COLLEGE FOOTBALL : SPOTLIGHT / SATURDAY’S GAMES AT A GLANCE

WACKY WAC

It may have been another Saturday in college football, but that was no ordinary day around the Western Athletic Conference.

--At Logan, Utah, BYU’s John Walsh and Utah State’s Anthony Calvillo combined for 1,091 passing yards and accounted for 12 touchdowns in a 58-56 victory for Utah State, the first time the Aggies beat the Cougars since 1982. Walsh set a BYU record with 619 yards on 27-of-44 passing with three scores, and Calvillo completed 31 of 57 attempts for 472 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for two scores.

Eric Drage, BYU’s leading receiver with 49 catches, went out with three broken ribs in the second quarter and did not play in the second half.

--At Laramie, Wyo., Joe Hughes’ seven-yard touchdown pass to Mike Jones with 20 seconds left gave Wyoming a 32-28 come-from-behind victory over Fresno State. The Cowboys, 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the WAC, won their seventh in a row and strengthened their hold on first place in the conference.

--At Salt Lake City, Greg Hooks caught a 17-yard pass from Mike McCoy with nine seconds remaining to lift Utah over San Diego State, 45-41, as the teams combined for 1,213 yards total offense. The lead changed hands six times in the fourth quarter alone.

--At Colorado Springs, Colo., Preston McConnell, third on the depth chart among Air Force quarterbacks, took over for injured starter Demond Cash early in the fourth quarter and played a key role in two scoring drives on his 21st birthday as Air Force defeated Texas El Paso, 31-10.

Second-string quarterback Scott Teigen, still nursing bruised ribs that have bothered him most of the season, was too sore to be listed as the backup, and played only the final series. McConnell said he knew he would be backing up Cash, but was surprised when the starter went to the sidelines because of a bruised wrist.

“It was probably my best birthday ever,” McConnell said.

--At Ft. Collins, Colo., Colorado State beat New Mexico, 21-20, to mark the fourth time the Lobos have lost by a field goal or less and the second time by a point.

New Mexico is still looking for its fourth victory overall, a feat the team hasn’t accomplished since 1986, and a third WAC win, something the Lobos haven’t managed in a decade.

K-STATE KO

Did Kansas State just beat Oklahoma for the first time in 23 tries? Did Kansas State just beat any ranked team for the first time since Oct. 31, 1981?

Somebody tell Kansas State.

As if fans have had practice at this happiness thing, Coach Bill Snyder said after celebrants tore down the goal posts to mark the 21-7 victor over Oklahoma, “I think it’s important for them to keep things in perspective.

“I want them to celebrate, but we have to prepare for the next three games just like we prepared for the last three.”

No. 25 Kansas State, which made the top 25 for the first time since 1970, has the worst of its schedule behind and could finish 9-1-1 by beating Iowa State, Missouri and Oklahoma State. All are weak teams in the Big Eight.

“I came into the game expecting to win,” said quarterback Chad May, who passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third. “People tearing down the goal posts shows our fans didn’t expect us to win.”

END OF THE SHOWDOWN?

From Chris Sheridan of the Associated Press:

“No. 1 vs. No. 2 might not happen after all.

“The Florida State at Notre Dame game is still set for Nov. 13, but whether or not the Irish will remain No. 2 is debatable.

“That’s because the Irish looked awful in the first half of a 58-27 victory over Navy. No. 3 Ohio State, meanwhile, looked dominating in a 24-6 win over No. 12 Penn State.

“The Buckeyes (8-0) finished 104 points behind Notre Dame (9-0) in the last AP poll. That’s a big discrepancy to overcome, but the Buckeyes (8-0) could do it this week if enough of the 62 voters rank them ahead of Notre Dame.

“Or it could happen next week if Ohio State can come up with a victory at No. 21 Wisconsin while Notre Dame sits home idle.

“No. 1 vs No. 3, anybody?”

NOTEWORTHY

Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward injured his ribs shortly before halftime against Wake Forest and did not return. His status for next Saturday’s game at Maryland is uncertain. “Right now, I’m expecting to play,” Ward said. . . . A 24-17 halftime advantage marked the first time Navy had led Notre Dame in their annual game since 1985. . . . Washington State began the day sixth in the nation in defense, then gave up 46 points and 430 yards in losing to Oregon. . . . Brent Moss of Wisconsin broke the 100-yard rushing barrier for the seventh consecutive game, going for 128 in 26 carries in the 13-10 victory over Michigan. Moss becomes only the fifth player in school history to go for 1,000 yards in a season and the first since 1985. . . . Iowa State’s Ty Stewart kicked a 58-yard field goal in a 37-34 loss to Missouri. . . . Yale suffered its worst Ivy League loss ever in a 48-7 defeat by Pennsylvania.

QUOTEWORTHY

Wisconsin quarterback Darrell Bevell, after the 13-10 victory over Michigan that kept the Badgers (7-1) in the race for the Rose Bowl: “It was a huge win, the program has turned around.”

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, reacting to the Seminoles beating Wake Forest, 54-0, for their fourth shutout of the season to tie a school record: “The one thing that keeps jumping out at me about this season is those zeros on the scoreboard. When you shut people out, you ain’t going to lose.”

Stanford quarterback Steve Stenstrom, who completed 29 of 41 passes for 402 yards with no interceptions, the seventh week in a row he has thrown for at least 300 yards: “It was the best 60 minutes of football I’ve ever put together, (as far as) my consistency and accuracy.”

MIAMI MEMORIES

The Orange Bowl briefly turned back time when Howard Schnellenberger and his former players charged out of the stadium tunnel through a cloud of fog as Miami Hurricane fans roared with delight, part of the proceedings as more than 40 members of the 1983 national championship team were honored during halftime of the Miami-Temple game.

“It conjures up a lot of memories of the last game I coached here,” said Schnellenberger, now coach at Louisville.

That game was Miami’s 31-30 upset of top-ranked Nebraska on Jan. 2, 1984. Many consider it one of the greatest games in college football history.

After leading the Hurricanes to the first of their four national championships, Schnellenberger departed to coach Miami’s franchise in the now-defunct United States Football League. That team never played a game.

“I don’t regret the decision I made,” he said. “I have the full realization it was kind of dumb, but I’ve made a lot of dumb decisions in my personal life.”