Looking to end a two-year road losing streak, the Colorado Buffaloes football team came up just short against the No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater, Okla.
The Buffs, who led by as many as 11 points, fell 31-28 to OSU and dropped to 3-8 overall Thursday on national TV.
Trailing by three points late in the game, CU (2-5 Big 12 Conference) sophomore linebacker Tyler Ahles stopped Cowboys sophomore backup quarterback Brandon Weeden for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at CU’s 39-yard line.
CU took over with 3 minutes, 14 seconds to play, but sophomore quarterback Tyler Hansen threw three consecutive incompletions and the Buffs elected to punt with three timeouts in their pocket.
Weeden and OSU (9-2, 6-1) senior running back Keith Toston each picked up a first down on the ground to maintain possession and chew up the remainder of the clock.
On the move on its previous possession, CU junior running back Demetrius Sumler put the ball on the turf at the Buffs’ 48 and watched OSU senior cornerback Perrish Cox pounce on it. It was CU’s only turnover of the game, but it came at a crucial time.
All of the Buffs’ momentum appeared to go down the drain when, on a third-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, Weeden found Toston wide open over the middle for a 47-yard touchdown pass after CU sent a blitz up the middle. The scoring strike got the crowd involved as it gave OSU its third lead of the game at 24-21 with 11:24 to play.
Buffs sophomore Brian Lockridge returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards to put CU back on top 28-24.
On the Cowboys’ next drive, Weeden converted two third-and-longs with completions to freshman Justin Horton and sophomore Hubert Anyiam. Weeden connected with freshman Justin Blackmon for a 28-yard touchdown, which proved to be the game winner with 8:11 remaining.
The Buffs led 14-10 at halftime and extended their lead to 21-10 when sophomore wide receiver Markques Simas went airborne and snagged Hansen’s 28-yard pass in the end zone.
OSU shaved the lead to 21-17 late in the third when Toston busted a 45-yard run to the house.
Junior quarterback Cody Hawkins replaced Hansen late in the second quarter after Hansen injured his right thumb. Hawkins was 0-of-2 passing and sacked once in his first drive, but he threw a strike to senior tight end Riar Geer for a 14-10 lead with 22 seconds left in the first half.
Hansen started the second half and played the rest of the game. The sophomore was 23-of-36 for 169 yards with an additional touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Scotty McKnight. Hawkins finished 7-of-11 for 69 yards.
The Buffs’ running game was nearly nonproductive. Sophomore running back Rodney Stewart carried the ball eight times for 21 yards while Lockridge gained 11 yards on two carries.
Cowboys senior quarterback Zac Robinson was unable to start due to a shoulder injury. Junior Alex Cate got the starting nod and went 0-of-9 before being replaced by Weeden in the second half. Weeden was 10-of-15 for 168 yards.
CU, which entered the game tied for fourth-worst in the country with 79 yards of penalties per game, were penalized seven times for 80 yards.
The Buffs will close out the season at 1:30 p.m. MST next Friday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Folsom Field.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alex Schultz at Alexander.schultz@colorado.edu.
