Nov. 20, 1999

By STEVE BRISENDINE
Associated Press Writer

MANHATTAN, Kan.-- Mark Simoneau didn't want to go to the locker room. He wanted to stay in front of the home crowd as long as possible.

So, for a full 10 minutes after No. 9 Kansas State's 66-0 rout of Missouri on Saturday, a victory that kept the Wildcats' slim Big 12 title game hopes alive, the senior linebacker made his way around KSU Stadium - hugging and slapping hands with some fans.

"It was awesome," Simoneau said. "There's really no way to describe it. It was just a really special time. I just tried to touch everybody I could."

The Wildcats (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) couldn't have written a more dominating finish to their regular season, or a more disheartening one to Missouri's.

Jonathan Beasley threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, all before the midpoint of the second quarter.

Cornerback Dyshod Carter scored twice. Frank Murphy ran for two touchdowns, his first scores since Kansas State's 35-17 victory over Texas on Oct. 2. And Adrian Beard recovered a blocked punt for the Wildcats' final score as the Wildcats worked out their frustrations from the previous week's 41-15 loss to No. 5 Nebraska.

"We played pretty bad last week," said Murphy, who has had to come back from a broken foot in the preseason and a sprained ankle at midseason. "We wanted to bounce back and show the nation we can play. We wanted a big win."

Kansas State could still win the North Division if Colorado upsets the Cornhuskers on Friday.

Missouri (4-7, 1-7) committed six turnovers and was shut out for the third time in five games.

"This is probably the worst game that I have ever been associated with," coach Larry Smith said. "We've just got to pick up the pieces. We all lost, coaches and players. I am the head coach and I take full responsibility."

The Wildcats scored on their first five possessions - plus one of Missouri's - in leading 35-0 after one quarter and 42-0 at the half. Their 35 first-quarter points set a school record for a period, breaking the record of 34 set last year in the second quarter against Northern Illinois.

Kansas State tied a school record with its fourth nine-touchdown game. Jamie Rheem hit all nine of his extra point tries, tying Martin Gramatica's single-game record set against Indiana State in 1998.

Runs of 7 yards by Murphy and 1 yard by Beasley, and Beasley's 38-yard pass to Quincy Morgan gave Kansas State a 21-0 lead with 5:55 left in the first quarter. Two plays after Morgan's catch, Carter recovered a stray pitchout in the end zone for a 28-0 lead.

David Allen ran 44 yards to put the Wildcats up 52-0 with 5:59 left in the third quarter, and 53 seconds later Carter intercepted Jim Dougherty's pass in the left flat and ran it back 28 yards for a 59-0 lead.

Murphy added a 7-yard TD run with 2:34 left in the first quarter, and Beasley threw 30 yards to Aaron Lockett for a 42-0 lead on Kansas State's first possession of the second.

That pass closed out a 5-for-7, 173-yard day for Beasley. The Wildcats attempted only one pass in the second half.

"I dislike games like this," coach Bill Snyder said. "It's not a comfortable feeling for me, and I know it's not for coach Smith and his staff and his players. You just call running plays and hope that you can get a first down."

Kansas State's string of scoring possessions finally ended when Rheem missed a 45-yard field goal against the wind with 58 seconds left in the half. He hit a 43-yarder for a 45-0 lead on the Wildcats' first possession of the third quarter.