BOULDER, Colo. — Jack Colletto’s 1-yard sneak in overtime gave Oregon State its first lead and the Beavers held on to beat Colorado 41-34 Saturday, denying the Buffaloes’ bid to gain bowl eligibility before November.
It was Jake Luton who rallied the Beavers (2-6, 1-5 Pac-12) from a 28-point second-half deficit but they wouldn’t have their first road win since 2014 without Colletto, who returned from an awful first half to score twice on keepers.
The Buffaloes (5-3, 2-3) were seemingly safe when Travon McMillian, who was held to 25 yards on 10 first-half carries, took the first snap of the second half, burst up the middle and raced untouched for a 75-yard score and a 31-3 lead.
One play. Seventy-five yards. Twelve seconds.
Behind Luton, the Beavers answered with their own 75-yard touchdown drive. Only, this one took 17 plays and 6½ minutes. It included a trio of third-down conversions and two fourth-down conversions, including an 8-yard TD to Isaiah Hodgins on fourth-and-2.
Still, at 31-10, nobody at Folsum Field envisioned the Buffs blowing a program-high 28-point lead like they did against Kansas on Nov. 6, 2010.
Both teams blew a chance to win it in the final seconds of regulation.
After Oregon State tied it at 34 with 29 seconds left on Luton’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Bradford, defensive end Terrance Lang blocked Jordan Choukair’s extra point.
The Buffs quickly reached the Beavers’ 36, but Davis Price badly missed a 53-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
After Colletto’s score in overtime, Steven Montez hit Jay MacIntyre for 21 yards at the 7.
But a keeper netted no yards and a pass into the end zone was broken up. On third down, K.D. Nixon, who caught 13 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns, couldn’t hold onto a third TD pass.
On fourth down, Montez threw incomplete to Juwaan Winfree and the Beavers stormed the field in celebration of coach Jonathan Smith’s first Pac-12 triumph.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon State: Luton looked like Aaron Rodgers, completing 28 of 39 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns in the second half while Colletto finished 6 of 14 for 35 yards, no TDs, an interception and five sacks. But the Beavers don’t win away from Reser Stadium for the first time since a victory at Folsom Field in 2014 without Colletto’s two TD runs, either.
Colorado: The Buffaloes thought they’d have bowl eligibility locked up before Halloween and spend November seeing how good of a bowl bid they’d get. Instead, they’re mired in a three-game skid and they can’t get superstar receiver Laviska Shenault back from a turf toe injury fast enough. Shenault missed his second straight game, watching from the sideline with a walking boot on his right foot.
UP NEXT
Oregon State: Hosts USC on Nov. 3.
Colorado: At Arizona on Nov. 2.
