BIG EIGHT ROUNDUP : Nebraska Holds Off Cowboys

Gerry Gdowski ran for a career-high 125 yards and threw for 170 Saturday as fourth-ranked Nebraska defeated Big Eight rival Oklahoma State for the 16th consecutive time, 48-23, at Stillwater, Okla.

Gdowski scored one touchdown and threw two touchdown passes to split end Jon Bostick in compiling a career-high 295 yards of total offense. I-back Ken Clark rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns as Nebraska improved to 7-0 overall, 3-0 in the conference. Oklahoma State is 2-5 and 1-2.

Oklahoma State trailed 20-16 early in the third quarter after Cary Blanchard kicked his third field goal, a 38-yarder. The Cowboys then held Nebraska and were driving again when Mike Gundy’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by safety Reggie Cooper.

Gundy became the Big Eight’s career total-offense leader during the game, but midway through the third quarter he fumbled after being blind-sided by cornerback Bruce Pickens, who recovered at the Cowboys’ 27. Gdowski then ran for 26 yards and scored from the one to give the Cornhuskers a 27-16 lead.

Nebraska moved 62 yards in four plays on its next possession, which ended when Gdowski threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Bostick.

A 45-yard punt return by Tyrone Hughes gave Nebraska the ball at the Cowboys’ 25 on its next possession. Gdowski threw a 20-yard pass to Bostick to make it 41-16.

Gundy had 172 yards of offense, giving him 6,559 for his four-year career. That surpasses the record of 6,459 set by Phil Bradley of Missouri from 1977-80.

Oklahoma State’s Curtis Mayfield caught six passes for a school-record 208 yards.

Oklahoma 43, Iowa State 40--The Sooners’ Eric Bross returned an on-side kick 42 yards for a touchdown to end the Cyclones’ upset bid at Ames, Iowa.

Bross’ run put the No. 25 Sooners ahead, 43-34, with 1:54 to play.

Iowa State quarterback Bret Oberg, who set a school record with 411 yards passing, then directed a six-play, 76-yard scoring drive, capped by a 46-yard touchdown pass to John Glotfelty. A two-point conversion attempt failed.

Oberg, who broke the record of 346 yards set by David Archer against Nebraska in 1983, had cut the deficit to 36-34 with 1:57 to play with a five-yard touchdown pass to Glotfelty.

Iowa State (3-4 and 1-2) had 609 yards in total offense, the most ever against an Oklahoma team; the Sooners (5-2 and 3-0) had 313.

“Defensively, it was the worst performance we have had since I’ve been at Oklahoma,” Sooner Coach Gary Gibbs said. “If we play like that next week, we’ll get beat by 100 points by Colorado.”

Missouri 21, Kansas State 9--Michael Jones ran 67 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to stop a Wildcat rally as the Tigers ended a five-game losing streak at Manhattan, Kan.

Ted LePage returned an interception 64 yards, and Kent Kiefer threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Byron Chamberlain for Missouri (2-5 and 1-2). Kansas State is 1-6 and 0-3.