Tigers Tear Into Colorado
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
November 7, 1998
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Devin West broke a 29-year-old school rushing record and scored three touchdowns to break a 56-year-old mark as No. 18 Missouri buried Colorado 38-14 on Saturday.
Entering the game, West needed 57 yards to eclipse the mark of 1,312 yards set by Joe Moore in 1969. He did it with 6:33 to go in the first quarter and finished with 146 yards on 32 carries.
West scored on 1-yard runs in the second and fourth quarters, then tacked on a 12-yard score with 1:13 to go, giving him 17 touchdowns to break the 1942 record by Bob Steuber. Quarterback Corby Jones, finally healthy from a sprained left big toe suffered Oct. 3, ran for 108 yards on 19 carries and was 10-for-18 for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Before winning 41-31 last year, Missouri (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) had lost 12 in a row to Colorado (6-3, 3-3). This time it led 24-0 after West's first touchdown with 8:55 to go in the second quarter.
Missouri scored 17 points in the first quarter. One of the early touchdowns was a 61-yard interception return by Carlos Posey, giving Missouri four straight games with a defensive touchdown.
Posey was untouched on his second touchdown of the season after picking off an underthrown ball from Mike Moschetti with 9:56 to go to make it 14-0. He also scored on a fumble recovery against Ohio State.
Moschetti was 21-for-33 for 230 yards and two touchdown passes for Colorado, which has lost three of four. Ben Kelly set a school record for career kick return yardage.
West benefited on the option from Jones' mobility. Jones lost two fumbles, but had scrambles of 32 and 18 yards on the decisive drive early in the fourth quarter capped by West's second touchdown to make it 31-14.
Jones, who had only 54 yards in the air last week, had 53 on two completions to Kent Layman in the opening 89-yard drive that was capped by a 3-yard pass off a play-action fake to Brandon Ford.
Six of his completions went for 20 yards or more as Missouri made an effort to open its attack.
Moschetti hit Robert Toler on a 9-yard pass with 4:46 left in the first half to get the Buffaloes on the board. Colorado capitalized on Corby Jones' fumble near midfield as Moschetti hit Darren Chiaverini on an 11-yard pass with 8:39 left in the third to cut the gap to 24-14.
Jones fumbled again on the next Missouri possession, giving Colorado the ball at the Tigers 39. But Damion Barton was stopped just short on a fourth-and-1 play at the 30 to turn it over.
