A running back has been named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week during the first three weeks of the season. Vernand Morency of Oklahoma State and Texas’ Cedric Benson were the recipients of the award the first two weeks of the season, with Kansas State’s Darren Sproles winning in week three. Sproles rushed for 294 yards and a touchdown in the Wildcats’ 40-20 win over Louisiana-Lafayette.

Two of the top three rushers in the country are from the Big 12. Morency and Sproles come in two and three, respectively. Leading the nation is Ryan Moats of Louisiana Tech. Morency has 561 yards on the ground, while Sproles comes in with 500. Two other backs from the conference are in the top 10. Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma is seventh, with Texas’ Cedric Benson at 10th.

Staying with the ground game, Texas leads the nation in team rushing. In their two games, the Longhorns have 772 yards on the ground, an average of 386 per game. That average is 27 yards per game more then second-place Minnesota.

From the ground to the air, Texas Tech has the most prolific passing attack in the nation, by a wide margin. Tech is averaging 463 yards per game passing, a 102-yard average over Arizona State. Consequently, it has both the top passer and receiver in the nation. Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie has thrown for 1,360 yards, while his favorite target, receiver Jarrett Hicks, has 511 yards receiving.

Colorado kicker Mason Crosby is currently tied with Ohio State’s Mike Nugent for the longest field goal. Crosby nailed a 55-yard try in the Buffalo’s 27-24 win over Colorado State.

Thirty-seven players have returned interceptions for touchdowns, including six from the Big 12. Iowa State and Colorado have each returned two picks for scores, with Brian Iwuh and Joe Sanders doing it for the Buffalos, and Matt Robertson and Nik Moser finding the end zone with their interceptions for Iowa State.

Although only a freshman, Iowa State’s Todd Blythe is already putting up veteran numbers. Blythe’s five touchdown grabs are enough to place him atop the conference leaderboard in that category. He also shares the top spot in the nation with Purdue’s Taylor Stubblefield and Arizona State’s Derek Hagan. Blythe has at least one touchdown in all three of his games with the Cyclones.