Big XII Players of the Week - Week Two

*Originally published on ArmchairAllAmericans.com*

After the second week of the 2016 college football season, these two players have been selected as our Big XII Players of the Week.

Offense: Patrick Mahomes II JR QB – Texas Tech

As Texas Tech dueled in the desert with former Border Conference foe Arizona State, Patrick Mahomes put on an offensive show. In a shootout that the Red Raiders eventually lost 68-55, Mahomes accounted for six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing) and 588 yards of total offense. Showcasing the gun-slinging mentality that he displayed last season, Mahomes was able to escape pressure and extend plays with his legs before finding open receivers all night.

With this latest display of absurd offensive numbers in Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid system, Mahomes now has 1023 yards passing and 12 total touchdowns through just two games this season. Look for him to continue putting up gaudy statistics over the next few weeks as Texas Tech will host Louisiana Tech and Kansas at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Defense: Orion Stewart SR S – Baylor

As Baylor cruised to a 40-13 victory over in-state foe SMU, Orion Stewart was the star for Jim Grobe’s defense. In addition to eight total tackles, the senior from Waco recorded two interceptions, with one being returned for a touchdown. A week after recording just one tackle against Northwestern State, Stewart was much more involved defensively as he made plays all over the field.

If Baylor hopes to build on the success they have enjoyed in recent years, Stewart will need to keep up his high level of play in the secondary. Look for Stewart’s pass defense to be tested throughout conference play as the Bears navigate through the most offense-friendly conference in the country. If he can keep up the elite level of play he flashed against SMU, Baylor can hope to make another run at the Big XII Conference title, which they won in 2013 and 2014.