Colorado Takes Option Away From Oklahoma : Big Eight: Buffaloes make the big stop on fourth down and go on to 32-23 victory.

In a game of big plays, featuring touchdown plays of 80, 69 and 85 yards, a play that didn’t work counted most.

Passing up a field goal that would have given it the lead early in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma failed on a fourth-down running play, and 10th-ranked Colorado responded with two touchdowns in the next three minutes en route to a 32-23 Big Eight victory on Saturday.

It was the sixth victory in a row for the Buffaloes, 7-1-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. Oklahoma (5-3, 2-2) lost its third game in a row for the first time in 25 years. It marked the first time since 1965-66 that Colorado had beaten Oklahoma in consecutive games.

Trailing, 18-17, and facing fourth and one at the Colorado 11-yard line less than a minute into the final quarter, the Sooners went with their bread-and-butter option play. Quarterback Steve Collins pitched to tailback Dewell Brewer, who was dumped for a three-yard loss by safety Tim James.

Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan immediately hooked up with Rico Smith on an 85-yard scoring pass play.

On Oklahoma’s next play from scrimmage, Collins’ pass was intercepted, and Hagan subsequently dashed three yards to put the Buffaloes in command, 32-17.

“I was surprised when they went for it on fourth down,” Colorado Coach Bill McCartney said. “I’m not second-guessing Coach (Gary) Gibbs. There must have been something they saw that they felt awfully confident would work.”

Linebacker Greg Biekert grabbed Collins around the ankle and forced a hurried pitch, and James swarmed all over Brewer.

“I wasn’t surprised so much,” James said, “because they’re so arrogant. I knew they’d go for it. They tried to swing it outside. I don’t know if he bobbled it or not, but I had him.”

Gibbs said the 22nd-ranked Sooners felt a field goal wouldn’t stand up at that stage of the game.

“Three points wasn’t going to win the football game for us,” he said. “We knew we would have to score some points. We were having trouble stopping Colorado. We went on a fourth down earlier in the game and converted. We felt the odds were in our favor. But Colorado did a nice job of taking away the option we had called.”

Hagan accounted for three touchdowns in all, with two touchdown passes and his run, to help Colorado rebound from a 14-6 second-quarter deficit. Tailback Eric Bieniemy rushed for 188 yards, including a 69-yard run in the third quarter that put Colorado ahead for the first time.

“(Fullback George) Hemingway made a great kickout block for me, and I just thought, ‘Don’t look back,’ ” Bieniemy said. “We beat a great team today, but we can’t enjoy it long. Nebraska’s next.”