Two league wins over top 10 nationally-ranked non-conference opponents featured athletes that have been named the latest winners of Big 12 weekly awards.  Forwards Melvin Ejim (Iowa State) and Perry Ellis (Kansas) share Big 12 Player of the Week accolades, while Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) has been named Rookie of the Week.  It is the fourth weekly honor for Ejim (one player, two rookie) while Ellis and Wiggins are recognized for the first time.

PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Melvin Ejim, Iowa State, F, Sr., 6-6, 230, Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Brewster Academy [N.H.]
In his first game back from injury, Ejim willed Iowa State to a 77-70 victory over No. 7 Michigan.  The senior forward came off the bench to lead all scorers with 22 points in 28 minutes.  He was 8-of-14 (.571) from the field, including 1-of-1 from 3-point range, while making 5-of-6 (.833) form the free throw line.  He grabbed nine rebounds and had three steals in the win, while also adding one assist and one block.  It was the seventh 20-point game of Ejim’s career and the 54th time he has scored in double figures.

Perry Ellis, Kansas, F, So., 6-8, 225, Wichita, Kan./Wichita Heights
Ellis scored a career-high 24 points in KU’s 94-83 win over No. 4 Duke at the State Farm Champions Classic.  The sophomore forward finished 9-of-13 (.692) from the floor, including one 3-pointer.  He also converted 5-of-6 (.833) from the charity stripe.  Ellis pulled down a team-best nine rebounds to go along with two assists and a career-high three steals.  He had a key steal and assist with 1:16 remaining that led to a six-point Jayhawk lead they would not relinquish.

PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas, G, Fr., 6-8, 200, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada/Huntington Prep [W. Va.]
Despite battling foul trouble, Wiggins came up big in the victory over Duke.  In just 25 minutes on the floor, the freshman scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting (.600).  He pulled down a season-best eight rebounds and made 4-of-6  (.667) shots from the free throw line, with one block.  Wiggins had two key baskets in the last 1:30 of the contest to extend a two-point lead to six and seal the Jayhawks’ win.

Bryce Petty (Baylor), James Sims (Kansas), Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State), Jack Cantele (K-State) and Jalen Saunders (Oklahoma) were named Big 12 Football Players of the Week by a panel of media that cover the Conference. Gilbert (defense) was honored for the second consecutive week and fourth time in his career. Saunders (co-special teams) was recognized for the second time in his career while Petty (co-offense), Sims (co-offense) and Cantele (co-special teams) picked up their first weekly award.

Big 12 Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Bryce Petty, Baylor, QB, Jr, Midlothian, Texas
Bryce Petty completed 17-of-31 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns in Baylor’s 63-34 win over Texas Tech. He also rushed for two more scores from six yards and one-yard out. The junior helped the Baylor offense rack up 675 yards of offense, which is the sixth time this year the Bears have eclipsed 600 yards. His eight-game streak with a rushing and passing TD is tied for third-longest nationally since 1998 (Tim Tebow – 14, Marcus Mariota – 9, Colin Kaepernick – 8).

James Sims, Kansas, HB, Sr, Irving, Texas
James Sims set a career-high with 211 rushing yards in Kansas’ 31-19 win over West Virginia. He logged the most rushing yards by a Kansas player since Reggie Duncan ran for 227 yards against Texas Tech during the 2001 season. The 211 yards was the 15th-best rushing effort in Kansas history and the second most by a Big 12 player in 2013. Sims scored three touchdowns in guiding the Jayhawks to their first Big 12 win in more than three seasons. He now has 34 career rushing touchdowns and is seven away from tying the Kansas all-time record of 41 set by June Henley from 1993-96.

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State, CB, Sr, Huntsville, Texas
Justin Gilbert intercepted two passes and returned one 43 yards for a touchdown to help Oklahoma State to a 38-13 win over Texas. His interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter marked his second interception return for a score of the season. He also had a pick-six at Iowa State. It was the eighth non-offensive touchdown of his career. Gilbert’s two interceptions give him 11 for his career.

Big 12 Special Teams Co-Players of the Week
Jack Cantele, K-State, PK, So, Wichita, Kan.
Jack Cantele drilled a game-winning 41-yard field goal with :03 remaining to give K-State a 33-31 win over TCU. The kick was K-State’s first last-second game-winner since 1980 and capped a perfect 4-for-4 day for Cantele. The sophomore also connected on attempts of 31, 34 and 23 yards. Cantele improved to 11-for-13 on the season and set a single-game career high in field goals made.

Jalen Saunders, Oklahoma, PR, Sr, Elk Grove, Calif.
With the Sooners trailing 10-3 against Iowa State, Jalen Saunders registered a 91-yard punt return touchdown to spark Oklahoma to 45 unanswered points and a 48-10 win. Saunders now has two career punt return TDs for OU. He ranks second in the Big 12 in punt return average (13.5).

DENVER (AP) – Peyton Manning went virtually untouched by Kansas City’s sack-happy defense Sunday night, throwing for 323 yards and a touchdown to lead the Denver Broncos to a 27-17 victory over the NFL’s last undefeated team.

The Chiefs, who came into the game with a league-leading 36 sacks, barely breathed on Manning, who finished 24 for 40.

The Broncos tied Kansas City at 9-1 atop the AFC West with a rematch set in two weeks.

Denver fell short of its league-leading average of 41.2 points but the Chiefs, who came in allowing a NFL-low 12.8 per game, couldn’t keep up.

Alex Smith threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City, which hadn’t lost since a 38-3 setback in Denver last December to close out a 2-14 season.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Marcus Foster had 17 points and Shane Southwell added 14 as Kansas State beat Long Beach State 71-58 on Sunday.

Kansas State used a 17-4 run to open up a 26-9 lead with 6:48 left in the first half. After the run, Kansas State never saw its lead dip below 13 points.

The 49ers pounded the paint against the Wildcats in the second half. They shortened the Wildcat lead to 13 with 11:47 left, but baskets from forward DJ Johnson and Wesley Iwundu quickly slammed the door on Long Beach State.

Kansas State limited Long Beach State’s leading scorer Mike Caffey to 9 points. The junior had averaged 18.7 points through the previous three games.

Dan Jennings had 14 points and 12 rebounds to pace the 49ers.

It was the seventh all-time meeting between the programs. Kansas State now holds a 5-2 advantage in the series.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Jack Cantele kicked a 41-yard field goal, his fourth of the game, with 3 seconds remaining to give Kansas State a thrilling 33-31 victory over TCU on Saturday.

The Horned Frogs had taken the lead on a 56-yard field goal by Jaden Oberkrom with 2:13 left, but the Wildcats (6-4, 4-3) quickly marched down field. Jake Waters hit Tyler Lockett for 12 yards to convert a third down, and hit him again for 8 more yards to get within field-goal range.

Cantele trotted onto the field, lined up and sent the kick through the uprights, leaping into the air as several Wildcats poured onto the field to celebrate.

They were penalized for excessive celebration, but the 15-yard mark-off didn’t matter. TCU (4-7, 2-6) couldn’t do anything with the kickoff as Kansas State wrapped its fourth straight win.

The victory made the Wildcats bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive year, while also ending the Horned Frogs’ run of eight consecutive bowl games.

It was a rough way to return to Manhattan for TCU coach Gary Patterson, who played linebacker for the Wildcats in the early 1980s. He said it was his first trip back in 30 years.

The teams traded punts through a breezy opening quarter until Blake Slaughter picked off Casey Pachall. With a short field, Daniel Sams scooted 11 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Kansas State didn’t waste much time adding onto it.

After holding the Horned Frogs to three-and-out, Waters entered the game and threw deep down the sideline on the first play of the series. Lockett had put a move on All-American cornerback Jason Verrett and ran open in front of the TCU bench, hauling in the pass for a 74-yard TD reception.

TCU finally got going when B.J. Catalon left Kansas State safety Dante Barnett grasping for air on a 15-yard touchdown run. But the Wildcats answered with a 51-yard drive, and they settled for Cantele’s field goal and a 17-7 halftime lead after mismanaging the time in the final minute.

The mistake proved costly when the Horned Frogs pulled ahead in the third quarter.

Boykin hit Dotson in the back of the end zone from a yard out, and then took advantage of a short field caused by Sams’ fumble to carry 7 yards to the left side on fourth-and-1 for the score.

In a game of wild momentum swings, Kansas State quickly took it back.

On third-and-14 from the Wildcats’ 21-yard line, Waters took advantage of time in the pocket to hit Tramaine Thompson in broken coverage. He out-ran safety Elisha Olabode to the end zone for a 24-21 lead — the 79-yard scoring strike the longest for Kansas State since 2005.

Back came the Horned Frogs, who went after backup safety Dylan Schellenberg, pressed into duty after an injury to Ty Zimmerman. David Porter ran past Schellenberg and caught Pachall’s 51-yard touchdown pass to give TCU a 28-24 lead late in the third quarter.

Cantele added a field goal to pull within a point, and then Kansas State took advantage of a bizarre penalty to take the lead in the fourth quarter. The Horned Frogs were whistled for having two players wearing No. 2 on the field during a punt, giving Kansas State enough penalty yards for a first down. The drive ended with Cantele kicking a 23-yard field goal for a 30-28 lead.

The Horned Frogs marched to the Kansas State 39 on their ensuing possession, but defensive end Alauna Finau got his hand on Pachall’s pass on third-and-5. Patterson decided to send Oberkrom onto the field rather than punt, and his 56-yard field goal had a few yards to spare.

It turned out, though, that the Horned Frogs left too much time on the clock.

(AP) — James Sims rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns and Kansas snapped a 27-game Big 12 losing streak Saturday with a 31-19 victory over West Virginia.

Thousands of fans stormed onto the field embracing players and coaches and eventually tearing down the south goalpost.

Sims, who recorded a career-high on 22 carries, broke runs of 62 and 68 yards while Kansas (3-7, 1-6 Big 12) ended a Big 12 drought that had lasted more than three years since a come-from-behind win over Colorado on Nov. 6, 2010.

West Virginia (4-7, 2-6), which wasn’t even a Big 12 member when Kansas notched its previous conference win, took a 7-0 lead on its first possession, a long drive against the wind. But the Mountaineers were unable to generate anything more until two meaningless touchdowns with less than 5 minutes to play.

 

Only two games in the state playoffs on Saturday.

Wallace County 31, St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 6
Scott City 20, Conway Springs 7

 

 

 

Holthus Hotline Part 1

Holthus Hotline Part 2