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Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges might need to occasionally wipe the corners of his mouth. Crumbs from his early-season feast still could be noticeable.

Hodges' steady diet of nonconference Twinkies and cream puffs has ended. He starts competing against the big boys Saturday night when Tech opens Big 12 play against Kansas.

The 3-0 Red Raiders have soared behind the first-year starter, who leads the nation in passing offense with an average of 372.3 passing yards per game. For good measure, Hodges has completed a whopping 75 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and only one interception.

But matching those gaudy statistics figure to be harder to come by without more opponents like Florida International, Sam Houston State and Indiana State remaining on Tech's schedule.

"I'm just glad those games are over," said Hodges. "I knew with the teams we played there would be criticism. I feel like we, as a team, handled them as well as we could. Now, we just need to carry what we learned into the conference."

Tech has taken advantage of the ridiculously easy nonconference schedule to build momentum for the conference race. The Red Raiders lead the nation in passing offense, scoring and total offense and rank fourth in passing efficiency. Considering Oklahoma's early struggles and Texas A&M's iffy pass defense, Tech appears to be the most likely title contender for Texas.

Even with the motley cast of opponents, the Red Raiders have been impressive to Kansas coach Mark Mangino.

"You can tell on tape that they are very talented," Mangino said. "It doesn't matter much who the competition is. You can see their schemes, their speed and athleticism. It's obvious that they have a very good football team."

The quick start has been especially beneficial for Hodges, a fifth-year senior who has spent most of his career signaling plays from the sidelines. He has followed in the footsteps of Tech predecessors Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons and Sonny Cumbie to thrive in coach Mike Leach's high-powered aerial attack.

"I couldn't ask for a better three games to start," Hodges said. "We haven't taken any steps backward. Our confidence is where we need it to be for the conference. That's what we needed."

	“	I'm just glad those games are over. I knew with the teams we played there would be criticism. I feel like we, as a team, handled them as well as we could. Now, we just need to carry what we learned into the conference. ”
		— Cody Hodges on Texas Tech's schedule

After his early start, Leach favorably compares Hodges with any of his previous starters. And that's pretty good company considering that each member of that trio has notched one of the top six single-season passing yardage totals in NCAA history.

"Hodges is on the higher side of accuracy of all the guys I've worked with, for sure," Leach said.

Hodges also has another dimension to his game. Leach said that Hodges has provided a running threat that hasn't been present in some of his earlier quarterbacks. Hodges broke for a 17-yard touchdown run on a scramble in the first game.

"He told me it was a great run," Hodges said. "But he also said that next time, I might want to pass."

Saturday's game against the underrated Jayhawks will be a good first conference test for the Red Raiders. Kansas has one of the Big 12's stingiest defenses, keyed by an aggressive linebacking corps keyed by Nick Reid.

"I expect they are going to blitz me from the time I get off the bus," Hodges said. "We haven't seen many blitzes this season, and as a young quarterback I wouldn't be surprised. We'll be ready. But I'm sure if I was the defensive coordinator I would blitz us every time."

Big 12 Notebook
From Baylor's quest for a road conference win to the running back situation at Texas to Kansas preparing for the Texas Tech air show, the Big 12 is covered here. Story

The Jayhawks are coming off a bye week, but they had their strongest defensive performance in their most recent victory. Reserve linebacker Brandon Perkins, a one-time Texas Tech recruit, highlighted the Jayhawks' convincing 34-10 triumph over Louisiana Tech with a school-record five sacks.

Kansas' defense was projected to be its strength coming into the season. It finally played like it Saturday against the Bulldogs, producing four interceptions after only two takeaways in its first two games.

"The biggest thing I notice about them is they are real physical, and I thought last year they were one of the most physical fronts we faced the entire year," Leach said. "I think that's very similar to last year. They may be playing a little better this year defensively."

Kansas' quick start has come at a critical time for Mangino, whose job security might depend on a bowl berth this season.

The next four games will be crucial for the Jayhawks, who won't play a true home game for six weeks. Conference play begins with road trips to Texas Tech, Kansas State and Colorado sandwiched around a game against Oklahoma at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

If Kansas can sneak a couple of victories during that stretch, it could contend for the championship in the wide-open North division.

For a half last season, Kansas did as good a job as anyone, shackling Tech's defense. The Red Raiders spotted Kansas a 30-5 lead late in the first half before storming back for 26 unanswered points to claim a stunning 31-30 comeback victory in Lawrence.

Making the comeback even more remarkable, the game-winning touchdown came on Taurean Henderson's 70-yard run with 2 minutes and 37 seconds left.

"I think that game convinced us to never give up," said Tech cornerback Khalid Naziruddin. "That game gave us confidence that as long as we were playing, we had a chance. We learned a lot from that and it carried over the rest of the season."

The Jayhawks haven't forgotten it, either.

"We know that one got away," Kansas senior wide receiver Mark Simmons said. "It's not been brought up, but we know it's in the back of everybody's mind. But a lot of games got away though, so it's not just Texas Tech. It's the concept of finishing that we need to focus on."

Tim Griffin covers the Big 12 for the San Antonio Express-News.