BIG EIGHT ROUNDUP : Colorado Shows Texas New Balancing Act

After passing for three times as many yards as it rushed for last season, No. 11-ranked Colorado took a major step toward offensive equality in Saturday night’s 36-14 victory over turnover-prone Texas at Boulder, Colo.

Colorado rushed for 270 yards and passed for 260.

Last season--its first as a one-back, pass-oriented team--Colorado set a Big Eight record with 3,271 yards passing.

“I think you can see we are going to be a better running team and that we also can continue to improve as a passing team,” Colorado Coach Bill McCartney said. “It’s real important that we have an aggressive, authoritative offense.”

Texas committed four of its six turnovers in Colorado territory, depriving the Longhorns of scoring opportunities, and the Buffaloes converted two of the miscues into touchdowns, one on a 21-yard interception return by Chris Hudson.

Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart passed for three first-half touchdowns in leading the Buffaloes to a 21-7 lead.

“If anyone plays us one-on-one, our receivers are going to catch the pass,” said Stewart, who completed 19 of 30 passes for 246 yards and no interceptions. “If we develop our running game, you can’t tell what will happen.”

Texas redshirt freshman Shea Morenz passed for 347 yards, but had four passes intercepted. Hudson had two interceptions, giving him 10 in 13 collegiate starts.

Texas had four turnovers in the first half and also gave up the ball on downs, setting up Colorado’s final score of the half.

The Buffaloes squandered a scoring opportunity barely two minutes into the game when reserve cornerback Maurice Henriques intercepted a pass by Morenz and returned it four yards to the Texas 25. But Colorado botched a handoff three plays later, and Texas recovered the fumble.

After the Longhorns’ second turnover of the half--a fumble at the Colorado 34--the Buffaloes drove 66 yards in six plays. Stewart connected with Charles Johnson on a streak pattern, beating cornerback Joey Ellis for a 35-yard scoring pass play with 4:22 left in the first quarter.

No. 21 Oklahoma 35, Texas Christian 3--Scoreless for a quarter and a half, the Sooners scored three touchdowns in six minutes at Ft. Worth, on two short runs by Jerald Moore and a 15-yard pass from Cale Gundy to flanker Corey Warren.

Oklahoma defensive back Rod Henderson ran 40 yards with an intercepted pass in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory before a crowd of 40,418, fourth-largest for a TCU home opener and the largest for a nonconference opener.

Gundy completed 16 of 24 passes for 246 yards with no interceptions.

Sophomore Max Knake of TCU completed 20 of 34 for 197 yards and had two passes intercepted.

Kansas State 34, New Mexico State 10--Fullback Rod Schiller rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown and Andre Coleman returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown to lead the Wildcats at Manhattan, Kan.

Kansas State has won seven consecutive home games, its longest such streak since 1917.

Coleman had a school-record 115 yards in punt returns. He is the first Kansas State player to return a punt for a touchdown since 1978.

The game marked the debut of Kansas State quarterback Chad May, a junior transfer from Cal State Fullerton who completed 17 of 30 passes for 228 yards. He also scored on a two-yard run during the third quarter.

New Mexico State scored on the last play of the first half when quarterback Cody Ledbetter scrambled for a 39-yard touchdown.

Kansas 46, Western Carolina 3--Kansas bounced back from its blowout loss against Florida State by routing its Division I-AA opponent at Lawrence, Kan.

Kansas quarterback Fred Thomas passed for one touchdown and ran for another, and Charles Henley rushed for two touchdowns.