The Big Eight : Norseth Sets Records in Kansas Rout; No. 8 Oklahoma State Has a Close Call

Mike Norseth set Big Eight passing and total offense records Saturday by accounting for 509 yards and four touchdowns while leading Kansas to a 42-16 rout of Vanderbilt.

Norseth completed 24 of 38 passes for 480 yards and added another 29 yards on 10 rushes.

He broke the conference records of 439 yards passing and 411 yards in total offense set by Kansas State’s Lynn Dickey against Missouri in 1969.

Richard Estell caught nine passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Willie Vaughn caught six for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Tailback Mike Rogers added 96 yards in 19 carries as Kansas (2-0) finished with 651 total yards.

Vanderbilt (1-1) lost quarterback Mark Wracher with a torn hamstring in the third quarter after he completed 15 of 28 passes for 212 yards.

Norseth opened the scoring with a 65-yard pass to Vaughn down the right sideline with 1:42 left in the first quarter and then came back with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Vaughn with 11:48 left in the half. The second touchdown was set up by a 57-yard pass to Estell.

After Vanderbilt’s Everett Crawford fumbled at the Kansas 36, the Jayhawks drove 69 yards in nine plays for a 21-0 lead on Arnold Fields’ seven-yard run.

Vanderbilt cut the lead to 21-7 with 3:27 left in the half on Crawford’s three-yard run to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive highlighted by passes of 26 and 23 yards to Gerald Mitchell.

Kansas came back to score in just two plays as Norseth threw 49 yards to Estell and Ron Caldwell turned a screen pass into a 29-yard touchdown.

Norseth threw 15 yards to Estell in the third quarter for his fourth touchdown. The Jayhawks got their final score on a one-yard run by Fields after a Kevin Harkless interception at the Vanderbilt 24.

The Commodores got a five-yard touchdown run by Kenny Weatherspoon and a 51-yard field goal by Alan Herline in the second half.

Oklahoma State 10, North Texas State 9--Thurman Thomas rushed for 191 yards in 40 carries and the game’s only touchdown at Stillwater, Okla.

The eighth-ranked Cowboys turned the ball over five times--four in the second half--but survived on defense.

In the second half, North Texas State took over at Oklahoma State’s 24-, 18- and 49-yard lines and scored only once.

North Texas State managed 216 total yards and three field goals by Todd Smith.

Northern Iowa 10, Kansas State 6--Sophomore halfback Carl Boyd rushed for 111 yards, including a four-yard touchdown, and Mike Angell kicked a 33-yard field goal as the Division I-AA Panthers upset the Wildcats at Manhattan, Kan.

The Panthers (1-1) held the Wildcats scoreless until Greg Strahm’s one-yard touchdown run with 3:52 remaining in the third period. The Wildcats (0-2) were upset last week by Wichita State, 16-10.

The Manhattan Mercury reported in today’s editions that Kansas State Coach Jim Dickey has been asked to resign.

Athletic Director Larry Travis would neither confirm nor deny the report, the newspaper said.

Dickey, in his eighth season at Kansas State, is in the last year of his contract.

Quarterback Mike Smith completed 16 of 28 passes for 165 yards as Northern Iowa rolled up 345 yards in total offense and limited Kansas State to 184 yards. Northern Iowa also had 23 first downs, compared to just nine for the Wildcats.

Iowa State 10, Utah State 3--Alex Espinoza threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Jackson five minutes into the third period as the Cyclones struggled past the Aggies at Ames, Iowa.

Utah State (1-1) took a 3-0 lead on Dene Garner’s 47-yard field goal with 7:22 left in the first quarter.

Iowa State tied it in the final minute of the first half when Rick Frank kicked a 23-yard field goal. Lester Williams’ pass interception at the Aggie 32 set up Frank’s score.