The Week

MIDWEST

While Michigan bettors may have felt their Wolverines scored too little, Oklahoma had a Lott in gaining Big Eight revenge over Kansas 28-10. The Jayhawks, who were the last team to beat the sixth-ranked Sooners, led 10-3 at halftime before Oklahoma parlayed Kansas mistakes with the performance of quarterback Thomas Lott for its fifth victory.

Lott started in place of the ill Dean Bleving and completed none of four passes he threw. Two, in fact, went for interceptions, but Lott rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries and scored on 13-and-33-yard runs to earn the game ball from Coach Barry Switzer.

Kansas was utterly demoralized with nine minutes to play in the third quarter when Nolan Cromwell, the Jayhawks' superb wishbone quarterback, went out with a knee injury. Cromwell underwent surgery on Sunday and is lost for the rest of the season.

Lott's 13-yard scoring run, which followed a Kansas fumble on the first play of the second half, tied the score, and shortly after Scott McMichael, Cromwell's replacement, threw an interception to Safety Scott Hill, Lott put the Sooners ahead to stay with his 33-yard ramble. Oklahoma also capitalized on another interception and another fumble for 10 more points.

Missouri, inevitably an upset victim when it isn't perpetrating upsets, fell victim to Iowa State 21-17 before a Homecoming crowd of 66,491, Faurot Field's largest of the season. The Tigers were done in by the rushing of sophomore Tailback Dexter Green, who picked up 214 yards on 37 carries and scored twice in the first half on runs of 65 and two yards. Missouri mistakes also hurt, especially the clipping call that nullified a 77-yard touchdown punt return by Leo Lewis. The infraction occurred with 4:26 left in the game. Iowa State improved its record to 5-1 while the seventh-ranked Tigers fell to 4-2.

"We've had some real squeakers that were nerve-racking, so it was time," said Nebraska's Tom Osborne of the Cornhuskers' 51-0 rout of Kansas State. Nebraska again got a glittering performance from Quarterback Vince Ferragamo, who threw four touchdown passes for the second time this season.

Colorado wrote a freakish finish to its showdown with Oklahoma State, scoring two touchdowns in the last 43 seconds to win 20-10. Going for a score on fourth and 11 on the Cowboy 18-yard line, reserve Quarterback Jeff Knapple lofted a pass to Billy Waddy in the end zone. The ball was tipped, and OSU Safety Jerry Cramer intercepted. Instead of downing the ball, however, he tried to run it out, was hit by Split End Steve Gaunty, fumbled and Waddy recovered for the Buffs at the Cowboy one-yard line. Controversy then arose when Knapple fumbled the snap and OSU Cornerback Milt Kirven picked it up and took off. The officials, however, ruled that the ball was dead before Kirven recovered it. On the next play Fullback Jim Kelleher cracked over for his second touchdown and a 13-10 Colorado lead. OSU Quarterback Charlie Weatherbie tried to catch up with passes, but after two fell incomplete, his third was intercepted by Tackle Frank Patrick who returned 25 yards for another touchdown.

After Ohio State's 30-20 victory over Wisconsin, Woody Hayes was sweetness and light at his postgame press conference. For a while, that is. Then a student reporter asked Hayes. "What do you say to the critics who claim that this Ohio State team isn't as good as those of the past?" Woody told him.

In other Big Ten action, Minnesota improved its record to 5-1 by holding off a late Michigan State rally for a 14-10 triumph, Illinois ended a three-game losing streak by beating Purdue 21-17 in the last minute and Indiana evened its record at 3-3 with a 14-7 victory over Iowa.