Sunday, November 16, 2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Joe Ganz accounted for 365 total yards and four touchdowns and Nebraska manhandled Kansas State for the second straight year, rolling over the Wildcats 56-28 on Saturday.
Nebraska (7-4, 4-3 Big 12) routed Kansas State 73-31 last season, setting school records with 519 yards and seven touchdowns passing.
The Cornhuskers did it with a balanced attack this time, punishing the Wildcats (4-7, 1-6) at the line of scrimmage for 340 yards and four touchdowns rushing. They complemented it with Ganz’s arm to finish with 610 total yards.
Nebraska established the running game early. Roy Helu Jr. scored on runs of 1 and 24 yards, and Quentin Castille had a 37-yarder on a fourth-and-1 late in the first quarter.
That set up Ganz, who had 270 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-25 passing after his first attempt of the game was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. He also had 95 yards rushing on 11 carries, scoring on runs of 25 and 14 yards in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska’s defense wasn’t bad, either.
The Cornhuskers finally earned the coveted Blackshirts in practice this week and responded by harassing Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman from the opening snap and completely squashing the Wildcats’ running game.
Oregon 55, Arizona 45
EUGENE, Ore. — Jeremiah Masoli threw for a career-high 298 yards and accounted for five Oregon touchdowns. Masoli rushed for three touchdowns and threw for two more, all in the first half. The Ducks (8-3, 6-2 Pac-10 Conference) then withstood Arizona’s second-half rally from a 48-17 deficit.
No. 4 Texas 35, Kansas 7
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Colt McCoy burned the Big 12’s worst pass defense for 255 yards and two record-breaking touchdowns and No. 4 Texas stayed in the thick of the national championship hunt.