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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012
FOOTBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Iowa State, Texas defend rankings in Week 8
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
NO. 24 IOWA STATE 4-2 (1-2)
@ OKLAHOMA STATE 3-2 (1-1)
Iowa State cracked a spot in the top 25 as it tries to dig itself out of the bottom tier of the conference. But Oklahoma State vies to have a better offensive performance after a season low of 20 points scored last week against Kansas.
Oklahoma State rushing back Joseph Randle leads the Big 12 with 614 yards. Regardless of whom the Cowboys have taking snaps under center, Randle will be their key against the Cylcones.
Iowa State will rely more on its defense, which is ranked fourth against the run and pass in the Big 12. But its offense has a lot of holes and has been mostly quiet this season. If Oklahoma State's defense can hold Iowa State like it did to Kansas for three quarters, you can expect an upset.
Oklahoma State wins, 31-13
NO. 17 TEXAS TECH 5-2 (2-1)
@ NO. 23 TCU 5-1 (2-1)
Texas Tech is climbing in the rankings after a huge win at home against West Virginia. Quarterback Seth Doege is coming off the best game of his career when he lifted his team after a loss to Oklahoma.
Doege will encounter a TCU defense led by cornerback Jason Verrett, who leads the Big 12 with four interceptions. If Doege wants to carry over his success from last week, he will want to throw the football to the receivers not covered by Verrett.
TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin is still getting used to his starting role, but his game last week against Baylor gave him the lift he needed to built some confidence. But like Doege, Boykin will also be challenged by Texas Tech as it is ranked first in the conference against the pass.
But TCU's secret weapon could come through on special teams. Punt returner Deante' Gray has the highest punt return average in the Big 12. He's returned one punt 70 yards for a touchdown and is on pace to finish first in the Big 12. He could be the difference maker against Texas Tech on Saturday.
CU wins, 28-21
BAYLOR 3-2 (0-2)
@ NO. 25 TEXAS 4-2 (1-2)
Baylor and Texas are eager to get this week's matchup underway. Both teams are riding a two-game losing streak as Baylor is seeking its first conference victory of the season.
Baylor quarterback Nick Florence had his worst outing of the season last week against TCU when he threw four interceptions. But Florence can redeem himself against a Texas team that has struggled lately. Wide receiver Terrance Williams, who leads the team in all key receiving categories, will be Florence's most important weapon on the road.
Although this game marks the final match of a three-game home stand. Texas lost its two home games against ranked conference opponents. The Longhorns declined defensively in the last two weeks. Sophomore quarterback David Ash is dealing with a wrist injury, and his status for Saturday is questionable. If this week's adjustments in practice don't show on Saturday for Texas, Baylor could pull off an upset and get its first conference win of the season.
Baylor wins, 28-24
NO. 4 KANSAS STATE 6-0 (3-0)
@ NO. 13 WEST VIRGINIA 5-1 (2-1)
Many people expected this to be a top five battle between two teams that hold a 6-0 overall record and a 3-0 record in the Big 12. But after last week's setback against Texas Tech, West Virginia suffered a huge loss. However, don't count the Mountaineers out yet.
Kansas State's offense has been predominately led by quarterback Collin Klein. He has accounted for 17 touchdowns this season with 10 of them coming on the ground. As a dual-threat quarterback, Klein can keep West Virginia guessing and give K-State a lot of momentum on offense.
However, K-State could be in for a ride. The Wildcats have limited all of their opponents to 21 points or less in each game. That will change when face Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith
Smith, still without an interception, has thrown 25 touchdowns this season. With West Virginia at home, expect K-State to run into trouble when it tries to hold Smith. K-State has not played a team as challenging as West Virginia. Coach Bill Snyder will want to make sure his defense comes out with its best game of the season. But Smith will play with a chip on his shoulder after last week's loss.
West Virginia wins, 45-35
NASCAR
Edited by Ryan McCarthy
Keselowski seeks to revive lead at Kansas Speedway
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brad Keselowski held serve through the first half of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, due in part to a smart strategy with his Penske Racing team.
It just didn't work last week.
Keselowski's lead in the standings was sliced in half when he ran out of gas at Charlotte Motor Speedway 59 laps from the finish of a race that was a chess match for crew chiefs at the drop of the green flag. He had dominated the race,
but had to settle for a disappointing 11th-place finish.
Keselowski and crew chief Paul Wolfe immediately put the miscalculation behind them and got ready for Kansas Speedway, site of Sunday's race and Round 6 of the 10-race Chase.
Century Long Tradition Strong 1912-2012
Celebrate 100 Years of KU Homecoming! October 21-27
6 p.m. Homecoming Parade-Jayhawk Blvd.
7 p.m. Homecoming Pep Rally-Adams Alumni Center (immediately following parade)
Friday, October 26
9 a.m. Pregame Pancakes - Adams Alumni Center TBA Football Game - KU vs. University of Texas
Saturday, October 27
For more information, visit www.homecoming.ku.edu
Facebook: KU Homecoming
Twitter: @KU_Homecoming
"I know I speak for everyone ... when I say we can't wait to get to Kansas to prove that our finish at Charlotte was an anomaly, a blip on the radar," Keselowski said.
He goes to Kansas with a slight advantage over the competition: Keselowski got two days of track time on the repaved surface during an August tire test. The track opened Wednesday to the entire Sprint Cup Series for a two-day test, but Keselowski is one of only eight drivers who has already been there.
Wolfe, who guided Keselowski to his first career Cup win last season at Kansas, already has an idea of what to expect.
"We definitely learned a lot about
the new surface at Kansas when we did the tire test in August, so we should be able to roll of the truck with some decent speed," Wolfe said. "It's going to be a very fast place, for sure. I don't think many people are going to venture outside the groove, so passing may be difficult for the first couple of races.
"That means qualifying will be very important and that's something we will work on during the practice sessions. We've shown speed in our cars throughout the Chase and I expect that to carry over to what is, basically, a brand new racetrack at Kansas."
"What got us to this point is being aggressive with our strategy." Wolfe said. "We aren't going to change that approach as we run through the Chase. And 90 percent of time, it works out for us, and we get the finishes we want."
Wolfe had been spot-on until Charlotte, which was certainly an aberration to the strategy — sprinkled with luck — that's worked for Keselowski over the past three months. Very little has backfired — Keselowski got a win in the Chase opener at Chicago and again in a fuel mileage race at Dover. He arrived in Charlotte with a 14-point lead in the standings over five-time NASCAR champion Jimmiie Johnson.
Wolfe, for his part, said nothing will change with the No.2 team going forward.