How do you stop the Big 12 Conference’s leading rusher – when he’s not even a running back?

The league’s most puzzling riddle is now Kansas University’s problem to solve. Missouri quarterback Brad Smith, the only player in the Big 12 to average 100 yards rushing per game, comes to Lawrence for a Saturday meeting with the Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium

Don’t ask the Nebraska Cornhuskers for tips. Smith’s 480 yards of total offense is proof that they didn’t have a clue.

Neither did Oklahoma State (377 yards), New Mexico (413 yards) or Arkansas State (412).

“He’s like a rocket running down the field,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “If you give him a crease, he’s going to hurt you.”

Missouri quarterback Brad Smith celebrates a touchdown against Nebraska, one of four in which he had a hand Saturday in Columbia. KU hopes to fare better against the run-pass threat this Saturday.

It’s a challenge KU has answered the last two years.

In 2003, Smith was held to 33 yards rushing and 62 yards passing in a 35-14 KU victory.

In ’04, Smith was credited with 13 carries for minus-41 yards – more than three yards lost per carry. KU won that game, too.

The secret, Mangino said, wasn’t much of a secret at all.

“I don’t think we’ve done anything out of the ordinary,” Mangino said. “I think we’ve done a good job of trying to disrupt his rhythm. If he gets into a rhythm, either running or passing, he is very dangerous.”

Mangino added that there wouldn’t be any change in KU’s approach to containing Smith, even though the Jayhawks are expecting a different look from Missouri’s side.

The Tigers have gone to a spread offense in an attempt to open up area for Smith, both to dance around and to find more targets to strike.

It has worked. Smith has rushed for 865 yards and nine touchdowns in seven games this year and passed for 1,401 yards and eight more scores. Rushing the football, Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal is second in the conference to Smith – and he’s 241 yards behind.

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Smith is second in NCAA history for rushing by a quarterback, trailing only Indiana’s Antwaan Randle El, now a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith is only 42 yards behind.

“We haven’t seen a quarterback like him so far (this year),” KU linebacker Kevin Kane said of Smith. “It helps that we’ve seen him before, and we know we can stop him. We just have to do that this year.”

Missouri quarterback Brad Smith sprints away from Nebraska's Jay Moore, bottom left, and Adam Carriker, bottom right, for a 79-yard touchdown run. Smith ran over, around and through - and threw on - NU Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

To get the feel for facing a speedy quarterback, KU in the past has put kick-return specialist Greg Heaggans at scout-team quarterback against KU’s defense. Heaggans was a run-first quarterback at Kansas City Schlagle High and took a few snaps as a rushing QB for KU in 2002.

Though Smith’s legs are cause for concern, he’s even more of a problem considering he has one of the strongest arms in the Big 12. He passed for 300 yards against Arkansas State and 200 against New Mexico and Nebraska earlier this season.

After Smith’s historic day against the Huskers – 246 yards rushing, 234 yards passing – Mangino was asked if it was a good or bad time to face Smith coming off such a good game.

The answer: Does it matter?

“He’s had a lot of good games over there at Missouri,” Mangino said. “I don’t know when a good or bad time would be to play him.

“I think,” he added, “the time is right for us.”