BIG EIGHT ROUNDUP : Late Field Goal Saves Oklahoma From Upset

Scott Blanton kicked a 48-yard field goal with 11 seconds to play and No. 16 Oklahoma, which blew a 24-point lead, came back to beat Syracuse, 30-29, Saturday night at Syracuse, N.Y.

Oklahoma led, 24-0, and was all set to celebrate another touchdown as P.J. Mills neared the goal line at the end of a 70-yard pass play. But cornerback Bryce Bevill, beaten on the reception, ran down Mills inside the five and popped the ball loose. It went through the end zone for a touchback.

The Orangemen scored four plays later as Kevin Mason threw to Marvin Harrison on a 78-yard touchdown pass play with 7:02 left in the third quarter.

On Oklahoma’s next possession, Kevin Abrams blocked Blanton’s punt and Syracuse took over at the Sooner 13. Kirby Dar Dar scored on a four-yard run four plays later.

Blanton’s 23-yard field goal with 7:47 to play extended Oklahoma’s lead to 27-14, but quarterback Garrick Mason scored on a six-yard run with 3:53 remaining and the Orangemen were within 27-21.

Rather than risk another blocked kick, Oklahoma took an intentional safety on fourth-and-15 from its 15, bringing Syracuse within 27-23 but giving Oklahoma a free kick and the opportunity to pin the Orangemen in their own territory.

That strategy backfired when Syracuse scored 60 seconds later on a 48-yard pass play from Mason to Harrison. Sean Reali missed the extra point wide right, a mistake that proved costly.

The Sooners drove from their 36 to the Syracuse 31 in eight plays, converting a fourth-and-13 on McGee’s 18-yard pass to Albert Hall, to set up Blanton’s kick.

Kansas State 34, SW Louisiana 6--Tyson Schwieger and Dederick Kelly scored first-quarter touchdowns as the Wildcats won at Manhattan, Kan., in front of the biggest crowd for a home opener in school history.

A happy, noisy gathering of 38,216 watched the Wildcats, coming off a 9-2-1 campaign and first-ever postseason victory, seize a 17-0 lead over mistake-prone Southwestern Louisiana, 8-3 last year when it was the most improved Division I-A team in the nation.

Northern Iowa 28, Iowa State 14--Brett O’Donnell passed for two touchdowns and set up another in his first start as the visiting Division I-AA Panthers repeated their 1992 upset of Iowa State.

Northern Iowa scored in the final minute of the first half for a 14-0 lead, then drove 80 yards at the start of the second half to go up, 21-0.

Northern Iowa, ranked eighth in its division, beat Iowa State, 27-10, two years ago. That was just the Panthers’ second victory over Iowa State and first since 1900.