Football Rallies to Defeat Kansas
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 12, 1998
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Kansas focused on stopping Missouri quarterback Corby Jones, and Devin West made the Jayhawks pay.
West ran for a school-record 319 yards, carrying 33 times in 94-degree heat, as No. 25 Missouri beat archrival Kansas 41-23 Saturday.
A spot starter before this season, West topped the previous record of 240 yards set by Harry "Slippery" Ice, also against Kansas, in 1941. It was the third-biggest rushing game in Big 12 history.
Combined with last week's 125-yard performance in a 37-0 win over Bowling Green, West has 444 yards rushing for Missouri (2-0, 1-0 Big 12) this season.
Kansas (0-2, 0-2) tried to stop Missouri's option offense by forcing Jones, last season's all-Big 12 quarterback, to pitch. He did, but the strategy backfired.
"I'm not taking anything away from Devin's effort today, but we kind of allowed the middle to be exploited," Kansas coach Terry Allen said.
"I think that's a mistake by the defense," West said. "If they're going to key on Corby, that's great for me."
Missouri coach Larry Smith, who celebrated his 59th birthday on Saturday, credited the offensive line with opening huge holes but he also lauded West.
"I've coached a lot of years and had a lot of great backs, but I've never seen a performance like this," Smith said. "He kept hitting and spinning, all that kind of stuff."
Ten of West's rushes gained 10 yards or more, including runs of 55, 45, 33 and 16 yards. He scored on runs of 3 and 45 yards.
Jones struggled at times, completing just five of 12 passes for 65 yards, fumbling twice and throwing an interception. But he rushed 12 times for 74 yards and accounted for four scores - two passing and two rushing. He is Missouri's all-time touchdown leader with 51 - 31 rushing and 20 passing.
"Corby maybe wasn't on top of his game, but he made plays and he made them when it counted," Smith said.
Kansas quarterback Zac Wegner was 13-of-24 for 166 yards, but threw a crucial interception with Kansas at the Missouri 12 and down by four early in the fourth quarter.
David Winbush led Kansas runners with 23 carries for 99 yards.
The Jayhawks went up 10-0 on a 39-yard run by Mitch Bowles in the first quarter and Joe Garcia's 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
West ran 55 yards on Missouri's next play and for 68 yards on Missouri's 80-yard drive, with Jones scoring from the 12.
The Tigers went ahead 13-10 when Marquis Gibson blocked Matt Tyler's punt deep in Kansas territory. Two plays later, Jones and Kent Layman connected on an 18-yard scoring pass.
Garcia's 37-yard field goal tied it with 1:49 to go in the half, setting up a bizarre sequence that gave Missouri the lead.
The Tigers started at their 20 and drove to the Kansas 29, thanks mostly to three 15-yard penalties against Kansas - two unsportsmanlike calls for late hits, and pass interference.
Eric Spencer caught a pass at the 11 and fumbled. Jayhawks defensive end Dion Johnson picked it up, tried to run and fumbled, and West recovered at the 11.
On the next play, with 13 seconds left in the half, former walk-on John Dausman reached back over a defender in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown catch that put Missouri up 20-13.
The Jayhawks tied it early in the third quarter on Henri Childs' 79-yard punt return.
Muhammad Abdul-Rahim intercepted Jones' pass at the Missouri 36, setting up a 22-yard field goal to put the Jayhawks back on top 23-20.
West answered again, setting up his 3-yard scoring run with a 33-yard run late in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Jones converted on fourth-and-1 at the Missouri 29 and, five plays later, went 48 yards on an option for a touchdown.
West gave Missouri one more score late in the game, carrying on each play of a four-play, 61-yard drive that culminated with a 45-yard run almost untouched through the middle.
The two rivals have been playing for 107 years, second only to Minnesota-Wisconsin. Missouri now holds a 50-48-9 advantage.
