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Big 12 Notes – Wyoming Week
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September 17th
… Foe Pause …
Ten Big 12 games with over two million viewers to date (including all three CU games)
Big 12 to date (all times ET):
Week 1 – TCU at North Carolina – Monday – 8:00PM – ESPN – 6,600,000
Week 2 – Iowa/Iowa State – Saturday – 12:00PM – FOX – 4,278,000
Week 0 – Iowa State/Kansas State – Saturday – 12:00 PM – ESPN – 4,008,000
Week 1 – Georgia Tech at Colorado – Friday – 8:00PM – ESPN – 3,700,000
Week 1 – Nebraska vs. Cincinnati – Thursday – 9:00PM – ESPN – 3,300,000
Week 1 – South Dakota at Iowa State – Saturday – 3:30PM – FOX – 3,044,000
Week 3 – Colorado at Houston – Friday – 7:30PM – ESPN – 2,900,000
Week 1 – Auburn at Baylor – Friday – 8:00PM – FOX – 2,832,000
Week 2 – Delaware/Colorado – Saturday – 3:30PM – FOX – 2,685,000
Week 2 – Oklahoma State/Oregon – Saturday – 3:30PM – CBS – 2,320,000
Week 2 – Kansas/Missouri – Saturday – 3:30PM – ESPN2 – 1,812,000
Week 3 – Pitt at West Virginia – Saturday – 3:30PM – ESPN – 1,708,000
Week 3 – Kansas State at Arizona – Friday – 9:00PM – FOX – 1,625,000
Week 0 – Fresno State/Kansas – Saturday – 6:30PM – FOX – 1,597,000
Week 1 – Utah at UCLA – Saturday – 11:00PM – FOX – 1,528,000
Week 2 – Stanford/BYU – Saturday – 10:15PM – ESPN – 1,090,000
Week 2 – Baylor/SMU – Saturday – 12:00PM – CW – 1,003,000
Week 2 – Arizona State/Mississippi State – Saturday – 7:30PM – ESPN2 – 977,000
Week 3 – Oregon State at Texas Tech – Saturday – 3:30PM – FOX – 859,000
Week 2 – Army West Point/Kansas State – Saturday – 7:00PM – ESPN – 791,000
Week 3 – Iowa State at Arkansas State – Saturday – 4:00PM – ESPN2 – 623,000
Week 3 – Texas State at Arizona State – Saturday – 10:30PM – TNT/TruTV – 202,000
Week 2 – West Virginia/Ohio Saturday – 4:00PM – ESPNU – 199,000
Week 2 – Kent State/Texas Tech – Saturday – 12:00PM – TNT/TruTV – 196,000
Week 1 – Hawai’i at Arizona – Saturday – 10:30PM – TNT/TruTV – 186,000
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September 16th
… Foe Pause …
Travis Hunter effect alive and well in the 2025 college football season
From ESPN … Utah’s mission to reboot its offense started with adding a quarterback-coordinator combination from New Mexico, as Devon Dampier and Jason Beck made their way to Salt Lake City.
But the Utes also needed playmakers to surround Dampier. Their search led them to the transfer portal, naturally, but also to their own roster and, ultimately, to the other side of the ball.
Smith Snowden, who started at nickel in 2024 and had 10 passes defended, and linebacker Lander Barton, the team’s tackles leader in fall 2024 who had six passes defended, were the top options.
“Obviously Travis Hunter last year, the success he had, winning the Heisman [Trophy], that struck a chord with a lot of coaches, taking them through their roster: Who do we have that can contribute both ways?” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told ESPN. “The bottom line is: What’s going to help you win games? It’s not the novelty of having a two-way guy. Who’s going to give us the best chance to win?”
Hunter’s surge to the 2024 Heisman at Colorado, while playing full time on both offense and defense, might have nudged coaches to expand their view of what was possible for the right players. Although Hunter did things not thought possible in the modern era of college football — he played 2,625 snaps in two seasons at Colorado, leading the FBS in both 2023 and 2024 — his success is already increasing opportunities for others.
Utah opened the season with a 43-10 win at UCLA, in which Snowden led the team in receiving and added a rushing touchdown while Barton caught a touchdown pass from Dampier. Safety Jackson Bennee also had a 17-yard reception. In Week 2, Snowden had two rushes, three catches and two tackles.
“Travis Hunter really set the standard for it,” Snowden said. “He opened a lot of doors for younger athletes that can’t decide if they want to play offense or defense.”
Maybe they don’t have to anymore.
The Utes’ crew is among a small but growing group of players with the license to play both ways. Minnesota sophomore Koi Perich, a first-team All-Big Ten defensive back in 2024 who also stood out on returns, is carving out a bigger role with the Gophers offense. Vanderbilt defensive back Martel Hight, an All-SEC return specialist this past season, is on a similar path as a wide receiver.
They’re all occupying expanded roles, at least in part, because of the Travis Hunter effect.
… Continue reading story here …
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September 14th
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Big 12 Lines: CU opens as a two-touchdown favorite over Wyoming
From DraftKings …
The Big 12 …
Friday, September 19th
- Tulsa at Oklahoma State … 5:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … Oklahoma State is a 13.5-point home favorite …
Saturday, September 20th
- No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah … 10:00 a.m., MT, Fox … Utah is a 4.5-point home favorite …
- SMU at TCU … 10:00 a.m., MT, ESPN2 … TCU is a 6.5-point home favorite …
- North Carolina at UCF … 1:30 p.m., MT, Fox … UCF is a 6.5-point home favorite …
- West Virginia at Kansas … 4:00 p.m., MT, FS1 … Kansas is a 13.5-point home favorite …
- Arizona State at Baylor … 5:30 p.m., MT, Fox … Baylor is a 2.5-point home favorite …
- BYU at East Carolina … 5:30 p.m., MT, ESPN2 … BYU is a 6.5-point road favorite …
- Wyoming at Colorado … 8:15 p.m., MT, ESPN … Colorado is a 14.0-point home favorite …
- Idle … Arizona … Kansas State … Houston … Iowa State …
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UCLA & Virginia Tech fire head coaches after 0-3 starts
UCLA … From ESPN … UCLA fired football coach DeShaun Foster on Sunday after a winless start to the season.
Foster, who was in his second year as the Bruins’ coach, went 5-10 during his short tenure and began this season with a 43-10 loss to Utah at home followed by back-to-back losses to Mountain West teams.
“I regret putting Deshaun in that situation where we were going into the Big Ten and even though we were supported from a resource perspective, getting a start so late, really disadvantaged the beginning to his coaching career here,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond told reporters.
Tim Skipper, previously the special assistant to Foster, will serve as the Bruins’ interim head coach for the rest of the season, the school said.
“[UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk] trusts me to lead the athletic department. This is a decision I made, I called the chancellor,” Jarmond said. “I’ve been in conversation with him, and I ultimately made this decision, and he supported it.”
After a drubbing at the hands of the Utes in Week 1, the Bruins suffered a 30-23 loss to UNLV in Las Vegas. Looking to bounce back, UCLA welcomed a New Mexico team to the Rose Bowl that was picked to finish 11th in the Mountain West. But following a shocking 35-10 defeat Saturday at the hands of the Lobos, Foster did not mince words about the state of the program.
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Virginia Tech … From ESPN … Virginia Tech has fired coach Brent Pry on Sunday, a day after a 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion in which the Hokies were booed loudly while heading to the locker room for halftime.
Saturday’s loss dropped Virginia Tech to 0-3 on the season and 16-24 through four seasons under Pry. He is set to be owed more than $6 million in his buyout.
“Blacksburg will always hold a special place in our hearts,” Pry said in a statement. “We leave with wonderful memories and lifelong friendships, and we will forever be cheering for the Hokies.”
In a statement, school president Tim Sands said the change was “necessary” due to on-field results described as “not acceptable.”
The hot-seat talk bubbled up around Pry in November last season, and if the Hokies had lost to Virginia to end the season, a change may have been made at that point. But Virginia Tech defeated Virginia, and Pry’s second consecutive 6-6 regular season landed him in a bowl game.
… Continue reading story here …
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