Quick Kicks

Heisman watch

Iowa’s Tavian Banks continues to lead the nation in rushing with more than 800 yards in four games. After running for 191 yards in a 38-10 victory against Illinois, he’s averaging 214.7 per game.

Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf entered Saturday’s game against Boise State as the nation’s leader in total offense with 340 yards per game. He fired three touchdown passes and ran for another score in three quarters of play in the Cougars’ 58-0 victory. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 289 yards without an interception.

Tennessee’s Peyton Manning, recuperating from another loss to Florida, had Saturday off.

Watch for Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss, the Division I-AA player of the year in 1996. He had 13 catches for 205 yards and five touchdowns and has 749 receiving yards and 14 TD catches after five games.

It’s difficult to look past Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne, who has recovered from a bad start, running for 202 yards against Indiana. Also, Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig, who completed 27 of 40 passes and had 417 yards total offense against Central Florida.

Official suffers heart attack

James Knight, a football official working the Virginia-North Carolina game in Chapel Hill, N.C., had a heart attack and collapsed in the second quarter Saturday.

Dr. Greg Mears, who treated Knight, 51, on the stadium turf and then accompanied him to the hospital, said the official was in critical condition and would be expected to face surgery within the next 24 hours.

Knight, has been an ACC official for 21 years.

Rebels fans without a cause

Despite a public plea from Mississippi coach Tommy Tuberville to keep Confederate flags out of the stadium, the flapping banners were a prominent symbol in the student section Saturday night at Oxford, Miss.

Students flouted Tuberville’s request by waving the banners in droves and wearing hats and shirts bearing images of the flag. Countless Ole Miss coeds wore skirts in the design of the Stars and Bars.

Bleachers collapse, injuring band members

Four members of the University of Indiana at Pennsylvania school band were taken to the hospital Saturday, and more than a dozen others sustained cuts and bruises when a section of bleachers collapsed just before the game between Indiana and New Haven in West Haven, Conn.

No serious injuries were reported.

A banner day in Miami

A sign pulled by a small plane flying over the Orange Bowl in Miami referred to the decline of the Miami Hurricanes under coach Butch Davis. It read: “From national champs to national chumps! Thanks Butch!”

Numbers game

Missouri has a 31-game losing streak against Top Ten teams and has lost 18 in a row against the Top 25.

Remember a few years back, when Kansas State had seven victories but not enough wins against I-A teams to qualify for a bowl? The Wildcats seem to have that problem solved, opening the season 3-0 against members of the Mid-American Conference, one of the lowest rated I-A conferences.

Stars and stats

Kentucky’s Tim Couch hit 33 of 59 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns and had three intercepted in a 55-27 loss to Florida.

Tim Crowley, Central Michigan, completed 25 of 48 passes for 412 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Eastern Michigan.

Ricky Williams, Texas, ran for 249 yards and scored a school-record five touchdowns as the Longhorns defeated Rice 38-31. Rice’s Michael Perry had 211 yards rushing.

Skip Hicks, UCLA, scored four TDs to tie a school record and became the school’s career TD leader as the 24th-ranked Bruins beat Arizona 40-27.

Amos Zereoue, West Virginia, rushed for a career-high 206 yards in a 28-17 win over Miami.

Doug Johnson, Florida, completed 22 of 34 passes for 286 yards and five TDs as the Gators won their 24th straight SEC game, 55-28 over Kentucky.

Purdue’s Mike Rose intercepted three passes and returned one for a TD in the Boilermakers’ 21-9 win over Northwestern.

Blackney has his say

“They’ll find out how good they are next week.” - Bowling Green coach Gary Blackney on No. 18 Kansas State, which routed the Falcons 58-0. The Wildcats play No. 3 Nebraska next week.

Looking ahead

It doesn’t have the usual national championship implications, but next Saturday’s Miami-Florida State game at Tallahassee should have the usual hot tempers. Also, Iowa plays at Ohio State in a key game in the Big Ten.

, DataTimes