College Football -- Walden: Bad Note From Band

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State marching band struck such a sour note with football coach Jim Walden Saturday that he wished it hadn't traveled to the Cyclones' game in Norman, Okla.

He didn't like the "Iowa State - a band with a football problem" sign and other banners on display on an Iowa State band bus outside Memorial Stadium during the Cyclones' 34-6 loss to Oklahoma.

"If we're going to go on the road, we'd rather have our band at least be proud of what they are and don't try to put our players down and me down and everyone else down," he said on a postgame radio show. Iowa State is 0-5.

CONSENSUS: FLORIDA NO. 1

Top-ranked Florida pulled away from No. 2 Nebraska, and Utah moved into the rankings for the first time in 47 years in The Associated Press poll.

Florida, which led Nebraska by 16 points last week, increased the margin to 72 after the Gators defeated Mississippi 38-14 and the Cornhuskers struggled to beat Wyoming 42-32 without ailing quarterback Tommie Frazier.

Florida is a consensus No. 1 in the major polls. The Gators moved ahead of Nebraska by 31 points in the USA Today-CNN coaches' poll.

In the AP poll, Washington is 12th and Washington State is 22nd. In the USA Today/CNN poll, Washington State is 20th.

NOTES

-- Alcorn State quarterback Steve McNair played 35 minutes against Mississippi Valley State and, despite a sore throwing shoulder, had 334 yards total offense, becoming the NCAA Division I-AA career leader. McNair had 226 yards and two touchdowns passing and 108 yards and another TD rushing Saturday night against Valley in Jackson, Miss.

-- Oregon State had 185 yards against Arizona but 134 came in the first half of Arizona's 30-10 victory late Saturday in Tucson. "Frankly, I think we may have played our best game," Coach Dick Tomey said. ". . . As far as the overall team: no turnovers, the kicking game was the best that it's been." Arizona is 2-0 in the Pac-10, 4-0 overall. Oregon State is 0-2, 1-3.