UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, September 9, 1996
3B
Sooners lose opener
The Associated Press
NORMAN, Okla. — Despite a new coach and a new offense, once-powerful Oklahoma now must face another sign of a program in disarray the Sooner team opening loss
- the Sooners' season-opening loss
John Blake
"We are just young and rebuilding." Blake said.
Since 1988, when coach Barry Switzer left under a cloud of scandals, the Sooners have gradually slipped from the top of the national rankings. The national champion in
1985, Oklahoma has finished no higher than 16th in the polls since 1988.
The last two years have been particularly bleak for Sooners' fans. In 1994, coach Gary Gibbs' final season, Oklahoma finished 6-6, ending the year with a 31-6 loss to BYU in the Comer Bowl. Gibbs was fired.
In 1995, coach Howard Schnellenberger boldly predicted a return to the winning tradition. His Sooners finished 5-5-1, won only two conference games and failed to score during the last 10 quarters of the season. Schnellenberger resigned under pressure.
Blake, a former Sooners and Dallas Cowboys assistant coach, had warned that 1996 would be a rebuilding year, but expectations still were high.
The scoreless trend continued Saturday, as the Sooners failed to score in the first three quarters against the Horned Frogs, who were 6-5 for fourth place in the now-defunct
Southwest Conference last season before joining the Western Athletic Conference this season.
"There will probably be some changes made in players at several positions," Blake said.
Sophomore quarterback Eric Moore, who had hoped to prosper in a new offense designed to exploit his speed and mobility, left the game in the third quarter with 64 yards passing.
"Eric had balls dropped, but he also had some major mistakes," Blake said.
Moore got little help from Oklahoma's receivers, who dropped several catchable balls, or the running backs, who managed only 95 yards on the ground.
Redshirt freshman Justin Fuente replaced him to a roar of approval and finally got the Sooners in the end zone with a 3-yard pass to Gerald Williams in the fourth quarter. Fuente set up the score with a 53-yard pass to Chris Blocker.
Buffaloes ram state rivals
Colorado State proves worth despite losing to No.5 Colorado
The Associated Press
FORT COLLINIS, Colo. — Colorado State may have lost, but the Rams proved that not all the best athletes in the state play in Boulder.
Colorado quarterback Koy Detmer made the difference Saturday night in the No. 5 Buffaloes' 48-34 win against in-state rival CSU.
Detmer passed for two touchdowns and ran for another. He completed 31 of 42 passes, including 14 in a row during one stretch in the first half, for 364 yards with no interceptions.
"He was wonderful," Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said of his quarterback.
But even Detner couldn't turn the game into a rout. The Buffalooes couldn't shake the Rams, even after building a 41-20 lead early in the third quarter.
CSU bounced back with a score of its own on Moses Moreno's 37-yard touchdown pass to Geoff Turner.
Early in the fourth quarter, Turner
dropped an apparent touchdown pass in the end zone that would have reduced the deficit to seven points.
The Buffaloes (2-0) generated 645 total yards but were plagued by a porous defense and costly penalties (11 for 130 yards) that wasted several scoring opportunities.
"We're definitely making great improvement," Detmer said. "But we're not satisfied by any means."
"You take away the many times we shot ourselves in the foot, we score at least 80 points," backup tailback Lendon Henry said.
Henry caught one of Detmer's touchdown passes and ran for two more scores. Starter Herchell Troutman rushed for 184 vards.
Besides the two Moreno-to-Turner touchdown passes, Calvin Branch also scored twice for the Rams.
"What I liked is that we played hard, played tough and were not intimidated," CSU coach Sonny Lubick said. "I was proud of our defense in the second half. CU kept moving the ball and we allowed no points."
CSU stunned Colorado with three big plays, taking an early 14-7 lead.
"We took their best punch," Neuheisel said. "Actually, we took a couple of sledgehammers early. But we withstood them."
After a Colorado fumble two minutes into the game, Damon Washington broke loose, setting up Branch's 5-yard scoring run with 11:03 left in the opening quarter.
Colorado then mounted the first of four 80-yard scoring drives in the half, capped by Henry's 1-yard run.
CSU reclaimed the lead on the ensuing kickoff as Branch went 96 vards for a 14-7 lead.
Henry's 5-yard run capped another 80-yard scoring drive as Colorado drew into a 14-14 tie.
Branch caught a 55-yard pass from Moreno late in the quarter, but the Rams were stymied by two penalties and a sack. Colorado countered with its third 80-yard march, capped by Henry's 27-yard gain on a screen pass.
With 10:19 left in the half, CU defensive tackle Viliami Maumau pressured Moreno, batted his pass in the air, picked it off and ran 33 yards for a touchdown and a 28-14 lead.
CSU got two field goals from Matt McDougal sandwiched around a Colorado touchdown. Colorado, which had 409 total yards at half-time. led 35-20.
Moreno was sacked and fumbled on the first play of the second half, and Detmer ran 4 yards on the option for a 41-20 lead.
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