The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 33

itheOKLAHOMAN I COLLEGE FOOTBALL COVERAGE SUNDAY, SEPT 30, 2007 SECTION (1 0 PAGES) NEWSONCOM BIG DUD Texas, just like OU, will head to the Cotton Bowl with a loss. The Longhorns fell at home to Kansas State, 41-21. SEE STORY ON PAGE 7C POSTGAMEi: vs. Texas at Cotton Bowl in Dallas 2:30 p.m. TV: K0C0-5 (Cox Oklahoma State 39, Sam Houston St.

3 (fljfr COLORADO 27, OKLAHOMA 24 I IZ UP NEXT: (4-1); Texas (4-1) RADIO: KOKC-AM 1520; KRXO-FM 107.7 INTO THIN AIR 'V. Inside an unraveling Stitch by stitch, a victory that should have been sewn up by Oklahoma came unraveled Saturday at Folsom Field. Here's how it happened: BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN Oklahoma State linebacker Donovan Woods wraps up Sam Houston State quarterback Rhett Bo-mar during the Cowboys' 39-3 win on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. and OSU INSIDER picked mike r- I BALDWIN mbaldwin oklahoman.com winner will lead South Sooners, Longhorns remain the favorites despite upset losses BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN Oklahoma's Nic Harris dives to try and bring down Colorado running back Hugh Charles before scoring in the first half. Charles and the Buffaloes rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Sooners 27-24.

Sooners kicked all over Folsom Field long before deciding FG Scenes from Saturday in Boulder JOHN ROHDE Hkniijl Wl -1 BY NATE STILLWATER The winner of the Red River shootout usually is viewed as the team to beat, not only in the Big 12 South, but to earn the conference's automatic BCS berth in the Fiesta Bowl. OSU, as expected, romped to a 39-3 win over Sam Houston State Saturday night at Boone Pickens Stadium. It's what transpired earlier in the day that gave the Cowboys and other Big 12 South teams hope this might be the year they can play in the league title game. In a shocking turn of events, the team leading the Big 12 South standings on the first Sat OU receiver Juaquin Iglesias found an opening in Colorado's secondary midway through the third quarter. But Sam Bradford's pass was just out of his reach.

Iglesias tipped the ball, and it was intercepted by Ryan Walters at the Colorado 38. Personal foul Following Walters' interception, Colorado drove inside theOU 20 and would have faced a second-and-12. But linebacker Curtis Lofton was flagged for a personal foul, allegedly for pulling the hair of CU lineman Kai Maiava that gave the Buffs first-and-goal at the 7 yard line. Colorado scored on fourth down to pull within a touchdown. Muffed punt When Colorado missed a field goal and the Oklahoma defense held after another Bradford interception, it seemed the Sooners might escape.

But Reggie Smith mishandled a punt with 4:44 to play, setting up Colorado 16 yards away from the tying touchdown. The replay Iglesias dove to catch a pass that gave OU a first down at midfield with 3:10 left. But after video review, it was ruled the ball hit the ground. The knockout Bradford threw to Joe Jon Finley on a third-down play that would have given OU a first down, but Finley was hit by Terrance Wheat-ley, knocking the ball loose and forcing an OU punt. By Scott Wright Ja! J0 -Vjl Colorado vl 7T jPjjBp V'1- ijMH kicker I "Tr JH kicks the isi winning field goal as time Saturday urday in October won't be the Texas-Oklahoma winner.

The team leading the Big 12 South on the first Saturday in October will be the winner of a game played 120 miles south of Dallas Oklahoma State at Texas Either the Aggies or Cowboys will be 2-0 in league play a week from now. Every other Big 12 South team will have at least BOULDER, Colo. Oklahoma got precisely what it deserved Saturday against Colorado. The Buffaloes won 27-24, kicking a 45-yard field goal on the game's final play. But the 50,031 fans on hand knew CU had kicked the third-ranked Sooners all over Folsom Field long before the game-deciding play.

"All losses stink," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said afterward. "They're all in one category." This one certainly qualifies. The Sooners lost on the defensive front, the offensive front and on special teams. In the process, they lost their composure, their toughness, their swagger, their momentum and their national respect. They did keep their dignity, however.

They knew they stunk and admitted it afterward. OU players didn't discriminate Saturday. Their shortcomings were multifaceted. They dropped receptions and interceptions. They missed blocks and missed tackles.

Receivers dropped the first pass attempt of the game Ouaquin Iglesias) and the last attempt (Joe Jon Finley) and there were COWBOYS 39 BEARRATS 3 UP NEXT OKLAHOMA ST. TEXAS When: Saturday 6:30 p.m. TV: FSN (COX 37) one conference loss. The OU-Texas loser will have two. Could it lead to a more competitive Big 12 South race? "I'm not into making predictions like that," said OSU coach Mike Gundy.

"I'm just getting 1 I BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN Jordon Dizon and Justin Drescher recover a fumble by Oklahoma's Reggie Smith on a punt return in the second half. Smith's fumble led to a touchdown for the Buffaloes. Dusty Sprague of Colorado catches the game-tying TD pass in front of Marcus Walker in the fourth quarter. See OSU, Page 5C See ROHDE, Page 8C 1 2007 BMW 3 Series Jackie Cooper BMW 1 41 45 Broadway Extension 405-755-3600 www.cooperbmw.com cooperbmw.com.