FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots shook off a sluggish start to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 34-3 on Monday night. Julian Edelman returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown and Kyle Arrington had two interceptions, helping the Patriots (7-3) increased their AFC East lead to two games. The Chiefs (4-6) weren’t expected to do much on offense behind untested quarterback Tyler Palko, making his first career start with Matt Cassel injured. And they didn’t, managing just a 26-yard field goal by Ryan Succop with 1:30 left in the first quarter for their only lead. The Patriots had their second straight dominant game after beating the New York Jets 37-16. The Chiefs lost their third straight.

• Exira/EHK 55, A-H-S-T 22 (Exira/EHK: Maddy Peppers 16 pts, Taylor Petersen 13, Rachel Smith 10.  A-H-S-T: Casey Peters led with 8 pts, Exira/EHK outscored A-H-S-T 34-7 in second half)
• Guthrie Center 55, Audubon 53
• Iowa Christian Academy 53, Earlham 44
• Shenandoah 48, East Mills 31
• Lamoni 41, Lenox 38

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Fourth-year Nebraska coach Bo Pelini says he is proud of the strides his program has made despite an up-and-down season.  Fans are grousing after the 22nd-ranked Cornhuskers’ 45-17 loss at Michigan. The Huskers also had a 31-point loss at Wisconsin and a home loss to Northwestern this year.  Pelini won nine, 10 and 10 games his first three years and took his 2010-11 teams to the Big 12 championship game.  The Huskers (8-3, 4-3 Big Ten) were the trendy pick to win the Legends Division in their first year in the conference. Pelini said the week before the opener that the season would not be a success unless the Huskers won the Big Ten championship.  Nebraska finishes the regular season Friday against Iowa (7-4, 4-3).

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State has known what it has in coach Paul Rhoads from the moment the Cyclones hired him in December 2008.  Now the rest of the country knows, too.  Rhoads, the energetic third-year coach, pulled off the biggest win in school history Friday night. Iowa State stunned then-No. 2 Oklahoma State in double overtime, 37-31, in a rare nationally televised game for the program.  Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard says the win reinforced what the school has come to appreciate with Rhoads.  Pollard says the Cyclones play hard for Rhoads and believe in him.  Iowa State (6-4, 3-4 Big 12) will shoot for another huge upset on Saturday with a game at No. 12 Oklahoma (8-2, 5-2).

An uprising in the Big 12 has lowered the stakes of the year-ending Bedlam rivalry game.  When No. 12 Oklahoma plays at No. 5 Oklahoma State on Dec. 3, it will be for the Big 12 championship instead of a national championship – as long as the Sooners can avoid another upset.  Iowa State, which handed Oklahoma State its first loss last week, visits Norman on Saturday.  Sooners coach Bob Stoops said Monday the chance for an eighth Big 12 title still provides “great motivation.” Oklahoma State will be trying for its first title.  The Bedlam game was set up as a potential national semifinal before Baylor and Iowa State, which came into the year with the fewest wins in Big 12 history, pulled off upsets on consecutive days.