Running wild
West sets Missouri rushing record in rout of Colorado
Posted: Saturday November 07, 1998 06:16 PM
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On the run: Moschetti threw for 230 yards for the Buffaloes, but he was under constant pressure from the Missouri defense AP |
COLUMBIA, Missouri (AP) -- Devin West made history, breaking school
records that had stood for decades.
"All I know is he's the best that's ever played here," coach
Larry Smith said after West ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns
in No. 18 Missouri's 38-14 victory over Colorado on Saturday. "I
think he's as good as there is in the whole country."
Entering the game, West needed 57 yards to eclipse the mark of
school single-season record of 1,312 yards set by Joe Moore in
1969. He did it with 6:33 to go in the first quarter.
West scored on 1-yard runs in the second and fourth quarters,
then tacked on a 12-yard score with 1:13 to go, giving him 17
touchdowns to break the 1942 record by Bob Steuber.
He wasn't impressed with either mark.
"It doesn't seem like anything to me right now," West said.
"We've still got two more games to play. I'll think about that
after the season."
Missouri also got a big game from quarterback Corby Jones,
finally healthy from a sprained left big toe suffered October 3. Jones
ran for 108 yards on 19 carries and was 10-for-18 for 147 yards and
a touchdown.
"I sure hope Corby was 100 percent," Colorado linebacker Ty
Gregorak said. "Corby's a phenomenal athlete, and he killed us
today."
The four games after he was injured, Jones had minus-9, 6, 0 and
38 yards rushing.
"This is how I want to play," Jones said. "I'm playing like I
used to."
Before winning 41-31 last year, Missouri (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) had
lost 12 in a row to Colorado (6-3, 3-3). This time it led 24-0
after West's first touchdown with 8:55 to go in the second quarter.
Posey (5) returned an interception 61 yards for a score -- his second touchdown return of the season AP | |
"We got our butts kicked," Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said.
Missouri scored 17 points in the first quarter. One of the early
touchdowns was a 61-yard interception return by Carlos Posey,
giving Missouri four straight games with a defensive touchdown.
Posey was untouched on his second touchdown of the season after
picking off an underthrown ball from Mike Moschetti with 9:56 to go
to make it 14-0. He also scored on a fumble recovery against Ohio
State.
Moschetti was 21-for-33 for 230 yards and two touchdown passes
for Colorado, which has lost three of four. Ben Kelly set a school
record for career kick return yardage.
West benefited on the option from Jones' mobility. Jones lost
two fumbles, but had scrambles of 32 and 18 yards on the decisive
drive early in the fourth quarter capped by West's second touchdown
to make it 31-14.
Jones, who had only 54 yards in the air last week, had 53 on two
completions to Kent Layman in the opening 89-yard drive that was
capped by a 3-yard pass off a play-action fake to Brandon Ford.
Six of his completions went for 20 yards or more as Missouri
made an effort to open its attack.
"It feels good to get some bigger chunks and change up what
we're doing," said Layman, who had four catches for 87 yards.
"We're keeping teams guessing."
Moschetti hit Robert Toler on a 9-yard pass with 4:46 left in
the first half to get the Buffaloes on the board. Colorado
capitalized on Corby Jones' fumble near midfield as Moschetti hit
Darren Chiaverini on an 11-yard pass with 8:39 left in the third to
cut the gap to 24-14.
Jones fumbled again on the next Missouri possession, giving
Colorado the ball at the Tigers 39. But Damion Barton was stopped
just short on a fourth-and-1 play at the 30 to turn it over.
"I gave him the ball. I carried out my fake. I looked back and
he didn't have it," Moschetti said. "We get that first down, and
who knows?"
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