Baylor-Kansas State, Allen-Belton highlight Slovacek's I-35 Showdowns

Slovacek's logoTo honor the loyal football fans that travel great distances to support their favorite team, DCTF and our friends from Slovacek’s in West, Texas are proud to present The Slovacek’s I-35 Showdowns of the Week. Baylor (6-3) vs. Kansas State (5-4) 11:00 a.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium in Waco Things have gone from bad to worse for Baylor over the past three weeks. A close loss to Texas gave way to a 40-point loss to TCU, both of which were overshadowed last week when quarterback Seth Russell was lost for the season during the Bears’ third consecutive loss – a 45-24 setback at the hands of Oklahoma. In light of the off-field distractions surrounding the Baylor program, there will be a lot of new beginnings in the coming years and months. Saturday, though, will turn the page to the Zach Smith era as the true freshman from Grandview will make his first career start under center for the Bears. All of this turmoil may seem like an inopportune time to face a Bill Snyder-coached team, but Kansas State also comes into this match up with issues. A week ago, the Wildcats gave up 637 total yards and surrendered a 9-point 4th quarter lead in a loss to Oklahoma State. The outcome of Saturday’s game may come down to the offense that is best able to exploit the opposing defense’s weakness. Smith and his Baylor receivers will be facing a Kansas State defense that ranks 117th against the pass – but Jesse Ertz and the Wildcats will look to control the clock against a Baylor rush defense that ranks 99th. Allen (11-0) vs. Belton (8-3) -7:30 p.m. Friday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium Bob Shipley’s third season at the helm of the Belton football program has certainly yielded positive results- especially on the offensive side of the ball. Starting with a 55-point outburst against Pflugerville Hendrickson in September, the Tigers have been lighting up scoreboards across Central Texas as they’ve won 8 of 10 and 4 in a row. In last week’s bi-district playoff win over South Grand Prairie, the senior duo of Peyton Mansell and Davion Peoples combined to rush for 341 yards and two touchdowns. They’ll need to keep up their high-scoring ways Friday night, though, as they’ll be facing one of the state’s most formidable foes and seemingly unstoppable offenses. It’s no shock to see Allen at 11-0 this time of year, and especially with a high-powered attack capable of scoring in droves. The Eagles have been held below 30 just once – their season opener against Hoover (Alabama) – and have averaged nearly 46 points per contest thus far. Last week against Euless Trinity, junior tailback Brock Sturges led the way for the Eagles – racking up 128 yards on just 14 carries.