|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Texas running back Hodges Mitchell
committed two turnovers that kept Colorado in the game. With 5:36
left, he made a play that took the Buffs out of it.
|  | | Texas flanker B.J. Johnson grabbed a 39-yard pass in the second quarter from Major Applewhite, who fired a TD pass on the next play. |
Mitchell took a short pass from Major Applewhite in the right
flat and, splitting two defenders, turned it into a 42-yard scoring
play to help Texas (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP) hold off Colorado 28-14 on Saturday.
Applewhite threw two other touchdown passes, both to freshman
receiver Roy Williams, as the Longhorns (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) rebounded
from a humiliating 63-14 loss to archrival Oklahoma last week.
Colorado twice pulled within a touchdown in the second half, but
each time Applewhite countered with a TD pass, including the
clincher to Mitchell.
"I was never afraid to leave him in the game," Texas coach
Mack Brown said. "After his second fumble, I went over to him on
the sideline and told him, `Get your head up. You're going back in
the game.' He responded, and that's what I wanted to see from him.
"We caught them in a blitz on that play. We just wanted a first
down, but we got everybody picked up and it went. We just caught
them in the right defense."
Mitchell, who finished with 125 yards on 25 carries, said he
wasn't worried after his first fumble but was "really down on
myself after the second one. I knew I had to go back out there and
perform because I'm a leader on offense."
The victory ended the Longhorns' six-game losing streak to
Colorado (1-5, 1-2). Texas has never lost seven straight games to
any opponent.
"They couldn't run the ball and we could," Brown said. "We
sacked their guy and they couldn't get to Major. The play on both
sides of the line of scrimmage did it for us."
Colorado lost its fourth straight home game for the first time
since 1980.
"We got beat up-front early and lost our confidence in the
running game," Colorado coach Gary Barnett said. "Then when we
tried to throw it, either Craig (freshman quarterback Craig Ochs)
struggled or they covered us pretty well. Offenses of the 21st
century are so quarterback-oriented that if your quarterback has a
bad day, you're going to struggle. And we did.
"At the end, we gave up a couple of big pass plays, which has
been our undoing all year."
Applewhite's 6-yard TD pass to Williams early in the second
quarter helped give Texas a 13-0 halftime lead that could have been
larger. Colorado had only 22 total yards in the half, including
minus-7 in the second quarter.
Colorado's defense got the Buffaloes untracked early in the
third quarter. Mitchell fumbled when hit by linebacker Andy Peeke,
and linebacker Jashon Sykes ran 50 yards for a touchdown, cutting
the deficit to 13-7.
Midway through the period, the Longhorns marched 95 yards in
five plays to make it 21-7. Applewhite passed 25 yards to tight end
Mike Jones and then found Williams in-stride on a 42-yarder for the
score. Applewhite hit Williams for the 2-point conversion.
With quarterback Zac Colvin taking over for the ineffective
Ochs, Colorado made it 21-14 late in the quarter. Mitchell fumbled
a punt and Colorado's Robbie Robinson recovered, and Cortlen
Johnson ran 13 yards off the left side for the TD with 2:37 left in
the quarter.
Mitchell's scoring reception capped an 81-yard drive in the
final quarter.
On the fourth play of the game, Colorado receiver Roman
Hollowell fumbled and Texas recovered at the Buffaloes' 42. The
Longhorns drove inside the 20, but Kris Stockton was wide on a
34-yard field goal attempt.
Later in the quarter, Applewhite fumbled while being sacked by
Sykes and Colorado recovered, but the Buffs couldn't capitalize.
Applewhite passed 39 yards to freshman B.J. Johnson early in the
second quarter, setting up his touchdown pass to Williams on the
next play.
Moments later, linebacker Everick Rawls intercepted Ochs at the
Colorado 29, but Stockton missed a 45-yard field goal try.
After Applewhite's 23-yard pass to Jones, Stockton kicked a
30-yard field goal with 7:21 left in the half.
Mitchell returned a punt 19 yards to the Colorado 36, and
Stockton kicked another 30-yarder with 1:44 to go in the half.
After its opening series, Colorado didn't advance beyond its own
29-yard line in the first half.
|
|
ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Texas Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
|
