BIG EIGHT ROUNDUP : Colorado Tricks Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State Coach Pat Jones called it “the gutsiest call I’ve ever seen” in 25 years of coaching.

That was Jones’ description of Colorado’s game-winning 20-yard touchdown pass play on a fake field goal that gave the No. 14 Buffaloes a 16-12 Big Eight Conference victory over Oklahoma State Saturday at Stillwater, Okla.

Robbie James connected with former Encino Crespi High standout Christian Fauria on third and 10 with six seconds left.

Colorado, 6-2-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the Big Eight, kept alive its hopes for a third consecutive Orange Bowl berth despite turning the ball over six times, including a school-record five in the first half.

“This was the biggest play of my career,” James said. “If we had lost today we probably had no chance for the Orange Bowl or even a January first bowl, so this was a big play.”

Colorado began its final drive at the Oklahoma State 43 with 1:54 left.

Buffalo quarterback Darian Hagan, who had only 15 yards in 15 carries and was sacked five times, was shaken up on the second play of the drive and was replaced by Vance Joseph. Two plays later, on fourth and 14, Joseph scrambled before completing a 17-yard pass to fullback James Hill to move the ball to the 30.

Later, on third and 10, Joseph picked up a first down on a quarterback draw.

Oklahoma State (0-8-1, 0-4-1) called two timeouts to freeze kicker Jim Harper before a field-goal attempt on third down. But James took the snap, spun around and passed to tight end Fauria all alone at about the 10. Fauria scored easily.

Oklahoma State took a 12-10 lead by scoring twice during a span of two minutes early in the fourth quarter.

Kenny Ford connected with Robert Kirksey on a seven-yard touchdown pass about five minutes into the final quarter to tie the score. Mike Clark blocked Mitch Berger’s punt out of the end zone to make the score 12-10.

No. 20 Oklahoma 56, Missouri 16--Mike Gaddis continued his comeback from major knee surgery by rushing for 217 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Sooners in a Big Eight victory at Columbia, Mo.

Gaddis, who had 191 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas State the previous week, had a 65-yard touchdown run during a 28-point second quarter to give Oklahoma (7-2, 4-1) a 35-9 halftime lead. Gaddis, a senior who did not play last season after reconstructive knee surgery, has rushed for 974 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Gaddis left the game in the third quarter after his fourth touchdown tied an opponent record for Missouri (3-5-1, 1-4), which entered the game with the worst run defense among the 106 Division I-A teams.

Kansas State 37, Iowa State 7--Paul Watson connected with Michael Smith on three touchdown pass plays in a Big Eight victory at Ames, Iowa, that ended the Wildcats’ 30-game road losing streak.

Kansas State (5-4, 2-3), which had lost 22 consecutive conference road games, needs one victory in its final two games for its first winning season since 1982. The Wildcats had not won a road game since Oct. 26, 1985, when they beat Missouri, 20-17.

It was only the second time in 20 years that the Wildcats have won at Iowa State (3-5-1, 1-3-1).

Watson completed 20 of 27 passes for 209 yards, including scoring plays of three, 11 and eight yards to Smith.