SPOTLIGHT / SATURDAY’S GAMES AT A GLANCE : BACKING UP HIS WORDS

Colorado’s Kordell Stewart, who set a school record with 409 passing yards in his debut last week against Colorado State, said: “We could have thrown for a lot more than 400 yards. I made a lot of mistakes--the whole offense did--mainly because of nervousness. This offense is made to throw for 500 yards if we need to.” No idle boast, apparently. He completed 16 of 17 passes, including a school-record 13 in a row, for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of a 57-38 victory over Baylor. A sprained left foot kept him out of the second half. His only incompletion came when he intentionally grounded the ball.

SOME SUSPENSION

Southern Methodist quarterback Mike Romo sat out the game against North Texas as part of a two-game NCAA suspension for selling textbooks last fall. About 50 athletes were involved in that scheme, and coaches have the right to select when the individuals will serve their suspensions. An opportune game for Romo to miss; he would not have played anyway because of a groin injury.

NOTEWORTHY

Oklahoma scored on every possession in the first half in a 61-0 victory over Arkansas State. . . . Oregon State beat Fresno State, 46-36, the most points the Beavers have scored since they scored 51 against Portland State in 1983. The Beavers rushed for 470 yards. It was the second time a Jerry Pettibone-coached team has rolled up big numbers against Coach Jim Sweeney’s Bulldogs. Pettibone’s Northern Illinois team rushed for 733 yards against Fresno State in a 73-18 victory two years ago.

The 57-38 loss to Colorado was the most points Baylor had given up at home in the 21 years that Grant Teaff has been the coach and matched the most ever allowed at Waco, Tex., when Texas beat Baylor, 57-0, in 1914. . . . Wally Richardson, only the second freshman to start at quarterback in the 27 years Joe Paterno has been coach at Penn State, completed 10 of 19 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown and ran for another in a 49-8 victory over Temple. . . . Northwestern, a 42-7 loser to Notre Dame in its opener despite gaining 408 yards, was held to 75 yards by Boston College in a 49-0 loss. The Wildcats’ deepest penetration was the Eagles’ 40-yard line in the first quarter. Northwestern quarterbacks were sacked eight times and completed two of 10 passes for 19 yards.

Dan Eichloff kicked a school-record 61-yard field goal and Kansas got its highest point total in 24 years in a 62-10 rout of Ball State. . . . Bill Walsh got his first victory since he returned to coaching after a three-year hiatus as a network analyst in Stanford’s 21-7 victory over Oregon. Stanford lost its Aug. 26 opener, 10-7, to Texas A&M; in the Pigskin Classic in Anaheim. Steve Stenstrom, who struggled against Texas A&M;, passed for a career-best 353 yards. . . . Florida’s Shane Matthews passed for four touchdowns in a 35-19 victory over Kentucky to give him 55 for his career, one behind Kerwin Bell’s Southeastern Conference record. . . . Daron Alcorn’s third field goal, from 56 yards with no time left, gave Akron a 23-20 victory over Toledo.

STREAKS

Washington, which beat Wisconsin, 27-10, won its 16th consecutive game. . . . Penn State’s 49-8 victory over Temple was its 18th in a row over the Owls. . . . Iowa beat Iowa State, 21-7, its 10th victory in a row over the Cyclones. . . . Colgate, a Division I-AA team, lost to Rutgers, 41-0, its ninth loss in a row to the Scarlet Knights. . . . Army overcame seven fumbles to defeat Division I-AA Holy Cross, 17-7, ending the nation’s longest winning streak at 20 games.

A LONG WAY FROM BYU

At the other end of the wild, wacky Western Athletic Conference spectrum from San Diego State’s 45-38 victory over Brigham Young on Thursday was Hawaii’s victory over Air Force on Saturday. The Rainbows out-field goaled the Falcons, 2-1, and came away 6-3 winners. Each team missed three field-goal attempts.

THE PITTS

Pittsburgh quarterback Alex Van Pelt grew up in the shadow of West Virginia’s Mountaineer Field and as a young fan used to pelt the Pitt players with paper cups and other debris when they ran toward the locker room. As it turned out, Van Pelt was recruited by Pitt but not by West Virginia. He began Saturday’s version of what has become known as “the Backyard Brawl” needing only 224 yards to replace Dan Marino as Pitt’s all-time passing leader. He completed 16 of 31 passes for 193 yards and two interceptions in Pitt’s 44-6 defeat.

THESE RAMS LOSE, TOO

Leads of 28-0 in the first quarter and 31-10 at halftime apparently aren’t enough for Colorado State. Division I-AA Idaho scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, including Mike Hollis’ 29-yard field goal with 46 seconds remaining, in the Vandals’ 37-34 victory over the Division I-A Rams.

IN QUOTES

Colorado State Coach Earle Bruce, on what he told his team after blowing a 28-0 lead and losing, 37-34, to Idaho: “The Lord’s prayer, God bless you, and let’s get out of here. We’ve got to get started for the next game.”

Middle Tennessee Coach Boots Donnelly, after a 48-7 loss to Nebraska: “We came out of the locker room a little shocked that we were only down 14-7. I don’t think our players are mature enough to understand that they have a lot of tradition here. Maybe it was complacency or maybe we’re just not very good.”

California Coach Keith Gilbertson, whose team fell behind Purdue, 38-3 at halftime and lost, 41-14: “I think having a look at our defense helped their offense. They were really the aggressor in the first half. We played about the worst half of football I’ve ever seen.”

Hawaii deep-snapper Deacon Hanson, expressing concern for those in Hawaii in the wake of Hurricane Iniki after a 6-3 victory over Air Force: “I really feel for them. We all have mixed emotions--the players and the coaches. . . . We just hope maybe this helped give the people back home some kind of a lift.”

Iowa State Coach Jim Walden, after the Cyclones lost to Iowa for the 10th consecutive time: “This is such an emotional game for our players . Our seniors feel rotten. It’s tough going through life without beating the teams you want to.”

A SPARTAN EXISTENCE

A year ago, Michigan State was ranked 18th before the season and opened against supposed patsy Central Michigan. The Chippewas surprised the Spartans, 20-3, and Michigan State never righted its ship, finishing 3-8. At the time, Central Michigan Coach Herb Deromedi said: “I wasn’t around in the 1900s, but I think it has got to be the biggest victory in our history.” It’s getting to be old hat now. Saturday, the Chippewas beat the Spartans, 24-20.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Ohio State had not played an in-state school since it beat Western Reserve, 76-0, in 1934 and had not lost to another Ohio college since falling to Oberlin, 7-6, in 1921. The Buckeyes got more than they bargained for against Bowling Green on Saturday before winning, 17-6. Bowling Green outgained the Buckeyes, 277 yards to 241.

BIGGER IN TEXAS

In Texas, where big is beautiful, there’s a move afoot to increase the capacity of Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas to more than 110,000 seats. The expansion would make it the largest athletic facility in the country. The stadium now seats about 78,000. If the plans are completed, the stadium would surpass Michigan Stadium at Ann Arbor, with a listed capacity of about 102,500.

NAPOLEON’S WATERLOO

Washington running back Napoleon Kaufman gave Husky fans a little less than they were looking for in a 27-10 victory over Wisconsin. Kaufman, who had runs of 70 and 63 yards in the opener at Arizona State, was held to 43 yards in seven carries and was ejected after being called for a personal foul in the third quarter. Referee Jay Stricherz said Kaufman punched a Wisconsin player.

“I guess I’m getting a little too emotional out there,” Kaufman said. “Everybody makes mistakes.” Kaufman, who was called for an end zone celebration penalty last week at Arizona State, was yelled at by Washington’s coaches, including Don James, as he came off the field.

“He’s just got to play the game,” James said. “You’ve got to walk away. This isn’t the streets.”

HE’S NO DUMMY

Ray Perkins might not make either the professional or college football hall of fame as a coach, but he knows a mismatch when he sees one. In his first season at Arkansas State, a former Division I-AA school that has moved up to Division I-A, Perkins tried to get out of Saturday’s game against Oklahoma, arranged before his arrival. He was overruled because of the financial guarantee. Arkansas State, which lost its opener, 49-0, to Toledo, only a .500 team last season, fell behind the Sooners, 40-0, by halftime and lost, 61-0.