Oklahoma Has What It Takes to Win

Clinging to a seven-point lead late, Oklahoma had one more big play in its arsenal.

Jason White threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton with 1:59 left, and top-ranked Oklahoma survived a scare to beat Colorado, 34-20, Saturday night at Boulder, Colo.

The Sooners, who improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference, built a 27-7 third-quarter lead before Colorado closed to 27-20 with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Facing a third and six from their 41-yard line with 2:13 left, White passed to Clayton along the left sideline, and the receiver cut back and outraced the Colorado secondary for the clinching score. It was White’s third touchdown pass of the game and the second time he hooked up with Clayton.

“Jason put it right there when he needed to, and Mark was sensational,” Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops said. “What a run, what a catch. What execution too. Our character was tested. Our toughness was tested. Our guys stood in there and made the plays that made a difference.”

White said the Sooners were “just looking to move the chains and get a first down, stay in bounds and keep the clock moving.

“The next thing I knew, Mark was in the end zone.”

Clayton was surprised to be so open in the left flat.

“I turned around and saw a lot of grass,” he said. “We needed a play. That was big.”

Joel Klatt had three touchdown passes for Colorado (3-5, 1-3), which entered the game with the worst scoring defense in the country (40.1) but played the Sooners tough.

“I don’t generally like moral victories,” Colorado Coach Gary Barnett said. “But at this point in time, we’ve got to accept this as one.”

Colorado had surrendered more than 40 points to each of its last five games, four of them losses.

Colorado, smothered by Oklahoma’s defense for most of the second and third quarters, pulled off a fake punt and a fake field goal on a 76-yard scoring drive early in the fourth.

No. 14 Nebraska 28, Iowa State 0 -- Josh Bullocks blocked a punt to set up a touchdown and returned another blocked punt for a score to lead the Cornhuskers (7-1, 3-1) over the Cyclones (2-6, 0-4) at Lincoln, Neb.

The victory avenged Nebraska’s 36-14 loss last year in Ames, Iowa, and assured the Cornhuskers of their 42nd winning season in 43 years.

Iowa State hadn’t been shut out in a school-record 138 games, since losing, 41-0, to Kansas in 1991. The Cyclones lost their sixth straight game and their 13th in a row in Lincoln.

The Huskers scored four touchdowns in the first 22 minutes and began substituting liberally early in the third quarter.

No. 18 Oklahoma State 38, Texas A&M; 10 -- Tatum Bell ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cowboys (7-1, 3-1) to an easy victory over the Aggies (3-5, 1-3) at College Station, Texas.

The Cowboys (7-1, 3-1 Big 12) tuned up for their showdown next week with No. 1 Oklahoma by winning their seventh consecutive game for the first time since 1997. Oklahoma State has upset the Sooners the last two seasons.

Bell, ranked fifth in the nation in rushing coming into the game, had touchdown runs of 40, one and 26 yards, giving him 1,081 rushing yards this season.

No. 19 Texas 56, Baylor 0 -- Vince Young ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Longhorns (6-2, 3-1) to a rout over the Bears (3-5, 1-3) at Waco, Texas.

Young and the Longhorns set the offense on cruise control from the start, rolling to a 35-0 halftime lead in the freshman’s second start at quarterback. It was Texas’ first shutout of the season and its second in a row over Baylor.

Baylor was an easy warmup for the coming month as Texas outgained Baylor, 477-260, despite not having starting tailback Cedric Benson. He didn’t make the 99-mile trip from Austin after being charged earlier in the week with misdemeanor criminal trespassing.

Missouri 62, Texas Tech 31 -- Missouri quarterback Brad Smith ran for 291 yards and a school-record five touchdowns to lead the Tigers (6-2, 2-2) over the Red Raiders (5-3, 2-2) at Columbia, Mo.

Smith’s yardage total is the second highest in school history and he needed only 19 carries to do it. He was elusive on both designed runs and scrambles, scoring on runs of 10, 27, two, 41 and 61 yards.

B.J. Symons, the nation’s leading passer, was intercepted on consecutive passes in the half, mistakes that led to 10 points. Symons ended up with four touchdown passes and completed 40 of 62 passes for 408 yards.

Kansas State 42, Kansas 6 -- Darren Sproles broke the school’s career rushing record and had a 63-yard touchdown punt return for the Wildcats (6-3, 2-2) in a romp over the Jayhawks (5-3, 2-2) at Manhattan, Kan.

Sproles finished with 98 yards in 19 carries, giving him 2,619 career yards and breaking the previous record of 2,537 by Eric Hickson in 1994-97.

The Wildcats’ 11-game winning streak over the Jayhawks is the longest in the 101-year history of the rivalry.