Colorado University Athletics
?90 Buffs Slide Past Sooners, Turn Focus Toward Huskers
To commemorate CU's national championship, secured that season in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame, CUBuffs.com will take a look back at each game of the '90 season. Game stories that appeared in the Rocky Mountain News and were written by B.G. Brooks, now Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com, will be reprinted each Wednesday on the website.
CU had not defeated Oklahoma in back-to-back seasons since 1965-66, and when the Sooners arrived on Boulder on the final weekend in October the Buffs were geared up to make history.
OU, coached by Gary Gibbs, was on a two-game losing streak - and the slide would hit three as CU pulled away for a 32-23 win. But a curious call by Gibbs late in the third quarter benefitted the Buffs.
Facing a fourth-and-one at the CU 11-yard line and trailing by a point (18-17), Gibbs kept his kicker on the bench and went for the first down.
A field goal would have given OU the lead and a nice dose of momentum. But all that changed when CU's defense held.
Next up . . . Nebraska.
One Down, One To Go For CU
Buffs stop Sooners 32-23; next hurdle is Nebraska
By B.G. Brooks
Rocky Mountain News
BOULDER - With Halloween approaching, perhaps yesterday's eerie happenings at Folsom Field were part of the seasonal motif.
How else could Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs, masquerading as a strategist, justify shunning a field goal attempt on fourth-and-1 at the Colorado 11-yard line that might have given OU the lead, the momentum and maybe the game?
Oh, Gibbs tried to justify it, but even basketball analyst Dick Vitale -- on a casual stroll through the press box before attending a hoops scrimmage -- knew the proper call: "I'm a dummy -- but, bay-bee, you got to kick the field goal."
Gibbs didn't; OU got booted instead.
The No. 10 Buffs stuffed the Sooners, scored on the next play and cruised -- more or less -- to a 32-23 victory that sets up Part II of CU's "Big Red Weekends" next Saturday at Nebraska.
"There were a lot of crazy things that happened out there, but I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I couldn't be prouder of our guys," said coach Bill McCartney, who watched his Buffs defeat the Sooners in consecutive years for the first time since 1965-66.
Gibbs, meanwhile, watched his team lose for the third consecutive week -- something OU hasn't done since 1965.
It was an afternoon brimming with oddities. To win its sixth straight, CU (7-1-1 overall, 4-0 in the Big Eight), was forced to defend the OU of the future, then stave off the OU of the past.
The Sooners (5-3, 2-2) opened a 14-6 lead on the passing of freshman quarterback Cale Gundy, who completed eight of 14 attempts for 169 yards and a touchdown before exiting early in the second half with a pulled groin muscle.
The Buffs, said McCartney, had solved Gundy when sophomore option wizard Steve Collins entered.
And, added McCartney, "I don't think our defense adjusted well. I felt at halftime (OU) had used up the things they would surprise us with."
But the Sooners revived the option, and the Buffs -- who see it daily -- reacted blankly. McCartney thought CU had to prepare for two quarterbacks. He was right.
OU opened with an 80-yard, 16-play drive capped by Gundy's 5-yard run. CU pulled to 7-6 on 48- and 28-yard Jim Harper field goals.
But Gundy's 80-yard TD pass to Ted Long, who escaped a bump at the line of scrimmage by CU cornerback Dave McCloughan, sent OU up 14-6 with 6:46 left before halftime.
CU looked to be reeling, especially when R.D. Lashar lined up for a 37-yard field goal attempt that would have produced a 17-6 lead. His kick never cleared the line of scrimmage. CU free safety Greg Thomas made a leaping block, and cornerback Ronnie Bradford recovered.
"That was a big, big play," McCartney said. "It shifted things around."
Five plays later, quarterback Darian Hagan passed 12 yards to wingback/wide receiver Mike Pritchard for a TD. Hagan's PAT run failed, but the Buffs had pulled to 14-12 with 24 seconds left in the half.
On CU's second possession of the second half, tailback Eric Bieniemy (28 carries, 188 yards) ran 69 yards through the middle and gave the Buffs their first lead (18-14).
Undaunted and moving well under Collins, the Sooners cut the deficit to one (18-17) on Lashar's 43-yard field with 5:06 left in the third quarter. Oddly, Gibbs wouldn't let Lashar, who missed key field goal attempts in losses to Texas and Iowa State, kick again.
Capitalizing on Tom Rouen's second shanked punt of the game, Collins drove the Sooners to the Buffs' 20. Three plays later, OU was at the CU 11 facing fourth-and-1.
Decision time for Gibbs.
"Three points wasn't going to win the football game," he said. But with three points, OU would have regained the lead.
"There was a little discussion about that in the huddle," said Collins, who pitched to tailback Dewell Brewer. CU strong safety Tim James slammed Brewer down for a 4-yard loss.
"I wasn't surprised," James said. "It was a little bit of that Oklahoma arrogance. They gambled and it didn't pay off."
McCartney was surprised. "I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, they've got something they know will work.' I don't know what their thinking was, and I'm not going to second-guess them. But it certainly didn't hurt us," he said.
One play after Brewer was stuffed, Hagan (eight of 19, 180 yards, two TDs) passed 85 yards to wide receiver Rico Smith. CU bolted ahead 25-17.
It was cave-in time for OU. McCloughan intercepted Collins, leading to a 3-yard TD run by Hagan. CU led 32-17.
A 12th man on CU's punt return team restored an OU drive and allowed the Sooners' final score -- a 6-yard run by Brewer with five minutes to play. Short on strategy earlier, OU was now short on time.
The Buffs began thinking Lincoln, where they haven't won since 1967. A victory this week would allow CU to repeat as conference champion for the first time.
"That's the one for the marbles," McCloughan said. "This one's nice, but it just gets us to the marbles."
Next: Game 10 - Nebraska
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU