Robinson Has Homecoming to Remember

Zac Robinson had been looking forward to Saturday night for more than four years, and the former Colorado high school standout did not disappoint in his homecoming. The Oklahoma State quarterback accounted for 268 total yards, threw for one touchdown and ran for another in leading the 11th-ranked Cowboys to a 30-17 victory over the upset-minded Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo.

The fourth-year junior’s family still lives in Littleton, Colo., and his parents hosted a party Friday night for members of the Oklahoma State coaching staff and family members of Cowboy players. But it was Robinson and his teammates doing the partying Saturday night as the Cowboys improved their record to 9-2 entering the season finale against Oklahoma on Nov. 29.

The nine victories is the most since OSU finished 9-4 in 2003, and gives the 2008 Cowboys a chance at becoming just the fourth team in school history to win 10 games.

“I was really pleased with our play,” Cowboy head coach Mike Gundy said. “I was a little concerned earlier in the week because of how poorly we played at (Texas) Tech, and Colorado had the flip side of it with a big win, so they had momentum and we didn’t have any momentum coming up here. The last 30 years Oklahoma State hadn’t played very well up here.”

It was a total team effort for the Cowboys as Robinson led the offense up and down the field throughout the night – although they stalled inside the 10-yard line and Dan Bailey had to come on to kick three short field goals – and Tim Beckman’s defense played its best game of the season.

The Cowboy defense limited Colorado to just 304 total yards – 110 in the second half – on 73 plays. The Buffs scored a pair of touchdowns but the first came on an incredible pass in which Cowboy safety Quinton Moore partially deflected the throw which bounced off the shoulder pad of intended receiver Cody Crawford and 10 yards down the field into the hands of Colorado receiver Scotty McKnight who tumbled into the end zone for a TD. Colorado’s other touchdown came on a short, 16-yard drive after an interception.

“Our defense really played well. We put them in a terrible position one time when we threw an interception but for the most part they did a great job of maintaining and keeping them for scoring. Offensively, our guys played hard and then we had guys make big-time plays. That’s how you win on the road. You’ve got to have players step up and make big-time plays,” Gundy said. “We had to have guys step up and make plays, and that’s what happened tonight.”

Cowboy cornerback Jacob Lacey had one of those big plays on the fifth play of the game when he knocked the ball loose from Crawford after a short pass completion, allowing OSU teammate Ricky Price to recover the fumble in Colorado territory. The Cowboys drove 42 yards to the 2-yard line before settling for Bailey’s 18-yard field goal to give OSU a lead just six minutes into the game.

Another big play came via OSU sophomore receiver Dez Bryant, who made an exceptional catch and run midway through the second quarter when the Cowboys led just 6-0. On a third-and-nine play from the Buff’s 29, Robinson threw to Bryant on a crossing pattern over the middle of the field. Bryant stuck his right hand out to pull the ball down, juggled it before gaining control, stumbled before regaining his balance, and then raced down the sideline where he received a block from Damian Davis before diving into the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown. Bryant had scored 17 touchdowns (15 receiving and two punt returns) in the Cowboys first 10 games but Saturday night’s scoring catch and run was his first TD on the road this season.

Yet another big play for the Cowboys came on the first drive of the second half when Kendall Hunter raced 43 yards for a touchdown to make the score 20-3. Hunter played sparingly in the second half because of what Gundy called a quad injury but the sophomore running back broke the 100-yard barrier for the ninth time this season (102 yards on 11 carries).

Robinson completed 15 of 23 passes for 217 yards with the touchdown pass to Bryant and the one interception. He also rushed for 61 yards on 15 carries, including a 12-yard scoring run late in the third quarter.

“It was a good win for everybody. We’re ready to get back home and give the players a week off,” Gundy said referring to the open week before the Bedlam game against Oklahoma in two weeks at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Gundy talked about several injuries to the Cowboys after the game.

“They’re OK, they’re just banged up," the OSU head coach said. "Kendall had a quad contusion and it’s hard to loosen those back up (so that’s why he didn’t play). He’ll be OK in two or three days. Brandon (Pettigrew) broke or dislocated another finger. So now he’s got one on each hand. That’s just part of it. Guys get hurt, and we’ve got to get back out there and get it going next week.”