CBS SportsLine wire reports
Oct. 3, 1998
NORMAN, Okla. -- Colorado didn't exactly get all the kinks worked out of its offense, although the Buffaloes weren't complaining after beating Oklahoma again.
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THE NO. 15 BUFFALOES FAILED TO MAKE a first down in the third quarter and had seven possessions net fewer than 10 yards. But they came up with enough plays to win 27-25 Saturday.
"We're winning ugly, but we can't be too depressed. We're 5-0," said Mike Moschetti, who threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
Marlon Barnes ran for a career-high 135 yards and Marcus Washington scored on a big interception return as Colorado (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) won for the fifth consecutive time in Norman, dating to 1989. No other visiting team has won more than three straight at Memorial Stadium.
Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1) lost its second consecutive, despite 134 yards and two touchdowns from De'Mond Parker. The Sooners, as happened in a 13-12 loss to California two weeks ago, were left to ponder what might have been if they hadn't missed two field goals and an extra point.
"Two games, a total of three points, it's just hard to swallow," tight end Jason Freeman said. "I think everybody saw what could have happened. Special teams or whatever, they saw we could have won the game."
Parker gave the Sooners a 6-0 lead with an 11-yard run on Oklahoma's first drive. But a penalty for too much celebration cost the Sooners 15 yards on the point-after kick, and it failed.
Colorado didn't score in the first quarter, snapping a string of 19 straight quarters in which it had scored. But the Buffaloes got on the board with their first drive of the second quarter.
A 22-yard completion from Moschetti to Darrin Chiaverini, plus a 15-yard penalty for a late hit, moved the Buffaloes to Oklahoma's 33. Moments later, the same two connected on a 19-yard scoring pass and Colorado took a 7-6 lead.
A 57-YARD PASS FROM MOSCHETTI to Daniel Graham set up the Buffaloes' next touchdown, a 5-yard pass to Marcques Spivey with 8:10 left in the half. Oklahoma got a 37-yard field goal on its next possession, but failed on a 42-yarder just before halftime.
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Colorado's Terrence Wood pressures Oklahoma quarterback Patrick Fletcher during the closing moments of Colorado's victory.
(AP)
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After the sluggish third quarter that included a botched fake punt, leading to an Oklahoma field goal, the Buffaloes drove 70 yards and scored on a 20-yard pass to Roman Hollowell on third-and-10. They too were penalized for excessive celebration and missed the point-after try.
A minute later, Washington picked off a pass from Patrick Fletcher and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown and a 27-12 lead.
"That was a real big play. It just opened up the game," cornerback Ben Kelly said. "But right there, we should have put it away."
Instead, Parker came back two plays later and scored on a 49-yard run. Oklahoma opted to go for two but the run failed, making the score 27-18 with 9:16 to play.
The Sooners got within 27-25 with 1:05 remaining on a 25-yard pass from Fletcher to Freeman, one play after Parker took a swing pass and went 49 yards with it.
Chiaverini recovered Oklahoma's onside kick and the Buffaloes ran out the clock. Now they get ready to play host to No. 5 Kansas State.
"I think there are a lot of little things that can be addressed," Neuheisel said. "Whether or not we can get all of them fixed by next week, time will tell."