Roberson, Sproles deliever 1-2 punch

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Oh no, Oklahoma!

The top-ranked Sooners got a taste of the misery they've handed

out all season when they were stunned 35-7 by No. 13 Kansas State

on Saturday night, throwing the whole national championship picture

into chaos.

The loss in the Big 12 title game is certain to drop the Sooners

in the polls. However, the big question is can they still hang on

to finish in the top two of the BCS rankings to make the Sugar Bowl

-- or whether they even deserve to go.

"I'm not going to sit here and lobby for any bowl," Oklahoma

coach Bob Stoops said. "We just got whipped. They outplayed us in

every part of the game."

Ell Roberson threw four touchdown passes, Darren Sproles ran for

235 yards and the Wildcats shredded Oklahoma's vaunted defense,

winning their first conference title since taking the Big Six in

1934.

Despite the overwhelming defeat, experts still believe the

Sooners (12-1) will wind up in New Orleans on Jan. 4 once the BCS

standings are released Sunday.

Their opponent would be either Southern California or LSU, and

whichever one-loss team is kept out of the title game will surely

feel slighted.

"It hurts to lose," Oklahoma linebacker Teddy Lehman said.

"We played well all year and when it really mattered we didn't.

All we can do is regroup and try to come out and get one more

win."

Kansas State will go to the Fiesta Bowl, its first BCS game

ever. If not for a three-game losing streak early in the season,

the Wildcats could have been playing for the national title.

"I feel like we should probably be the No. 1 team in the nation

right now," Kansas State linebacker Ted Sims said.

The Sooners came in hearing talk about where they rank in

history. Roberson and the Wildcats (11-3) delivered an emphatic

answer -- second best in the Big 12.

The Wildcats have won seven straight since falling out of the

polls following their losing streak.

This was the crowning achievement in coach Bill Snyder's career.

When he took over in 1989, Kansas State was viewed as one of the

worst programs in the nation. But he built it from scratch and

after many heartbreaks finally came through in a big game, beating

a top three team for the first time in school history.

Oklahoma looked out of synch, failing to generate a running game

against Kansas State's stout front and giving little protection to

Jason White.

White was under constant pressure from Thomas Houchin and

endured many hard hits. The Heisman Trophy favorite finished

27-for-50 for 298 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns.

"They put pressure on us and got to us a few times," White

said. "They hit us where we are weak."

White's first pick stopped a drive in the end zone and his

second was returned 27 yards by Sims for a score to make it 35-7

early in the fourth quarter. White also missed an open Lance Donley

on a fourth-and-1 play late in the second quarter.

Usually reliable kicker Trey DiCarlo missed a pair of field

goals -- just his second and third of the season -- and Oklahoma's

top-ranked defense was picked apart by Roberson.

He threw three touchdowns in the second quarter, including a

60-yarder to Sproles and a 63-yarder to James Terry, as the

Wildcats seized control of the game.

Roberson also hit Brian Casey on a 19-yard score to tie the game

early in the second quarter and added a 10-yarder to Antoine Polite

in the third quarter.

The Sooners, who had trailed for fewer than six minutes all

season, found themselves on the wrong side of a blowout -- the worst

in Stoops' five years at Oklahoma.

Mike Stoops, Oklahoma's co-defensive coordinator, was coaching

his final game for the Sooners before taking over as Arizona's head

coach.

Bob Stoops stressed all week that the coaching change wouldn't

affect the game, but the Sooners looked uninspired.

The Wildcats had four plays go for longer than 60 yards -- the

longest plays all season against Oklahoma. They had 519 yards and

averaged 8.9 yards per play.

"It's basically the run and gun," Roberson said. "Let the

little man run it and if they don't respect it we'll throw it."

The Sooners got off to a quick start when Kejuan Jones ran 42

yards for a touchdown on their fourth play from scrimmage. But that

would be their only score.

After Kansas State botched a punt snap that gave Oklahoma the

ball at the Wildcats 36, DiCarlo missed a 44-yard field goal giving

the Wildcats a boost. Sproles ran 55 yards on the next play to set

up Roberson's touchdown pass to Casey.

After the Sooners punted, Roberson threw deep to Terry, who made

a great adjustment while the ball was in the air to beat Antonio Perkins for the catch. Terry then broke a tackle by Donte Nicholson

and jogged into the end zone for a 63-yard score to make it 14-7.

White's pass was intercepted in the end zone by James McGill on

the next drive and the Wildcats capitalized with Sproles' 60-yard

catch and run on a screen pass.