Big 12 Coaches Corner
Rattle and Hum Sports
By KEVIN LONNQUIST
Big 12 Insider
Every week, the Big 12 coaches hold a conference call with the media. Rattle and Hum Sports points out some of the issues that made the most news:
• Texas coach Mack Brown thought quarterback David Ash (20-27-0, 156, TD) managed the game and protected the ball very well in a 37-17 victory over Wyoming. Brown said there were a couple of issues on deep balls but said Ash got into the right checks.
• Kansas coach Charlie Weis felt like his team’s defensive performance against South Dakota State was pretty solid and said the number of busts on assignments were “at a minimum”….Weis was so-so on quarterback Dayne Crist’s performance because Crist completed less than 50 percent of his passes. Weis said the completion performance needs to be at two-thirds.
• Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops said there was some inconsistency with his team in its 24-7 victory over UTEP. But he felt that going to UTEP was the program’s best option on the schedule. The Sooners’ schedule changed when TCU was added to the Big 12 and couldn’t get a Division I team to come to Norman.
• Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said he was disappointed that his first unit didn’t get many snaps in the 84-0 smothering of Savannah State. Instead of opening against a traditional power, he prefers an opening game against where the Cowboys should win comfortably but work out some of the issues. But he said they were scrambling to find an opponent before Savannah State agreed. Gundy said they are struggling to find an opening opponent for 2013.
• Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said that he hopes his team can create more 3-and-outs in a game. “Those are hard to come by,’’ Snyder said. “But you have to hope you can get three or four a game.’’…on Miami (Fla.) freshman running back Luke Johnson who broke off 54- and 56-yard TD runs against Boston College, Snyder said, “I’ve seen too much of him. I’m very impressed.’’ The Wildcats entertain the Hurricanes Saturday in Manhattan.
• West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said running back Shawn Alston (16-123 2TD) was his offensive MVP and called it the best game Alston has played since he’s been in Morgantown….QB Geno Smith was the Walter Camp player of the week (32-36-0 323 4TD, 8-65 1TD). Holgorsen called it the best game as the team’s QB.
• Texas Tech’s Tommy Tuberville knows that his team has big assignment this week at Texas State. Texas State, under former Texas A&M, TCU and Alabama coach, Dennis Franchione knocked off Houston in Houston this past weekend, 30-13.
• Baylor coach Art Briles emphasized how there were 6-8 starters coming back from last year and that they took a lot of snaps. He mentioned that the thing that people lose sight of is the turnovers coming at the opportune time and how the interception in the end zone followed by the TD created some separation in the game. Baylor hammered SMU, 59-34.
• Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said QB Steele Jantz (32-45-1 281 1TD) was more composed than a year ago and said there was no doubt Jantz was in charge of the huddle. He called that calming and a confidence builder for his team.
With a win on Saturday against Grambling State, TCU coach Gary Patterson will become TCU’s all-time winningest coach with 110, surpassing the legendary Dutch Meyer. The two are tied with 109…TCU also unveils the newly renovated $164 million Amon Carter Stadium.
Smith, Bruce and Van Der Kamp Named Big 12 Football Players of the Week
Geno Smith (West Virginia), Isaiah Bruce (West Virginia) and Kirby Van Der Kamp (Iowa State) have been named the season’s first Big 12 Conference Football Players of the Week, as selected by a media panel. All three picked up their first weekly honors.
Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
Geno Smith, West Virginia, QB, Sr, Miami, Fla.
Geno Smith accounted for five touchdowns (four passing, one running) as No. 11 West Virginia defeated Marshall, 69-34. He completed 32-of-36 passes for 323 yards and rushed for 65 more yards and one score in just three quarters of work. He was also named Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
Isaiah Bruce, West Virginia, LB, Fr, Jacksonville, Fla.
In his first collegiate game, Isaiah Bruce finished with a game-high 16 tackles, including seven solo stops for the Mountaineers. He also had a tackle for a loss of eight yards and picked up a fumble and raced 43 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week
Kirby Van Der Kamp, Iowa State, P, Jr, West Des Moines, Iowa
Kirby Van Der Kamp played a major role in Iowa State’s 38-23 win over Tulsa as he averaged 43 yards on nine punts. He dropped five of those punts inside the Tulsa 20-yard line, forcing the Golden Hurricane to begin drives from their own 2, 9, 15, 8 and 13-yard lines.
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