Lubbock, Texas ? Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons knows how coach Mike Leach feels when he watches film of last year’s SMU-Tech game. He hopes to make this year’s game a little easier on the coach, even if it is his first start.

The fifth-year senior played briefly against SMU after Leach benched Kliff Kingsbury in the first half. Tech won 24-14.

“Offensively, we played terribly as a unit,” Symons said. “Coach Leach doesn’t really even like watching that one. It makes him want to vomit every time we watch it.”

Symons wants things to be better for the team tonight in his first start. He played the backup role for three years and watched as Kingsbury set 39 school and NCAA records that included completions (1,231) and attempts (1,883).

“When you wait your entire college career, four years, to get the opportunity I have now, I definitely want to make the most of that,” Symons said. “I don’t think I can really put into words how ready I am.”

Every Big 12 team plays this weekend, including the season opener for No. 1 Oklahoma against North Texas tonight.

Fifth-ranked Texas opens its season on Sunday against New Mexico State. Like Tech, UT will have a new starting quarterback. Junior Chance Mock finally gets to be UT’s starter, replacing Chris Simms. In his two seasons behind Simms and Major Applewhite, Mock was 6-of-9 passing for 65 yards.

In the other openers today, Colorado plays No. 23 Colorado State in Denver, coach Dennis Franchione makes his Texas A&M debut against Arkansas State; Baylor plays its first game for coach Guy Morriss against Alabama-Birmingham; Iowa State plays Northern Iowa; Kansas plays Northwestern and Missouri plays Illinois.

No. 7 Kansas State (1-0), which beat California 42-28 Saturday, plays Troy State.