durangoherald
The Big 12 spotlight shines on Salt Lake City this Saturday as No. 10 Utah (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) hosts No. 14 Houston (6-1, 3-1) at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Utes carry the nation's longest active FBS winning streak at 12 games, including their last eight conference matchups, and are off to a 6-0 start for the first time since 2015.
Head coach Morgan Scalley has guided the program to its first 6-0 beginning under a first-year head coach in his first full season. Houston, meanwhile, has rattled off four straight wins since a 28-26 loss at Texas Tech, where quarterback Conner Weigman fell just inches short of a game-tying 2-point conversion in the final minute. The Cougars are playing consecutive regular-season games as a ranked team against another ranked opponent for the first time since 1977.
Weigman tossed five touchdown passes in last week's 35-32 home victory over then-No. 18 Oklahoma State, further cementing Houston's resurgence.
Key Analysis
In the undercard, No. 8 Texas Tech (6-0, 3-0) visits Cincinnati (4-2, 1-2) at noon ET on FS1. The Bearcats aim to snap a two-game skid and secure their first top-10 win since defeating No. 9 Notre Dame in 2021 en route to the College Football Playoff. Transfer quarterback JC French IV, who replaced two-year starter Brendan Sorsby, threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns last week against West Virginia. Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech but was ruled ineligible for gambling during his college career after spring drills and dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA in June. Will Hammond, who tore his right ACL in a start last October and missed spring drills, was ready for the season opener. The Red Raiders are chasing their first 7-0 start since 2013.
TCU transfer defensive end Koron Howard became the first Horned Frog since 2022 to record three sacks in a game during a win at Baylor. The Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2) host West Virginia (4-3, 1-3). BYU sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier has thrown for 553 yards, rushed for 154 and accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in two games since star running back LJ Martin went down. Bachmeier ran for two scores and threw the game-winner in the final two minutes of Saturday's win over Notre Dame. The No. 2 Cougars (6-0, 3-0) now travel to UCF (3-3, 1-2).
Arizona State's Reed Harris, a Boston College transfer, leads Big 12 receivers with eight touchdowns and 108.8 receiving yards per game. The Sun Devils (3-3, 1-2) host Kansas State (4-2, 1-2), the league's top passing defense allowing just 136.3 yards per game. Oklahoma State has scored more than 30 points in five consecutive games for the first time since 2022. The Cowboys (4-2, 2-1) welcome Colorado (2-4, 0-3), which has lost four straight. The Big 12 boasts three 6-0 teams for the first time since 2015. No. 25 Arizona (5-1, 2-1) is off to its best start since 6-1 in 2014 and hosts Iowa State (3-3, 1-2). Utah will celebrate its 100th consecutive home sellout at Rice-Eccles Stadium since the start of the 2010 season. This weekend marks the first time all 16 Big 12 teams play conference games.
Originally reported by durangoherald.