Spike Dykes figures he still owes Kliff Kingsbury an apology, but Kingsbury, the Texas Tech quarterback who leads the nation with 4,455 yards, contends that he cannot thank Dykes enough.

The winningest coach in Red Raider history, Dykes’ worst loss coincided with Kingsbury’s debut. Playing before 83,882 fans at Texas in November 1999, the Longhorns knocked Tech starter Rob Peters from the game with a concussion. Dykes trotted out Kingsbury, who completed only 5 of 19 passes and who, under unyielding pressure, was sacked four times in a 58-7 demoralization.

‘They beat us like a tied-up goat,’ Dykes said from his home in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. ‘They nearly killed him.’

Unbowed, Kingsbury passed for 259 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions a week later to win his first start, against Josh Heupel and Oklahoma. In the locker room after the game, Dykes announced his retirement, and perhaps no player felt more attached to the departing coach than Kingsbury.

‘He was the only coach in America to offer me a scholarship,’ Kingsbury said Monday. ‘I felt I owed him that win. That’s probably still one of my biggest victories.’

Last week, Kingsbury won perhaps his most impressive game, 42-38, appropriately, by knocking Texas from national-title contention. The senior from New Braunfels, Texas, lit up an esteemed secondary for 473 yards on 38-of-60 passing, with six touchdowns and no interceptions.

‘I’ve never seen him have a game like he had Saturday,’ Dykes said.

Still, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Kingsbury has put up better numbers. In a 48-47 overtime upset at Texas A&M on Oct. 5, he completed 49 of 59 for an NCAA-record 83.1 percent for 474 yards. Two weeks later against Missouri, he established his career high in attempts with 70. He completed 49 for a career-best 510 yards.

No quarterback in NCAA history has attempted (1,805) or completed (1,184) more passes than Kingsbury, and his 91 career touchdown passes are 31 more than Major Applewhite, who is second in Big 12 annals. With 11,867 passing yards, he’s fourth all-time in college football.

This season, he leads the country in yards and touchdowns, with 41. He has been hit hard (34 sacks) yet has been intercepted only 10 times in 634 attempts.

On Saturday, Kingsbury leads No. 24 Texas Tech (8-4, 5-2) into No. 4 Oklahoma (9-1, 5-1) with a spot in the Big 12 championship at stake. And he is composed.

‘I haven’t felt pressure all year long, so I’m not going to feel it now,’ he said. ‘It’s just been a fun year. My name’s never been up for the Heisman Trophy, really. I’m just going out and enjoying the moment.’

That Kingsbury is not up for the Heisman is ridiculous enough that Texas Tech coach Mike Leach suggested a ‘media conspiracy.’

Kingsbury shrugs off the lack of attention and his many critics. Most specifically, he hears daily that Tech runs an offense requiring only short, high-percentage passes and that any quarterback could match his statistics in a similar system.

‘I agree with Mike,’ Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Monday. ‘Every team has a system. The bottom line is he executes what they ask of him in a great way. I believe he deserves recognition and more of it.’

The way Kingsbury figures, the fact that anyone says anything about him is remarkable.

‘After my senior year (in high school), I almost didn’t play football,’ he said. ‘I thought I’d done pretty well and I knew I could play at this level.’

Only Dykes believed him. No other Division I school offered Kingsbury a scholarship. His father and high school coach, Tim, attributed this to New Braunfels’ 4-6 season Kingsbury’s junior year, when the team moved up to a difficult 5-A district.

His senior season, though, Kingsbury led New Braunfels to the district title and, as Dykes recalled, won three consecutive overtime playoff games. Texas Tech, on probation and able to offer only 15 scholarships that year, did not intend to sign a quarterback unless a recruit dropped, Tim Kingsbury said.

That happened, and Dykes’ son, Rick, and offensive coordinator Dean Campbell talked Dykes into visiting Kingsbury in January of his senior year.

‘They drove me crazy,’ Dykes said. ‘Kliff was all they talked about for two weeks. After I met with him for five minutes, there was no doubt.’

Today, Kingsbury is Second Biggest Man on Campus in Lubbock, behind only Bobby Knight.

‘I love basketball, and I’m a huge fan of Coach Knight,’ Kingsbury said. ‘I hope after this season I have a chance to sit down and talk with him.’

Knight likely would enjoy Kingsbury’s story, one of low odds and determination. The 23-year-old recently looked at a picture taken at the Oklahoma game in 1999.

‘There are only six of us left on the team,’ he said. ‘For this program to be at the level it is at is a great feat.’

For that, the school owes Kingsbury a thank you.

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Pass happy

Remember the name Geary Davenport. A freshman at the College of Marin, a junior college in Kentfield, Calif., Davenport completed 44 of 64 passes Saturday for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. And, ‘Doggone, we couldn’t win it,’ said Marin coach Tim Adams, whose team lost, 72-69, to Solano Community College.

On Monday morning, California, Washington, North Carolina, TCU and Baylor called Adams to inquire about Davenport, a native of Berkeley, Calif.

‘He’s been generating a lot of interest, but now we’re getting calls from the East Coast,’ Adams said. ‘When Carolina called, that was surprising.’

Zamir Amin, a former Division III quarterback at Menlo College (Atherton, Calif.), had established the NCAA all-division passing record with 731 yards in a game two seasons ago.

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Golden Colorado

When USC embarrassed Colorado, 40-3, on Sept. 14 to drop the defending Big 12 champs to 1-2, coach Gary Barnett said: ‘We couldn’t pass the ball, we couldn’t block, we couldn’t rush. We were just totally inept on offense,’ adding, ‘All we’ve got is each other. Hell, I assume we don’t want to get embarrassed.’

Today, all the Buffaloes (8-3, 6-1) have is a spot in the Big 12 championship game and the opportunity to go 11-3. In place of quarterback Craig Ochs, who transferred in September, junior Robert Hodge has 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns against six interceptions. Running back Chris Brown, who managed only 44 yards vs. USC, leads the nation with 1,744, including 309 on Oct. 12 at Kansas. Colorado concludes the regular season at Nebraska on Nov. 29, then faces the winner of Oklahoma-Texas Tech on Dec. 7 for the league title.

Barnett for Coach of the Year?

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Home invasion

If you missed it, Iowa fans celebrated a 45-21 victory at Minnesota by tearing down a Metrodome goal post. After the win, which clinched Iowa (11-1, 8-0) a share of the Big 10 title, Hawkeye zealots ripped down the goal post in the north end zone and attempted to carry it out of the indoor stadium in pieces.

Dennis Alfton, the Metrodome’s Director of Operations in his 26th year at the stadium, does not believe they made it. ‘We have revolving doors like the Carrier Dome,’ Alfton said. ‘It would have been very hard, especially with security there.’

Two caveats. First, Alfton said the University of Minnesota likely would be billed for the merchandise — at least $1,000 — despite no involvement. Second, a small-division college game was played at the stadium at 6:30 p.m. the same day. The Iowa-Minnesota game, which began at 11 a.m. Central, ended around 2. Stadium workers scoured the dome for a spare goal post and installed it in time.

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This and that

Indefinitely suspended Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker broke his silence last Thursday in a press conference at the school. Smoker, a junior, admitted to abusing more than one substance but said he never played under the influence of any. He has resumed taking classes at MSU, is undergoing rehab and said he would like to play next season, though a new coach will be at MSU and the decision will rest with him. ‘Sometime down the road in my recovery when I have more confidence, I would like to do some outreach just to make young kids and people aware that the decisions you make do affect your life,’ Smoker said. ‘I’ve realized that it’s a privilege to play for the Michigan State Spartans, not a right, and I might have taken advantage of that sometimes.’ … Penn State RB Larry Johnson could catch Colorado’s Brown, whom he trails by eight yards, for the national rushing title. With a school-record 327 rushing yards Saturday — his third game with 257 or more — the senior from State College, Pa., has 1,736 yards. … Alabama, a 31-0 winner over LSU, ended the Tigers’ streak of consecutive games without being shut out at 72. LSU QB Marcus Randall, who completed 6 of 17, threw for roughly half as many yards all of Saturday night (39) in Baton Rouge, La., as he did on the final play vs. Kentucky a week earlier (75, on a game-winning Hail Mary). … With 3,818 yards, Washington QB Cody Pickett passed Ryan Leaf for the Pac-10 single-season record. Leaf tossed for 3,637 yards in 1997 at Washington State. … If Iowa plays in the Rose Bowl, the team would go 45 days between its season finale and the bowl game. … Speaking of bowl games, Alabama and Kentucky would be well on their way to respectable postseason desinations if not for NCAA sanctions. Alabama (9-2, 6-1 SEC), which nearly faced the death penalty from the NCAA for recruiting violations, would play in the SEC title game and perhaps a BCS game if not for sanctions. Kentucky is 7-4 and would be 8-3 if not for the Randall-to-Devery Henderson prayer on Nov. 9. … Washington’s Derek McLaughlin, the Pac-10’s worst punter entering play Saturday, crushed an 80-yarder against Oregon. … Believe that TV is not an impressionable medium? After observing former NFL tackle Jim Burt spray silicon on his uniform on the tube, Sacramento State defensive lineman Brad Osterhout convinced three of his fellow defensive linemen to join him in greasing their jerseys with PAM before a game. They were caught and reprimanded but not suspended. Best of all, Sac State lost the game.

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Heisman watch

Ken Dorsey. It’s his unless Kingsbury beats Oklahoma. Nearly 5,000 yards and wins at Texas A&M, vs. Texas and at Oklahoma would therefore deserve to be recognized.

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Line of the week

Colorado fan Violet Stromberg, 96, donated her life savings of $40,730 to the school to create a trust fund for Ralphie IV, the buffalo that serves as the team’s mascot, the Associated Press reported.

‘This will provide growing support for Ralphie in perpetuity, not only for this Ralphie but all future Ralphies,’ said Colorado treasurer Judy Van Gorden.

If you’re curious, Ralphie’s pricey needs include hoof clipping, vet visits and transportation to games. The 700-pound beast gormandizes $1,500 a year in oats, grass and alfalfa.

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V.I.P. M.I.A.

QB Byron Leftwich, Marshall: Leftwich’s Heisman hopes fade the longer he remains sidelined. Leftwich (2,995 yards, 19 TDs, 7 INTs) has not practiced since injuring his left shin Nov. 2. He is questionable for Saturday, and the team’s Monday release listed Stan Hill as starter. A win Saturday over Ohio secures Marshall (7-2, 5-1) home field for the Dec. 7 MAC title game.

WR Kelley Washington, Tennessee: Washington, a sophomore with 23 catches for 443 yards in only two games, underwent surgery Tuesday to fuse two vertebrae in his neck. The surgery should allow Washington to play football again, though it is unlikely he will in a Volunteers uniform. Washington nearly declared for the NFL last spring and undoubtedly will after this year. He last played Oct. 12 against Georgia, when he suffered a concussion and strained neck.

Published on November 20, 2002 at 12:00 pm