University of Missouri
#10 Kansas State
Tigers Drop Decision to No. 10 Kansas State
11/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov 23, 2002
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Darren Sproles ran for 116 yards and a 12-yard touchdown, setting two school records in the process, and No. 10 Kansas State dominated defensively in a 38-0 victory over Missouri on Saturday.
Kansas State (10-2, 6-2 Big 12) reached 10 victories for the seventh time in school history, including five of the last six years. The Wildcats are not in contention for the Big 12 title because of midseason losses to Colorado and Texas - by a total of seven points.
Since losing 17-14 to Texas on Oct. 19, Kansas State has outscored its last five opponents 253-30. The Wildcats have beaten Missouri (5-7, 2-6) 10 straight times.
Kansas State got two second-half touchdown catches from Taco Wallace and outgained Missouri 553-191. The Wildcats didn't allow the Tigers, who had needed a victory to become bowl eligible for the first time in four years, past midfield until the fourth quarter.
Sproles, who had 25 carries, has eight straight 100-yard games and nine for the year to extend his school record. He has 1,347 yards to break the mark of 1,263 by Josh Scobey last year, and also set the school record for all-purpose yards with 1,656, topping the previous mark of 1,648 by Henry Hawthorne in 1970.
Missouri quarterback Brad Smith, a redshirt freshman, became the second player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a season. Smith entered the game needing 1 yard rushing to join Clemson's Woody Dantzler, who did it last year, and Smith got to the milestone with a 3-yard carry late in the first quarter.
But he didn't get much more, finishing with 30 yards on 13 carries and going 7-for-24 for 126 yards with an interception. Fifty-six of the passing yards came on a flea-flicker to Justin Gage to the Kansas State 15 early in the fourth, but Missouri was pushed back by a penalty and ran out of downs.
Kansas State led 17-0 at the half but missed a chance for more when Roberson lost a fumble on fourth-and-1 from the Missouri 9 to turn it over with 56 seconds to go. Joe Rheem, who made a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter, also missed a 37-yarder in the second.
Terence Newman got the Wildcats off to a fast start with a 71-yard punt return, his second of the season, with 14:16 to go in the first quarter. Sproles' 12-yard run with 4:03 to go in the second made it 17-0.
Ayo Saba had a 3-yard run and Wallace caught a 23-yard pass from Roberson for a 31-0 third-quarter lead, and Wallace caught a 46-yarder from Marc Dunn in the fourth quarter.
