The Week

If Allen played like Superman, Darrin Nelson of Stanford performed like Captain Marvel. Nelson rushed for 154 yards, caught 10 passes for 136 yards and scored four touchdowns at Washington. "He's a great AstroTurf runner," Cardinal Coach Paul Wiggin said. Nelson's appraisal: "It's like everybody else is playing on glass and I'm on grass." Despite Nelson's Shazam! efforts, though, the Huskies were 42-31 winners. They scored four TDs in just 3:09 in the third period to go on top 42-7. Another Allen—Washington's Anthony—scored on a 71-yard punt return during that outburst. And another Nelson—Chuck—set up a Husky six-pointer with a 49-yard run on a fake field goal play. It was thus to no avail that Stanford's John Elway completed 27 of 51 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns. All of which left Washington tied with idle Arizona State for first in the Pac-10, half a game ahead of USC, Washington State and UCLA. The Bruins won 28-11 at Oregon as freshman Tailback Danny Andrews ran for three touchdowns. Four TDs by Running Back Carl Montgomery carried California past Oregon State 45-3.

Utah remained half a game in front in the Western AC race by beating San Diego State 17-14. Gilbert Alvarez of the Utes, who apparently had missed a 39-yard field goal with 2:00 left, got another chance because his team was called for delaying the game. Alvarez made good on his 44-yard second try. Hawaii knocked off visiting Nevada-Las Vegas 57-21 in a shootout in which the Rainbow Warriors topped the Rebels in total-offense yardage 568 to 466.

Brigham Young's defense, which has been shaky in recent weeks, finally buckled down against New Mexico. The Lobos had just 94 yards in total offense, blew a 7-0 first-quarter lead and lost 31-7. Jim McMahon was on target with 23 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars. That gave him an NCAA-record 72 career TD throws.

Ali Kincaid, the 9-year-old daughter of Wyoming Coach Al Kincaid, wrapped her arms around her father's legs during a post-game press conference and asked him. "What does a blitz mean?" Winless Colorado State knew, all right, its quarterbacks having been sacked 12 times by the blitzing Cowboys, who won 55-21.

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]