CBS SportsLine wire reports
Sept. 26, 1998

BOULDER, Colo. -- Backup quarterback Adam Bledsoe completed a 44-yard pass to Darrin Chiaverini to set up Jeremy Aldrich's 31-yard field goal with 2:00 remaining, and No. 15 Colorado held off upset-minded Baylor 18-16 on Saturday night.

The

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Buffaloes (4-0) opened their Big 12 season by blowing a 15-3 lead, falling behind 16-15 with 6:31 left and then rallying behind Bledsoe for the clinching score. Bledsoe replaced starter Mike Moschetti late in the third quarter after Moschetti sprained his right ankle.

Baylor (1-2), bidding for its second straight upset of a ranked team after knocking off then-No. 20 North Carolina State 33-30 last week, got its first touchdown three plays into the fourth quarter.

Colorado lined up to punt from its 27-yard line, and Eric Clay slipped inside to block Nick Pietsch's kick. Nikia Codie recovered the bounding ball in the end zone, cutting the deficit to 15-10 with 13:35 remaining.

Baylor then benefitted from two 15-yard penalties to score the go-ahead touchdown. Colorado's Ben Kelly tackled Andra Fuller after Fuller made a fair-catch signal on a punt, giving Baylor the ball at its 34 instead of the 19.

JERMAINE ALFRED, REPLACING Odell James at quarterback after James suffered bruised ribs in the third quarter, promptly drove the Bears 66 yards in 13 plays. He passed 15 yards to Morris Anderson, and 15 yards were added when Colorado was penalized for roughing the passer. On third-and-9, Alfred passed 11 yards to Anderson, and Darrell Bush ran the final 2 yards with 6:31 left.

Baylor safety Nikia Codie (8) intercepts a pass intended for Colorado's Javon Green (19) during the first quarter. (AP)

Aldred's pass on the 2-point conversion attempt was incomplete, and Baylor led 16-15.

Colorado responded with a 67-yard scoring drive. Chiaverini beat safety Sean Armistead and hauled in Bledsoe's 44-yard pass on third-and-10 from the Colorado 20. The Bears were penalized for pass interference on a subsequent third-down play, and freshman Cortlen Johnson ran 11 yards to the Baylor 15, setting up Aldrich's kick.

After a mistake-filled opening quarter in which there were three turnovers in the first 3:16 and the teams combined for just 1 net yard of total offense in the period, both teams settled down in the second quarter and Colorado led 8-3 at halftime.

Midway through the period, Baylor lined up to punt from its own 13, and Justin Snow's snap sailed over the head of punter Kyle Atteberry and through the end zone for a safety.

COLORADO WENT AHEAD 5-0 with 1:24 left in the quarter after Baylor tailback Darrell Bush fumbled a pitchout at the Bears' 25. Moschetti, sacked eight times for 83 yards last week, was sacked for the third time by the Bears, and Colorado had to settle for Aldrich's 43-yard field goal.

Colorado responded with a 61-yard drive, including 18- and 12-yard runs by Marlon Barnes, and Aldrich made it 8-0 with a 25-yard field goal with 5:26 left in the half.

Helped by a holding penalty against Colorado, Matt Bryant kicked a career-best 48-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Colorado got the game's first touchdown midway through the third period, marching 65 yards in six plays. Moschetti capped it with a 28-yard scoring run.