Two wild Friday night games set the tone for an immensely entertaining weekend of Big 12 football.

Here are my five biggest takeaways.

1. Arizona State is Figuring It Out

Don’t look now, but here come the defending Big 12 champs. Arizona State scored 10 points in 36 seconds during the final two minutes to escape TCU.

QB Sam Leavitt and WR Jordyn Tyson delivered the two biggest plays of the game: a 57-yard strike late in the second quarter to stop the bleeding in a 17–0 hole, and a clutch fourth-and-goal TD with 1:50 left to tie it.

Then the defense slammed the door. DE Prince Dorbah stripped Josh Hoover to set up the go-ahead field goal, and DB Martell Hughes picked him off two plays later.

That’s back-to-back weeks where ASU’s stars have delivered in crunch time. The team plays with the same fearless edge as its QB and head coach, and it’s paying off.

RB Raleek Brown’s breakout game — 184 yards on 30 touches — was another huge step forward. Meanwhile, the defense held TCU to 269 total yards, including just 10 on the ground.

The road ahead is tough, but ASU looks like a legitimate Big 12 contender. And that loss at Mississippi State? Doesn’t look so bad anymore. The Bulldogs are 4-1 and just pushed #15 Tennessee to overtime.

2. Scott Satterfield’s Biggest Win at Cincinnati

In the words of Shaq: “I owe you an apology, Scott Satterfield. I wasn’t really familiar with your game.”

Saturday’s 37–34 win at Kansas was Satterfield’s biggest moment at Cincinnati. His team showed guts and explosiveness I didn’t think it had.

QB Brendan Sorsby, who threw for just 69 yards in the opener against Nebraska, lit up KU for 388 yards and two TDs. The Bearcats piled up 603 yards of offense.

They overcame four touchdowns wiped away by penalties, a questionable fourth-down spot for Kansas QB Jalon Daniels, and a 50/50 call that wiped out a huge play on the go-ahead touchdown drive. 

The defense forced a Daniels fumble in the red zone, and WR Noah Jennings made a ridiculous one-handed grab on fourth-and-10 to set up the game-winning score.

Oh, and they did it without All-Big 12 DT Dante Coreleon.

In a make-or-break year for Satterfield, his team proved it can do more than just make a bowl. This could be an eight-win team–maybe more if they can upset Iowa State this weekend.

3. Houston and BYU Find a Way

Houston committed highway robbery in Corvallis, rallying twice from 14 down to stun Oregon State.

Down two scores midway through the fourth and facing 3rd-and-17, ESPN’s win probability gave the Beavers a 97.5% chance of winning the game. But Houston QB Conner Weigman refused to fold. He threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to drag the Cougars into overtime.

Maybe Houston was peeking ahead to Texas Tech this week. I’m fascinated to see how the Cougars look against the Big 12’s best. 

BYU, meanwhile, spotted Colorado a 14–0 lead before flipping the switch. The Buffs gained 137 yards on their first two drives and just 154 on their last eight.

“I think maybe defense was a little bit too easy for them the first three games,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said.

Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier calmly brought BYU back, rushing for 98 yards and posting 287 total yards with two TDs. He still hasn’t turned the ball over this season. 

LB Isaiah Glasker sealed it with a late INT to add another highlight to his All-American-caliber season.

I’m still not sure how high BYU’s ceiling is, but they have one of the league’s steadiest floors.

4. Arizona Wasn’t Ready for that Kind of Fight

Arizona’s improvement is real, but Saturday’s 39–14 loss at Iowa State showed they’re not a Big 12 contender yet.

The Cyclones dominated every phase. QB Rocco Becht threw for 243 yards and ran for three TDs, the defense forced two Noah Fifita picks, and special teams cashed in a wild two-point conversion.

The biggest positive of the day for Iowa State was WR Chase Sowell’s emergence. He caught passes of 43, 32, and 52 yards en route to a 146-yard receiving day. After battling an injury early this season, Sowell had only 32 yards in four games before Saturday. 

It adds another element to a team already poised to compete for a playoff spot. 

That won’t be Arizona’s reality this year, but the Wildcats should be in contention to make a bowl game this season.

5. K-State Finally Plays Competent Football

K-State’s 34-20 win over UCF was far from perfect, but it was absolutely a breath of fresh air for Wildcat fans. 

K-State played with the requisite effort and urgency required to win games in the Big 12 for the first time in a month. The Cats rushed for a season-high 266 yards, and the defense racked up three sacks and eight TFLs. 

The biggest tangible difference with the team was the return of a healthy Dylan Edwards. There’s a massive gap between Edwards and the rest of the running back room. Not only is Edwards much faster and twitchier, but he also runs tougher and breaks more tackles. 

Edwards finished with 166 yards on 20 carries. Quarterback Avery Johnson also had a season-high 12 carries for 75 yards and ran the ball noticeably harder. 

The defense still gave up too many big plays, and the offense remains inconsistent. But this was at least a step toward a respectable season.

What You Need to Know

• Rejoice! Paul Finebaum may be leaving ESPN, and you’ll never guess why. 

• One Big 12 team has the second-best odds in the country of finishing undefeated this year. 

• The Big 12 has the second-best record of any conference against non-conference Power Four opponents. 

• NFL report Ian Rapoport says former Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson will be on the very short list for the OSU job.

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