Big Eight Roundup : Oklahoma, Holieway Stun Iowa State, 59-14

The 10th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners did not use one starting player older than a sophomore in their backfield Saturday, but you couldn’t tell by the scoreboard.

The Sooners rushed for 542 yards on their way to 643 yards in total offense as they crushed Iowa State, 59-14, at Norman, Okla.

“Our kiddie corps backs played great today,” Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer said. “They used their speed and made good plays. They put on the best offensive show we have had so far.”

The show-stoppers were the quarterbacks, a pair of freshman pressed into action after sophomore Troy Aikman broke his ankle last week. Jamelle Holieway of L.A. Banning started and led the Sooners to scores in five of their first six possessions. He was replaced in the third quarter by Eric Mitchel, who had 135 yards and 2 touchdowns in 15 carries.

“I was impressed with both quarterbacks,” said Switzer, who saw his team improve to 4-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big Eight. “Both give us the dimension of quickness and speed.

Iowa State fell to 3-4 on the year, 1-2 in the conference.

Iowa State linebacker Jeff Braswell, speaking of Holieway, said: “Freshman shouldn’t be a label on him. He’s a great quarterback. He’s the kind of player who can run the wishbone.”

Linebacker Dennis Gibson said the Cyclones had hoped to rattle Holieway “and we just couldn’t.”

“He played a hell of a game,” Gibson said. “ . . . He came in and took them up and down the field and ran the option very well.”

Oklahoma scored on three straight possessions in the second quarter to take a 31-7 halftime lead. Freshman tailback Anthony Stafford scored on the first play of the period when he took a Holieway’s pitchout 27 yards to the end zone.

Holieway, who had 76 yards rushing, later scored on a 17-yard run and also hooked up with split end Derrick Shepard on a 77-yard touchdown pass play.

Mitchel had touchdown runs of three and 20 yards.

Oklahoma fullback Leon Perry had 132 yards in 5 carries, including a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma St. 17, Kansas 10--Thurman Thomas hurdled across the goal line from one yard out with 1:05 left at Lawrence, Kan., to boost the 12th-ranked Cowboys past the Jayhawks.

Oklahoma State, frustrated most of the day, wasted no time after Mark Moore intercepted a pass and returned it 18 yards to the Kansas 45. From there, the Cowboys drove to the winning touchdown.

Thomas, the nation’s No. 3 rusher, picked up only 66 yards in 23 carries, but the Cowboys intercepted three of Mike Norseth’s passes and limited the Kansas quarterback to 16 of 31 pass completions for 197 yards. Norseth came into the game leading the Big Eight in passing, but was limited him to just one attempt in the entire first quarter.

The victory boosted Oklahoma State to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Eight, while Kansas dropped to 5-3 and 1-2.

Kansas State 20, Missouri 17--At Columbia, Mo., John Welch tossed fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Gerald Alphin and Todd Elder to rally the Wildcats to their first victory of the season.

Welch connected with Elder on a 10-yard scoring pass with 1:14 left. Mark Porter missed the extra point.

Earlier, Welch connected with Alphin on a 41-yard touchdown pass play and then hit Alphin for a two-point conversion to bring Kansas State (1-6) to 17-14.

Darrell Wallace, who set a Missouri record with 42 carries and finished with 224 yards, rushed for three-yard touchdown runs in the first and fourth quarters.

The Tigers (0-7) twice fumbled the ball away on the Kansas State goal line in the third quarter.