BIG EIGHT ROUNDUP : Stewart, Salaam Help Listless Colorado Win, 17-3

The No. 7 Colorado Buffaloes, knocked out of their No. 2 ranking last week in a loss to Nebraska, were flat again Saturday, but managed to defeat Oklahoma State, 17-3, at Boulder, Colo.

“We’re emotionally spent,” Coach Bill McCartney said. “The season has been a demanding, hard-working season, and we haven’t had the luxury of taking any break in the action.

“We weren’t at our best last week, and we weren’t at our best today.”

Colorado, 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big Eight, was barely good enough to beat the Cowboys (3-5-1, 0-4-1).

Kordell Stewart scored one touchdown and passed for another and Rashaan Salaam rushed for 174 yards.

Oklahoma State led, 3-0, early in the first quarter on a 24-yard field goal by Lawson Vaughn, but a few minutes later, when Stewart stepped back to pass, he noticed the entire right side of the field was vacant, tucked the ball away and ran 27 yards for a touchdown.

The touchdown was set up by Steve Rosga’s interception of Tone’ Jones’ pass on the Colorado 45. Rosga returned it to the Oklahoma State 30 and three plays later Stewart scored.

Stewart ended a 96-yard drive in the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown pass to Phil Savoy.

Salaam, who was leading the nation in rushing (173.7 yards per game), was held in check by the Cowboys in the first half with 65 yards. Among his 109 yards in the second half was a 49-yard run in the third quarter to the Oklahoma State 18 that led to a 29-yard field goal by Neil Voskeritchian.

No. 15 Kansas State 38, Iowa State 20--Chad May’s four touchdown passes in this Big Eight game at Manhattan, Kan., gave him the Kansas State career record and the Wildcats rolled to the victory in Iowa State’s first game since Coach Jim Walden announced he was quitting at the end of the year.

May’s 30 touchdown passes in less than two full seasons surpassed the record of 29 set in 1968-70 by Lynn Dickey. His four scoring passes tied the single-game mark. Two went to Tyson Schwieger, who leads the Big Eight with seven touchdown catches.

Now 15-4-1 as Kansas State’s starter, May has also rushed for eight touchdowns. The victory keeps Kansas State (6-2, 3-2) in position for a top bowl bid. Iowa State (0-8-1, 0-4-1) must now beat Colorado or Nebraska to avoid its first winless season since 1934.

May completed 26 of 36 passes for 312 yards before going to the bench with 11:47 to play and Kansas State leading, 38-0.

Oklahoma 30, Missouri 13--Darrius Johnson returned a punt 87 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to break open the game at Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma (5-4, 3-2) didn’t have great success on the ground against the league’s second-worst rushing defense, gaining 181 yards on 3.9 yards per carry. Garrick McGee helped offset that by completing 15 of 22 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.

For Missouri (3-6, 2-3), freshman Brock Olivo ran for a career-best 107 yards in 23 carries and his two-yard touchdown run two minutes into the fourth quarter made the score 24-13.