 

"It was just a rough day, things weren't going my way," Ash said. "I just didn't think I handled it well. I got frustrated a little bit and tried to do a little bit too much. I've got to learn from it and move on. I'm done with that."

Offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin does not think he has a quarterback controversy on his hands. 

"That's not going to be a problem. We're not going to go back and forth on who is going to start. David is going to start and Case is going to prepare himself to play," Harsin said. "David has done some very good things for us up to this point. It wasn't a great game for David and he knows that. So he has to get back to doing what we did in previous games and playing at higher level."

While Ash will remain the starter, the Longhorns are prepared to turn to McCoy again if needed. 

"David knows the offense didn't produce when he was in there and it was obvious when Case came in it did [produce]," Brown said. "We would not hesitate to put Case in after Saturday, for sure." 

By Austin Laymance/Special to the Star-Telegram

Johnathan Gray rises to top of Longhorns depth chart

The Texas Longhorns did not play well as a team against Kansas on Saturday, but freshman tailback Johnathan Gray had a breakout performance. On Monday, the former Aledo High School star was atop the UT depth chart at his position for the first time this season.

Gray, who rushed for 111 yards in UT's 21-17 win at Kansas, will start against Texas Tech on Saturday when the Longhorns travel to Lubbock. 

"It feels great. I really didn't expect it," Gray said Monday. "I'm thankful to be a starter this week. That means a lot because the starter has to start off the game well and start off right. For me, my mindset is helping my team out to start the game."

Gray gave Texas (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) a boost on its first drive against Kansas, rushing for 31 yards on the first play to move UT into the red zone and set up a touchdown. Coach Mack Brown said he wanted to get Gray involved early against the Jayhawks after noticing a different demeanor from the rookie in pre-game warmups. 

"Johnathan is playing more mature than his years," Brown said. "I thought he had such a competitive look Saturday before the ball game, that's why I wanted him in there getting the ball. He made so many hard runs and he competed so hard. He's really growing up fast and becoming an outstanding player for us."

Gray's maturation has come at just the right time for the Longhorns. 

With sophomore tailback Malcolm Brown sidelined by a lingering ankle injury each of the last four games, Texas has leaned on Gray to help fill the void. Brown led UT in rushing last season and has not played since the first half against Oklahoma State on Sept. 29. Since then, Gray has become a major contributor offensively. He rushed for 87 yards against West Virginia, scored his first career touchdown against Baylor and broke the 100-yard plateau against Kansas. 

"We needed some help and Johnathan has stepped up and filled his role perfectly," offensive lineman Mason Walters said. "We're doing more to let him define that role and put him in spots to be successful."

Gray has provided greater depth for Texas, which is a luxury the Longhorns did not have last season when injuries decimated the backfield over the last month of the regular season. 

"Johnathan has really saved us with Malcolm out," Coach Brown said. "We had backs hurt down the stretch last year and we would be in trouble right now if Joe Bergeron was having to carry it every time."

Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the team has not progressed as quickly as Gray. Texas has been inconsistent through eight games, resembling an offensive juggernaut one week and playing poorly the next. The Longhorns managed just 21 points against the lowly Jayhawks (1-7, 0-5) and nearly lost to KU for the first time since 1938, if not for a touchdown pass by backup quarterback Case McCoy with 12 seconds to play. UT can't afford another poor offensive performance like that over the final four games of the season, not with a defense that is last in the Big 12 against the run. 

"We really didn't play to our standards, but I feel like we can be better as a team," Gray said. "This week we have to play hard and be better than we were against Kansas." 

By Austin Laymance/Special to the Star-Telegram

Lady Bears return to the court on Tuesday

The Baylor Lady Bears, defending NCAA Division I national champions and top-ranked team in the nation, will return to the court on Tuesday, Oct. 30, to take on Oklahoma City University (OCU) in their first exhibition game of the season.

The Lady Bears, 40-0 last year, return all five starters from last season’s championship team. Senior Brittney Griner, junior Odyssey Sims, and red-shirt senior Destiny Williams, all returning All-Americans, will lead Baylor this season.

Griner averaged 23.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in 2012, Sims returns after scoring 14.9 points per game, and Williams averaged 10.1 points and 9.1 rebounds last year.

The other two returning starters include senior Kimetria Hayden and senior Jordan Madden. In Baylor’s most recent championship season, Hayden recorded 9.1 points per game and Madden scored 4.3 per game.

OCU steps in to the Ferrell Center as defending NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national champions after going 35-1 last season.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at the Ferrell Center in Waco, TX. -- Savannah Pullin

How will Big 12 end up in 2012? My guess for final standings:

Here's how I see the Big 12 finishing after four league games played (for every team but Oklahoma State and Baylor). Please hold your jeers until I'm proven to be dumb and misguided Dec. 1.

Kansas State	7-0, 4-0	11-1, 8-1
Oklahoma	5-1, 3-1	11-1, 8-1
Texas Tech	6-1, 3-1	10-2, 7-2
TCU	5-2, 2-2	8-4, 5-4
Oklahoma State	4-2, 2-1	7-5, 5-4
West Virginia	5-2, 2-2	7-5, 4-5
Texas	5-2, 2-2	7-5, 4-5
Iowa State	4-3, 1-3	6-6, 3-6
Baylor	3-3, 0-3	4-8, 1-8
Kansas	1-6, 0-4	1-11, 0-9

Live blog: Oklahoma State 36, TCU 14 (F)

Beautiful day for football and tailgating in Stillwater. Here's some pictures:

Here's a Fox Sports networks cheat sheet to find TCU-Oklahoma State on television across the nation:

Download Big 12 - TCU at Oklahoma St