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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BIG 12
K-state looking for crucial win against Texas
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
NO. 18 TEXAS 8-3 (5-3) AT NO. 6 KANSAS STATE 10-1 (7-1)
Kansas State will return to action after losing to Baylor two weeks ago. The BCS Championship match is out of reach for K-State. All it can do now is focus on winning the Big 12.
Texas coach Mack Brown's best approach is to study game film on K-State's loss to Baylor and figure out how his Longhorns can duplicate that success. But along with studying film, Brown must also improve the run defense, which is ranked last in the Big 12.
K-State's rush offense, primarily led by Collin Klein and John Hubert, is one of the best in the Big 12. The two combine for 32 rushing touchdowns this season and can use that to their advantage against a weak rush defense on Saturday to pick up a win and lock up the conference.
Kansas State wins, 42-21
NO. 23 OKLAHOMA STATE 7-4 (5-3) AT BAYLOR 6-5 (3-5)
Baylor has been on a roll lately with wins against K-State and Texas Tech. The Bears scored 52 points in each of those two games. Can they do it again against Oklahoma State to conclude a three-game home stand?
The Bears' recent hot run is due to the 564 yards they've gained on the ground. Neither K-State nor Texas Tech had an answer for the running game. Oklahoma State has played well against the run and is one of the better run-stopping teams in the league.
But what's more impressive about Oklahoma State is that it's being led by Clint Chelf. Chelf has led the Cowboys to a 2-1 record with two close losses to K-State and Oklahoma. If he continues to play well, he can end Baylor's run.
Expect Chelft to play well and lead Oklahoma State to victory. Baylor's offense will find a way to keep it close with Nick Florence taking the snaps, but turnovers could be an issue for the Bears.
Oklahoma State wins, 49-45
NO. 11 OKLAHOMA 9-2 (7-1) AT TEXAS CHRISTIAN 7-4 (4-4)
If Kansas State concludes the season with a loss, it provides Oklahoma the opportunity to strike and take the conference. With the help of Texas, Oklahoma must come out strong against TCU this weekend.
Landry Jones has talented players across the board to work with. His running backs, wide receivers and even Blake Bell, the backup quarterback, have contributed significantly to the offense. But he must overcome one more obstacle this regular season against TCU.
TCU's rush defense should have an easy time stopping Damien Williams and Brennan Clay. However, Gary Patterson's defense will stumble against against receivers Kenny Stills, Justin Brown and Jalen Saunders. If the Horned Frogs' offense can't keep up, the game will go to Oklahoma.
Oklahoma wins, 31-10
Edited by Ryan McCarthy
FOOTBALL
West Virginia seniors looking to finish off season strong
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Joe Madsen has seen more changes than a light bulb at West Virginia.
Only two months after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan, Madsen signed a letter-of-intent to play football for the Mountaineers under newly christened coach Bill Stewart in February 2008.
Recruited as a tackle out of Chardon (Ohio) High School, Madsen moved up through the ranks at center and earned his first career as a redshirt freshman in 2009.
Madsen saw the Mountaineers go from a run-based spread system under Rodriguez and Stewart to second-year coach Dana Holgorsen's pass-happy offense that's thrived under Geno Smith.
In the final home game for 21
West Virginia seniors on Saturday, Madsen will make his school-record 50th career start when the Mountainers (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) play Kansas (1-10, 0-8).
The emotions began to hit Madsen in practice this week when right guard Jeff Braun, another senior, looked at him and said, "Last Tuesday — ever"
other seniors, their careers started with a 33-20 win over Championship Subdivision member Liberty.
"I do remember the first one because it was definitely the scarii
"You just want to show the people one last time that you're the out there."
"I kind of just took a breath and
thought, "Wow, almost done," Madsen said. "It feels like yesterday that I was going out there and not knowing what I was doing, and just scared to death. But now it's almost over and it's been fun."
Geno Smith West Virginia coach
For Madsen and many of the
I remember walking out."
est," he said.
"I walked out of the tunnel and there were 64,000 fans and you're thinking 'This is amazing.' I don't even remember who played. But
Actually, the West Virginia player who's been on the field the longest is Josh lenkins, a backup guard in five games in 2008. He missed last season with an injured left knee.
It was Jenkins who, on Signing
Day 2008, went to the podium at Parkersburg High School wearing a Michigan cap, then threw it to the floor in a swipe at Rodriguez and put on a WVU cap to announce his intentions.
Jenkins was on the field at times in 2008 when Pat White was weaving his way to an NCAA record for career rushing yards by a quarterback. And his blocking has helped Smith to rewrite the school's record book for a passer.
Smith and wide receiver Tavon Austin are the most notable of the seniors, whose accomplishments include last year's one-sided Orange Bowl win over Clemson.
"I've been here a long time," Jenkins said. "This is my last opportunity. I'm going to make the best of it."
Smith has grown from the player
who lined up to take a snap under the wrong player in a game at LSU in 2010 to temporary Heisman Trophy frontrunner this year before the Mountaineers lost five straight games.
Smith joked that the biggest strides over his career came from putting on weight.
"I'm not skinny anymore," he said. "At least not as skinny as I once was."
"Being here has helped me realize just how important (WVU)
He recalled visiting a football camp in Morgantown as a 10th grader with his Florida high school coach and former Mountaineer linebacker Damon Cogdell. He remembers when West Virginia would often play a Thursday or Friday night game on national television during its days in the Big East.
is to the community, to everyone around here, to the players, to the staff; from the cooks in the back to the people who help us with academics," Smith said. "It's just an important program to everyone, and everyone needs to come together for it to work."
It'd be tough to find a group more dedicated to that than Madsen and the three other offensive linemen who'll try to protect Smith in the final regular-season game.
"You just want to show the people one last time that you're the best out there," he said. "This whole team has just done great things, and it's stuff we'll remember and it's stuff that I'll be able to tell my kids someday. And it's been awesome."
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