Noon kickoff awaits West Virginia at Kansas on Sept. 23

A Kansas fan throws a football before the game at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks host West Virginia on Sept. 23 at noon on ESPNU.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s game at Kansas on Sept. 23 is scheduled to kick off at noon Eastern on ESPNU.

The conference opener for both teams will mark the third consecutive noon start for the Mountaineers (1-1), who are preparing to host Delaware State.

The Jayhawks (1-1) lost 45-27 to Central Michigan on Saturday and will visit Ohio this week.

The Big 12’s marquee game on Sept. 23 is No. 20 TCU visiting No. 9 Oklahoma State at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. In the evening slot, Baylor hosts No. 2 Oklahoma on FS1.

Grier repeats as top newcomer

After throwing for five touchdowns and 352 yards against East Carolina, quarterback Will Grier was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. He grabbed the same honor for his Week 1 performance versus Virginia Tech.

ECU fires defensive coordinator

After his unit yielded 614 yards to James Madison and 619 at West Virginia, ECU defensive coordinator Kenwick Thompson has been reassigned within the program, according to head coach Scottie Montgomery.

Defensive line coach Robert Prunty will take over the coordinator’s post as the Pirates (0-2) prepare to face No. 16 Virginia Tech this week.

Mayfield says sorry for flag plant

Baker Mayfield was named Big 12 offensive player of the week Monday, around the same time he apologized for planting the Sooners flag on Ohio State’s 50-yard line.

Mayfield was celebrating a 31-16 upset of the Buckeyes in which he threw for 386 yards and three scores.

“It was an emotional game,” he said. “I did not mean for it to be disrespectful toward any Ohio State people at all. I got caught up in an emotional win, and it was something I should have done in the locker room. So I apologize for doing it in the middle of the field.”

Kansas State’s Kendall Adams won weekly defensive honors after returning an interception and a fumble for touchdowns in a 55-7 rout of UNC-Charlotte.

Gundy: Turtles trumped Sooners

Turns out, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy wasn’t planted in front of his TV watching the Oklahoma-Ohio State game. Instead he was hunting turtles that tend to thin out his fishing ponds.

“When they know you get around them, they jump in the water, and so you got to kind of sneak up on them a little bit,” he said.

“At my place, we have quite a few of those off-road vehicles, called Gators. And so they’re accustomed to the sound of the Gator. So if you drive a Gator by, they won’t move. They’ll stay there. But if you walk up on them, you can’t very close to them because they’re too smart. They’ll jump in the water. So we used the Gators as our friend and try to keep as many turtles as we can out of the ponds because they eat your fish.”

Baylor changing quarterbacks

Seeking respite after an 0-2 start that included home losses to Liberty and UT-San Antonio, the Bears are changing quarterbacks.

Sophomore Zach Smith will replace Arizona transfer Anu Solomon when Baylor visits Duke this week.





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