Oklahoma Goes On Defensive, Beats Colorado

Another strong showing by Oklahoma’s defense helped the No. 2 Sooners avoid the fate of the three teams ranked directly below them.

Chris Brown became the first back in four seasons to gain 100 yards rushing against Oklahoma, but the Sooners forced four turnovers and turned back three fourth-quarter drives Saturday in a 27-11 victory over No. 13 Colorado, at Norman, Okla. Third-ranked Virginia Tech, No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 Georgia all lost Saturday.

Brown, the nation’s leading rusher at 162.9 yards per game entering Saturday’s contest, needed 25 carries to gain 103 yards on a cold, sometimes rainy day.

“He’s a great player. He deserves his reputation,” Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops said. “We were fortunate to make our plays a part of the time. He made his, but in the end to keep them to 11 points is pretty special.”

Brown is the first back to top 100 yards against Oklahoma since Deuce McAllister of Mississippi did it in the 1999 Independence Bowl, a span of 33 games.

Nate Hybl threw three touchdown passes, all of them after Colorado mistakes left the Sooners with a short field. Those three touchdown drives covered only 39, 24 and nine yards.

Quentin Griffin ran for 128 yards in 21 carries and Kejuan Jones had 82 yards in 20 carries for the Sooners (8-0, 4-0 in conference), who had been 0-8-1 against Colorado since 1988. In the first half, Colorado (6-3, 4-1) lost two fumbles, had a pass intercepted, muffed a pooch kickoff and had a field goal blocked. Oklahoma turned the mistakes into 17 points to lead 20-3 at halftime, and it could have been worse.

Colorado’s first possession of the third quarter ended with an interception by Oklahoma linebacker Teddy Lehman, who returned it 31 yards to set up Hybl’s third touchdown pass, making the score 27-3.

“It’s the same story all year,” defensive tackle Kory Klein said. “No one is waiting on anyone else. Someone steps up and makes the big play. That’s the kind of defense we have.”

Colorado made it 27-11 late in the third quarter on a 12-yard run by Bobby Purify and a two-point conversion pass. The Buffaloes came up empty in the fourth after driving to the Oklahoma 23, eight and 10 -- they missed a field goal the first time and turned the ball over on downs twice.

No. 14 Kansas State 64, Kansas 0 -- Ell Roberson ran for three touchdowns and threw for another -- all before halftime -- as the Wildcats (7-2, 3-2) won at Lawrence, Kan.

Darren Sproles had 110 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Wildcats, who had five touchdown drives of one minute or less and outgained Kansas (2-8, 0-6), 494-115, in the most lopsided game in the series’ history.

The Jayhawks have not defeated the Wildcats for the Governor’s Cup since 1992.

No. 22 Iowa State 42, Missouri 35 -- Seneca Wallace set a school record with 493 total yards, but the Cyclones needed Mike Wagner’s one-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds left to help Iowa State win at Ames, Iowa. Missouri (4-5, 1-4) tied it at 35 when Marcus James returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown with 10:26 left -- Missouri’s first punt return for a touchdown since 1990.

But Iowa State (7-3, 4-2) got the final score when Wallace directed a 13-play, 93-yard drive for the winning touchdown. Wallace completed all four of his passes on the drive for 29 yards and ran four times for 59 yards, including runs of 33 and 11 yards, before Wagner scored.

Wallace was 31 for 47 for 425 yards and a touchdown and had 10 carries for 68 yards rushing and another touchdown.

Oklahoma State 28, Texas A&M; 23 -- Tatum Bell rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns and Vernon Grant intercepted a pass in the end zone with a minute remaining as Oklahoma State held on to win at Stillwater, Okla. Bell scored from 64, five and two yards for the Cowboys (4-4, 2-2).

Grant’s interception of Dustin Long’s pass ended a late Aggie drive as the Cowboys beat Texas A&M; (5-4, 2-3) for the first time since 1988, a span of six consecutive losses. Long completed 25 of 43 passes for 332 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Texas Tech 62, Baylor 11 -- Kliff Kingsbury threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns as Texas Tech gained 654 yards and won easily at Lubbock, Texas. Reserve quarterback B.J. Symons added three more touchdowns passes after replacing Kingsbury midway through the third quarter for Texas Tech (6-4, 3-2). Baylor is 3-6, 1-4.