The Week

SOUTHWEST

"I've been learning to play the piano," Arkansas Coach Lou Holtz said early in the week. "It's obvious from the way the team is playing that I should've been studying game films." Holtz clearly tended to his duties in preparing the Razorbacks to face TCU. Result: the Arkansas offense, which had been playing at a larghetto pace, struck up an allegro beat in a 44-7 defeat of Texas Christian. "We tried to be a power team out of the I and we can't be," Holtz explained. "So we mixed in the option plays with traps and finesse." The Razorbacks amassed 610 yards in total offense and got four touchdown runs from Darryl Bowles.

Texas A&M, which had suffered deflating defeats at the hands of Georgia and Penn State, also made some offensive changes and, like Arkansas, built a 31-0 lead. The catalyst was Quarterback David Beal, a senior making his first start. Beal passed for 129 yards and scored on runs of 20, nine, 25 and 32 yards during a 41-21 drubbing of Texas Tech. Strong Safety Leandrew Brown also excelled, stealing three passes and recovering a fumble.

Texas continued to roll, taking a 35-7 lead over Rice and coasting to a 41-28 victory. Not even five turnovers and 134 yards in penalties could halt the Longhorns, who got a team-record 306 yards passing and 84 yards rushing from Donnie Little.

Jay Jeffrey of Baylor was another versatile quarterback; he passed for 146 yards and ran for 85 more. Helping Jeffrey out during a 24-12 defeat of Houston was Linebacker Doak Field, who deflected a Cougar field-goal try, intercepted a pass, pounced on a fumble and took part in 17 tackles.

TEXAS (4-0) ARKANSAS (3-1) SMU (4-0)

MIDWEST

Since Warren Powers became the Missouri coach in 1977, the Tigers have had the seven largest crowds in their history. Alas, they've lost on each occasion. Last week, before the latest record-breaking crowd, of 75,298, the Tigers seemed poised to end their jinx. But ninth-ranked Mizzou, which led 21-16 at halftime, lost to Penn State 29-21. Herb Menhardt put the Nittany Lions ahead 22-21 with two field goals following interceptions by Defensive Back Paul Lankford. And a 43-yard scoring gallop by Penn State's Todd Black-ledge sent the big crowd home discouraged.

Colorado lost to Oklahoma by the staggering score of 82-42. A passel of NCAA marks were established in the game: 875 yards in total offense and 758 yards rushing by the Sooners, most points by both teams in a game (124) and most touchdowns by both teams (18). Oklahoma's David Overstreet rambled for 258 yards on 18 carries, Sooner George (Buster) Rhymes scored four TDs, and Jerome Ledbetter of OU returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Darrell Shepard, a backup quarterback for the Sooners, carried only three times and scored on runs of 64 and 89 yards. The Buffalo diehards took some solace from a 100-yard kickoff return by Walter Stanley that cut Oklahoma's advantage to 14-7. Apr�s Stanley le d�luge.

Another Rocky Mountain team lost by an even wider margin, Colorado State going down 69-0 at Iowa State. The Cyclones, the Big Eight's only team without a setback, ran for a school-record 449 yards.