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Robinson leads Oklahoma State past Colorado

Nov 16, 2008 - 7:03 AM BOULDER, Colorado (Ticker) -- Despite last week's crushing loss, Zac Robinson more than enjoyed his return home.

Robinson threw for a touchdown and ran for another as No. 13 Oklahoma State posted a 30-17 victory over Colorado on Saturday.

While the Cowboys (9-2, 5-2 Big 12 South) were knocked out of contention for the crown in the Big 12 South Division with last week's 56-20 loss at second-ranked Texas Tech, Robinson got the team back on track two weeks prior to its in-state showdown with No. 5 Oklahoma.

"Our team handled themselves well after last week," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy told the Rocky Mountain News. "Again, it goes back to leadership."

A native of nearby Littleton and the only member of the Oklahoma State squad from the Centennial State, Robinson threw for 217 yards and ran for 67 on 15 carries.

Behind the junior, the Cowboys recorded their first nine-win campaign in five years. They also reached five victories in league play for the first time since 2003.

Robinson opened up the game when he found Dez Bryant cutting across the field for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 7:30 remaining in the second quarter, giving Oklahoma State a 13-0 lead.

It was an impressive one-handed grab for Bryant, who finished with four catches for 82 yards. The sophomore entered the contest second in the nation in receiving yards.

Robinson later added a 12-yard scoring run that extended the advantage to 27-10 with 69 seconds left in the third.

With a number of friends and family in the crowd, Robinson actually scored right in front of them when he dove for the left end of the end zone, getting up to point in their direction during his celebration.

"It definitely means a lot to me," Robinson said of the victory. "My teammates were well aware of what this game meant to me and we got a big win."

However, it may be a costly win for the Cowboys, as running back Kendall Hunter was forced to leave the game at the end of the third quarter with a jammed knee. The sophomore finished with 106 yards rushing, including a 43-yard scoring romp 2:25 into the third.

Cody Hawkins threw for 171 yards on 19-of-37 attempts with a touchdown for the Buffaloes (5-6, 2-5 North).

Colorado had been held to just a field goal until it ran into some luck late in the third on a 4th-and-10 play from the Oklahoma 29. Hawkins' pass intended for Cody Crawford was deflected before ricocheting off the receiver and caroming to Scotty McKnight, who caught the ball in stride for the scoring pass.

In the fourth, linebacker Shaun Mohler intercepted Robinson at the Cowboys' 16-yard line, leading to a 3-yard TD run for Demetrius Sumler that cut the deficit for the Buffaloes to 27-17 with 12:30 to play.

However, Colorado was forced to punt on its next two drives, leaving it a win shy of becoming bowl eligible.

"We always talk about finishing," Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins told the News. "We have a big game coming up for a lot of reasons, if not for any other reason, just to finish. We need to continue to work and finish."