TCU’s Boykin named O’Brien Award semifinalist

TCU has seemingly come out of nowhere to shock everyone by being the highest ranked team in the Big 12 so far this season, and a big reason for its success has been the play of redshirt junior quarterback Trevone Boykin. Tuesday, Boykin was named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, which recognizes the top quarterback in the country. This season, Boykin has thrown for 2,472 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions — all career highs. His 361.9 total yards per game lead the conference and place him fourth in the nation. He’s also led the Horned Frogs to scoring drives on 51.4 percent of their possessions.

OU’s Shepard questionable for Baylor game

Oklahoma heads into its showdown against Baylor riding high after a win over Iowa State, but it could be without one of its better receivers this weekend. On the Sooners’ first offensive play, junior receiver Sterling Shepard went down with a groin injury and had to be carted off the field. Shepard returned to the field in uniform but did not play the rest of the game. After the contest, head coach Bob Stoops wasn’t sure if he would be able to go against Baylor. Shepard leads the Sooners with 50 receptions for 957 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Petty tapped as Maxwell Award semifinalist

Baylor senior quarterback Bryce Petty has had a down year by his, and Baylor’s, standards, but it hasn’t stopped him from being in contention for some postseason recognition. On Monday, Petty was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, which is given to the collegiate player of the year. This season, Petty has thrown for 2,034 yards, 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions, but he is still on pace to finish below his numbers from 2013, when he threw for 4,200 yards and 32 touchdowns. Maxwell Award finalists will be named on Nov. 24.

Knight headlines Big 12 Awards

After an incredible Sugar Bowl in January, Oklahoma sophomore quarterback Trevor Knight has been a bit of a disappointment this season. But Saturday, Knight accounted for a total of six touchdowns in a 59-14 win and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Knight finished the win against Iowa State with 230 passing yards and three touchdowns and added another three scores on the ground, becoming only the second quarterback to throw and run for three touchdowns in a game.

Last week’s Big 12 game of the week featured two top-20 teams and a showdown of “Kevin Whites.” TCU’s Kevin White, senior cornerback, won that battle with seven total tackles, two of which were for losses, and a pass break up in the Horned Frogs’ 31-30 win and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts. White held West Virginia’s Kevin White, senior wide receiver, to only three receptions and 28 yards in the game.

While White might have taken the headlines for his defensive effort, it was TCU junior kicker Jaden Oberkrom who won the game for the Horned Frogs with a 37-yard field goal as time expired and was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week for the second straight week. The kick was the 50th of his career, ranking him fourth in program history.