MU adds to league's quirky start

Missouri athletic director Mike Alden swears it was just a coincidence when the school scheduled a reunion for the last coach to beat Nebraska on the weekend of the Nebraska game.

The Tigers made it a memorable weekend for the old coach, Warren Powers, and for themselves with a 41-24 victory Saturday over the 10th-ranked Huskers. Missouri (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) capitalized on five turnovers and got a school record-tying four touchdowns from Brad Smith to end a 24-game losing streak in the series that dated to 1978.

"These are things we love to see: a sold-out house, people all excited, MIZ-ZOU going back and forth," Alden said. "It's great to see us get it back to what they tell me it used to be like a number of years ago at Missouri."

Missouri snapped a 45-game losing streak against Top 10 teams that dated to 1981, and a 20-game losing streak against Top 25 opponents.

It was an even more improbable victory, given Missouri's performance two weeks ago in a loss at Kansas. The Tigers led 14-13 in the third quarter before falling apart in a 35-14 loss in that game, going from No. 23 to not receiving a single vote the next week.

Consider it just part of a weird start to the Big 12 Conference season. Aside from the continued brilliance of Oklahoma and Texas Tech, the first two weeks of conference play in the Big 12 have been a little wacky.

Kansas State 0-2 in the league? The nation's No. 1 defensive team giving up 41 points and 452 yards to an opponent it had beaten 24 straight times. Texas A&M losing by 31 points one week and winning by 63 the next? Kansas shutting down Missouri but giving up 50 to Colorado?

It starts with Kansas State, the preseason favorite in the Big 12 North.

The Wildcats were ranked sixth nationally in mid-September, but now they're out of the Top 25 after losing their second straight league game, 38-34 to Oklahoma State, and third overall.

"We don't seem to have the heart we used to have before," K-State defensive end Thomas Houchin said.

Still, there's hope for the Wildcats, who play their next three games at home. Both losses were to teams from the South Division and the four leaders in the North -- Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado -- all are 1-1.

But coach Bill Snyder has to get his team back on track quickly if it's going to make a run.

A humbling switch

Colorado was humbled by a loss to Baylor a week ago but bounced back to beat Kansas 50-47 in overtime and snap a three-game losing streak. Baylor looked strong and confident against Colorado, then looked more like the league doormat they've usually been in a 73-10 loss to Texas A&M, which had given up the most points in school history in losing to Texas Tech 59-28 the week before.

"We're trying to get our swagger back," A&M safety Jaxson Appel said.

Oklahoma and Texas Tech both have plenty of that, and if things keep going the way they are, their Nov. 22 meeting at Lubbock could decide the South title.

Both teams are on big-time rolls. With its 65-13 shellacking of Texas, Oklahoma topped 50 points for the fourth straight game, something the Sooners had never done before, not even when Barry Switzer was running the show and his teams were so cocky they could have named the score against most opponents.

Texas Tech can't match the Sooners on defense, but the Red Raiders' offense is something else. They piled up 775 total yards and set a Big 12 record with 45 first downs in beating Iowa State 52-21. Tech even rushed for 240 yards. Not bad for a passing team.

Of course, Oklahoma State could have a lot to say about the South race, too. The Cowboys lost their league opener to Nebraska back on Aug. 30 but have won five straight since.

They'd become Oklahoma's top challenger if they can outscore Tech next Saturday in Stillwater. And don't forget, the Cowboys have beaten OU each of the last two years. The Sooners certainly haven't forgotten that.

And what of Texas? The Longhorns looked tough and physical in beating Kansas State a week ago but, as usual, they wilted at the sight of the OU crimson.

Texas can't afford to go soft because there's still a brutal schedule ahead. After facing Iowa State and Baylor, the Longhorns finish the season with games against Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Tech and A&M.

"I have to go back and look at me," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "The team can't play this badly with me doing my job."