Texas Two-Steps Its Way Out of the Picture by Losing Big 12 Title Game to Colorado, 39-37

Scrap the calculations. Texas is out.

Longhorn fans rejoiced as they caught glimpses of Tennessee upsetting Florida on television before kickoff of the Big 12 title game at Texas Stadium.

They soon turned sullen when the only numbers to crunch after playing Colorado were Chris Simms’ turnovers and yet another twist in the Simms-Major Applewhite quarterback saga.

The final result was a 39-37 Colorado victory Saturday in front of 65,675 that wasn’t quite as close as it looks.

Simms threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in the first half and No. 3 Texas fell behind by 19 points before Applewhite replaced Simms, who left the game in the second quarter with an injury to his throwing hand as Texas coaches mulled whether to pull him.

Texas’ visions of moving up to second in the BCS standings and possibly finishing ahead of Tennessee and others to play for the national championship against Miami in the Rose Bowl dissolved.

“It feels real bad,” said Applewhite, who outplayed Simms but couldn’t quite rally the Longhorns, who lost for the second time this season.

Colorado has never been in the national title hunt, but what the ninth-ranked Buffaloes have done the past two weeks is little short of astounding.

The Buffaloes have beaten the second-ranked and third-ranked teams in the BCS standings, defeating then-No. 2 Nebraska, 62-36, last week before handling the Longhorns.

Put the Buffaloes in a playoff system and who knows? As it is, Fiesta Bowl representatives visited the locker room of 10-2 Colorado.

“Nah, we don’t think about Fresno State,” said Coach Gary Barnett, whose team lost its first game of the season to the Bulldogs by two points after a turnover in the end zone in the final minutes.

“We just play our game and leave it up to others to decide who we’re going to play. I don’t know if anybody’s playing better than we are right now. We’re one heck of a football team.”

Colorado’s only other loss was to Texas, 41-7.

Texas threatened to come back in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to six points with a little more than nine minutes left when Roderick Babers intercepted Robert Hodge’s pass on an ill-advised fake punt by Colorado and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown.

Barnett took responsibility, saying he almost “screwed that up.”

But a crucial mistake cost Texas with a little more than four minutes left. The Longhorns forced Colorado to punt, but Phillip Geiggar was called for roughing the punter--giving the ball back to Colorado.

The Buffaloes stretched the possession to more than seven minutes, finally kicking a field goal with 1:58 left for a 39-30 lead.

Texas cut the lead to two with 31 seconds left, but couldn’t recover an onside kick.

The Longhorns’ loss marks the second time they’ve lost a rematch in the Big 12 title game--and the latest time Simms has had a disastrous big game.

He threw four interceptions in a loss to Oklahoma this season, but since then had thrown 16 touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

Asked who will be his quarterback in the bowl game--potentially the Holiday Bowl again after a loss to Oregon last season--Texas Coach Mack Brown gave a small laugh.

“No,” he said.

Applewhite, repeatedly bumped by the younger and more glamorous Simms, threw a 79-yard touchdown pass on his second play after entering the game.

He finished with 240 yards passing, completing 15 of 25 passes with two touchdowns.

Simms completed nine of 17 for 130 yards before he dislocated a finger on his left hand in the first half after throwing three interceptions.

“I blew a big opportunity for us,” Simms said. “I am stunned how it turned out. We have a great team. We had a chance to maybe go to the Rose Bowl today, and I let a lot of people down.”

Texas took a 7-0 lead, and there didn’t seem to be great need for concern even when the Longhorns fell behind, 10-7, after Colorado scored a touchdown set up by linebacker Aaron Killion’s 73-yard interception return to the 12-yard line and the Buffaloes later added a field goal.

But the mood swung when Simms threw his second interception, this one into the arms of linebacker Joey Johnson. Texas players’ shoulders slumped, and the overwhelmingly Texas crowd quieted.

Then the Buffaloes’ Bobby Purify broke a 51-yard run to the three-yard line, and three plays later, Colorado’s other powerful back, Chris Brown, carried the ball in for a touchdown. Colorado’s lead was 16-7 after Jeremy Flores missed the extra point.

Brown had another standout game--scoring three touchdowns to bring his total to nine in two weeks after scoring six against Nebraska.

He rushed for 182 yards, easily outdoing Texas’ Cedric Benson, who ran for 79 before leaving the game because of a “stinger.”

But Texas’ troubles weren’t over. Far from it.

Simms’ next turnover came when he fumbled as he was sacked by DeAndre Fluellen. Matt McChesney recovered at the Texas 22, and Colorado scored on the next play when Pesavento floated a pass to Daniel Graham as a defender fell, taking a 22-10 lead.

Three plays after the kickoff, disaster struck again. Simms threw a pass that was intercepted by Medford Moorer--and Moorer raced 64 yards to score as Colorado took a 29-10 lead.

The chants started in the stands.

“Major! Major!”

Applewhite entered the game, but he couldn’t pull it out.