By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Recruiting Tidbits
>St. Martinsville (LA) 2023 wide receiver Harvey Broussard is starting to make a name for himself. When the Bears offered him, it was his 10th. It certainly won’t be his last as the 3-star continues to make the ratings climb.
“Yes, wasn’t expecting such a big program to have their eyes on me as early it is,’’ He said.
St. Martinsville (10-2) is in the Louisiana State playoffs and plays Iota Friday in the second round. He’s a big target at 6-4. He also plays basketball and runs track. He cleared 6-0 in the high jump earlier this spring.
“I’ve been talking with Coach [Josh] Atkinson and Coach [Chansi] Stuckey,’’ Broussard said. “They both said ,they love my ball skills ,and the athleticism and the way I attack the ball in the air.”
>Belton 2023 safety Javeon Wilcox is just now starting to see his recruiting reach another level. Baylor’s recent offer is the biggest considering his other offers are from SMU and UTSA.
Baylor was on him pretty early. He was a guest at the season opener against Texas Southern and plans to return for Texas Tech.
“I’m communicating with [Assistant Recruiting Director Brian Nance a lot,’’ Wilcox said. “What stood out the most was the atmosphere Baylor provides both athletically and academically.”
Wilcox’s season ended last week in a loss to Duncanville in the 6A Division I playoffs last week. But he was sure tackler. He had 96.
>Keep watching College Station 2023 safety A.J. Tisdale. He’s starting to emerge. Baylor offered him earlier in the week. They play in one of the premiere area playoff games on Friday in the Class 5A Division I round against Frisco Lone Star.
This is a Top 10 matchup. The Cougars are No. 2. The Rangers are No. 5. Depending on how schedules make out, Tisdale is hoping to make Baylor’s home finale next week against Texas Tech. If he does, it would be his first visit to Waco.
“I talk to just coach Nance,’’ Tisdale said. “He said he likes the way how I lock down receivers and makes it hard for the QB to spread the ball around.
The validation in that is through the first 10 games, Tisdale leads all Cougar defenders with seven PBUs.
Q&A: Baylor OL Grant Miller
The grad transfer from Vanderbilt talked about how Baylor must translate its quality play at McLane Stadium to on the road.
(Taking it on the road) I think for us, it’s really just about focusing day-in and day-out. Obviously, we haven’t performed the way we’ve wanted to on the road a few times this year. So, for us, it’s just about finding something to get better at every single day. Being locked in and focused on every single week. We know Kansas State is a good opponent, so just really getting in the film room and coming out here intentional every single day to get better at something and to see better results on Saturday.
(On K-State defense) Mostly, I’m concerned with the front seven. They’re a physical team, they’ve got great ball get-off. Obviously, they’ve got some D-linemen who’ve done a lot of great things this year. I’d say they’re pretty strong up front, they play pretty solid, they work well together up front. I just say they’re a hard-nosed football team with a lot of grit and a lot of passion, and I think that’s the way Kansas State football has always been, as a program.
(How do you create your own energy on the road) I think it’s just really about playing for the guy next to you and obviously playing for the guys who may not be able to travel to the game, just knowing that when you put on that Baylor jersey, you’re representing more than just yourself, you’re representing the guys back home who aren’t traveling to the game and you’re representing the guys who might be on the sideline, the defense, special teams, the offense, and the guys next to you. So, I think it’s just about having a lot of passion and a lot of love for the guy next to you.
(What do you have to do mentally to get over the road struggles) I think it’s just about being critical and truthful to yourself. Something we do every single Monday is ‘Tell the Truth Mondays,’ which means we kind of turn on the tape from Saturday and kind of be honest with yourself and say, ‘This is what I did well, this is what I didn’t do well.’ Week 11, sometimes you can feel like, ‘Hey, our record is pretty good. Hey, these are our stats, whatever.’ You’ve got to be honest and truthful with yourself and criticize yourself, ‘Hey, this is what I need to get better at.’ So, I think it’s just about being honest with yourself, critical of yourself as a unit and as a team.
(How do you balance, moving on from a big win while also carrying the momentum) I think it kind of goes back to having passion for the love of the game. Obviously, wins like that, you’ve got to take what those are in the moment. Obviously, have fun with it, have fun playing football. But, at the end of the day, when Monday comes around, we watch the film, we go through a whole “Tell the Truth Monday.” As soon as we hit the practice field on Monday, it’s over, it’s on to the next week. So, in this case, Monday hit, we get on the field and it became about Kansas State. Stuff that happened last Saturday, that’s pretty much over with.
(Take pride in running the ball) I’d say we take a lot of pride in it. As an offensive lineman, we’re guys who are never going to get the ball, we’re never going to score a lot of touchdowns, have a lot of receptions. So, pretty much, our pride is all wrapped up in imposing our weill on other defenses, other D-lines, other front sevens. So, to be able to go out on Saturdays and run the ball at will, that’s our goal every single week. And we take a lot of pride in that.
(Did you know the wide zone scheme) Just as a fan of the sport, of the game, I was aware of the wide zone. We ran a couple outside zone plays at Vanderbilt, which I was familiar with and a little bit similar to wide zone, but I wasn’t ever fully immersed in wide zone offense like I am now.
(On their defensive end that has 11 sacks) He’s got really good length. He plays really hard. Maybe he was a guy who was underrated or something last year. But, we’ve obviously seen on film that he’s a guy who can play, but we kind of see that across their whole defensive line. They’re all guys, like I said, who have great ball get-off, they have great motors, they have great football IQ. They just play the game hard. Him specifically, he’s obviously a great athlete, he has great length. And that’s something you’ve got to be aware of, especially when you’re talking about pass rushers.
(On the difficulty of playing on the road) Obviously, I think it’s college football. Fans are going to be pretty juiced up and stuff. And that can make it hard for opposing offenses. But, I’d really just say the main thing for us is just being more locked-in in the few weeks that we had. We knew that we really more beat ourselves than really got beat the two games we lost. So, I think for us, it’s just about finetuning what we can get better at and focus in on those things.
(On Manhattan being a tough place to play) This will be my first trip to Kansas State. I played Kansas State my freshman year at Vanderbilt. So, I kind of know a little about the way they play and kind of how their program is. But, Coach Mateos grew up in Kansas. He talked to us about his brother had went to Kansas State, his younger brother, went to Kansas State. So, he made us aware that it can be a difficult place to play, that it’s a passionate fan base, it’s a passionate program. That may be difficult. But, at the end of the day, it’s about us. It’s about fixing our own mistakes, kind of like I said. So, it’s a challenge that we’re willing to take on and that we’re going to be looking forward to going out there and competing on Saturday.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports releases its power rankings on the 10 members in the league. This is subject to change weekly
1. Oklahoma State – Can clinch Big 12 title game berth Saturday
2. Baylor – RB Abram Smith is the key to the Bears offense
3. Oklahoma – Riley to LSU rumors swirling
4. Kansas State – No one talking about how well Cats are playing
5. Iowa State – Total bust of a season
6. Texas Tech – McGuire 1-0 at Red Raiders coach; not really
7. West Virginia – Bowl eligibility on the line facing Texas
8. TCU – Still in the hunt for a bowl
9. Texas – An utter disaster in Austin
10. Kansas – 56-game road league losing streak is over
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the Big 12 games for the upcoming weekend. All times are central. All games are on Saturday. Rankings are from the College Football Playoff Poll. Games are in the order of when kick off. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action.
Iowa State (6-4, 4-3) at No. 13 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1); 11:00 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK (FOX)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 77-7-2
Notable: Cyclones have the narrowest of paths to make the Big 12 championship game but they are also the most confusing team in the conference with great wins and bad losses. Sooners’ offense was exposed by Baylor last week. Now, head coach Lincoln Riley has to rally them to bounce back. Sooners can clinch a Big 12 title berth if they win and Kansas State knocks off Baylor.
Texas (4-6, 2-5) at West Virginia (4-6, 2-5); 11:00 a.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV (ESPN2)
Series: Tied, 5-5
Notable: A bowl elimination game between these two. The loser will have seven losses. Texas’ 5-game losing streak is its longest since 1956. RB Bijon Robinson’s season is over with an arm injury. West Virginia’s offense has been stifled the last two weeks against Oklahoma State and Kansas State scoring just 20 points.
Kansas (2-8, 1-6) at TCU (4-6, 2-5); 3:00 p.m., Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth (Big 12 Now on ESPN+).
Series: TCU leads, 24-9-4
Notable: Jayhawks are looking for consecutive Big 12 wins. TCU can still become bowl eligible with wins in its last two game against the Jayhawks and at Iowa State. Meanwhile, TCU rumored coaching candidates remain centered on SMU’s Sonny Dykes as well as Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Louisiana’s Billy Napier.
No. 11 Baylor (8-2, 5-2) at Kansas State (7-3, 4-3); 4:30 p.m., Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS (FS1)
Series: Tied, 9-9
Notable: The Bears know they must win to keep their Big 12 title game hopes alive. A loss coupled with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State wins knocks them out of the chase. RB Abram Smith (1,203 yards) is a Doak Walker Award semifinalist. Kansas State has the longest winning streak in the conference at four games and looks to improve its bowl positioning.
No. 9 Oklahoma State (9-1, 6-1) at Texas Tech (6-4, 3-4); 7:00 p.m., AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (FOX)
Series: Texas Tech leads, 23-22-3
Notable: Thanks to PK Jonathan Garibay’s 62-yard FG at the gun to beat Iowa State, 41-38, the Red Raiders became bowl eligible. Garibay has missed more PATs (one) than he has FG attempts (zero). Tricky game for the Cowboys who know they must rely on their defense to limit Tech’s offense which can be explosive at times.
Publisher
Recruiting Tidbits
>St. Martinsville (LA) 2023 wide receiver Harvey Broussard is starting to make a name for himself. When the Bears offered him, it was his 10th. It certainly won’t be his last as the 3-star continues to make the ratings climb.
“Yes, wasn’t expecting such a big program to have their eyes on me as early it is,’’ He said.
St. Martinsville (10-2) is in the Louisiana State playoffs and plays Iota Friday in the second round. He’s a big target at 6-4. He also plays basketball and runs track. He cleared 6-0 in the high jump earlier this spring.
“I’ve been talking with Coach [Josh] Atkinson and Coach [Chansi] Stuckey,’’ Broussard said. “They both said ,they love my ball skills ,and the athleticism and the way I attack the ball in the air.”
>Belton 2023 safety Javeon Wilcox is just now starting to see his recruiting reach another level. Baylor’s recent offer is the biggest considering his other offers are from SMU and UTSA.
Baylor was on him pretty early. He was a guest at the season opener against Texas Southern and plans to return for Texas Tech.
“I’m communicating with [Assistant Recruiting Director Brian Nance a lot,’’ Wilcox said. “What stood out the most was the atmosphere Baylor provides both athletically and academically.”
Wilcox’s season ended last week in a loss to Duncanville in the 6A Division I playoffs last week. But he was sure tackler. He had 96.
>Keep watching College Station 2023 safety A.J. Tisdale. He’s starting to emerge. Baylor offered him earlier in the week. They play in one of the premiere area playoff games on Friday in the Class 5A Division I round against Frisco Lone Star.
This is a Top 10 matchup. The Cougars are No. 2. The Rangers are No. 5. Depending on how schedules make out, Tisdale is hoping to make Baylor’s home finale next week against Texas Tech. If he does, it would be his first visit to Waco.
“I talk to just coach Nance,’’ Tisdale said. “He said he likes the way how I lock down receivers and makes it hard for the QB to spread the ball around.
The validation in that is through the first 10 games, Tisdale leads all Cougar defenders with seven PBUs.
Q&A: Baylor OL Grant Miller
The grad transfer from Vanderbilt talked about how Baylor must translate its quality play at McLane Stadium to on the road.
(Taking it on the road) I think for us, it’s really just about focusing day-in and day-out. Obviously, we haven’t performed the way we’ve wanted to on the road a few times this year. So, for us, it’s just about finding something to get better at every single day. Being locked in and focused on every single week. We know Kansas State is a good opponent, so just really getting in the film room and coming out here intentional every single day to get better at something and to see better results on Saturday.
(On K-State defense) Mostly, I’m concerned with the front seven. They’re a physical team, they’ve got great ball get-off. Obviously, they’ve got some D-linemen who’ve done a lot of great things this year. I’d say they’re pretty strong up front, they play pretty solid, they work well together up front. I just say they’re a hard-nosed football team with a lot of grit and a lot of passion, and I think that’s the way Kansas State football has always been, as a program.
(How do you create your own energy on the road) I think it’s just really about playing for the guy next to you and obviously playing for the guys who may not be able to travel to the game, just knowing that when you put on that Baylor jersey, you’re representing more than just yourself, you’re representing the guys back home who aren’t traveling to the game and you’re representing the guys who might be on the sideline, the defense, special teams, the offense, and the guys next to you. So, I think it’s just about having a lot of passion and a lot of love for the guy next to you.
(What do you have to do mentally to get over the road struggles) I think it’s just about being critical and truthful to yourself. Something we do every single Monday is ‘Tell the Truth Mondays,’ which means we kind of turn on the tape from Saturday and kind of be honest with yourself and say, ‘This is what I did well, this is what I didn’t do well.’ Week 11, sometimes you can feel like, ‘Hey, our record is pretty good. Hey, these are our stats, whatever.’ You’ve got to be honest and truthful with yourself and criticize yourself, ‘Hey, this is what I need to get better at.’ So, I think it’s just about being honest with yourself, critical of yourself as a unit and as a team.
(How do you balance, moving on from a big win while also carrying the momentum) I think it kind of goes back to having passion for the love of the game. Obviously, wins like that, you’ve got to take what those are in the moment. Obviously, have fun with it, have fun playing football. But, at the end of the day, when Monday comes around, we watch the film, we go through a whole “Tell the Truth Monday.” As soon as we hit the practice field on Monday, it’s over, it’s on to the next week. So, in this case, Monday hit, we get on the field and it became about Kansas State. Stuff that happened last Saturday, that’s pretty much over with.
(Take pride in running the ball) I’d say we take a lot of pride in it. As an offensive lineman, we’re guys who are never going to get the ball, we’re never going to score a lot of touchdowns, have a lot of receptions. So, pretty much, our pride is all wrapped up in imposing our weill on other defenses, other D-lines, other front sevens. So, to be able to go out on Saturdays and run the ball at will, that’s our goal every single week. And we take a lot of pride in that.
(Did you know the wide zone scheme) Just as a fan of the sport, of the game, I was aware of the wide zone. We ran a couple outside zone plays at Vanderbilt, which I was familiar with and a little bit similar to wide zone, but I wasn’t ever fully immersed in wide zone offense like I am now.
(On their defensive end that has 11 sacks) He’s got really good length. He plays really hard. Maybe he was a guy who was underrated or something last year. But, we’ve obviously seen on film that he’s a guy who can play, but we kind of see that across their whole defensive line. They’re all guys, like I said, who have great ball get-off, they have great motors, they have great football IQ. They just play the game hard. Him specifically, he’s obviously a great athlete, he has great length. And that’s something you’ve got to be aware of, especially when you’re talking about pass rushers.
(On the difficulty of playing on the road) Obviously, I think it’s college football. Fans are going to be pretty juiced up and stuff. And that can make it hard for opposing offenses. But, I’d really just say the main thing for us is just being more locked-in in the few weeks that we had. We knew that we really more beat ourselves than really got beat the two games we lost. So, I think for us, it’s just about finetuning what we can get better at and focus in on those things.
(On Manhattan being a tough place to play) This will be my first trip to Kansas State. I played Kansas State my freshman year at Vanderbilt. So, I kind of know a little about the way they play and kind of how their program is. But, Coach Mateos grew up in Kansas. He talked to us about his brother had went to Kansas State, his younger brother, went to Kansas State. So, he made us aware that it can be a difficult place to play, that it’s a passionate fan base, it’s a passionate program. That may be difficult. But, at the end of the day, it’s about us. It’s about fixing our own mistakes, kind of like I said. So, it’s a challenge that we’re willing to take on and that we’re going to be looking forward to going out there and competing on Saturday.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports releases its power rankings on the 10 members in the league. This is subject to change weekly
1. Oklahoma State – Can clinch Big 12 title game berth Saturday
2. Baylor – RB Abram Smith is the key to the Bears offense
3. Oklahoma – Riley to LSU rumors swirling
4. Kansas State – No one talking about how well Cats are playing
5. Iowa State – Total bust of a season
6. Texas Tech – McGuire 1-0 at Red Raiders coach; not really
7. West Virginia – Bowl eligibility on the line facing Texas
8. TCU – Still in the hunt for a bowl
9. Texas – An utter disaster in Austin
10. Kansas – 56-game road league losing streak is over
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the Big 12 games for the upcoming weekend. All times are central. All games are on Saturday. Rankings are from the College Football Playoff Poll. Games are in the order of when kick off. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action.
Iowa State (6-4, 4-3) at No. 13 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1); 11:00 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK (FOX)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 77-7-2
Notable: Cyclones have the narrowest of paths to make the Big 12 championship game but they are also the most confusing team in the conference with great wins and bad losses. Sooners’ offense was exposed by Baylor last week. Now, head coach Lincoln Riley has to rally them to bounce back. Sooners can clinch a Big 12 title berth if they win and Kansas State knocks off Baylor.
Texas (4-6, 2-5) at West Virginia (4-6, 2-5); 11:00 a.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV (ESPN2)
Series: Tied, 5-5
Notable: A bowl elimination game between these two. The loser will have seven losses. Texas’ 5-game losing streak is its longest since 1956. RB Bijon Robinson’s season is over with an arm injury. West Virginia’s offense has been stifled the last two weeks against Oklahoma State and Kansas State scoring just 20 points.
Kansas (2-8, 1-6) at TCU (4-6, 2-5); 3:00 p.m., Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth (Big 12 Now on ESPN+).
Series: TCU leads, 24-9-4
Notable: Jayhawks are looking for consecutive Big 12 wins. TCU can still become bowl eligible with wins in its last two game against the Jayhawks and at Iowa State. Meanwhile, TCU rumored coaching candidates remain centered on SMU’s Sonny Dykes as well as Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Louisiana’s Billy Napier.
No. 11 Baylor (8-2, 5-2) at Kansas State (7-3, 4-3); 4:30 p.m., Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS (FS1)
Series: Tied, 9-9
Notable: The Bears know they must win to keep their Big 12 title game hopes alive. A loss coupled with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State wins knocks them out of the chase. RB Abram Smith (1,203 yards) is a Doak Walker Award semifinalist. Kansas State has the longest winning streak in the conference at four games and looks to improve its bowl positioning.
No. 9 Oklahoma State (9-1, 6-1) at Texas Tech (6-4, 3-4); 7:00 p.m., AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (FOX)
Series: Texas Tech leads, 23-22-3
Notable: Thanks to PK Jonathan Garibay’s 62-yard FG at the gun to beat Iowa State, 41-38, the Red Raiders became bowl eligible. Garibay has missed more PATs (one) than he has FG attempts (zero). Tricky game for the Cowboys who know they must rely on their defense to limit Tech’s offense which can be explosive at times.
