BIG EIGHT ROUNDUP : Kansas State Is Tough in 10-0 Loss to Colorado

After beating Kansas State the previous six years by an average of 45-5, Colorado found itself in a real battle Saturday, beating the Wildcats, 10-0, at Manhattan, Kan.

The 16th-ranked Buffaloes used three first-half turnovers to frustrate a series of Wildcat scoring threats.

“Kansas State’s an improved football team,” Colorado Coach Bill McCartney said. “If they don’t turn the ball over, it could have been a different game. They might have beaten us.”

Lamont Warren’s seven-yard touchdown run and Jim Harper’s 29-yard field goal made the difference as Kansas State made a second straight bid to beat a ranked opponent for the first time in 10 years.

Colorado, 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the Big Eight, was outplayed by the 21-point underdogs in the first half but needed to drive only 13 yards for its touchdown after recovering a fumble.

Kansas State (4-3, 1-2) became only the third team in three years to hold the defending national champions to 10 or fewer points.

“In a nutshell, we couldn’t score when we had the opportunities to score,” said Bill Snyder, Kansas State’s third-year coach. “In the time I’ve been here, this was the finest defensive performance we’ve had.”

Colorado, which beat the Wildcats, 64-3, last year, won its 18th consecutive conference game.

It was Kansas State’s second strong bid to beat a ranked opponent, losing, 38-31, to No. 9 Nebraska the week before.

In the first half against Colorado, the Wildcats had first downs on the Colorado 24, 17, 36, 16 and 17. But they had two passes intercepted, missed two field goals and were forced to punt.

No. 9 Nebraska 63, Missouri 6--Keithen McCant passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in the first half as the Cornhuskers trounced the Tigers at Lincoln, Neb.

McCant’s 124 yards rushing and 144 on nine of 13 passes marked the second consecutive game in which he has run and passed for more than 100 yards. He ran for 100 and passed for 107 last week against Kansas State.

Derek Brown went over 100 yards for the seventh consecutive game, getting 118 in 18 carries and scoring twice.

Missouri (3-3-1, 1-2) scored first on Jeff Jacke’s 42-yard field goal, and Jacke added a 47-yarder in the second quarter.

From there, Nebraska (6-1, 3-0) took over. McCant hit Jon Bostick on a 27-yard touchdown pass and ran 36 yards for another score about four minutes later. Brown’s five-yard scoring run gave Nebraska (5-1, 3-0) a 21-3 lead late in the first quarter.

McCant passed seven yards to tight end Johnny Mitchell and 21 yards to split end Tyrone Hughes for touchdowns to go with a five-yard run by reserve running back Calvin Jones, and Nebraska had a 42-6 lead at halftime.

Iowa State 6, Oklahoma State 6--Ty Stewart and Rick Myers each kicked two field goals as the Cyclones and Cowboys played to a tie in a battle for the Big Eight cellar.

Stewart’s 31-yard field goal with 5:41 left got Iowa State (2-4-1, 0-2-1) even and kept Oklahoma State (0-6-1, 0-2-1) winless. Myers was just short on a 52-yard attempt that would have broken the tie with 1:16 remaining.

The Cowboys reached the Iowa State 25 but were pushed back when Kenny Ford was called for intentional grounding.