Ricks’ Kick Saves the Day for Cowboys

Was No. 22 Oklahoma State looking ahead to its showdown with No. 2 Oklahoma?

That appeared to be the case in the first half of Saturday’s game against Missouri, as the No. 22 Cowboys trailed, 17-0.

But Oklahoma State put on a furious rally, capped by Jason Ricks’ 28-yard field goal with 28 seconds left, and defeated the Tigers, 20-17, at Columbia, Mo.

“There was never any time that I [believed] that this team was not going to have the resolve to come back,” Oklahoma State Coach Les Miles said.

The Cowboys (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) drove 78 yards to set up the winning kick. The drive was kept alive when Donovan Woods connected with his brother, D’Juan Woods, for a 27-yard gain on a third-and-four play from the Oklahoma State 42

Missouri (4-3, 2-2) lost its second in a row and saw its nine-game home winning streak end.

“Obviously, this is a very difficult loss,” Tiger Coach Gary Pinkel said.

“The second half we couldn’t get the momentum back, and we just did not execute either side of the ball very well.”

Vernand Morency ran for 173 in 31 carries for the Cowboys, who lost last season to the Sooners, 52-9. Oklahoma State won in 2002, 38-28, and in 2001, 16-13. The teams play Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.

No. 2 Oklahoma 41, Kansas 10 -- Jason White threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns at Norman, Okla., as the Sooners brushed aside the Jayhawks.

White threw touchdown passes of 69, 61, 41 and eight yards, and Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0) held Kansas (3-4, 1-3) to 256 yards. White’s eight-yard scoring pass came with 35 seconds left. Earlier in the week, Sooner Coach Bob Stoops, whose team was No. 3 in the first bowl championship series rankings, said he might have to try to run up scores to impress poll voters.

Adrian Peterson tied Emmitt Smith and Marshall Faulk as the freshmen to gain 1,000 yards the fastest. He finished with 126 yards in 22 carries -- all but 23 coming in the fourth quarter. Peterson has 1,027 yards.

No. 8 Texas 51, Texas Tech 21 -- Quarterback Vince Young ran for four touchdowns and passed for another as the Longhorns routed the Red Raiders at Lubbock, Texas.

Young had 158 yards in 25 carries, scoring on runs of two, two, one and 11 yards as the Longhorns ran in 71 of their 86 plays.

Cedric Benson, the nation’s rushing leader, had 168 yards in 38 carries and one touchdown for Texas (6-1, 3-1).

Sonny Cumbie completed 34 of 51 passes for 403 yards and a touchdown for the Red Raiders (4-3, 3-2).

Kansas State 45, Nebraska 21 -- Backup quarterback Allen Webb rushed for 147 yards and scored four times at Manhattan, Kan., leading the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3) to their third consecutive victory over the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska (4-3, 2-2) remains winless in Big 12 road games under first-year Coach Bill Callahan.

Iowa State 26, Baylor 25 -- Stevie Hicks scored on a five-yard run with 41 seconds left at Waco, Texas, as the Cyclones (3-4, 1-3) ended their 13-game conference losing streak. Baylor is 2-5, 0-4.

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Thousand-Yard Flair

Texas tailback Cedric Benson became the sixth player in Division I-A to run for more than 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons:

*--* Player School Seasons Cedric Benson Texas 2001-2004 Avon Cobourne West Virginia 1999-2002 Ron Dayne Wisconsin 1996-1999 Denvis Manns New Mexico St. 1995-1998 Amos Lawrence North Carolina 1977-1980 Tony Dorsett Pittsburgh 1973-1976

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