Missouri Tigers quarterback James Franklin, and former Lake Dallas standout, talks to his teammates on the line against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions during the first quarter at Faurot Field. (Dak Dillon/US Presswire)
I’m going to try to start doing a weekly thing here where we can keep up with our former stars on the gridiron and see what they do each week at the collegiate level. There are obviously several local athletes now playing on the big-time college stage.
1. James Franklin, Missouri, QB (Lake Dallas): In his first game as a starting quarterback in the Southeastern Conference, Franklin helped lead the Tigers to a 62-10 thrashing of Southeastern Louisiana. The junior completed 13 of 21 passes with a touchdown while rushing for 39 yards on six carries, including a 28-yard scamper, before exiting the game in the blowout.
2. Bud Sasser, Missouri, WR (Ryan): Listed as a backup on Missouri’s two-deep, Sasser hauled in one pass for 19 yards in the Tigers’ runaway victory over Southeastern Louisiana.
3. D.J. Beshears, Kansas, WR (Ryan): The senior, who is one of the best kick returners/all-purpose guys in the Big 12 had five catches for 27 yards in the Jayhawks’ victory over South Dakota State in their first game under new head coach Charlie Weis.
4. J.W. Walsh, Oklahoma State, QB (Guyer): The redshirt freshman, who lost out on the starting QB job to a true freshman in the summer, got plenty of action the in Pokes’ 84-0 rout of Savannah State. Walsh, who will see his share of playing time despite not being the starter under center, relieved Wes Lunt early in the game and ended up going 13-of-21 for 149 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. He also rushed for 29 yards on 13 carries, including a nifty 13-yard scramble.
5. Josh Stewart, Oklahoma State, WR (Guyer): Along with the rest of the starting unit, Stewart saw hardly any playing time as the Cowboys put up 35 points on Savannah State in the first quarter alone. Before he exited the game, he hauled in one pass for six yards.