receiver from a year ago (Jakeem Grant, 1268 yards and 10 TDs), coach Kliff Kingsbury sounds confident about the skill players that will be around quarterback Patrick Mahomes.Kingsbury said junior running back Justin Stockton (five TDs on 61 carries last season) is an explosive back. And

Kansas States Bill Snyder let a slight chuckle when asked if playing a season opener at No. 8 Stanford was the sign of a change in scheduling philosophy for the veteran coach.Well, not in mine, Snyder said Monday. But its kind of the nature of the conference wanting everybody to play Power Five conference schools. So weve fallen in line with that.The Wildcats are one of three Big 12 teams opening against a top-15 opponent, making the smallest of the Power Five leagues the only one with so many high-ranked non-conference openers. K-States opener is Friday night, with third-ranked Oklahoma against No. 15 Houston in the home stadium of the NFLs Texans on Saturday, and Texas at home Sunday night against No. 10 Notre Dame.Plus, West Virginia is home against SEC member Missouri, a former Big 12 team.Its a high-profile game. Theres a lot of high-profile games here this weekend, and I think thats where college football is headed, Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said during the first Big 12 coaches teleconference. Were going to continue to do that kind of scheduling here. And hopefully everyone else does that kind of scheduling as well.The Big 12 late last year said its teams would be required to play at least one non-conference game each season against a team from one of the other Power Five leagues (ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 or SEC) or Notre Dame, though the requirement didnt affect existing non-conference game contracts at the time. Still, No. 23 Baylor and Kansas are the only Big 12 teams that wont play against one of the peer conferences this season.Kansas State is playing a true road non-conference game against a Power Five school for only the seventh time since 1989, Snyders first season with the Wildcats in a tenure that included a three-season gap (2006-08) when he retired before returning to coach again. Stanford is the highest-ranked non-conference opponent K-State has ever played in a season-opening road game.My only issue with it is the fact that in all reality, you dont get to play all the younger guys that you have. Were a program thats going to need every guy weve got, Snyder said. When you play a team like Stanford, in all reality, thats not going to take place.Some other notes from the first Big 12 teleconference of the season:- Oklahoma is the overwhelming favorite to win its 10th Big 12 title after last season becoming the leagues first team to make it to the four-team College Football Playoff.But is there any added motivation for the Sooners after losing 37-17 to Clemson in one of the national semifinals?Thats a long time ago, man, were on to 2016, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. You want to win them all. Thats what you try to do at Oklahoma.- While Texas Tech has lost its top rusher (DeAndre Washington, 1,492 yards and 14 TDs) and top receiver from a year ago (Jakeem Grant, 1268 yards and 10 TDs), coach Kliff Kingsbury sounds confident about the skill players that will be around quarterback Patrick Mahomes.Kingsbury said junior running back Justin Stockton (five TDs on 61 carries last season) is an explosive back. And he said hes got the most depth at receiver hes ever had as a play-caller with some talented youngsters looking to show what they can do.- Snyder announced Jesse Ertz as K-States quarterback after a three-man race in preseason camp, but Texas coach Charlie Strong and Kansas coach David Beaty wouldnt say who would take the first snaps in their openers.Strong said he knows will start for the Longhorns, but isnt saying yet if it will be freshman Shane Buechele or senior Tyrone Swoopes. Strong said both will play against Notre Dame.At Kansas, sophomore Ryan Willis started eight games as a true freshman last season after taking over when Montell Cozart got hurt. Beaty said Monday that the Jayhawks are still in competition mode with those guys and the starter would be revealed when one of them runs out on the field against Rhode Island. Swell Flaske Norge . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Swell Bottle Butikk . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. http://www.swellflaskenorge.com/swell-traveler-norge.html . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Swell Flaske Blomster . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Swell Norge . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Penrith continue to commit long-term salary cap money after announcing the re-signing of centre Waqa Blake until the end of the 2019 NRL season.Blakes extension is a key boost for a Panthers backline that is expected to be without Kangaroos star Josh Mansour following an ACL injury on Four Nations tour a fortnight ago.He becomes the 16th current player to be given a new deal by Panthers boss Phil Gould this year, not including five new squad members added to their 2017 roster.Waqas story is a great one, Gould said on Monday.He came through our education and welfare house parenting program as a teenager and was a member of our premiership-winning NYC side in 2013.He has progressed through the grades, improving every season, and is now a valuable member of our NRL team.Waqas best football is still ahead of him. He is an outstanding athlete and I beliieve he is a high level representative player of the future.ddddddddddddBlake, 22, is now the 12th player under contract until 2019, including boom halfback Nathan Cleary, and forwards James Fisher-Harris, Tyrone Peachey and Isaah Yeo.Teammates Leilani Latu, Trent Merrin and Tamou are signed to 2020, while stars Bryce Cartwright and Matt Moylan have mammoth deals until 2021.No other club has shelled out more money beyond 2018, although first-team regulars Dean Whare and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak remain the only players without a deal after next season.Penriths top 25 squad, including new recruits James Tamou, Mitch Rein and Michael Oldfield and minus their Four Nations representatives, begain pre-season training on Monday. ' ' '