Tulsa World: Cowboys top Buffs for ninth win

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Cowboys top Buffs for ninth win

OSU's Dez Bryant (right) celebrates a touchdown catch with teammate Kendall Hunter on Saturday. David Zalubowski/AP

By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Published: 11/16/2008 2:10 AM
Last Modified: 11/16/2008 3:43 AM

Slideshow: Check out photos from the OSU-Colorado game.

BOULDER, Colo. — In spite of a ragged offensive performance, the Oklahoma State Cowboys continued a three-year run of success against Big 12 North opponents.

The 11th-ranked Cowboys beat Colorado 30-17 before a Folsom Field crowd of 46,092. Since the start of the 2006 conference schedule, OSU has won in seven of nine meetings with North opponents.

In recording its second consecutive victory on Colorado's home field, the Cowboys reached the nine-win mark for the seventh time in school history and the first time since 2003. OSU (9-2 overall, 5-2 Big 12) does not play again until Nov. 29 — when No. 5 Oklahoma visits Stillwater for the Bedlam battle.

When time expired on Saturday's game, Cowboy fans chanted, "Beat OU!"

"We're proud of our football team," OSU coach Mike Gundy said. "There's a lot of hard work that goes into a successful season. It has paid off for us."

In order to become bowl eligible, Colorado (5-6, 2-5) must win its Nov. 28 regular-season finale at Nebraska.

OSU's defense had a mostly solid evening, limiting the Buffs to 304 total yards. On 19 completions, Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins had 171 passing yards.

Against a team like the Cowboys, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said, "The margin of error clearly is very, very

small. You can't drop a ball or get in the wrong gap or you'll get exploited in a hurry."

It was an OSU positive that kicker Dan Bailey was 3-of-3 on field goals against Colorado, but it was a negative that the Cowboy offense faltered three times after having driven near the end zone. Bailey's kicks were from 18, 25 and 21 yards.

OSU wasted several opportunities to bury the Buffaloes.

"Our scoring-zone offense wasn't very good," Gundy said. "We have to do a better job as coaches of coming up with a better plan. When you get inside the 5-yard line, you need to score touchdowns."

The balanced Cowboys finished with 443 total yards 226 rushing, 217 passing.

In a homecoming game of sorts, OSU quarterback Zac Robinson was 15-of-23 passing, with one TD (a 29-yard connection with Dez Bryant) and one interception.

A native of Littleton, Colo., (only a 45-minute drive from Folsom Field), Robinson also scored on a 12-yard, third-quarter run.

Before sustaining a third-quarter thigh bruise, running back Kendall Hunter reached the 100-yard rushing mark for the 10th time this season. On only 11 attempts, he netted 102 yards. On the fifth play of the second half, Hunter scored on a 43-yard sprint, giving the Cowboys a 20-3 cushion. His leg injury was not believed to be serious.

OSU's leading receiver was tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who had seven catches for 75 yards. He sustained a dislocated finger during the third period but missed only a few plays.

The Cowboys' only first-half touchdown was scored by Bryant, and it came on what probably qualifies as the most difficult catch of the sophomore wide receiver's career.

On a third-and-9 play, on a crossing pattern, Bryant made a one-handed catch of a Robinson pass. Bryant is left-handed. The reception was made on a high throw, on the run and with his right hand. Bryant outran defenders and dived into the end zone, completing the 29-yard play and giving Cowboys a 13-0 lead with 7:20 left in the half.

It was Bryant's 18th touchdown of the season — and his first ever in a Cowboy road game.

The Cowboys went to halftime with a 13-3 lead, but it easily could have been 21-3.

Two early OSU drives stalled inside of the Buffs' 5-yard line, and on each occasion the Cowboys settled for a Bailey field goal. Before the first Bailey field goal, on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Robinson overthrew a wide-open Pettigrew in the end zone.

With 3:12 left before halftime, Colorado's Aric Goodman booted a 31-yard field goal. He earlier had missed from 50 yards (the ball caromed off of the left upright).

Bill Haisten 581-8397
bill.haisten@tulsaworld.com By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

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