The Week

"I didn't dream we could play that poorly on defense," said the Cowboy Coach Jim Stanley. "When you get four, five or six seconds to throw, it becomes a lot easier," said Zark. The junior quarterback did not suffer an interception and missed his receiver on only two passes (a deflection and an overthrow) while five others were dropped. On one attempt, blocked by a charging lineman, Pisarkiewicz caught the ball himself and turned it into a four-yard gain. "When things go right, everything goes right," said Marshall.

Nebraska, which had not faced a Wishbone team all year, came up against one of the best in Kansas and won 16-0. " Nebraska was super on defense," said Jayhawk Quarterback Nolan Cromwell, who had been the Big Eight's Back of the Week following his last two games. "We thought we could move the ball against them, but they proved differently." Cromwell gained but 62 yards in 19 carries and the entire Kansas offense managed only 177 yards overall. The Corn-huskers had offensive problems of their own, however, managing only a field goal in each of the first three quarters before Terry Luck connected on a 26-yard touchdown pass to Brad Jenkins. "The victory wasn't a thing of beauty," said Fullback Tony Davis, "but we're 5-0 and we haven't been 5-0 since I've been at Nebraska."

Iowa State broke open a tight defensive struggle with 10 fourth-quarter points to pull away from Kansas State 17-7.

In the Big Ten, Michigan upended Michigan State 16-6, Ohio State blasted Iowa 49-0, Wisconsin nipped Purdue 17-14, Northwestern skunked Indiana 30-0 and Illinois pounded Minnesota 42-23.

The Wolverines' victory was the final piece of evidence that the status is still quo in the Big Ten this year. Gordon Bell's 19-yard run to the outside, following six straight thrusts into the Spartans' middle, broke a 6-6 fourth-quarter tie. Bob Wood's third field goal concluded the scoring. "We're not a great team," said Coach Bo Schembechler, "but I still think we can be a good one."

Unfortunately, Michigan must become better than good if it is to have a chance against Ohio State on Nov. 22. Listen to what Iowa Coach Bob Commings said after the Buckeyes' latest shellacking. "That's the best team in the country, fellas," he told reporters. "We've played some good teams in the last two years, but that's the best." Stronger than last year? "Yes—and I don't think it's by inches, either. If they have a weakness, I don't know what it would be. It's the same backfield, and it's still great. But the new offensive line is better. And the defense is much better."

Ohio State convinced Commings by scoring the first seven times it had the ball, missing on the eighth and last possession because the third-stringers fumbled at the Iowa seven. Archie Griffin gained 120 yards, Pete Johnson scored three touchdowns and Quarterback Cornelius Greene completed all eight of his passes for a total of 117 yards. Greene's substitute, Rod Gerald, turned his two carries into scoring runs of 45 and 14 yards.

Vince Lamia's 40-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining lifted Wisconsin past Purdue. Billy Marek gained 152 yards and scored eight points, making him the alltime leading scorer in the league with 242 points.

Greg Boykin ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to lead Northwestern, whose 2-0 conference record gives it a share of the Big Ten lead.

Illinois also stayed unbeaten in the league, Jim Phillips scoring three times in the second quarter to climax drives of 51, 75 and 28 yards. The Gophers had entered the game as the nation's sixth best team in scoring defense.