Neal Brown will be part of an atypically large fraternity on Saturday.
Brown is one of four coaches making their Big 12 debuts this weekend, and he’s obviously excited to get started at West Virginia.
“If you don’t have butterflies, and not just because it’s my first game here – if you don’t have that every game, you’ve maybe lost some edge,” Brown said. “That’s perfectly normal to have butterflies. You just have to control your emotions.”
The other newbies expressed similar sentiments.
“It’s an exciting week. All the players are thrilled to be in game week,” said Kansas State coach Chris Klieman. “I like where we are at right now to play an exceptional Nicholls State team.”
New Texas Tech coach Matt Wells admitted things feel different than they do for a typical season opener. The Red Raiders start their year against Montana State. He described his feelings as “anxious butterflies.”
“New school. New stadium. New league for us to know and compete with,” Wells said. “I think it’s anxious butterflies, not nervous butterflies.”
Kansas coach Les Miles had a slight variation on the type of butterfly floating through his innards.
“There’s always so much to do before the first game. You want to be prepared,” Miles said. “That will increase the natural butterflies.”
Miles and the Jayhawks open with Indiana State in a matchup of basketball schools. For Miles it technically isn’t a Big 12 debut, but it is his first game in the league since leading Oklahoma State against Texas Tech on Nov. 27, 2004.
In the big picture, no coach is defined by their first game. But Wells said it is nevertheless bound to make a lasting impression for fans.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” Wells said. “The program won’t be completely built or evaluated in Game 1, but first impressions do go a long way.”
Quarterback questions
West Virginia wasn’t the only Big 12 school to have a quarterback competition carry over late through fall camp. A trio of teams still haven’t named their starters – Oklahoma State, Kansas and TCU.
TCU coach Gary Patterson knows who his starter will be, but won’t reveal it to the public until after telling the team on Tuesday. The six-man competition has boiled down to Kansas State graduate transfer Alex Delton and true freshman Max Duggan.
Miles, already in midseason misspeaking form, mistakenly said that he won’t name his starter until after the game Saturday before correcting himself.
“You can certainly go to the game to see how they’re going to be played,” Miles said.
Kansas’ quarterback battle is down to Carter Stanley and Thomas MacVittie. Stanley started two games last season. MacVittie, a former Pitt signee, transferred in from Mesa (Ariz.) Community College.
Miles said it is “conceivable” both quarterbacks will play against the Sycamores.
Oklahoma State is also taking its competition down to the wire. Mike Gundy said Hawaii graduate transfer Dru Brown and redshirt freshman Spencer Sanders are both likely to play at Oregon State.
Sunday Night Football
Oklahoma gets the spotlight to itself this weekend, playing the lone game in the country on Sunday night.
Lincoln Riley will see a familiar face on the other sideline as the Sooners host Dana Holgorsen and Houston. Holgorsen, of course, was 0-7 against Oklahoma in his time at West Virginia.
Holgorsen is already engaged in a mild war of pettiness with Riley. The Sooners have yet to release a depth chart, instead unveiling a cover sheet with the message “Coming Soon” and a cartoon graphic of a pair of eyeballs.
As a result, Holgorsen is temporarily withholding Houston’s depth chart.
“I’ve always released a depth chart, and I’ll release one,” Holgorsen said Monday. “Why they don’t put one out, it’s kind of silly to me. So if they’re not putting one out, I ain’t putting one out. I guess I’ll put one out with those funny eyes and stuff like that.”
