Week three didn’t have the bangers that week two did, but Big 12 teams handled business and set up a monster slate this weekend. 

Here are my five biggest takeaways.

Utah and Texas Tech Set Up Their Showdown

The Red Raiders and Utes set up one of the best matchups of the season so far by taking care of business Saturday.

It wasn’t easy for Utah. The Utes missed three first-half field goals and only led by three at halftime at Wyoming. Then QB Devon Dampier came alive, leading four straight touchdown drives to close it out.

The concern with Dampier was turnovers after 12 INTs last season in the Mountain West. So far this year? Seven touchdowns, zero picks…and plays like this.

The defense was its usual stingy self, holding Wyoming scoreless until the final five minutes. 

New Mexico did beat UCLA almost as badly as Utah did on Friday, so how much does 3-0 for the Utes really mean? We’ll find out Saturday when Texas Tech comes to Salt Lake.

Tech looks electric. Behren Morton threw for 464 yards and four TDs in a 45-14 beatdown of Oregon State, including TD passes of  38, 61, 30, and 23 yards. Through three games, he has 923 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

The Red Raiders have outscored opponents 174-35. Overmatched or not, that’s domination. They’ve been the most fun team in the league to watch. 

We’ll see if that continues against a Kyle Whittingham and Morgan Scalley defense. 

The Swagger is Back in Morgantown

That was a gutsy win in Morgantown.

WVU trailed by two scores midway through the fourth. QB Nicco Marchiol, benched earlier in the half, came back in and led the offense to 17 points in the final 5:03 and OT.

Suddenly, instead of fans lamenting head coach Rich Rodrigeuz’s questionable quarterback shuffle, they were shaking Pitt fans to their core with Sweet Caroline.

This is the kind of toughness Mountaineer fans have been craving after the milquetoast Neal Brown years. 

Marchiol looks like the guy now under center, RB Tye Edwards gashed Pitt for 141 yards and three TDs, and DC Zac Alley’s defense suffocated the Panthers on the ground (46 total rushing yards).

It was a cathartic, healing moment in Morgantown. WVU finally has its swagger back.

Houston and Arizona Feeling Good

Houston and Arizona are both 3-0 and already within a win of last year’s total.

The Cougars thumped Colorado 36-20 on Friday. Their defense is a top-25 unit per ESPN’s SP+ after picking off Buffs QB Ryan Staub twice. It was enough to legitimately humble Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

“It wasn’t good,” he admitted.

QB Conner Weigman’s confidence continues to blossom. He flexed his often overlooked legs, piling up 83 rushing yards and two TDs. 

Houston is getting votes in the Coaches Poll and enters the bye with real momentum.

Arizona, meanwhile, held off K-State 23-17. Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan celebrated like it was the Super Bowl — and he should. He’s coaching for his job, and this was a validating win. 

Their defense pressured Avery Johnson all night, holding K-State to 193 total yards. Strip away a 75-yard run that should have been called back for holding, and the Wildcats averaged under two yards per carry.

Arizona still has to clean up penalties and special teams miscues, but at 3-0, a bowl game is very much in play.

Big 12 Ripple Effects From New Mexico-UCLA

Strange as it sounds, New Mexico’s 35-10 smackdown of UCLA might have been the most interesting game of the weekend related to the Big 12.

Utah’s 43-10 demolition of UCLA looked like a statement win. Now? Less clear. Things are so bad in Westwood that UCLA fired head coach Deshaun Foster after starting 0-3.

That’s why BYU head coach Kalani Sitake’s name is now popping up on national lists as a candidate for the UCLA job. The Athletic and ESPN both brought him up. 

On paper, he’d be a great fit. He would bring desperately needed substance over flash, and he knows the West Coast. But why leave BYU at its modern peak to take on a broke athletic department, a shaky AD, and an empty stadium?

I’d be shocked if Sitake is actually interested. 

The Athletic also mentioned Baylor’s Dave Aranda as a candidate, which makes more sense to me. 

Aranda was almost fired last season, so a reset on his clock at a new school could be appealing. If he goes 7-5 or worse this year, both parties might be ready for a hard reset. 

Iowa State Has Earned a Bye

It wasn’t pretty, but Iowa State escaped Arkansas State 24-16 on the road.

Say what you will about the performance, but the Cyclones deserve some slack in this instance. 

This was pure survive-and-advance. It’s a game that shouldn’t have been on the schedule, and the Cyclones avoided disaster.

Rocco Becht delivered in the clutch, hitting Dominic Overby for a critical 27-yard TD just before half and later icing the game with another strike.

ISU is 4-0 and headed into a much-needed bye with everything still in front of them.

What You Need to Know

• BYU’s Kalani Sitake wasn’t the only Big 12 coach to be linked to the UCLA job. Check out two other coaches that The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Chris Vannini mentioned as possibilities. 

• The latest On3 College Football Playoff Bracketology only has one Big 12 team in the field, but two are in the first four out. 

• For a full breakdown of the weekend of Big 12 football, check out my latest live show on YouTube.

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