Texas is loaded with good old-fashioned quarterback heroes, guys who persevered, overachieved or otherwise schemed to lead the Longhorns to big wins over rival Oklahoma.

There was Peter Gardere, who was 4-0 against Sooner teams that were favored in every one of those games. There was James Brown, who stepped in for an injured Shea Morenz in 1994 and -- unencumbered by expectations -- led the Longhorns to a stunning win. There was Randy McEachern, who entered the 1977 game as a third-teamer and exited on the shoulders of his teammates.

Now there is Chris Simms, whose current Texas-OU legacy as a starter includes four interceptions, one loss and a Red River full of broken hearts.

Rice Right In Middle of WAC Race

Leave it to the Rice Owls, who've been more persistent that a Randy Moss turn signal, to put the WAC back in wacky. Let's take a poll here. Everybody who believed pre-kickoff in the Owls' chances of pulling a stunning upset of defending conference champion Louisiana Tech Saturday please stand up. Those guys on their feet are Ken Hatfield and his team. "It's such a real joy to see a team come together," the Rice coach said about the Owls' 37-21 win at Reliant Stadium in Houston. "It took everybody to make the plays happen and to make the victory come about, especially since it was against the WAC champion against whom we had such a wild game last year." Rice gave Tech a scare last year in Ruston, La., rallying from a 31-0 deficit to force overtime. Josh Scobee's 20-yard field goal gave the Bulldogs a 41-38 win. This time around few were expecting such heroics, with Rice coming in at 0-4 (0-2 in the WAC) and in an apparent down year after returning only four starters from an 8-4 season. The Owl defense had problems giving up the big play spotty and the offense and special teams scuttled potential wins with turnovers. But Rice has a knack for knocking off the kings -- five times in the last four seasons the Owls have knocked off a defending conference champion. Make it five in six. Tech led 21-14 at halftime when the Owls reeled off 23 unanswered second half points and the defense played above its head. "I couldn't be happier with the defense," Hatfield said. "Nobody could have written a better script, than to shut out an offense, one that had over 500 yards against Penn State on the road, in the second half to just over 70 yards and no points. "It's a real tribute to our coaches. The defensive people believed in each other. It's attributable, too, to some younger guys getting better and seeing where they fit in. They didn't give up the big play, which had been the biggest bugaboo." On offense, quarterback Kyle Herm was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week after his running (102 yards) and opportunistic passing -- his four completions in eight attempts accounted for 137 yards -- keyed the Owls win. Hatfield isn't counting his team out of a jumbled WAC race that currently counts Boise State as the favorite, in light of the Broncos win over Hawaii and Tech's loss, and Fresno State as a strong contender. Rice's next five games are against teams that are a combined 3-20. "We still have a chance," Hatfield said. "There are too many good games going on. There are a lot of good teams that are beatable in the right situation. Last year, the team that looked unbeatable was Fresno and they lost two. This year, there are a lot of teams playing good, and the team that is playing best right now is Boise." " I think it will really come down to the last week to decide who will win the championship." -- Mark Wangrin

He'd like to change that. If he can.

"This is a huge game for him,'' said former Texas receiver Keith Cash, who was on the receiving end of one of Gardere's game-winning touchdown passes against the Sooners. "This can make his legacy, finally beating OU."

Simms, a player who's introspective and grounded beyond his years, would normally mull the legacy question and produce an insightful answer.

This week he didn't even bite.

"I haven't thought about that. It's something I haven't really worried about,'' he said. "I'm excited to be part of the game. I'll worry about (my legacy) when the time comes."

For right or wrong, Texas players are judged by what they did against Oklahoma, a verdict as clear as the line that separates the burnt orange from the crimson in the Cotton Bowl stands.

Gardere, who led the Longhorns on a national title run that ended in a Cotton Bowl rout at the hands of Miami on New Year's Day 1991, said he gets recognized for one reason -- his record against OU.

"That's all they bring up,'' he said. "That's great. You hate to be forgotten."

Simms, the left-handed son of former New York Giants All-Pro and Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms, won't be forgotten, it's just unclear how he'll be remembered. Last year he threw four interceptions, at least two of which came in the final minutes and can be written off to circumstances.

He got hit on the goal line by safety Roy Williams and the ball popped into linebacker Teddy Lehman's hands for the game-breaking touchdown. Forced to go for the big play, his next pass was picked off by Williams. Most people remember the number four rather than the circumstances.

"I felt like I played pretty good," he said of the game. "I gave the offense chances and I was a pretty good leader."

Texas coach Mack Brown, as staunch a defender of Simms as there is, said that this year his quarterback, who has thrown three interceptions, has had only one poor throw, one that should have been intercepted against Houston. "Other than that,'' Brown said. "He's been perfect."

Simms spent the offseason concentrating on ball security. As he drops back he holds the ball with two hands so he won't fumble as easily. In the first game this year, against North Texas, he took six sacks rather than force an interception.

"He's come to some of the same conclusions as I have,'' Brown said, "that the game is bigger than we are."

Sooners co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, whose usually fingered as the culprit any time an unnamed opposing coach is quoted as disparaging Simms' game, was mostly complimentary in public remarks this week.

"Chris has a great feel for what we like to do defensively,'' Stoops said. "He throws the ball number to number (hashmark to hashmark) as well as anybody."

Then he added, "We did a pretty good job taking the middle away from him last year."

"People want to comment that we're not sincere,'' said his brother Bob, the Sooners head coach. "We don't lie. We tell what we feel. I thought he's been good the last couple of years."

If Simms should fail to beat OU in his last shot at the Sooners, he sounds as if he'll be at peace. He already says he is with his Texas career and the criticism he's attracted. "I'm not going to go into hiding,'' he said. "You've got to go on with your life."

Right now that life revolves around winning the big game and his last shot at being a Texas icon that stands as tall as Big Tex, the 52-foot talking cowboy that greats visitors to the adjacent Texas State Fair.

"I've got friends back home in New Jersey who probably aren't very happy with me because I haven't called them in a while,'' he said. "That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. There'll be time for that after the year. Right now I'm focusing on being the quarterback of this team."

And everything that comes with it.

Around the Big 12

Baylor
Baylor coach Kevin Steele and his 15-year-old son Gordon walked off the field with a section of the goalpost after the Bears win over Kansas. Steele joked he'd be willing to pay for the torn down posts if needed. ... Quarterback Aaron Karas' 379 yards passing was the most by a Bear in 18 years. ... The Bears finally are getting support for receiver Reggie Newhouse. Robert Quiroga had a 41-yard touchdown catch and Roy Harrington and J.T. Thompson combined to catch 7 passes for 88 yards. ... Junior weakside linebacker John Garrett left the Kansas game in the third quarter with a left knee injury. If he's unable to play this week against Texas A&M he would be replaced by senior Kelvin Chiasson.

Colorado
Colorado coaches used clips of Ali-Frazier fights to underscore the notion that the Buffaloes game against Kansas State was like a heavyweight fight. The carnage was worse. CU looks like it will be without its two starting linebackers for the Kansas game. Drew Wahlroos (dislocated elbow) is out and Sean Tufts (high ankle sprain) is questionable. Backup Aaron Killion has been slowed by a hamstring pull, which would put senior Joey Johnson and freshman Chris Hollis in the lineup. ... Jeremy Bloom has had instant impact for the Buffs. He returned a punt for a touchdown in his first game and last week against Kansas State he turned his first college catch into a school-record 94-yard touchdown catch.

Iowa State
Iowa State's success this season will earn coach Dan McCarney a raise, but not until after this season, athletic director Bruce Van De Velde told the Ames Tribune. "You just don't do those things in the middle of the season,'' Van De Velde told the paper. McCarney has four more years left on a deal that pays him $625,000 a year, making him among the lowest paid coaches in the Big 12. ... ESPN.com recruiting analyst Tom Lemming told the Des Moines Register that the 11 recruits that have committed to the Cyclones mirror the team's success. "This could be Iowa State's best class ever,'' Lemming said. "Their fans should realize these are their glory days."

Kansas
Kansas didn't leave Waco without something resembling a positive. Punter Curtis Ansel hit a Big 12 record 83-yard punt. Earlier in the season he had tied the league record with an 82-yard kick against UNLV. ... Among the myriad problems the Jayhawks have is finding receivers who can catch. The Jayhawks dropped nine passes against Baylor. …Wide receiver Mark Simmons left the Baylor game with an undisclosed injury and his status for this week's game against Colorado is uncertain. ... Junior running back Reggie Duncan saw his first action of the season since straining a hamstring on Sept. 14. He had 10 rushes for 15 yards and a score.

Kansas State
Kansas State got a rude introduction to Big 12 play and the importance of a passing game. The Wildcats' secondary, a question mark in the preseason, was even a bigger one against Colorado. KSU defensive backs gave up touchdown passes of 94 and 71 yards. The Wildcats will spend the off week trying to get better play from Bobby Walker and Rudy Jordan, who were burnt by the Buffaloes unlikely passing game. Colorado ranked 109th in pass offense heading into the game. ... The Wildcats will also need to develop more confidence in their own passing game. Even after the Wildcats fell behind by 21 points in the second half they tried only four more passes, all by starter Ell Roberson.

Missouri
Missouri wide receiver Justin Gage's first catch against Oklahoma was his 152nd for the Tigers, breaking the school record he shared with Kenny Holly. Gage's record now stands at 160. ... Quarterback Brad Smith was the first player to rush for 200 or more yards against Oklahoma in 32 games. Nebraska, who the Tigers play this week, hasn't allowed a 200-yard individual rusher since Penn State's Curt Warner ran for 238 against the Huskers in 1981.

Nebraska
Nebraska may soon find itself embroiled in its first quarterback controversy since Monte Christo, Bobby Newcombe and Eric Crouch were battling for the job in 1998. The Lincoln Journal-Star reported that the Cornhusker coaches had talked last week with Curt Dukes about giving up his redshirt year and playing. Dukes, a Super Prep All-America from Stony Point, N.C., and the coaches decided not to play him this year. Still, starting quarterback Jammal Lord worked mostly with the second team while Mike Stuntz ran with the first team in practice last week. Come game day, Lord started and set a school total offense record of 369 yards. ... Heralded freshman running back David Horne made his college debut after starting I-back Dahrran Diedrick got the wind knocked out of him and responded by carrying 12 times for 81 yards.

Oklahoma
Oklahoma's fake field goal against Missouri shouldn't have surprised the team the Sooners play this week, the Texas Longhorns. OU used the same play in 1999 but then holder Patrick Fletcher threw to kicker Tim Duncan for a 4-yard touchdown. Against Missouri holder Matt McCoy ignored kicker Trey Di Carlo and tossed to tight end Chris Chester for the touchdown. ... Cornerback Andre Woolfolk missed the Mizzou game with a bruised knee. Offensive tackle Wes Sims (leg) and wide receiver Mark Clayton (knee) are expected to play against the Longhorns.

Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State coach Les Miles may be ready to make changes in the Cowboys' field goal/PAT team after a missed extra point forced them to try unsuccessfully for the two-point conversion that ended up costing them a shot at going to overtime against heavily favored Texas. Jed Newkirk fired a low snap to holder Sky Rylant, who bobbled the ball. Luke Phillips hit a low kick that the Longhorns blocked. ... OSU burned a possible redshirt year by putting halfback Greg Jones in for one play against Texas, a throwback pass by Jones that was intercepted deep in UT territory. Jones had missed the first four games while recovering from preseason knee surgery.

Texas
Texas had its own kicking problems against Oklahoma State but coach Mack Brown said he won't make any changes. Kicker Dusty Mangum missed three of four field goal attempts, including two short tries, and will compete with David Pino in practice this week. But Brown said he wouldn't play Pino against Oklahoma because that game requires experience, something Pino doesn't have. ... Wide receiver Roy Williams said he expects his hamstring to be at 100 percent for the Horns' game against OU.

Texas A&M
Texas A&M found out a NCAA oddity in its loss to Texas Tech -- how a player can get a receiving touchdown without catching a pass. A&M quarterback Dustin Long completed an eight yard pass to Greg Porter, who fumbled into the end zone. The ball was recovered by Stacy Jones who -- after a call to NCAA statistics honcho Jim Wright after the game -- was credited with a 1-yard touchdown but not a reception. Long's seven touchdown passes not only broke the Big 12 record of six set by Tech's Kliff Kingsbury last week, but it equaled the number the Aggies had thrown for in their last 12 games. ... A&M may give freshman Todd Pegram another chance to be the Aggies place-kicker after walk-on John Pierson missed two extra points, including one that would have won the game in overtime and one that lost the game in overtime.

Texas Tech
Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury continues to climb the passing charts. The senior needs 454 yards to become the 20th I-A passer with at least 10,000 career yards. Kingsbury had video game numbers against A&M's usually stingy defense -- 49 of 59 for 474 yards and five touchdowns. ... Wes Welker, who returned six punts for 166 yards and a touchdown, may be the most versatile player in the Big 12. "The A&M game was a typical Wes Welker high school game,'' said coach Mike Leach. Welker leads the conference in all-purpose yards with 175.5 yards a game, 36.5 more than second place Chris Brown of Colorado. ... Tim Norman is expected to replace Byron Johnson as nickel back and get more time at cornerback against Iowa State this week. The Red Raiders will have to make the game another shootout if they hope to upset the Cyclones.

Around the WAC
Louisiana Tech's stunning loss to Rice ended the school's streak of 27 straight wins when the Bulldogs led at halftime. The Bulldogs will try to get quarterback Luke McCown back on track after not scoring in the second half and entering Owl territory only once. ... Fresno State coach Pat Hill said he believes receiver/kick returner Bernard Berrian will use an injury redshirt this year. Berrian injured his knee in the preseason and would decide between seeing spot duty the rest of this season or redshirting, something he hasn't done in his career. … Hawaii wide receiver Nate Ilaoa may miss a game with a dislocated shoulder but the Warriors got some good news. Ilaoa, a Mormon, is considering delaying his two-year religious mission, which he was expected to take after this season. ... UTEP's offense took a blow when quarterback Jon Schaper broke his collarbone, which could knock him out for eight weeks, effectively ending his season. Redshirt freshman Orlando Cruz, who completed 15 of 19 passes in relief, will take Schaper's place. … With a sack against Navy, Rice defensive lineman Brandon Green can move past former Owl end Ndukwe Kalu (1993-96) for the school career sack record. Both have 20. …. While SMU's running game has allowed it to win the time of possession edge in all six games this year, the passing game has struggled mightily. The Mustangs head into the Fresno State game having gone two straight games without at least 100 yards passing. ... San Jose State has already surpassed its win total from last year (3-9). The Spartans will be gunning for their fourth-straight win against Ohio State, something they haven't done since 1991. … Nevada's running game, which struggled against UNLV, should get a boost against Hawaii with the return of sophomore tackle Harvey Dahl, who tore a tendon in his foot in an offseason jet ski accident. … Boise State, which now looks like the WAC favorite after demolishing Hawaii, will be without sophomore right tackle Rusty Colburn for six weeks because of a broken right fibula. ... Tulsa President Robert Lawless told the Associated Press that Tulsa would not drop down to Division I-AA. When former coach Dave Rader was fired in mid 1999 Lawless said that the private school would drop down if the program didn't show improvement. Tulsa has lost 15-straight games, the longest current NCAA I-A losing streak.

Mark Wangrin covers college football for the San Antonio News-Express.