Colorado spoils the march

BOULDER, Colo. -- Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops envisioned it going down to the wire. Colorado’s Dan Hawkins had a hunch his team would pull off the big upset.

Both coaches turned out to be correct and Hawkins’ Buffaloes dealt a serious blow to the Sooners’ national title hopes when Kevin Eberhart kicked a career-long 45-yard field goal as time expired to send Colorado past No. 3 Oklahoma, 27-24, on Saturday.

“I told them all week they’re going to win the game,” Hawkins said. “Not because I’m ‘The Swami.’ I’ve done this for 25 years and you just know. You know when your team’s ready, you know when you’re poised.”

His players certainly didn’t doubt his weeklong declarations of this impending upset.

“He just reinforced what we already knew,” defensive tackle George Hypolite said.

This was the Buffaloes’ first win over a top-five team since Dec. 1, 2001, when they beat Texas in the Big 12 title game, and their most significant victory in Boulder since a 62-36 drubbing of second-ranked Nebraska a week before that Texas win.

“They outplayed us and outcoached us,” Stoops said. “They fought their way to a heck of a win.”

After Eberhart’s kick cleared the crossbar, the Sooners, who had blown a 24-7 second-half lead, walked off dejected, trying to avoid the onslaught of fans storming the field in celebration of what they hope is a revival of the once-proud program.

“My helmet got jacked and [wide receiver] Stephone Robinson took one in the eye,” Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins said.

The Sooners (4-1, 0-1) came in averaging a whopping 61.5 points to lead the nation. But behind a tough defense, the Buffaloes (3-2, 1-0) earned their first big win under Dan Hawkins, who went 2-10 in his inaugural season last year.

“To me it was long overdue. I mean long, long overdue,” cornerback Terrence Wheatley said. “I think it’s good for us so people can realize we’re a good team.”