Kansas-Nebraska act is hard to top

By Peter Yoon

Nov. 4, 2007 12 AM PT

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Times Staff Writer

The big topic of conversation in college football Saturday was a score: Kansas 76, Nebraska 39.

Did it come about because Nebraska is that bad, or because Kansas is that good?

Nebraska (4-6) has lost five consecutive games for the first time since 1958. The Cornhuskers have given up 40 or more points six times and Coach Bill Callahan, already on the hot seat, is certain to be fired at the end of the season after his team Saturday set a record for defense -- bad defense -- by giving up more points in a game than any other Nebraska team.

Kansas, on the other hand, is 9-0 for the first time since 1908. The Jayhawks have scored 50 or more points five times and are on a short list of undefeated teams with Ohio State and Hawaii.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you I thought we were going to be where we are now,” Kansas Coach Mark Mangino said.

Callahan could say the same about the Cornhuskers, who were No. 14 in the nation after two weeks, but can now make a case for worst defense in the nation.

“We need to help the players get through this because this is a tough time for us,” Callahan said.

Tough is an understatement. The Kansas basketball team that made it to the Elite Eight last season failed to score 76 points in 17 of its 38 games.

How is this for a trend? The last four Big 12 Conference player-of-the-week awards went to opponents of Nebraska. Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who had six touchdown passes, is in line to become the fifth.

“It was obviously one of those games you’re never going to forget,” Reesing said. “Any time you can score over 70 points on a great team like Nebraska, it’s unbelievable. We’re ecstatic.”

Horning in

Texas scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and defeated Oklahoma State, 38-35, after trailing by 21 points at the end of three periods -- the second consecutive week they’ve scored 20 or more in the fourth quarter for a comeback victory.

“I wish we could play like that in the beginning, I promise,” quarterback Colt McCoy said. “I hate that it has to come down like that.”

Comebacks against Oklahoma State are nothing new for Texas.

In 2003, Oklahoma State led, 16-7, in the first quarter but Texas won, 55-16. In Austin in 2004, Oklahoma State sprinted to a 35-7 first-half lead before Texas roared back for a 56-35 win. In 2005 the Longhorns trailed, 28-9, in the first half in Stillwater, but rallied to win, 47-28.

Cutting it close

Not to be outdone, Virginia set an NCAA record by defeating Wake Forest, 17-16 -- its fifth victory by two points or fewer.

It was the third one-point victory in four games for Virginia (8-2), which won when Wake Forest missed a 47-yard field goal with two seconds to play.

“For some reason, we click at the end,” tight end Tom Santi said. “We’ve got the confidence that we’ve done it before, so when we get in those situations, nobody’s panicked.”

Columbia, in 1971, had the previous record of four victories by two points or fewer.

Frank Field

Arkansas named its field after outgoing athletic director and former football coach Frank Broyles at halftime of its game against South Carolina.

Broyles, who coached the Razorbacks from 1957 to 1976, is retiring at the end of the year, his 50th with the school.

At halftime, the Arkansas band spelled out “Coach,” then lined up in its traditional “A” at the north end zone. Broyles walked out and was joined near midfield by dozens of well wishers. Among the former players on hand was Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

After a brief video tribute, a curtain was pulled aside above the south end zone, revealing the words “Frank Broyles Field.”

Going deep

Texas Tech junior Graham Harrell on Saturday eclipsed the 4,000-yard passing mark for the second consecutive season, becoming only the fifth major-college player with multiple 4,000-yard seasons.

Ty Detmer of Brigham Young and Timmy Chang of Hawaii each had three 4,000-yard seasons. Byron Leftwich had two at Marshall, and Hawaii senior Colt Brennan has had two 4,000-yard seasons and is working on a third, with 2,820 yards through eight games.

Record breakers

Linebacker Dan Connor had 11 tackles for Penn State, giving him a school career-record 379 to eclipse the mark of 372 set last year by Paul Posluszny, now with the Buffalo Bills.

“Linebacker U. This is where you go if you want to play middle linebacker out of high school,” Connor said. “To have this record, it is a great feeling.”

Other records set Saturday:

Chase Clement of Rice threw for six touchdowns and ran for two more in a 56-48 victory over Texas-El Paso, setting a Conference USA record by accounting for eight touchdowns and school records for passing touchdowns and total yards (498). . . . Ohio State won its 20th consecutive Big Ten Conference game, moving out of a record tie with Michigan. . . . Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson finished with a school-record 486 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 38-35 loss to Texas. . . . Yale’s Mike McLeod rushed for 185 yards, bringing his season total to 1,462 and his career total to 3,515 -- both school records -- in a 17-7 victory over Brown that pushed the Bulldogs to 8-0 for the first time since 1981.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Begin text of infobox

Creamed corn

When No. 9 Kansas thumped Nebraska, 76-39, Saturday, the Jayhawks broke or tied the following records (* -- Record was also tied in 1961, 1991 and 1996):

Team records

76 Points scored against Nebraska in a game. Previous record: 70 by Texas Tech in 2004.

48 Points scored against Nebraska in a first half. Previous record: 42 by Colorado in 2001.

115 Combined points in a game involving Kansas. Previous record: 97 vs. Colorado in 2003

34 First downs in a game.

Previous record: 34 vs. Washington (Mo.), 1923.

Individual records

6 Touchdown passes, Todd Reesing.

Previous record: 5 by Ralph Miller in 1938.

203 Return yards, Marcus Herford.

Prev. record: 195 by Greg Heaggans, 2002.

4 Rushing touchdowns, Brandon McAnderson.