Simms Gives Texas Five

Chris Simms passed for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth as No. 7 Texas recovered from a frustrating start to beat Missouri, 35-16, Saturday at Columbia, Mo.

Simms has thrown 12 touchdown passes with one interception the last three weeks.

“My receivers have me confident that I can go to them when times get tough or when we need a big play,” Simms said.

Cedric Benson had 157 yards in 31 carries, his third 100-yard game in succession. Texas, 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12 Conference, put together several lengthy drives, scoring after 10, 13 and 11 plays, after coming up empty on an 18-play march at the start of the game.

Texas controlled the ball for 39:22.

“After a while, the defense gets tired of being on the field,” Simms said. “Their defensive line isn’t oversized or anything, and I think our line was a lot for them to handle.”

Texas has won 13 of its last 15 and has a six-game winning streak on the road. The Longhorns’ defense, giving up 13 points a game, held its fifth consecutive opponent to fewer than 300 yards.

Zack Abron had 109 yards rushing in 13 carries and a touchdown for Missouri (3-4, 2-3), which has lost 42 in a row to top 10 teams since 1980. Abron has three consecutive 100-yard games and four overall for the Tigers, who were outgained, 421-244.

Being competitive wasn’t nearly enough for Coach Gary Pinkel.

“We walk in this locker room and people are cheering, ‘Great job, Missouri,”’ Pinkel said. “I hate that. That’s how losers think.”

Simms was 24 for 30 for 229 yards, with scoring passes to B.J. Johnson, Brock Edwards, Roy Williams and Brett Robin, and scored on a one-yard sneak. As the game concluded, Texas players were discussing scores involving other top 10 teams.

Texas’ only loss is to No. 2 Oklahoma.

“We lost to the hottest team in the nation,” Simms said. “We’re one of the best teams in the country, I think.”

No. 25 Colorado 22, Oklahoma St. 19--Bobby Pesavento threw a 21-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and followed it with a 33-yard two-point conversion pass for Colorado (6-2, 4-1) at Stillwater, Okla.

Pesavento played the final 37 minutes in place of Craig Ochs, who left with an apparent foot injury, and directed two second-half scoring drives.

Oklahoma State (2-6, 0-5) lost its fourth in succession.

Texas A&M; 24, Iowa State 21--Freshman Derek Farmer ran 65 yards for a touchdown with 5:08 to play for Texas A&M; at College Station, Texas.

Trailing, 17-7, in the fourth quarter, Iowa State (5-2, 3-2) rallied after DeAndre Phillips’ 19-yard interception return to the A&M; 41 set up a 20-yard touchdown pass from Seneca Wallace to Craig Campbell with 6:57 remaining. But then Farmer produced the clinching touchdown for the Aggies (7-1, 4-1).

Kansas St. 40, Kansas 6--Josh Scobey ran for 204 yards and scored two touchdowns at Manhattan, Kan., as Kansas State won its ninth in a row against their in-state rival.

Marc Dunn, getting his second start at quarterback, ran for a touchdown and passed for another score as the Wildcats (3-4, 1-4) ended a four-game losing streak.

Scobey carried 28 times in the fourth-best rushing effort in school history. He had a mixture of straight-ahead runs, wide sweeps and well-timed pitches from Dunn. It was the best rushing total for Kansas State since Mike Lawrence set the school record with 252 yards against Iowa State in 1996.

Kansas (2-5, 1-4) managed two field goals.

Texas Tech 63, Baylor 19--Ricky Williams ran for 153 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in 19 carries, and had a game-high nine receptions for 46 yards for Texas Tech (4-3, 2-3) at Waco, Texas.

The Bears (2-5, 0-5) have lost 26 consecutive Big 12 games.