ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Linebacker Tamba Hali and cornerback Sean Smith returned turnovers for touchdowns in extending the Kansas City Chiefs’ perfect start to nine straight games with a 23-13 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Hali put the Chiefs ahead for good by scoring on an 11-yard fumble return with 12:47 remaining. Smith changed the momentum of the game by intercepting Jeff Tuel’s pass at the goal line and returning it 100 yards to tie it at 10 in the opening minutes of the second half.

Kansas City’s opportunistic defense made up for its own deficiencies as well as an Alex Smith-led offense that managed just 210 yards. Buffalo (3-6) had a season-best 470 yards of offense. Tuel, an undrafted rookie, struggled in his first NFL start. He went 18 of 39 for 229 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions while filling in for interim starter Thad Lewis, sidelined by bruised ribs.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Andy Rice tossed a career-high five touchdown passes and ran for another score as Drake routed Morehead State 56-14 on Saturday. After an interception by Rice on Drake’s first possession, Rice led the Bulldogs (5-4, 4-2 Pioneer Football League) to touchdowns on each of their next four possessions en route to taking a 35-7 halftime lead. Each of Rice’s five touchdown passes were caught by a different receiver and Neko Graf was the only Drake receiver to tally two touchdown receptions.

Drake amassed 221 yards rushing and 511 total yards while holding Morehead State (3-6, 3-3) to only 82 yards rushing and 232 total yards. Austin Gahafer completed just 16 of 34 passes for the Eagles and threw two interceptions. The victory was Drake’s 15th straight home win against a Pioneer League opponent.

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Tevin Allen’s fumble recovery for a touchdown led Illinois State to a 13-3 victory over Northern Iowa Saturday. Special teams and turnovers factored large in this defensive battle. After Northern Iowa’s second possession, the Redbirds’ Teddy Corwin deflected Logan Beighler’s punt — which went just five yards — leading to Nick Aussieker’s 24-yard field goal. On the next play from scrimmage, Chad Owens fumbled and Allen scooped it up and went 17 yards to put Illinois State (5-4, 4-2 Missouri Valley Conference) up 10-0.

Northern Iowa (4-5, 0-5) scored in the third quarter courtesy of its special teams. Shawn Rush blocked C.J. Laros’ punt, setting the Panthers up on Illinois State’s 22-yard line. Three plays resulted in just two yards though, and they settled for Tyler Sievertsen’s 37-yard field goal.

The Redbirds benefited from another short punt in the fourth, setting up Aussieker’s 28-yard field goal to ice the win in Normal, Illinois.

Rebekah Topham of Griswold won the class 1-A girls state cross country championship Saturday in Fort Dodge with a winning time of 13:56.3.  That was 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Leah Seivert of Sibley-Ocheyedan.  It is the third title in a row for the junior and the third straight runner-up finish for Seivert.  Other top runners in the girls 1-A race include Destiny Scar of Nodaway Valley placing eighth, Michelle Mumm of Tri-Center was ninth, Audubon’s Megan Deist was 25th and Grace Hoflen of Exira/EHK placed 32nd.  Pekin won the girls 1-A team title with Griswold 7th and St. Albert 8th.

In the boys class 1-A race, Denver won the team title with Riverside 4th, St. Albert 6th and Boyer Valley 7th.  Individually, the top area finishers include Chase Bonsall of Boyer Valley 23rd, Brayten Funke of Nodaway Valley 24th, Brady Ryun of Riverside 29th, Tim Brink of Riverside 26th and Bradndon Sipherd of Riverside 38th.

In class 2-A, Gilbert won the girls team title with Panorama 14th.  Grace Gibbons of Gilbert won the race with Alexis Cook of Missouri Valley 22nd.  Monticello won the boys championship with Shenandoah placing 5th.  Michael Melchert of Monticello was first, with Shenandoah’s Nate Hoyt 26th and his teammate Bradley young 31st.

In class 3-A, the girls team champ was Decorah, with Tess Roorda winning the race.  Tiffany Williams of Atlantic placed 24th.  The sophomore ran a time of 15:38.8.  Boone won the boys team title in 3-A with Harlan 9th and Creston 13th.  Chandler Austin of Boone was the champion with Chris Brace of Harlan placing 24rd.

In class 4-A, Dowling Catholic on the girls team title and Cedar Rapids Prairie won the boys team title.  McKenzie Yanek of Pleasant Valley won the girls race while Josh Evans of Linn-Mar won the boys race.

To see the complete results, click the links below.

1-A Girls     1-A Boys     2-A Girls     2-A Boys     3-A Girls     3-A Boys     4-A Girls     4-A Boys

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — John Hubert ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns, and Kansas State nearly pitched its first Big 12 shutout in a decade in a 41-7 rout of Iowa State on Saturday. The quarterback combo of Jake Waters and Daniel Sams combined to throw for 221 yards and run for 89 yards as the Wildcats (4-4, 2-3) beat the Cyclones for the sixth straight time.

Iowa State (1-7, 0-5) didn’t score until the Wildcats’ Robert Rose coughed up the ball at his own 10-yard line in the closing minutes, and DeVondrick Nealy took a toss-sweep for a touchdown. That was the only time the Cyclones ran a play in the Wildcats’ red zone.

Grant Rohach threw for 88 yards for the Cyclones in place of Sam Richardson, who left midway through the second quarter. Richardson had been dealing with a lingering ankle injury.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — James White ran for 132 yards and a pair of late touchdowns as 22nd-ranked Wisconsin overwhelmed Iowa 28-9 on Saturday for its third straight win. Joel Stave added two touchdown passes for the Badgers (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten), who are bowl eligible for the 12th year in a row. Wisconsin’s Pat Muldoon intercepted Iowa backup C.J. Beathard at the Hawkeyes 25-yard line with 7:43 left, setting up an 11-yard TD run by White.

White added a 2-yard touchdown with 1:35 left for the Badgers, who won despite a season-low 62 yards rushing from Melvin Gordon. Hawkeyes quarterback Jake Rudock had 109 yards passing for the Hawkeyes (5-4, 2-3) before leaving the game in the third quarter with an apparent left leg injury.

w/ Chris Parks

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Winners move on to play in regional finals on Wednesday, Nov. 6th.
Local Matchups Wednesday at 7pm:

• Fremont-Mills vs. Lemars Gehlen Catholic @ Onawa
• Stanton vs. Murray @ Creston
• Guthrie Center vs. AGWSR @ Norwalk
• Maple Valley-Anthon Oto vs. CB St. Albert @ Woodbine

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reserve linebacker Marcus Collins has been kicked off the team after being charged with drunken driving. Collins was arrested early Friday by Iowa City police. He was charged with operating while under the influence and driving with a suspended or canceled license.

Collins, a native of Yeadon, Pa., played in six games this season. He made six tackles and forced a fumble playing primarily on special teams. Coach Kirk Ferentz says Collins was already on a three-game suspension for undisclosed reasons.

The Hawkeyes face No. 22 Wisconsin on Saturday.

A Dunkerton high school football player accused of taking a gun and marijuana with him to a road game in has been arrested in Texas. The investigation of 18-year-old Maryo Lindsey, Jr. started on August 30th when the Dunkerton Raiders played a road game at Riceville. Lindsey was injured in the game and transported to a local hospital for treatment. That’s when someone apparently discovered a handgun and suspected marijuana in his duffel bag and reported it to school officials.

The next morning, Dunkerton Schools Superintendent Jim Stanton called the sheriff’s office and asked authorities to investigate the matter. During their investigation, authorities received information that Lindsey had left Iowa for Texas. Today (Friday) sheriff’s officials received confirmation that Lindsey has been arrested in Texas on multiple Black Hawk County weapons charges – including possession of a Firearm on School Grounds – as well as possession of marijuana.

Lindsey is being held on $200,000 bond in the Dallas County jail in Dallas, Texas. He’s scheduled to appear before a judge in Dallas for an extradition hearing.

(Radio Iowa)