Section B · Page 5
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, November 22, 1999
College Football
'Cats rebound from loss, rout Missouri 66-0
The Associated Press
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Mark Simoneau didn't want to go to the locker room. He wanted to stay in front of the home crowd as long as possible.
So, for a full 10 minutes after No. 9 Kansas State's 66-0 rout of Missouri on Saturday, a victory that kept the Wildcats' slim Big 12 Conference title game hopes alive, the senior linebacker made his way around KSU Stadium — hugging and slapping
hands with some fans.
Stadium -- hugging and slapping hands with some fans.
"It was awesome."
Simoneau said.
"There's really no way to describe it. It was just a really special time."
The Wildcats (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) couldn't have written a more dominating finish to their regular season or a more dishheartening one to Missouri's.
Jonathan Beasley threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, all before the midpoint of the second quarter.
Cornerback Dyshod Carter scored twice. Frank Murphy ran for two touchdowns, his first scores since K-State's 35-17 Oct. 2 victory against Texas. Adrian Beard recovered a blocked punt for the Wildcats' final score.
K-State still could win the North Division if Colorado upsets Nebraska Friday.
Missouri (4-7, 1-7) committed six turnovers and was shut out for the third time in five games.
"This is probably the worst game that I have ever been associated with," Coach Larry Smith said. "We've just got to pick up the pieces. We all lost — coaches and players. I am the head coach and I take full responsibility."
The Wildcats scored on their first five possessions — plus one of Missouri's — and led 35-0 after one quarter and 42-0 at the half. Their 35 first-quarter points set a school record for a period, breaking the record of 34 set last year in the second quarter against Northern Illinois.
K. State tied a school record with its fourth nine-touchdown game. Jamie Rheem hit all nine of his extra point tries, tying Martin Gramatica's single-game record against Indiana State in 1998.
TCU back breaks two records
Division I rushing mark had been set by Sands of Kansas
The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Texas — LaDainian Tomlinson may be running into contention for next year's Heisman Trophy.
Tomlinson broke the NCAA Division I A rushing record, gained 406 yards and scored six touchdowns Saturday in TCU's 52-94 victory over Texas-El Paso.
Tomlinson carried 43 times and broke the record held by Tony Sands of Kansas, who rushed for 396 yards on 58 carries against Missouri on Nov. 23, 1991. The junior and first-year starter also set a single-season rushing record for the Horned Frogs with one game to play.
"All the credit goes to the offensive line," Tomlinson said. "They've done a great job of creating holes all season."
Touchdown runs of 70 and 63 yards on consecutive carries in the fourth quarter got Tomlinson close to the record. So
even with a 45-24 lead, TCU (6-4, 4-2 Western Athletic Conference) sent him back out for its final drive of the game, and he broke the 400-yard barrier with a 7-yard carry.
"If he's so close to something like that, you've got to let him finish it off," said TCU coach Dennis Franchione. "We just wanted to get him his 20 vards."
Tomlinson broke Kenneth Davis' 15 year-old single-season record when he burst through the line and
outran two defensive bat for the 70-yard touch down. Davis rushed for 1,611 yards in 1984, and Tomlinson now has 1,725.
On his next carry, the first play after a UTEP punt. Tomlinson broke
through the left side, raced 63 yards down the sideline, and cut back toward the middle to avoid being tackled inside the 10. That gave him the single-game school record and moved him within 13 vards of 400.
By beating UTEP (5-7, 3-4), TCU became bowl-eligible and moved within a victory over SMU next week of sharing the WAC
After rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, Tomlinson doubled his efforts. He had 287 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the second half, and touched the ball on 29 of 37 plays before he left the game with the Horned Frogs at the 3.
title.
"After three turnovers, I was a little punchy about what to call in the second half," Franchione said. "The smart thing to do was to give the ball to No. 5."
On the opening possession of the second half, Tomlinson had all seven carries on a 71-yard touchdown drive that put TCU ahead to stay. He got the final 27 yards when he took a pitch left, escaped several tacklers at the line and broke into the open.
After a UTEP punt, Tomlinson was involved in nine of 10 plays on a 58-yard drive, getting the final yard when he spun off the back of the offensive line and sprinted to the outside.
TCU went 76 yards on its next drive, Tomlinson with carries of 1 and 5 yards before breaking the 70-yarder.
"Tomlinson's runs were unbelievable, UTEP coach Charlie Bailey said. "There was nobody near him."
AP TOP 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 20, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
Rank team rec pts pvs
1. Florida St. (66) 11-0 1,746 1
2. Virginia Tech (4) 10-0 1,681 2
3. Nebraska 9-1 1,607 4
4. Wisconsin 9-2 1,474 5
5. Florida 9-2 1,380 3
6. Tennessee 8-2 1,339 7
7. Texas 9-2 1,326 6
8. Alabama 9-2 1,303 8
9. Kansas State 10-1 1,253 9
10. Michigan 9-2 1,125 10
11. Michigan St. 9-2 1,071 15
12. Marshall 10-0 1,021 11
13. Minnesota 8-3 826 17
14. Southern Miss. 8-3 642 18
15. Penn St. 9-3 616 13
16. Georgia 7-3 591 21
17. Arkansas 7-3 583 22
18. Mississippi St. 7-2 576 12
19. Purdue 7-4 452 19
20. Georgia Tech 7-3 415 14
21. East Carolina 9-2 382 23
22. Boston College 8-2 379 25
23. Mississippi 7-3 266 16
24. Texas A&M 7-3 225 24
25. Louisiana Tech 8-2 131 —
Seminole win makes Sugar Bowl bid likely
Other receiving votes: Standard 105, BY47, 87, Oregon 41, Illinois 38,
Washington 29, Hawaii 6, Cleveland 4, Georgia 4, Ohiohawk 2, Winstonshire 2, West Virginia 2.
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE. Fla. — When the final pass fell incomplete in the end zone, and No. 1 Florida State had locked up yet another chance at a national title, the Seminoles raced to midfield for their rendition of the Swamp Stomp.
"If you can win in here In The Swamp," Florida State's Peter Warrick said, "that's the best way to prove you can win a national championship. We are a great team."
Warrick ran for one touchdown and set up the clinching score with a 38-yard catch, and Sebastian Janikowski kicked three field goals as the Seminoles beat No. 3 Florida 30-23 Saturday before a record crowd at Florida Field.
"Every time Florida and Florida play, it puts someone in the national championship game." Bowden said. "We're just happy we're there."
The win all but clinched a spot for coach Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles (11-0) in the Sugar Bowl, the site of the Bowl Championship Series' national title game on Jan. 4.
The Gators play in the SEC title game on Dec. 4, and a win will send them to either the Orange or Fiesta bowls as the league champion.
Since then, the Seminoles missed two other chances to win it all, losing to Florida in the '97 Sugar Bowl, and dropping a 23-16 decision to Tennessee in the '99 Fiesta Bowl.
Chris Weinke, who missed last year's games against Florida and Tennessee with a neck injury, was 24 of 36 for 263 yards and a touchdown — a 27-yarder to Marvin Minnis with 6:03 left that put the Seminoles ahead 30-16.
The Gators came back, though, with Doug
Johnson throwing a three-yard touchdown pass to Haugabrook to trim the lead to seven points with 3:33 left. But the Seminoles recovered an on-side kick and then held off the Gators' last gasp.
Warrick, who heard chants of "Dillard's," in reference to his shopping mall scam, had a strong game. The wide receiver caught nine passes for 90 yards and ran for 19 yards, including a four-yard touchdown to give FSU a 7-0 first-quarter lead.
Florida needed 71 seconds to take its only lead of the game. First Chandler kicked his third field goal, a 22-yarder, to cut the margin to 13-9. The Seminoles took charge and on third down, and with Florida's defense still setting up, Weinke took the snap and tried to hit Minnis for a big gainer.
Florida State led 13-6 at the half. After scoring on their open drive, the Seminoles moved to the Gators 4 the next two times they had the ball but settled for Janikowski field goals.
But cornerback Bennie Alexander intercepted the pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown, putting the Gators ahead 16-13 with 7:39 left in the third period.
After his successful 49-yarder was wiped out by a delay-of-game penalty, Janikowski kicked a 54-yarder to tie the score at 16.
Then came Florida State's big break linebacker Tommy Polley blocked a Florida punt. Six plays later, Jeff Chaney scored from two yards out with 34 seconds left in the third quarter and the Seminoles had the lead for good. 23-16.
Florida nearly tied the score, moving to the Seminoles 8, but after a holding penalty moved the ball back 10 yards, Johnson's third down pass was intercepted at the 2 by free safety Chris Hope. A few plays later, Weinke found Minnis in the right corner of the end zone, and the Seminoles had the win that surely puts them in their second straight national title game.