It’s Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007. The unbeaten No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners come into Boulder averaging a mind-boggling 61.5 points per game and have one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Sam Bradford. Colorado has not beaten a top-five squad since Dec. 1, 2001, when they beat Texas in the Big 12 title game.
Early on, CU’s defense was feistier than most predicted, holding the Oklahoma offense to only seven first-quarter points. CU even tied the game after a 25-yard scamper by running back Hugh Charles with 8:26 left in the second quarter. The Sooners’ offense got back on track, scoring the next 17 points the take a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter. OU would not score again.
The Buffaloes’ comeback started with a Kevin Eberhart field goal to make it 24-10. Ryan Walters then picked off Bradford two plays later and the Buffs drove the ball 62 yards to bring the score to 24-17.
A short missed field goal by CU late in the fourth quarter put a serious dent into Colorado’s upset bid, but a crazy sequence then changed everything.
Bradford dropped back to pass on the first play after CU’s missed field goal and was picked off by Daniel Dykes. Colorado would lose 10 yards on three plays and be forced to punt, but OU gave the ball right back by muffing the punt and setting CU up at the 16-yard line. Quarterback Cody Hawkins hit wideout Dusty Sprague to tie the game at 24.
Colorado forced another stop of the powerful Oklahoma defense, and after a 33-yard punt return by Chase McBride, CU was on the doorstep of its biggest win in a long time. Milking the clock along the way, the Buffs marched down the field and set up a field goal attempt with two seconds remaining. Eberhart atoned for his fourth-quarter miss and calmly nailed the 45-yarder to send Folsom Field into a frenzy. Final score: Colorado 27, Oklahoma 24.
Enjoy a few pictures from the game:
