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No. 18 Missouri Clobbers Colorado


Devin West made history, breaking school records that had stood for decades.

"All I know is he's the best that's ever played here," coach Larry Smith said after West ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns in No. 18 Missouri's 38-14 victory over Colorado on Saturday. "I think he's as good as there is in the whole country."

Entering the game, West needed 57 yards to eclipse the mark of school single-season record of 1,312 yards set by Joe Moore in 1969. He did it with 6:33 to go in the first quarter.

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  • 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.

    He wasn't impressed with either mark.

    "It doesn't seem like anything to me right now," West said. "We've still got two more games to play. I'll think about that after the season."

    Missouri also got a big game from quarterback Corby Jones, finally healthy from a sprained left big toe suffered Oct. 3. Jones ran for 108 yards on 19 carries and was 10-for-18 for 147 yards and a touchdown.

    "I sure hope Corby was 100 percent," Colorado linebacker Ty Gregorak said. "Corby's a phenomenal athlete, and he killed us today."

    The four games after he was injured, Jones had minus-9, 6, 0 and 38 yards rushing.

    Colorado and Missouri
    Colorado quarterback Mike Moschetti is sacked by Missouri linebacker Marquis Gibson during the first quarter. (AP)

    "This is how I ant to play," Jones said. "I'm playing like I used to."

    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.

    "We got our butts kicked," Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said.

    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.

    "It feels good to get some bigger chunks and change up what we're doing," said Layman, who had four catches for 87 yards. "We're keeping teams guessing."

    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.

    "I gave him the ball. I carried out my fake. I looked back and he didn't have it," Moschetti said. "We get that first down, and who knows?"

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