Let's hand out the hardware for Week 12:
Best offensive performance: Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma. Optimus Perine eclipsed the 200-yard mark for a second time this season. He ran over Texas Tech for 213 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. His 8.5 yards per carry were his highest single-game mark this season, and he logged 182 of those yards in the second half. Only Adrian Peterson and Billy Sims have had better second halves in school history.
Best defensive performance: Paul Dawson, LB, TCU. He's been a rock in the middle of TCU's defense. In Saturday's win against Kansas, he made 10 tackles with two tackles for loss and a pair of pass breakups. Eight of his tackles were solo stops.
Best play: Nigel King, WR, Kansas. TCU safety Chris Hackett looked like he'd made a nice play to break up a pass downfield, but the ball popped up and somehow stayed in bounds. King, a Maryland graduate transfer, used one hand to bat it back to himself and bring it in before racing down the sidelines for a 78-yard touchdown that put Kansas up, 27-17. Incredible.
Second-best play: Cam Echols-Luper, PR/WR, TCU. Echols-Luper picked a heck of a time for his first touchdown of the season. He hauled in a punt and ran away from the KU coverage team for a 69-yard touchdown that put TCU up for good late in the third quarter.
Best improvisation: T.J. Millweard, QB, Kansas. The Jayhawks had to settle for a 40-yard field goal on their opening drive, but Millweard botched the hold and had to stand up and scramble. After the game, he said he yelled "Fire, fire, fire!" after to help teammates realize the kick had gone awry and found tight end Trent Smiley for a 10-yard gain to convert a 4th-and-8. The Jayhawks eventually capped the 17-play, 76-yard drive with a touchdown.
Best team performance: Kansas. It's not often I give this to a team coming off a loss, but when was the last time Kansas truly impressed you? The Jayhawks went toe-to-toe with TCU and there hasn't been a better performance from a KU team since the program pushed out Mark Mangino. KU was only outgained by 45 yards and won the turnover battle 3-1 against the Big 12's best in that stat.
Worst team performance: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys had just two first downs in the first half and finished with 192 total yards. They also averaged 1.5 yards per carry and ran for just 34 yards, giving up seven sacks. With bowl eligibility on the line, OSU didn't show much fight, falling behind 22-0 through three quarters in the final home game of the season. OSU must now beat Baylor in Waco or Oklahoma in Norman to reach a bowl game.
Best quote: Charlie Strong, Texas. "They thought it was cold, but I told them it wasn't cold," Strong said. The temperature at kickoff was 44 degrees in Stillwater, but wind chill made it feel much colder. Strong pointed out to his players that he was wearing only gloves and his customary mock turtleneck, forgoing a coat. He had his linemen take off tights and didn't allow skill position players (other than quarterbacks) to use pouches to keep their hands warm.
"It was all about our mindset. The weather was not going to be an issue."
Worst fashion statement: Texas Tech. Just say no to graded jerseys, people. As one of my Twitter followers so eloquently phrased it, "You look like a Powerpoint background." Tech has worn so many alternate jerseys this season, I've forgotten what the classic uniforms even look like.
Our Senior Day uniforms. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/VZgW9rNCcf
— Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) November 15, 2014
Best stat: Texas Tech didn't commit a turnover and forced three against Oklahoma. That ended a 17-game streak for the Red Raiders without a win in the turnover battle. It was also the first time Texas Tech finished a game without a turnover since Kliff Kingsbury's first game as a head coach in last year's season opener against SMU.
Second-best stat: Jimmay Mundine and Nigel King teamed up against TCU on Saturday to give KU its first 100-yard receiving duo in a single game since Dez Briscoe and Kerry Meier did it in 2009. Mundine was also the first KU tight end to top 100 yards receiving in a game since 1995.
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