Oklahoma State will look to break a two-game slide that derailed a promising season when the Cowboys host Iowa State in Big 12 play on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.

The Cowboys (6-3, 3-3) are coming off a 37-16 loss at Kansas last week for their third loss in the past four games after opening the season 5-0. Iowa State (4-5, 1-5) ended a five-game losing streak with a 31-14 win over visiting West Virginia.

Oklahoma State’s downward spiral can be traced to quarterback Spencer Sanders’ injured right throwing shoulder, which has nagged him the past month before causing him to miss the loss to the Jayhawks.

Sanders has thrown for 2,177 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, in addition to running for 343 yards and eight scores.

Garret Rangel was 27-of-40 passing for 304 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in his first career start at Kansas.

With Sanders out, the Cowboys’ quarterback situation is unsettled, with Rangel and Gunnar Gundy, who is the son of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, in the mix to start against the Cyclones.

“First thing is, I’m not going to say we’re going to start anybody the rest of the year at any place,” said Mike Gundy, who also refused to put a timetable on Sanders’ return. “We could very well do either (have Rangel or Gunnar Gundy play). We haven’t had that discussion.”

The Cyclones are coming off their best win of the season as they work toward becoming bowl-eligible for the sixth straight season.

“Obviously, to feel the sense of victory and to understand why we won the football game and to the reasons why over the last couple of weeks we’ve been pounding away, I think those are huge growth steps when you’re talking about a young football team,” Iowa coach Matt Campbell said.

The Cyclones, who are seeking back-to-back wins over the Cowboys for the first time since 2000-01 after a 24-21 victory last year, need quarterback Hunter Dekkers and receiver Xavier Hutchinson to shine Saturday.

Dekkers has completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 2,370 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Hutchinson’s school-record 87 catches this season lead the FBS, while his 953 receiving yards rank fifth.

–Field Level Media

Out of the College Football Playoff poll after a last-second loss at Washington, Oregon State sets its sights on a strong finish.

The Beavers, also chasing a prestigious bowl bid, are leaning on backup quarterback Ben Gulbranson, starting with Saturday night’s home game against Pac-12 Conference foe California.

Gulbranson is 3-1 in a starting role since Chance Nolan suffered a neck injury in the Beavers’ October 1 loss at Utah. In last week’s defeat, Gulbranson threw for just 87 yards. He completed 12 of 19, missing open receivers downfield on more than one occasion.

“He’s got a couple of guys running wide open, he’s got to hit them,” said Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith. “It needs to be better. We’ve chosen a brand of football with our current staff. But we’ve got to get better in the passing game.”

The Beavers (6-3, 3-3) have gotten a combined 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions from Nolan and Gulbranson. Nolan tossed six picks in his last five quarters, including four in a narrow September home loss to USC.

Meanwhile, the Golden Bears (3-6, 1-5) must win out to become bowl-eligible. With arch-rival Stanford and UCLA remaining after this week, it seems like a long shot. They nearly pulled a major upset last week but lost 41-35 at No. 8 USC.

Cal trailed 27-7 in the third quarter, but rallied behind three second half touchdown passes from Jack Plummer. The Bears pulled within six points with just under three minutes left but couldn’t make a defensive stop to give themselves a chance to steal victory.

“The expectations was to play better football,” said Cal coach Justin Wilcox. “I loved the competitiveness, but where we really played poorly was at the end of the half. We could have played that much better.”

Plummer’s lone interception late in the half set up a Trojan touchdown that made it 20-7 at the half. But his 406 yards made him the first Bears’ quarterback in six years to crack the 400 mark in a game.

–Field Level Media

Attaining bowl eligibility under first-year coach Billy Napier is Florida’s focus on Saturday when the Gators host South Carolina in Gainesville, Fla.

Florida (5-4, 2-4 SEC) is coming off one its best offensive performances of the season to end a two-game slide with a 41-24 win at Texas A&M on Saturday.

South Carolina (6-3, 3-3) pulled away from host Vanderbilt for a 38-27 win on the same day.

Anthony Richardson threw for two touchdowns and rushed for 78 yards and two more scores for the Gators, while Montrell Johnson Jr. added 100 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The Gators rolled up 492 yards of total offense, including 291 on the ground while rushing for an average of 5.8 yards per carry.

South Carolina looked improved on offense Saturday.

Spencer Rattler went 18-for-26 passing for 200 yards and three touchdowns, with Antwane Wells Jr. finishing with four catches for 110 yards, including touchdowns catches of 68 and 17 yards.

Richardson has completed 55.7 percent of his passes for 1,839 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He also has rushed for 492 yards and eight touchdowns on 74 carries.

Johnson has rushed for a team-high 549 yards to go along with eight touchdowns, while Justin Shorter (21 catches, 471 yards), Ricky Pearsall (22 catches, 406 yards) and Xzavier Henderson (36 catches, 395 yards) each have two receiving touchdowns.

Rattler has completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1.837 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions, with Wells posting 41 receptions for 574 yards and four scores.

“(South Carolina) is a team that is very capable,” Napier said. “They’ve got some really unique matchup players, individual players that I think can present a number of challenges.”

The Gamecocks could also be bolstered with the return of leading rusher MarShawn Lloyd (556 yards, nine TDs), who was sidelined against Vanderbilt with a bruised thigh.

“We’re optimistic that he’ll be able to go this weekend,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said.

South Carolina posted a 40-17 win over the Gators last year in Columbia, S.C.

–Field Level Media

Resurgent Wisconsin and host Iowa will put two-game winning streaks on the line Saturday when the Heartland Trophy is up for grabs in Iowa City.

The winner will remain in the thick of the congested Big Ten West, with the Badgers angling to claim the bronze bull trophy for the sixth time in seven tries.

Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3) scored a 23-10 victory at home over Maryland last week, while the Hawkeyes (5-4, 3-3) posted a 24-3 win at Purdue.

Iowa and Wisconsin are among a four-team logjam one game behind Illinois in the West Division after the Illini’s 23-15 loss at home against Michigan State.
Purdue and Minnesota also are 3-3 in the conference.

The Badgers improved to 3-1 under interim coach Jim Leonhard, promoted from defensive coordinator when Paul Chryst surprisingly was fired following a 34-10 loss at home to Illinois on Oct 1.

“I always loved playing at their place,” said Leonhard, a former Wisconsin and NFL player. “Great atmosphere. We know what they’re about, and they know what we’re about. It’s going to be a really exciting day.”

Wisconsin jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead against Maryland and held the Terps to 189 yards in total offense, 73 of which came on their only touchdown drive in the closing minutes. Maryland went into Madison averaging 454.4 yards per game.

Isaac Guerendo gained 114 yards on 12 carries, including a career-long 89-yard touchdown run, and Braelon Allen had 119 yards on 23 attempts as the Badgers piled up 278 yards on the ground in rainy, windy conditions that limited passing by both teams.

Allen is fourth in the Big Ten in rushing with 989 yards. Quarterback Graham Mertz, interception-prone in the Badgers’ losses, has nine touchdowns and one pick in his last four games.

Although last in the Big Ten in total offense, Iowa’s much-maligned attack has come alive the last two games. After averaging 227.3 yards in total offense through the first seven games, the Hawkeyes totaled 398 in a 33-13 win at Northwestern, followed by 376 yards against Purdue.

Freshman Kaleb Johnson carried 22 times for 200 yards and one touchdown against the Boilermakers, second most for a Hawkeyes freshman behind Marcus Coker’s 219 vs. Missouri in the 2010 Insight Bowl.

“After seeing the film, no question, I think it was our most complete football game as a team so far, so that was good to see,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of the Purdue game. “Offensively, we showed more growth, played with good balance.”

Iowa is third in the nation in fewest yards allowed with 264.4 per game and fifth in scoring defense at 14.3 points.

“Tremendous amount of respect for the way they play defense,” Leonhard said. “It’s very different from my philosophy and what we do and how we do it. So any time you’re kind of looking at the complete opposite side of the coin and watching a team just consistently dominate, you gain an appreciation for it.”

Wisconsin has won five of the last six games against the Hawkeyes, whose last victory in the series was 28-7 at Iowa City in 2020.

–Field Level Media

Two teams trending in opposite directions will square off Saturday night when No. 23 Florida State visits Syracuse in Atlantic Coast Conference action.

The Seminoles (6-3, 4-3) are coming off two lopsided victories — 41-16 against Georgia Tech on Oct. 29 and a 45-3 dismantling of Miami last Saturday — but the Orange (6-3, 3-2) have lost three straight games.

Florida State had lost three in a row — all close contests in the final minutes — before putting up 1,096 total yards over the past two contests.

Jordan Travis had more touchdown passes (three) than incompletions (one) against Miami, while Trey Benson (15 carries, 128 yards, two TDs) was the headliner of a 229-yard rushing attack.

“This is an offense that’s built for playmakers,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said this week. “… Now, there’s no secret that Jordan Travis is an incredible playmaker. He has played at an exceptional level, and he’s got great pieces around him.”

Travis threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Georgia Tech. He also starred in last season’s 33-30 win over Syracuse, throwing for two touchdowns and running for 113 yards in a 33-30 victory.

Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader also had a big day on the ground in that one. He ran for a game-high 137 yards and three TDs; however, his availability for Saturday’s game is up in the air.

The senior quarterback has missed the past 1 1/2 games with a concussion. Backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson struggled in his place in last week’s 19-9 loss at Pitt, connecting on just 8 of 23 passes for 120 yards.

“It’s difficult to turn this into too much of a passing team and not a balanced football team,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said after watching standout tailback Sean Tucker run for a season-low 19 yards on just 10 carries.

In addition to Tucker, Orange wideout Oronde Gadsden II is looking to bounce back after getting held without a reception against Pitt. He leads the team with 41 catches, 671 yards and six receiving touchdowns.

“They’re going to have their plan of attack for whichever quarterback steps on the field,” Norvell said of the Orange. “They’ve got one of the best running backs in the country there in the backfield. Gadsden, the tight end/flex receiver, he is a matchup problem for everybody that they face. … This is a group that can really do some challenging things. I think they do a great job schematically. We’ve got our work cut out for us on that end.”

Speaking of dynamic offenses, Florida State leads the nation in drives of 80-plus yards (15) and 90-plus yards (seven), as well as plays covering at least 20 yards (69).

The Seminoles already have clinched the 49th bowl appearance in program history.

“They are absolutely on fire. They’ve done some amazing things in a year,” Babers said.

The Orange won their first-ever matchup with the Seminoles in 1966 but have lost 12 of the past 13 meetings.

–Field Level Media

Things are heating up in the Big Ten West.

No. 21 Illinois sits in first place — just one game above four teams that are tied for second — and will have to fend off one of those contenders on Saturday when it takes on Purdue in Champaign, Ill.

The Fighting Illini (7-2, 4-2) were riding a six-game winning streak before falling 23-15 to visiting Michigan State last week.

Tommy DeVito completed 25 of 37 passes for 288 yards and a pair of scoring strikes to Isaiah Williams, and Chase Brown rushed for 136 yards, but Illinois couldn’t overcome 23 unanswered points from the Spartans.

Now the Illini are in danger of losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.

“Lot of things to play for this week,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “Obviously a Big Ten West opponent. A team with obviously all the things that I know you guys are well aware of within the Big Ten race to get to (Indianapolis, title game on Dec. 3).

“Kind of what we’ve done all year is tried to focus on the moment. We’ve had success doing that seven times and failure doing it twice, so hopefully we’ll be a little bit more in line with those seven opportunities that we came away with the victory.”

Illinois will have to rediscover that winning formula against a Boilermakers program that has dominated the series for the better half of the past two decades.

Purdue (5-4, 3-3) is 13-4 against the Fighting Illini dating to 2003, losing just one of the eight games played in Champaign during that span.

However, the Boilermakers find themselves on a two-game skid after their offense failed to get in a rhythm against a stout Iowa defense last weekend in a 24-3 defeat.

Mitchell Fineran’s 34-yard field goal late in the second quarter provided Purdue’s only points, while Aidan O’Connell threw for just 168 yards on 20-for-43 passing while getting intercepted twice.

The Boilermakers also were hampered by their inability to stop the run, as they let Hawkeyes halfback Kaleb Johnson amass 200 yards on the ground.

Things won’t get any easier for the front seven on Saturday against Brown, who has topped 100 rushing yards in a program-record 10 consecutive games. He leads the nation with 1,344 yards and took just seven games to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, which tied the fastest pace in program history (J.C. Caroline, 1953).

“He’s done an outstanding job,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said of Brown. “He’s one of the best in the country. Their offensive line is big and physical. They’ve done a good job running the football. He’s tough, he’s been tough, he’s physical, he’s got good hands.

“We’re going to have to figure out a way to keep him in check or it could be a long day.”

With a win on Saturday, the Illini would level the all-time series. The Boilermakers hold a 46-45-6 record against Illinois dating to 1890.

–Field Level Media

They have identical records, both in conference and overall, but No. 19 Kansas State and Baylor come into their Saturday evening matchup in Waco, Texas, with totally different mindsets.

Baylor (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) has won three straight games to move into a three-way tie with Kansas State and Texas for second place in the Big 12. The Bears host undefeated TCU on Nov. 19 before traveling to Austin to face Texas the day after Thanksgiving. If the Bears win out, they would be in the Big 12 Championship Game in Dallas on Dec. 3, likely against TCU.

“I’m excited for this week. It’s good to be home,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “We fully recognize where we’re at and what’s at stake. We’re excited to tackle all of it.”

Aranda knows it won’t be easy to take on the Wildcats, especially since Kansas State is likely still hurting from a tough loss to Texas last week.

“I’m always impressed with Coach (Chris) Klieman and Kansas State,” he said. “They play a game I really respect. (They’re) tough, physical. Defensively their effort is outstanding. Offensively it’s a smart attack. They look for matchups. What a challenge we have in front of us.”

Baylor has been depending on its offense during its recent run. The Bears rank second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally in scoring at 38.3 points per game. They are doing it with balance between the ground game and the air. They are fourth in the conference with 210.3 yards per game rushing and fourth with 451.4 total yards per game.

Kansas State (6-3, 4-2) played its worst half of the season in the first two quarters against the Longhorns. The Wildcats fell behind early and trailed 31-10 at halftime. They came back in the second half and had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

“Looking back, it was kind of a tale of two halves,” Klieman said. “In the first half, we couldn’t get off the field on defense. We just didn’t play very well on defense. It was 31-10 at halftime after we gave them a score late.

“In the second half, it got a little bit better. We were just behind too much. Overall, I was pleased with the effort. We’ve got to own it and learn from it.”

While Baylor has been succeeding with offense, the Wildcats have relied on their defense. They rank second in the Big 12 and are tied for 18th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 19.1 points per game, even after giving up 34 points to the Longhorns. The fact that they yielded just three points in the second half is reason for optimism.

Even though the Wildcats are not scoring a ton of points, their offense has been playing well. Quarterback Adrian Martinez is fifth in the conference in total offense (231.6 yards per game). He missed most of two games, and his backup, Will Howard, went 34-for-57 for 521 yards and six touchdowns in relief.

Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn is second in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards (132.3 per game).

–Field Level Media