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Texas and Big 12 Football Capsules: McCoy gets record, Texas wins Big 12 South 51-20
Comments 0 | Recommend 0AUSTIN — Colt McCoy fired the cannon. He banged the big drum.
Then he left the field to chants of "Colt for Heisman!"
There's still plenty of work to do for the quarterback of No. 3 Texas, but for this one last night in front of the home crowd, he was going to have some fun.
McCoy passed for 396 yards and four touchdowns, earning his NCAA record 43rd career victory as a starter in a 51-20 win over Kansas and embattled Jayhawks coach Mark Mangino that wrapped up the Longhorns' first Big 12 South title since 2005.
"I always love winning," McCoy said. "I'm just so thankful. It's really special."
McCoy, playing his final home game, improved to 43-7 in his career, breaking the record he shared with former Georgia quarterback David Greene (2001-2004).
Texas (11-0, 7-0) still have a Thanksgiving game at rival Texas A&M left to play before the Big 12 championship on Dec. 5 against Nebraska. Win those two, then it's off to Pasadena, Calif., for the BCS national championship game for McCoy and the 'Horns.
"It's been a long time coming," senior defensive end Sergio Kindle said. "There's been a lot of hard work put into getting where we are now. It's not over."
McCoy threw touchdown passes to Jordan Shipley and Malcolm Williams and two to James Kirkendoll.
Kansas (5-6, 1-6) dropped its sixth straight, adding to a miserable week and season for Mangino. University officials are investigating Mangino over allegations of emotional and verbal abuse of players, fueling speculation he may be fired.
The defeat only compounds Mangino's mounting troubles. The 2007 coach of the year is 50-47 in his eighth season. He could still lead the Jayhawks to a third straight bowl game for the first time in school history with a win over Missouri next week.
Mangino said he had no doubt he'll coach against the Tigers.
"I'm ready to go (against Missouri), but you asked the wrong person that question," Mangino said.
Asked about the turmoil of the last week, Mangino talked about Jayhawks player D.J. Marshall, who he said started chemotherapy for cancer.
"That's called a bad week. I've had a great week," Mangino said.
McCoy's big night and two more games to shine on national television could give his Heisman Trophy hopes a big late-season boost. He has 23 touchdown passes and just missed 400 yards passing for the second time in three games.
"I don't think we could have scripted it any better," coach Mack Brown said. "He is in here for a big finish and he was sending that message tonight."
Unlike other games when Texas was winning big and McCoy watched the fourth quarter from the sideline, he stayed in against Kansas until late to say a final goodbye to the home fans.
With about six minutes left, the Texas-record crowd of 101,357 chanted "Colt! Colt!" McCoy hugged Brown, saluted the fans and pointed at the sky before jogging into the huddle.
Texas then called a timeout and he and Shipley walked off the field together to a thunderous ovation. The roommates have connected for 28 touchdowns.
"They are probably one of the best combinations in college football history," Kirkendoll said.
After the game, most of the crowd stayed to watch as McCoy and Texas' other seniors high-fived fans in the front row. The players went to the corner of the end zone and fired the cannon used to punctuate Longhorns touchdowns. Then McCoy pounded three times on the "Big Bertha" bass drum before leaving the field.
"I've never hit the drum. I've never shot the cannon. It was pretty sweet," McCoy said. "That was the perfect time to do it."
McCoy was a redshirt freshman in 2005 when Vince Young led Texas to the Big 12 title and its first undisputed national championship in 36 years with a victory in the Rose Bowl. McCoy's first win came on Sept. 2, 2006, when he threw a 60-yard touchdown pass on the second throw of his career.
Back then, the Longhorns went to a no-huddle offense in part to keep him from getting intimidated by the seniors on the offensive line.
Texas still runs the no-huddle to keep up the pressure on defenses. Saturday night, McCoy's fifth pass was a 41-yard scoring strike to Kirkendoll when he lofted the ball behind two defenders as the receiver streaked down the sideline.
Kansas put up some of the best numbers of the season against the nation's top-rated defense. Jayhawks quarterback Todd Reesing passed for 256 yards. Dezmon Briscoe had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
But this was McCoy's night.
He connected with Shipley for a score right after he got popped hard on a scramble. The 68-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Williams came on the first play after Kansas had cut Texas' lead to 27-13.
McCoy did just about everything in this one. He rushed for 29 yards and even punted a pooch kick in the third quarter.
"It was definitely enjoyable," McCoy said. "A memorable one."
Aggies bowl eligible with 38-3 win over Baylor
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M freshman running back Christine Michael watched himself run on the giant video scoreboard at the south end of Kyle Field and measured the speed of the Baylor defender chasing him.
He tried to catch his breath and then finished the longest offensive play in school history.
Michael scored on a 97-yard run and the Aggies secured bowl eligibility with a 38-3 win over Baylor on Saturday. The big play followed a goal-line stand by the Aggies' defense early in the second quarter, and essentially sealed A&M's ninth straight win over the Bears at home.
"I got kind of winded," Michael said. "But I had to just keep going. I thought to myself, 'You might as well keep going. You ran this far.'"
A&M (6-5, 3-4 Big 12) rushed for a season-high 375 yards against the Big 12's worst run defense. Michael ran for 116 yards and Cyrus Gray ran for 107, the second time this season both backs have topped 100 yards in a game.
Representatives from the Texas and Independence Bowls attended the game. Second-year coach Mike Sherman said earning a postseason berth is an important milestone after a 4-8 mark in 2008.
"It's huge for us," said Sherman. "The just reward for a lot of hard work. I wanted this game so much for them."
Jerrod Johnson threw for 153 yards to set a single-season school record (2,875 yards). He threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to set an A&M record for touchdown responsibility (61).
The Aggies face archrival Texas on Thanksgiving Day, and now they can look forward to one more game in late December.
"We should never not be in a bowl game here, at this school," Johnson said. "Last year was real tough for us. To know you're going to be playing someone in the postseason, it's a great feeling to have."
Nick Florence completed 21-of-31 passes for 177 yards with two interceptions for the Bears (4-7, 1-6 Big 12), guaranteed a losing record for the 14th consecutive season.
Baylor's year was probably doomed when sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin went down with a knee injury in the third game, but second-year coach Art Briles isn't making excuses.
"I don't feel like we're building a program, I feel like we're fighting our tails off to make Baylor football respectable," Briles said. "To me, that's not building, that's what you're supposed to do."
The Bears' chances in this one ended when receiver Kendall Wright threw a pass to the end zone on a trick play and was intercepted at the goal line by A&M cornerback Terrence Frederick.
On second down, Michael burst through a hole and outran Baylor safety Jeremy Williams down the sideline for a 21-3 A&M lead. The previous longest rush in school history was D'Andre Hardeman's 95-yarder against Baylor in 1996. Randy McCown's 96-yard pass to Chris Taylor against Tulsa in 1999 had been A&M's longest play from scrimmage.
"I would have to say that was certainly a dagger," Sherman said.
The Bears threatened again late in the half, but A&M linebacker Kyle Mangan intercepted a Florence pass at the two with 24 seconds left.
The Aggies rushed for 287 yards in the first half after breaking several big runs.
"Compliments to the offensive line, we had a great game," senior center Kevin Matthews said. "We had great preparation, knew what was coming, knew what to expect."
Gray had gains of 17 and 42 yards on A&M's first series, and Johnson threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Brown less than four minutes into the game.
Baylor linebacker Logan Lanier blocked a punt later in the quarter, leading to Dary Stone's 31-yard field goal that cut A&M's lead to 7-3.
On A&M's ensuing possession, Gray had another 17-yard run and freshman receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu gained 35 yards on a reverse. Johnson finished the drive with a 1-yard sneak.
Randy Bullock's 48-yard field goal early in the third quarter stretched A&M's lead to 24-3. Later in the third, Johnson passed Reggie McNeal's 2004 record for pass yards (2,791).
Michael tacked on a 2-yard touchdown run in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Johnson threw a 7-yard TD pass to Ryan Tannehill with 6:55 left.
-- Chris Duncan
Texas Tech routs Oklahoma 41-13
LUBBOCK — Texas Tech's 41-13 win over Oklahoma on Saturday gave the Red Raiders a bright spot in a rough season. For the Sooners, it was a new low in their own disappointing run.
The teams met last year in a game with national championship implications. Oklahoma beat the undefeated Red Raiders 65-21 and went on to play for the BCS title. Texas Tech earned a measure of revenge Saturday with its most lopsided win ever over the Sooners.
"I am really at a loss for words," OU receiver Ryan Broyles said. "We really just got outplayed more than anything. It's been a long season."
Oklahoma (6-5, 4-3 Big 12) has its most losses since going 7-5 in 1999.
For Texas Tech (7-4, 4-3), the win means a 16th straight bowl, a record among Big 12 schools. But it hasn't been easy. The Red Raiders lost 52-30 to Texas A&M and had back-to-back losses to Texas and Houston in September.
There's also been controversy at quarterback. Coach Mike Leach has shuffled between his starter, Taylor Potts, and backup Steven Sheffield. Each has been hurt — Potts a concussion and Sheffield an injured left foot.
On Saturday, Potts played the entire game. He threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns.
"He's just really settled in and took the thing by the horns," Leach said. "I think he had a great week of preparation. Plus he had 'Nick' on his jersey."
The quarterback didn't have "Potts" on the back of his uniform. Instead, the name was a tribute to a former Kansas star linebacker admired by Leach, Nick Reid.
Leach claimed it was Potts' idea, a notion that surprised the quarterback.
"That didn't change anything," Potts said. "It was just a name on the back of the jersey."
The victory was No. 83 for Leach, surpassing predecessor Spike Dykes as the winningest coach at Texas Tech. He didn't see any revenge in the win, but defensive back Jamar Wall did.
"It was just sweet revenge, man," he said. "You couldn't ask for anything better."
Baron Batch ran for 136 yards and two scores for the Red Raiders.
It was just the fifth victory in 17 meetings for Texas Tech against the Sooners, and the Red Raiders had never won by more than 10 points in the series. Oklahoma hadn't lost this badly since falling to Texas 45-12 in 2005.
Texas Tech's Alex Torres had his best game of the season with 11 catches for 163 yards.
The Sooners' pass defense came in at No. 18 in the nation (178 yards per game) but couldn't hold back Texas Tech's passing offense, ranked second in the country.
"They just can't allow them to run the football the way they did and outside of that we never could get the stops," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "They executed and we didn't."
Brandon Sharpe helped keep the Oklahoma offense out of rhythm. He entered the game second in the nation in sacks and added 2 1/2 more Saturday.
Landry Jones was 18 of 35 for 262 yards for the Sooners.
With Texas Tech comfortably ahead at the start of the fourth quarter, Red Raiders fans and players began to hop up and down to House of Pain's "Jump Around," reciprocating what Sooners fans did at Memorial Stadium during last November's rout of the Red Raiders.
"It felt good to give them a little taste of what they did to us last year," cornerback LaRon Moore said.
The Sooners lost another lineman in the defeat. Oklahoma said center Ben Habern broke his left leg in the second quarter.
-- Betsy Blaney
No. 4 TCU moves to 11-0 for first time in 71 years
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Andy Dalton made a bet over the summer with his TCU teammates that he was hoping to lose. Win 10 straight and the junior quarterback vowed to shave his flame-red hair.
The Horned Frogs did and Dalton honored the pact, showing up last week with a pseudo Mohawk and "TCU" etched into the side. But all future bets regarding Dalton's locks are off.
That's probably wise given the way No. 4 TCU is playing. The Horned Frogs are off to their best start in 71 years after routing Wyoming 45-10 on Saturday.
The win keeps TCU (11-0, 7-0) in the thick of BCS contention and clinches at least a share of the Mountain West Conference crown. TCU last went 11-0 in 1938, capped off by a win over Carnegie Tech and a No. 1 final ranking in the AP poll. The Horned Frogs have not won a national title since, but they still have an outside chance this season.
All that stands in the way of the Frogs and a perfect regular season is a win over struggling New Mexico next week.
As for getting caught looking too far ahead — dreaming of a possible big-money BCS bowl game — defensive lineman Jerry Hughes said that's not possible.
"This team has done a great job blocking out all distractions," he said. "We're all focused on winning the next game. ... We've just got to take care of business now. When you start looking too far into the future, things start to get away from you."
That almost was the case Saturday — at least early.
TCU found itself tied at 10 after Wyoming's Chris Prosinski scooped up a fumble and raced 98 yards for a score midway through the second quarter. But the tie lasted all of 16 seconds as Greg McCoy returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a score.
Then, minutes later, Dalton found a hole in the Cowboys zone and hit Jeremy Kerley in stride, the receiver taking it from there as he sprinted 45 yards for a score and a 24-10 lead.
In a flash, the Frogs turned a potential scare into some breathing room.
This wasn't the most polished victory TCU has turned in this season, the team turning the ball over four times. But the Frogs broke open a tight game by scoring 35 unanswered points, and have now outscored opponents 278-63 over the last six contests.
"It looks like we lucked out again," said TCU coach Gary Patterson, tongue firmly in cheek. "We turned the ball over, but we did what we needed to do today. It could have been worse."
Patterson reminded his team all week to not let all the BCS scuttle distract them from the task at hand. Except for a sluggish start, the Frogs didn't.
"Today was getting ourselves ready," Patterson said. "This group has done a great job of taking the next ball game. That's why we are at where we're at right now."
Wyoming (5-6, 3-4) had just 178 yards of total offense and five first downs against a stingy TCU defense.
Austyn Carta-Samuels finished 4 of 10 for 83 yards and threw an interception. He eventually gave way to Robert Benjamin, who couldn't move the sputtering offense, either.
"There's no question that TCU deserves that No. 4 ranking," said Wyoming coach Dave Christensen, whose team remains a win from becoming bowl eligible. "They are an excellent football team and we knew all along that they have no weaknesses and are very strong in all areas. ... It was a tough game."
Matthew Tucker rushed for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns, while Joseph Turner also scored twice.
Turner was dinged up early in the game when two Wyoming players fell on him, but returned after halftime.
"I had to sit out a little bit and make sure I wasn't too dizzy," Turner admitted. "It was real hard to sit out."
Dalton had a solid day, leading an offense that gained more than 500 yards. He was 10 of 19 for 168 yards through the air, his only real blemish an interception deep in Wyoming territory in the first quarter.
He was even more effective with his feet. Wyoming left the middle of the field wide open, allowing Dalton to run quite a few quarterback keepers and finish with 88 yards.
Dalton then got to sit back and watch the action in the fourth quarter.
The quietly confident Dalton carved his name deeper into the TCU history books. His 28 wins are one shy of matching the school record that Slingin' Sammy Baugh set from 1934-36.
"It's pretty cool to be considered with a guy like that. He did an unbelievable job with this program," Dalton said.
As for the BCS talk, Dalton said he's tuning it out.
"It's all speculation who will go and then who should go," Dalton said. "Each team thinks they should have the shot. We can only focus on the game."
-- Pat Graham
Keenum has 5 TDs as Houston beats Memphis 55-14
HOUSTON — Houston needed a win to stay alive in the Conference USA race.
Case Keenum engineered it in record-setting fashion.
Keenum threw for 405 yards and five touchdowns in just more than two quarters as Houston beat Memphis 55-14 on Saturday. The quarterback also set a school record for career touchdown passes with 94, surpassing David Klingler's 91.
"We felt that we haven't played our best football game yet and honestly I'd say that we're still striving for that," Keenum said.
Keenum gave way to Cotton Turner after an 18-yard pass to L.J. Castile put Houston (9-2, 5-2) ahead 49-14 early in the third quarter.
It was an easy win for a team trying to get back on track after last week's surprising loss to Central Florida, which left the Cougars in second place in the West division. Houston must win next week against Rice and hope for at least one loss by SMU to make it to the conference championship game.
"We can't be worried about what everybody else is doing or what's going on," Houston coach Kevin Sumlin said. "If they feel pressure, they feel pressure.
"If we come out next week and play like we did (Saturday), then there will be some good stuff out there for us if we handle our business and worry about us."
Memphis (2-9, 1-6) was led by Curtis Steele, who had 160 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He has 1,007 yards rushing this year to become the second player in school history to reach the mark in more than one season.
Charles Sims ran for 90 yards and two scores and Chaz Rodriguez had 98 yards receiving and a touchdown for Houston.
The scoring didn't stop after Keenum and most of the starters went to the bench. Turner completed his first eight passes and made it 55-14 with an 18-yard toss to Fendi Onobun with about 6 minutes left in the third quarter. The Cougars missed the extra point.
"I thought that we came out and had some intensity from the beginning," Sumlin said. "I don't know if a coach is ever completely happy with a game, but our guys responded well coming off of last week."
The struggling Tigers, whose difficult season has already led to the dismissal of coach Tommy West, were overmatched from the start of this one.
Keenum's first scoring throw came on a 7-yard pass to Castile with almost 13 minutes left in the first quarter. The pass extended his streak with at least one touchdown throw to 27 straight games.
Sims' first score, a 13-yard run, made it 14-0 less than 3 minutes later, and his 5-yard touchdown run just before halftime made it 42-14.
Houston pushed the lead to 21-0 when Keenum found Tim Monroe for a 9-yard score later in the first quarter. That drive was kept alive when an interception by the Tigers was wiped out by defensive holding.
The Tigers didn't get a first down until there were about 5 minutes left in the first quarter, when they started direct snapping to Steele in a wildcat formation. Steele put Memphis on the board with a 2-yard run that made it 21-7 late in the first quarter.
"We wanted to continue to run the ball to try to keep their offense off the field because they have a high-powered offense that can score any time they want," Steele said. "We just weren't clicking on all cylinders."
Keenum broke Klingler's record for career touchdown passes when he hit Rodriguez for a 4-yard score early in the second quarter.
"It's definitely an honor with the quarterbacks that have played here," Keenum said. "We're definitely not finished yet. Anytime I get mentioned with those guys from the past that have blazed the trail ahead of us ... it's pretty cool."
His fourth TD pass came on a 57-yard pass to Patrick Edwards later in the second. It made up for what happened a few plays earlier, when Edwards was wide open but dropped what would have been a long reception.
Will Hudgens was 9 of 18 for 60 yards on a day where his receivers dropped numerous passes. The Tigers also used Arkelon Hall, who was 6 of 10 for 41 yards and an interception.
The Tigers had a chance for another score in the fourth quarter but Duke Calhoun was hit in the air in the end zone and lost the ball which was intercepted by the Cougars.
Steele said they will try to stay positive as they end the season next week at Tulsa.
"We can never give up," he said. "We just have to go into this game knowing that we can win. We've got to do whatever we can to finish with a win."
-- Kristie Rieken
Marshall outlasts SMU 34-31
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Brian Anderson threw two second-half touchdown passes to freshman Aaron Dobson to lead Marshall to a 34-31 win over SMU on Saturday, making the Thundering Herd bowl eligible for the first time under fifth-year coach Mark Snyder while damaging the Mustangs' title chances.
Martin Ward ran for 136 yards and a score and Terrell Edwards-Maye added 113 yards for Marshall (6-5, 4-3 Conference USA).
SMU (6-5, 5-2) fell into a first-place tie in the West Division with No. 24 Houston with one game remaining. Houston holds the tiebreaker after beating SMU 38-15 earlier this season. SMU hosts Tulane and Houston hosts Rice next Saturday.
SMU's Kyle Padron threw two TD passes but lost for the first time in four starts since taking over for the injured Bo Levi Mitchell.
Marshall players gave the embattled Snyder his first water-cooler bath as a head coach after the game. The Thundering Herd became bowl eligible on their third try after close losses in the two previous games to Central Florida and Southern Miss.
"We're excited to get to six," Snyder said. "We've got a little bit of confidence back. It's something we haven't done since we've been here. I don't think they're done yet. To put it in concrete, we've got to win another game."
Marshall, which finishes the regular season next Saturday at UTEP, needed career efforts from young players to make up for the absence of their top two playmakers.
Running back Darius Marshall, the nation's 11th-best rusher at 117 yards per game, hurt his left ankle a week ago in a loss to Southern Miss. Tight end Cody Slate ended his career after tearing a ligament in his right knee against Southern Miss.
Dobson caught four passes for 127 yards, including a 40-yard TD pass from Anderson midway through the third quarter. Craig Ratanamorn's 42-yard field goal with 8:55 left in the game put Marshall ahead 27-17.
Ward, a freshman, entered the game with 125 rushing yards for the entire season and doubled his output. His 2-yard scoring run in the first quarter was set up by Dobson's 48-yard catch.
Edwards-Maye, a sophomore, added an 8-yard scoring run. He and Ward became the first Marshall tandem in three seasons to surpass 100 rushing yards.
Marshall outgained SMU 475-331, including a 262-106 advantage on the ground.
"We gave them a reason to kind of get excited," said SMU coach June Jones. "We didn't tackle. We knew that was what they were going to do."
Padron threw a 43-yard scoring pass to Emmanuel Sanders in the third quarter and found Aldrick Robinson from 12 yards out with 5:33 left in the game to bring the Mustangs within 27-24.
SMU got the ball back at its 22 with 4:20 left, but Marshall's Omar Brown intercepted Padron at midfield. Anderson then hit Dobson with a 16-yard scoring pass with 2:01 left. Anderson finished 13 of 22 for 213 yards.
SMU's Zach Line scored on a 9-yard run with 40 seconds left, but Marshall recovered the ensuing onsides kick and ran out the clock.
-- John Raby
Army rallies past North Texas 17-13
DENTON — A little more zest was added to one of college football's most intense rivalries.
Quarterback Trent Steelman rushed for 132 yards and the winning touchdown with 1:43 left, and Army kept its postseason hopes alive by beating North Texas 17-13 Saturday.
To make a bowl for the first time since 1996, Army (5-6) must beat Navy in the 110th meeting between the service academies on Dec. 12.
The Black Knights have a tie-in with the EagleBank Bowl should they win six games. The Midshipmen have won seven straight in the storied rivalry.
"Army and Navy is always a big game," Army defensive end Marcus Hilton said. "But it will have more meaning this time. It's the difference between us going to a bowl or staying home for Christmas."
The Black Knights forced five turnovers and Hilton blocked a field goal attempt to set up Steelman's 2-yard run.
Army was down 13-10 when it turned the ball over on downs at its 36 with 5:29 left. North Texas could have gone ahead by two scores with a touchdown but had to settle for Jeremy Knott's 33-yard try.
After the block, Steelman broke down the left sideline for a 55-yard run, then scored the winning TD two plays later. Ty Shrader intercepted Riley Dodge with 1:31 remaining to clinch things.
"With the job our defense did all game, I knew we'd get the ball back and have a chance to win," Steelman said.
The Black Knights won consecutive games for the first time this season and have their most victories since going 10-2 in 1996.
"We will cherish this win," coach Rich Ellerson said. "But if we are to meet our ultimate goal, we must play better and more consistent."
Army's triple option offense had only 46 yards in the first half. The Black Knights broke loose with a 69-yard drive opening the second half and then a 62-yard winning drive.
"North Texas had a great game plan against the option," Steelman said. "We just wanted to grind it out and have a chance to win it at the end."
North Texas (2-9) lost its fifth game this season by a touchdown or less. Lance Dunbar had a 68-yard touchdown run and Dodge was 31 of 41 for 225 yards and three interceptions.
The Mean Green dropped at least nine games for the fifth straight season.
North Texas coach Todd Dodge said his team couldn't overcome all its miscues, including four turnovers in Army territory.
"We've had some gut-wrenching losses," Dodge said. "I am devastated for this team. These guys deserved to win."
After the sluggish first half, Army took a 10-7 lead on Patrick Mealy's 9-yard touchdown run with 7:55 left in the third quarter. Steelman pitched the ball to Mealy on the option just before he was about to be hit by Mean Green defensive back Darien Williams.
Dunbar gave the Mean Green a 13-10 lead with his long touchdown run. The sophomore had 132 yards rushing, his seventh 100-yard game of the season.
Before the game, Fort Hood's first responders and the 13 people who died in the Nov. 5 shootings were honored. A moment of silence was observed for those who were killed, and the first responders were recognized on the field before the game played 185 miles north of the Army post.
-- David Jimenez
Ross, Rice rally past Texas-El Paso 30-29
HOUSTON — Charles Ross rushed for three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, and Rice took advantage of six turnovers in a 30-29 come-from-behind victory over Texas-El Paso on Saturday.
The Owls (2-9, 2-5 Conference USA) rallied from deficits of 13-0, 20-10 and 29-17 to win their second straight after starting 0-9. Ross scored the winning TD with 7:45 remaining.
Donald Buckram led the Miners (3-8, 2-5) with 147 rushing yards and three touchdowns but fumbled twice in the closing minutes, including once on the goal line with 5:02 to go. The play resulted in a touchback. He fumbled again with 2:03 left and UTEP at the Rice 39.
Despite his turnovers, Buckram broke school record for yards in a season. He now has 1,569 yards. Fred Wendt set the previous record of 1,546 yards in 1946.
Tyler Smith ran for 127 yards and score for the Owls.
Buckram scored all of his touchdowns in the first half, but the Owls outscored the Miners 20-9 in the final 30 minutes.
UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe made it 29-17 with a 40-yard strike to Donavon Kemp early in the fourth quarter, but the Owls got within 29-24 on Ross' second score of the game — a 3-yard run — with 9:05 left.
After forcing another UTEP turnover, the Owls took their first and only lead of the game when Ross ran it in from 1 yard out for the game-winning score.
Vittatoe finished 17 of 26 for 244 yards.
Texas State rallies to top Sam Houston State 28-20
SAN MARCOS — Bradley George passed for 322 yards and three touchdowns to lead Texas State to a 28-20 victory against Sam Houston State on Saturday.
Bradley found receiver Da'Marcus Griggs for a pair of 13-yard scores in the second half, enabling the Bobcats (7-4, 5-2 Southland) to come back from a 20-14 deficit. Griggs caught 11 passes for 178 yards.
Blake Joseph was 24 of 36 for 240 yards and a touchdown for Sam Houston State (5-6, 3-4). Chris Poullard added 118 yards and a touchdown on 19 rushing attempts.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first half before Miguel Antonio kicked two field goals, one in the second quarter and another in the third, for the Bearkats.
Stephen F. Austin beats Northwestern St. 19-10
NATCHITOCHES, La. — Jeremy Moses threw two touchdown passes as Stephen F. Austin beat Northwestern State 19-10 on Saturday, clinching at least a share of the Southland Conference title.
Moses finished 34-for-47 with 333 yards and an interception for the Lumberjacks (9-2, 6-1). Cordell Roberson caught seven passes for 128 yards and a score.
The game was tied at 10 going into halftime, but the Lumberjacks scored nine unanswered points in the second half while holding the Demons (0-11, 0-7) scoreless to seal the win.
Evan Engwall, who kicked a 29-yard field goal in the first quarter, connected from 33 yards out to put the Lumberjacks ahead 13-10 early in the third quarter. Moses threw a 57-yard TD pass to Roberson early in the fourth to give the Lumberjacks their final margin after a blocked extra point.
Paul Harris threw for 261 yards and an interception for the Demons.
Big 12
Nebraska beats K-State 17-3, clinches Big 12 North
LINCOLN, Neb. — One month ago, in the wake of back-to-back home losses, Nebraska's season looked to be going south.
Now the Huskers will be happily heading south to the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, after Saturday night's 17-3 victory over Kansas State.
The Huskers (8-3, 5-2) clinched the North Division with their fourth straight win and will play South champion Texas on Dec. 5 for the conference title and a BCS bowl bid.
"We've steadily improved and we've hung together," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. "We were in a tough spot after the Iowa State game, and everybody wanted to write us off. There's too much character in the locker room."
Nebraska will go to the Big 12 title game for the first time since 2006 and fifth time in the league's 14 years. First, though, the Huskers travel to Colorado to finish the regular season Friday.
"There's not going to be any patting ourselves on the back," Pelini said. "That's for another time. We enjoy this win tonight and then get back to work."
Roy Helu Jr. ran 26 times for 95 yards and a touchdown and went over 1,000 yards for the season, and Zac Lee completed 13 of 19 passes for 166 yards and a score. Nebraska's defense did the rest, holding Kansas State scoreless after the game's opening series.
The Wildcats (6-6, 4-4), who would have won the North with a win, ended their season with losses in three of their last four games. Because two of their wins were against lower-division teams, they needed to beat Nebraska to become eligible for a bowl game.
"We made some mistakes that cost a very fine opportunity for our program, our players and our seniors," said K-State coach Bill Snyder, who came out of a three-year retirement to return to the Wildcats' sideline. "I was saddened that we couldn't deliver on that opportunity, but I was proud of our football team for putting themselves in the position they were in this evening."
Nebraska rebounded to win the division after losing two of its first three games in Big 12 play. Back-to-back home losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State started a stretch of four games in which the Huskers scored a total of four offensive touchdowns.
But the Huskers tweaked their offense, installing the power-I formation and using less of the spread. They also overcame a quarterback controversy that saw freshman Cody Green start two games before Lee regained control of the job two weeks ago.
"We're a true team. We're together, and we're with the process," Lee said. "We know what we have to do, and we don't care what it is as long as we win."
Helu, who has 1,057 yards despite missing lots of time because of a shoulder problem in October, gave the Huskers a two-touchdown lead early in the third quarter with his 14-yard run.
"We knew we couldn't let them hang around and be within one touchdown of us," center Jacob Hickman said. "We knew the best way was to come out after half and just score. We ran the ball a little, passed the ball a little and got it in there."
Big 12 rushing leader Daniel Thomas ran 19 times for 99 yards for Kansas State, and Grant Gregory was 11 of 31 for 126 yards. But the Wildcats failed to score a touchdown for the second straight game despite their offense spending most of the second half on Nebraska's side of the 50.
Three scoring opportunities were lost when Keithen Valentine fumbled at the Nebraska 1 and Josh Cherry missed field goals of 51 and 32 yards.
"In the Big 12 you have to score touchdowns to win games," said kick return phenom Brandon Banks, who was held mostly in check. "We left a lot of points on the field."
The Wildcats, trailing by two touchdowns, drove to the Nebraska 25 in the last 4 minutes, but Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner teamed up to sack Gregory and the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs when Gregory led Banks too much on a ball thrown toward the end zone.
The Huskers took over with 3:41 left and were able to run out the clock after Lee sneaked for a first down on fourth-and-1 from his own 36.
"We just went in there and said we're going to get this. We're going to end this game right here and go to Dallas," Hickman said.
Kansas State's only points came on the game's opening series, when Cherry kicked a 44-yard field goal.
Nebraska settled for Alex Henery's 34-yard field goal after Lee overthrew Mike McNeill in the corner of the end zone on the Huskers' opening possession.
Lee hooked up with McNeill the next time the Huskers had the ball to put Nebraska up 10-3. McNeill slipped open and snagged the high pass over the middle for a 17-yard touchdown.
"We're definitely happy with the situation we're in," Suh said. "We accomplished our main goal, getting to Dallas. But if we want to dominate the North, we have to go out to Colorado and take care of business."
-- Eric Olson
Missouri beats Iowa State 34-24
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Danario Alexander broke one of Jeremy Maclin's records with another big day. He expects the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver's year-old marks to fall before his huge senior season is done.
"I told him I want to get them all," Alexander said after helping Missouri end a three-game home losing streak in a 34-24 victory over Iowa State on Saturday. "I'm not sure if that'll happen, but I'll just try to play my best."
Alexander had 11 catches for 173 yards and a 63-yard score, surpassing single-season and career yardage records set by Maclin last season. In his last three games, Alexander has 34 catches for 578 yards and five touchdowns, reaching double digits in receptions all three games.
"You talk about a creature," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "Just athletically, compared to almost anybody, he just stands out. He's such a remarkable athlete."
Iowa State tried double- and triple-teaming Alexander, with no success. Coach Paul Rhoads compared Alexander to a Hall of Fame running back and 100-meter world record-holder Usain Bolt.
"He's got a little Jim Brown in him," Rhoads said. "You look at him on the field and you think he's done and not going to be able to play this play very fast, then he comes out of the blocks like the Olympic guy from Jamaica."
Alexander has 1,411 yards receiving, shattering Maclin's total of 1,260 as a sophomore last year before leaving for the NFL. He's 10 catches shy of Maclin's record of 102 receptions, and has 2,408 career yards receiving, passing Maclin for third on the school career list.
He unsuccessfully lobbied for a chance at a third straight 200-yard game, which would tie the NCAA record.
"I said, 'Coach, I need one catch and I'll get it,'" Alexander said. "But we got the victory, and that's all that counts."
Missouri (7-4, 3-4 Big 12) also got a breakout game from Jerrell Jackson, who had eight receptions for 142 yards and a 70-yard score. Jackson emerged after Jared Perry, second on the team with 46 receptions, was sidelined by a hairline fracture in his right leg last week.
"I just knew somebody had to step up," Jackson said. "They're expecting big things out of me."
Both of the big plays came in the third quarter for Missouri, which had been plagued by poor second halves in conference play before pulling away at Kansas State last week. Iowa State (6-6, 3-5) led 17-10 at halftime after Austen Arnaud's 38-yard pass to Darius Darks with 26 seconds left.
Jackson outran the coverage on his catch, which tied it at 17-17 early in the second half. About four minutes later, Alexander split defenders who appeared to have an angle on him and won a foot race.
Blaine Gabbert was 23 for 32 for 337 yards and two touchdowns and had 51 yards on 12 carries, helping fill the void after Derrick Washington sustained a concussion in the second quarter. De'Vion Moore's 1-yard run with 4 minutes 43 seconds to go gave Missouri a 10-point cushion before season-low attendance of 55,573.
Iowa State scored on a pair of trick plays, a 10-yard option pass by wide receiver Alexander Robinson to Jake Williams in the first quarter and a 12-yard run by 338-pound tackle Scott Haughton off a lateral pass from Arnaud in the third quarter to make it 24-24. A third trick play, a fake field goal with holder Derec Schmidgall trying to run for the first down, was stuffed for no gain in the second quarter.
The Cyclones allowed 539 yards, a season high for Missouri, one week after clamping down on Colorado for a 17-10 victory that made them bowl-eligible for the first time since 2005.
"We've been very good about not giving up big plays," Rhoads said. "In the second half, uncharacteristically, we go out and give up two large plays."
Missouri was 17-2 at home from 2006-08, and the three-game losing streak was the school's first since 2004. The Tigers haven't dropped more than three in a row at home since 1993-94 when they lost seven straight.
Darks had a season-best 107 yards on nine catches for Iowa State, but was held to 22 yards on five receptions in the second half.
-- R.B. Fallstrom
Missouri running back out with concussion
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Except for a mild headache, Derrick Washington felt fine after Missouri's victory over Iowa State in the home finale.
The only problem for the junior running back, sidelined by a concussion in the second quarter Saturday, is the first half was a blur.
"I just don't remember the first half at all. Nothing," Washington said after Missouri's 34-24 victory. "They told me I scored a touchdown and I don't remember that."
Washington had 62 yards on 11 carries, including a 4-yard run for the game's first touchdown. It was not clear when Washington was injured.
Don't ask Washington, who leads the Tigers with 692 yards, a 4.2-yard average and eight touchdowns.
"They told me I ran somebody over, I think that's when it happened," Washington said. "I honestly don't know what happened the whole first half."
Washington will undergo testing before getting cleared to play in the regular-season finale next Saturday against Kansas in Kansas City, Mo. Tigers coach Gary Pinkel was unaware of the severity of the concussion.
"If I flashed fingers in front of him, he could count them," Pinkel said. "So that's good right now. Hopefully, he'll be OK."
Washington believed he was in for a few more snaps after sustaining the concussion, which he said was his first. He had hazy recollections of his experience on the sideline, although he remembered telling backup De'Vion Moore to get ready "because I have no clue where I'm at or what's going on."
"It was weird, I thought I was dreaming, I really didn't know what was going on," Washington said. "It was a crazy feeling. I don't want to feel like that again."
Several players picked up the slack as Missouri totaled season highs of 202 yards on 50 carries, including 51 yards on 12 carries by quarterback Blaine Gabbert, both season bests. Moore had 51 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown and Kendial Lawrence had 29 yards on seven carries.
-- R.B. Fallstrom
Missouri's Alexander sets yardage record
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Danario Alexander broke Missouri's single-season record for yards receiving in the first quarter of Saturday's game against Iowa State.
Alexander needed 23 yards to surpass the mark of 1,260 yards set last year by Jeremy Maclin, who left for the NFL after his sophomore season. Alexander had four receptions for 37 yards in the first quarter, helping Missouri take a 10-7 lead in the home finale.
Alexander entered the game 21 receptions and two touchdowns shy of two more Maclin records, both also set last season.
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