BIG EIGHT ROUNDUP : No. 2 Colorado a Step Closer to Orange Bowl

Tailback J.J. Flannigan ran for 143 yards in 23 carries, and Darian Hagan scored two touchdowns and threw for another as second-ranked Colorado beat Oklahoma State, 41-17, Saturday at Stillwater, Okla.

The Buffaloes are 10-0 for the first time ever and 6-0 in the Big Eight. All they need is a victory or tie next week at Kansas State to win their first outright conference championship since 1961 and a trip to the Orange Bowl for a possible national championship showdown.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” said Colorado Coach Bill McCartney, whose team scored 41 consecutive points after falling behind, 10-0. “For the time being, you’ve got to count us as one of the fine teams in college football. We’re going to Miami, but we’re going through Manhattan (Kan.).”

Colorado came alive after Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Curtis Mayfield combined on a 53-yard touchdown pass play to start the second quarter.

But on their four second-quarter possessions, the Buffaloes scored three touchdowns and a field goal while compiling 214 yards. The defense held Oklahoma State to 11 yards in 12 plays after the touchdown pass.

Hagan completed five of 14 passes for 118 yards, all in the second quarter.

Gundy completed 13 of 22 passes for 194 yards for Oklahoma State (4-6 and 3-3).

Gerald Hudson was the Cowboys’ leading rusher with 45 yards in 16 carries.

Nebraska 51, Kansas 14--Ken Clark rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns and Gerry Gdowski threw three touchdown passes to lead the sixth-ranked Cornhuskers at Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska is 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big Eight. The Huskers gave Coach Tom Osborne his 17th consecutive season of nine or more victories. Kansas dropped to 3-7 and 1-5.

Gdowski threw touchdown passes of 11 and 45 yards to Richard Bell to go over the 1,000-yard passing mark for the year.

Gdowski has 1,101 passing yards and 903 rushing this season. His 75 yards rushing Saturday brought him closer to becoming the sixth player in NCAA history to rush and pass for more than 1,000 yards each in a season.

Clark has 1,105 rushing yards for the season and 2,946 for his career, leaving him second on the school charts behind 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier’s 4,780 yards.

Iowa State 35, Missouri 21--Blaise Bryant ran for three touchdowns and Bret Oberg passed for two more as the Cyclones rallied from a 21-0, first-quarter deficit at Columbia, Mo.

Iowa State is 5-5 and 3-3; Missouri is 2-8 and 1-5.

Bryant has 17 touchdowns this season, a Cyclone record.

Oklahoma 42, Kansas State 19--Freshman Dewell Brewer, starting in place of the suspended Ike Lewis, rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns for the Sooners at Norman, Okla.

Steve Collins threw for 137 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 135 yards as the Sooners (7-3 and 5-1) beat the Wildcats (1-9 and 0-6) for the 19th consecutive time.