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Texas A&M's Jorvorskie Lane is a hard guy to miss.

That's what made the imposing fullback's limited carries this season – seven in the first three games – all the more noticeable.

Coach Mike Sherman's critiques of the senior, who suffered a neck sprain during the preseason, and decisions to give the ball to other backs in short-yardage situations raised questions.

But the senior made his return in vintage Lane style in A&M's ugly escape of Army on Saturday – much to the enjoyment of the Kyle Field crowd, which erupted when he got his first carry in the third quarter.

After the Aggies stopped Army on fourth down late, they turned to Lane to run out the clock. Lane, who had been told early in the week he'd again hear his number in these situations, rushed six consecutive times to do it. On his last run, he busted through the middle, took on four Army defenders and drove them all forward.

"It felt good," said Lane, who said his weight is down from 307 to the 280s. "That's what I'm going to do when I'm called upon to carry the ball. I'm going to put my team on my back and win."

The Aggies open Big 12 play Saturday at Oklahoma State.

■ Not again: Speaking of No. 21 OSU, it rolled up 612 yards and scored 50-plus points for the third straight game in Saturday's 55-24 beating of Troy.

The Cowboys made up for an embarrassing 2007 loss to the Trojans. Receiver Dez Bryant and quarterback Zac Robinson continue to impress.

A historical footnote: Robinson got his first career start in last year's loss at Troy, replacing Bobby Reid. It was part of the sequence of events that led to coach Mike Gundy's unforgettable tantrum the following week.

■ Impressing the best: Baylor, climbing under new coach Art Briles, runs smack into newly minted No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday in Waco.

OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables is wary of Bears freshman QB Robert Griffin.

"He's fearless," Venables said. "And the players latch onto that. He's extremely confident and playing well beyond his years."

■ Dalton day-to-day: TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, injured in the fourth quarter in Saturdays' loss at OU, was not expected to practice Sunday, and his status is day-to-day.

School officials wouldn't specify what the injury is.

■ Spiraling? Winless North Texas, coming off a disastrous 77-20 loss to Rice, ranks last nationally in scoring defense (54.9 points per game). Next-to-last Idaho allows 7.8 fewer points per game.

"If I had any answers, I would give them," coach Todd Dodge said of UNT's woes. "We are all we have. They are our players, and we are their coaches. We have to come together as a team."

■ Briefly: Nebraska coach Bo Pelini blew his lid about a late-hit penalty called on the Cornhuskers in their 35-30 loss to Virginia Tech and picked up his own costly unsportsmanlike penalty. "I have to be smarter than that," Pelini told reporters. ... Texas QB Colt McCoy's pass completion percentage (80 percent) is tops nationally. "If he makes a bad throw, we're like, 'What's going on?'" UT receiver Quan Cosby said. ... Texas Tech's No. 7 AP ranking is its highest in any poll since it was No. 5 during the 1976 season.

Staff writers Chuck Carlton, Brandon George, Bobbi Roquemore and DRC's Brett Vito contributed to this report.