Heisman Trophy campaigns can be as tricky as presidential campaigns. If the message isn't clear or if the rhetoric gets too loud, the voters will look elsewhere on the ballot.

The recent trend for Heisman campaigns has been to speak softly and carry a winning record. Winners of the stiff-arming statuette have tended to make their cases on the field, not in the mailboxes of the voters.

Missouri, though, might have hit on a unique gimmick to promote senior quarterback Chase Daniel, who finished fourth in last year's Heisman race. In the next week, the school will mail about 2,000 View-Masters equipped with 3-D slides of Daniel in action.

(Note to younger readers who have no idea what a View-Master is: Google is your friend.)

Missouri sports information director Chad Moller had several brain-storming sessions with his staff. Dave Reiter, who handles media relations for the men's basketball team, tossed out the idea of the View-Master.

"I don't know if he was really serious, I think he was just throwing it out there," Moller said. "The more we talked about it, the better it sounded. It's a pretty unique way to promote a player.

Moller did some Internet sleuthing and found a company who makes the toy, which has been around since the 1940s. Image 3D, a company in Beavercreek, Ore., is producing the View-Masters. The total cost of the promotional project was $25,000, about half of what Missouri budgeted for publicity purposes.

"It's kind of a nostalgic item," Moller said. "I think it will resonate with the voters. And it's practical."

Later in the season, Moller and his staff can send updated slides to the View-Master recipients. Those slides can update Daniel's season or promote other players like receiver/returner Jeremy Maclin, tight end Chase Coffman, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon and/or safety William Moore.

Moller made sure that coach Gary Pinkel signed off on the project. The Tigers' coach, said this week that the best way for Daniel to make a return trip to New York this December is for Missouri to keep winning.

"Everybody is aware of it and he more than anybody understands his play at a high level is what we need to win," Pinkel said. "And that (the Heisman) will not happen unless we win at a high level, too.

"(His teammates) think it's pretty cool that we have a player thought of highly enough that he's in the race."

Triple play
Oklahoma State became the first team in Big 12 history to produce a 300-yard passer, a 200-yard rusher and a 200-yard receiver in the same game.

In the Cowboys' 56-37 victory over Houston that produced 699 yards of total offense, Zac Robinson had 320 yards passing, Kendall Hunter rushed fro 210 yards and Dez Bryant had 236 yards receiving on nine receptions.

"We didn't realize how many yards we had made because we were just trying to play as a team," said Hunter, who had the first 200-yard rushing game of his career. "But after they told me how many I had after the third quarter, I wanted to stay in there and get some more."

There have only been four other times in NCAA Division I-A history that a team accomplished the 300-200-200 trifecta.

Sumrall's wait is over Iowa State senior receiver R.J. Sumrall watched as freshmen Darius Darks and Sedrick Johnson made touchdown recpetions in the season opener. Sumrall entered Saturday's game against Kent State with 103 career receptions but no touchdowns.

His 104th reception was a 24-yard touchdown reception that gave the Cyclones a 14-7 lead over Kent State. His 105th catch was a 49-yard TD.

"I've been feeling bad for R.J.," said sophomore quarterback Austen Arnaud, who threw the 49-yard scoring pass. "Because Sedrick got his first one, and Darius got his first, and they've been here for one game."

Short yardage
- Missouri senior quarterback Chase Daniel needs 52 yards to pass Brad Smith (8,799 yards) as the school's career passing leader. "Obviously, it means a lot to me right now," Daniel told the Columbia Daily Tribune. "You look at Brad, and he's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in college. He's the first 8,000-4,000 guy college has ever had. For career passing yardage, that's going to be a big deal for me."

- Oklahoma State announced this week that it has sold a record 38,590 season tickets. The previous best was 38,504 in 2004. Last year, the school sold 33,700.

- Kansas State leads the Big 12 in scoring with 114 points. The Wildcats are 10-of-12 in red zone (20-yard line and in) scoring opportunities. Nine of those 10 scores have been touchdowns.

- Oklahoma's Jeremy Beal had 10 tackles against Cincinnati. He's the first Sooners defensive lineman to have a double-digit tackle total since 2001.

- Texas A&M got its first victory Saturday by beating New Mexico, 28-22, but the Aggies had to share the spotlight in Albuquerque. The state fair parade was staged and the the Republican presidential ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin were campaigning at a “Road to Victory Rally.”

- Nebraska has outscored Saturday's opponent New Mexico State by a combined 125-0 in the two previous games of the series. The Aggies are 1-18 against teams from BCS conferences since 1998.

- Now you know: Texas' Quan Cosby returned a 65-yard New Mexico field goal attempt 65 yards, setting up a touchdown that gave the Longhorns a 21-6 lead. According to NCAA statistical rules, Cosby's return is considered "miscellaneous yardage."

Audibles
"I thought I gambled stupid and it was just dumb. Being in Reno, I guess I got the bug. I was stuck in a hotel where you don't have any clocks and they were pumping oxygen in there. I thought it was my lucky day."
- Texas Tech coach Mike Leach on his two fourth-down tries inside the Red Raiders' 30-yard line.

"Until this week, I'd been calling him No. 20, but this week I started calling him by his name. He's on four special teams units and he's been playing with focus and with good leadership."
- Kansas State coach Ron Prince on junior defensive back Courtney Herndon, who had four tackles, one fumble recovery for a 43-yard touchdown, and one interception with a 26-yard return in the victory over Montana State.

“Robert (Griffin) was tremendously poised. He’s wise beyond his years for a guy who was playing high school football last year. He’s a special guy mentally and God blessed him with a lot of physical tools.”
- Baylor senior receiver Thomas White on the first start by the Baylor freshman quarterback.

“No. 4 team? If I had a vote, they wouldn't be No. 4. Is there anything higher than No. 1?”
- Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly after his team's 52-26 loss to Oklahoma.

"My brother has already called me about 20 times. I should have scored on that play, but I ran out of gas."
- Texas A&M defensive end Michael Bennett, whose older brother Martellus is a rookie tight end with the Dallas Cowboys, on his 37-yard fumble return that could have been a touchdown.