MOSCOW, Idaho — Idaho fired coach Robb Akey with the team 1-7 and coming off a blowout loss.

The school announced the move Sunday and promoted offensive coordinator Jason Gesser to interim coach. Gesser, a former Washington State quarterback, has been on the Idaho staff for two seasons.

Akey was 20-50 at Idaho since taking over in 2007. He had one winning season with the Vandals, going 8-5 in 2009 and beating Bowling Green 43-42 in the Humanitarian Bowl.

Idaho lost 70-28 to Louisiana Tech and allowed 839 yards Saturday.

Akey's contract runs through the 2014 season.

Idaho is a member of the Western Athletic Conference, which won't have enough members to compete in football beyond this season. The school already has plans to play as an independent starting next season.

Oregon drops to 4th

NEW YORK — Only in the BCS standings does Oregon get passed.

Kansas State moved ahead of the Ducks and up to No. 3 on Sunday behind SEC rivals Alabama and Florida.

The Wildcats' big victory Saturday at West Virginia was enough to nudge them past the Ducks, who are No. 2 in both polls but are getting held back by computer ratings that lag behind the other highly ranked teams.

The Crimson Tide (.9625) is still solidly in first, and Florida (.9310) grabbed a firmer grip on second with a 44-11 victory over South Carolina on Saturday.

The Gators are tops in the computer ratings and Kansas State is second. The Wildcats (.9111) beat West Virginia 55-14 for their third Big 12 road victory.

Fourth-place Oregon (.8966), coming off a 43-21 win at Arizona State, is sixth in the computer ratings.

Notre Dame is fifth in the standings heading into its game at Oklahoma. The Sooners are eighth.

Louisiana State is sixth and unbeaten Oregon State is seventh.

Note

• Oklahoma State starting quarterback J.W. Walsh will miss the rest of the season after hurting his knee in a 31-10 victory over Iowa State on Saturday, the latest blow in an injury-marred season.

Coach Mike Gundy said he believes Walsh was hurt within the first 10 or 20 plays of the game but never complained or came out with the injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

Walsh ended up throwing for a career-high 415 yards and running for 46 more in the win. He threw for one touchdown and ran for another, in the fourth quarter. Gundy said the injury was not career-threatening.

• Alabama ran its streak of weeks at No. 1 in the AP poll to eight, the longest stay atop the rankings by the Crimson Tide. Oregon is No. 2 for the fifth consecutive week.