From game-winning touchdowns to historic victories, plenty of former Texas high school football stars left their mark this Saturday.
Here’s a look at week two’s top college players from the Lone Star State.
Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson (Lubbock Coronado) and SMU QB Kyron Jennings (South Oak Cliff)
These two squared off in arguably the game of the weekend as Baylor edged SMU in a 48-45 double overtime thriller. Jennings finished with 295 passing yards and three touchdowns for the Mustangs, but he was outshined by Robertson.
The Baylor quarterback threw for 440 yards and four touchdowns, including an all-important 21-yard touchdown to Kobe Prentice with 34 seconds left that tied the game at 38 and forced overtime.
He became just the fourth Big 12 quarterback in the last 15 years to throw for 400 yards in three-straight games, joining Patrick Mahomes, Brandon Weeden, and Robert Griffin III.
It was an important win for Baylor, who had fallen to Auburn the week prior. The Bears will now get a tune-up against Samford next week before opening Big 12 play against Arizona State on Sept. 20. SMU and Jennings will look to regroup when the Mustangs hit the road to face Missouri State this Saturday.
Oklahoma QB John Mateer (Little Elm)
So far, the John Mateer era is off to a great start at Oklahoma. The former Little Elm Lobo passed his first big test for the crimson and cream on Saturday, anchoring a 24-13 win over #15 Michigan. Mateer got it done with both his arms and legs. He threw for 270 yards and a score, while adding another 74 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
“He’s a big-time, talented kid,” Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said after the win. “Over and over again throughout camp and throughout practice, there was zero fear in his eyes. He went out there today, and the moment wasn’t too big.”
The Sooners will now turn their attention to their first road game of the year when they take on Temple this upcoming Saturday in Philadelphia.
Missouri State QB Jacob Clark (Rockwall)
Missouri State picked up its first-ever FBS win in a 21-20 nailbiter over Marshall on Saturday. A former Rockwall Yellowjacket was right at the center of the historic moment.
Bears quarterback Jacob Clark threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns.
With just two minutes to go and two Marshall defenders converging in on him, he found Jeron Askren for the go-ahead eight-yard touchdown. Clark also surpassed 5,000 career passing yards on the night.
Next week, the spotlight gets a lot brighter for Clark and company when 2024 playoff team SMU comes to Springfield.
Bryant QB Brennan Myer (Wakeland)
Bryant had never beaten an FBS opponent. Until Saturday.
The Bulldogs knocked off UMass 27-26 on a 25-yard field goal as time expired. They had to overcome a ten-point halftime deficit, and quarterback Brennan Myer was a big reason they achieved that feat. The former Wakeland star racked up 318 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
His two touchdowns that came in the second half were both explosive plays. One was a 43-yard connection with Elijah Elliot, while a 72-yard touchdown pass to Zyheem Collick gave Bryant its first lead of the game late in the third quarter.
The win gets the Bulldogs back to 1-1. They will have their first home game this upcoming Saturday when they take on Bentley University.
Jacksonville State RB Cam Cook (Stony Point)
Cook was the leading rusher for the entire FBS in week two, finishing with 195 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. That helped propel the Gamecocks to an important 34-24 win over Liberty in their Conference USA opener.
The Round Rock Stony Point grad is in his first season with Jacksonville State after transferring to TCU over the offseason.
At TCU, Cook’s career high was 81 rushing yards. He passed that with ease on Saturday. Now, he’ll look to keep that Gamecock ground game churning this Saturday when they head east to face Georgia Southern.
Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy (Lancaster)
Kewan Lacy just arrived at Ole Miss from Missouri over the offseason, but he is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
After a three-touchdown performance in his debut in week one, he led the Rebels again on Saturday with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 30-23 victory over Kentucky.
He becomes the first Ole Miss running back to open the season with back-to-back 100 yard games since 2018.
He and his Rebels have another SEC test awaiting them next week as they host Arkansas at 6:00.
Texas State WR Beau Sparks (El Paso Franklin)
The I-35 showdown trophy is headed north to San Marcos, and El Paso Franklin grad Beau Sparks is a big reason why.
Not only did he have five catches for 155 yards, he caught a monster 65-yard touchdown with ten minutes to go that ended up being the game-winning touchdown in Texas State’s 43-36 win over UTSA.
Sparks had four touchdowns in Texas State’s season-opening win over Eastern Michigan, so he is quickly establishing himself as a player to know at the FBS level.
He’ll get a chance to prove himself again on the big stage this Saturday when the Bobcats travel to face defending Big 12 champion Arizona State.
Texas WR Parker Livingstone (Lovejoy)
For a little bit on Saturday, it looked like Parker Livingstone was the only Texas Longhorn allowed to score touchdowns.
Last week, he caught their lone score against Ohio State. On Saturday, he delivered again by scoring their first two touchdowns. One was an impressive 83-yard score on a wheel route down the sideline, while he caught a three-yard slant for his second touchdown just a couple minutes later.
For his efforts, he was named SEC Freshman of the Week. His 83-yard touchdown was also Texas’ longest passing play since 2017.
He’ll have another chance to shine this upcoming Saturday when the Horns welcome UTEP to DKR at 3:15.
Mississippi State WR Brenen Thompson (Spearman)
Spearman’s Brenen Thompson is in his first season at Mississippi State after transferring from Oklahoma. He didn’t take long for him to become a hero in Starkville.
With 40 seconds left and the Bulldogs trailing Arizona State by three, he showed off his lightning-quick speed, torching the Sun Devil defense for a go-ahead 58-yard touchdown reception on a deep post. Mississippi State’s defense then would go onto get an interception on the next drive to seal the 24-20 upset victory.
Thompson ended the game with six catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns. As a testament to his explosiveness, he became the first Bulldog to have two 45+ yard touchdowns in a single game in nearly nine years.
He’ll look to continue developing his rapport with quarterback Blake Shapen this Saturday when the Bulldogs host Alcorn State.