ACC & Big 12 Week 8 Preview: Cowboys host unbeaten Bears on homecoming in Stillwater

No. 18 Baylor (6-0) at Oklahoma State (4-2) – 3:30 p.m. on FOX

An undefeated Baylor squad is headed to Stillwater for Oklahoma State’s homecoming game on Saturday afternoon. The Bears and the Cowboys are playing for the 38th time in a series that dates back to 1914. This season marks the 24th consecutive year that the teams have met.

Oklahoma State leads the series 20-17, but Baylor has won five of the last seven meetings, including a 45-35 victory at Boone Pickens Stadium in 2015 that broke a 76-year losing streak in Stillwater. Prior to 2015, the Bears’ most recent victory in Stillwater was in 1939.

This is their second homecoming matchup in a row, as the two met for Baylor’s homecoming game last year, in which Baylor pulled off a thrilling 35-31 victory. The Bears scored 14-straight points in the fourth quarter and capped off their run with a touchdown pass from Charlie Brewer to Denzel Mims with seven seconds remaining.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the teams:

Baylor Quick Hits:

• The Bears are one of 12 remaining undefeated teams in the FBS, and one of only eight Power 5 programs without a loss.
• Baylor’s defense ranks eighth nationally with 23.0 sacks on the season, and has logged five or more sacks in each of its two most recent contests.
• Defensive tackle James Lynch has 17.0 career sacks, which is a half-sack away from tying the program record. Lynch ranks second nationally with 8.5 sacks on the season, and is third in tackles for loss with 11.5.
• The Bears rank third in the Big 12 in both yards per carry (5.58) and defensive yards allowed per carry (3.18).
• The offense boasts wide receiver Denzel Mims, who ranks eighth in Baylor history with 2,408 receiving yards and has had a catch in 30 straight games.
• Click here to see Baylor’s complete game notes
• Click here for the Bears’ depth chart

Oklahoma State Quick Hits:

• The Cowboys enter the game ranked seventh nationally in rushing offense, with 279 yards per game. The Pokes have rushed for 1,674 yards through their first six games, Oklahoma State’s second-high six-game total since 2000.
• Running back Chuba Hubbard leads the nation with 182.3 rushing yards per game, which is 44.6 yards per game greater than the second ranking (J.K. Dobbins of Ohio State, 137.7).
• Wide receiver Tylan Wallace is the only player in the FBS with more than 2,000 total receiving yards since the beginning of the 2018 season and has registered 703 yards this season alone, which ranks fifth nationally.
• Freshman quarterback Spencer Sanders leads the offense, and only needs 296 passing yards to break the program’s freshman record for passing yards in a season.
• Overall, the offense ranks eighth in the FBS in total offense (528.3 yards per game) and 11th in scoring offense (39.8 points per game).
• Click here to see Oklahoma State’s complete game notes
• Click here for the Sooners’ depth chart

Here’s a quick look at some of the other top games from this weekend’s slate:

Pittsburgh (4-2) at Syracuse (3-3) – 7 p.m. (Friday) on ESPN
The Panthers are headed to Syracuse riding on a three-game winning streak after a bye last weekend. Pittsburgh is Syracuse’s most frequent opponent as the two are meeting for the 75th time overall, with Pitt leading the series 39-32-3.

No. 3 Clemson (6-0) at Louisville (4-2) – 12 p.m. on ABC
Clemson is looking to remain undefeated – both for the season and all-time against the Cardinals. The series began in 2014 and the programs have met every year since, with Clemson claiming a victory in each contest.

West Virginia (3-3) at No. 5 Oklahoma (6-0) – 12 p.m. on ABC
Oklahoma stands as the only opponent West Virginia has not defeated sine joining the Big 12 in 2012. The Sooners are 7-0 in that span, and 9-2 overall including a 48-28 win in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.

Iowa State (4-2) at Texas Tech (3-3) – 12 p.m. on FS1
The Red Raiders are 11-6 against the Cyclones despite losing each of the last three contests. Last season, the teams combined for 71 points in Ames as Iowa State scored nine points in the final five minutes to hold off Texas Tech for a 40-31 victory.

Duke (4-2) at Virginia (4-2) – 3:30 p.m. on ACCN
Virginia returns home as it welcomes Duke for a key ACC Coastal matchup. The Blue Devils are looking to snap a four-game win streak that the Cavaliers currently own in a series that dates all the way back to 1890.

Kansas (2-4) at No. 15 Texas (4-2) – 4 p.m. on LHN
The Jayhawks and the Longhorns are meeting for the 19th time overall, and the ninth time in Austin, where Texas is 8-0 all-time against Kansas. Texas has scored an average of 36.6 points per game against Kansas and has only allowed 15.4 in the teams’ previous 18 meetings.

Florida State (3-3) at Wake Forest (5-1) – 7:30 p.m. on ACCN
Both the Seminoles and the Demon Deacons are entering Saturday’s matchup looking to bounce back from conference losses, as Florida State to Clemson (45-14) and Wake Forest to Louisville (62-59) in Week 7. Florida State leads the all-time series 30-6-1 and has won seven straight over the Demon Deacons.