The matchup will be for at least a share of the lead in the Big 12 South standings. Texas Tech improved to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12 after a 39- 33 win over No. 1 Texas late Saturday.

Oklahoma State is 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12 after a win over Iowa State.

Holiday likes OSU: Holiday Bowl selection committee member Eric Graves attended Saturday’s OSU victory and left impressed with the Cowboys.

The Dec. 30 game in San Diego is the third bowl in the Big 12’s pecking order of the eight games the conference is aligned with. Graves said OSU ranks high with the Holiday Bowl committee.

“Our opinion is that we like fresh blood,” Graves said. “Texas has been in our game four times this decade. They don’t want us and we don’t want them.

OSU would be a good, fresh team for us.”

OSU made its only Holiday Bowl appearance in 1988. That 1988 team and the 1987 Sun Bowl team were honored at Saturday’s game.

Kickoff coverage issues: Iowa State freshman Leonard Johnson gave Oklahoma State fits with kickoff returns in the Cowboys’ 59-17 victory Saturday.

Johnson broke the major college football single-game record for kickoff return yards with 319. Johnson had returns of 72, 73 and 48 yards. The longest kickoff return OSU had allowed this season was 41 yards.

“Honestly, that was the worst (day) since I’ve been on kickoff coverage,” said Terrance Anderson. “Throughout the whole game I was wondering why we were looking so bad on kickoff coverage.”

OSU coach Mike Gundy was disappointed by the coverage unit’s performance and said he and the coaching staff knew where the breakdowns were taking place. Gundy, though, declined to reveal what those busts were.

“We’ll work hard this week to correct that,” Gundy said.

Clemson’s Justin Miller set the previous Football Bowl Subdivision record of 282 yards against Florida State on Sept. 25, 2004.