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November 8th – at Stillwater Oklahoma State 42, Colorado 7
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The early November match-up against Oklahoma State in Stillwater represented perhaps the Buffs’ last best chance at a victory in 1980.
Colorado was 1-7 on the season, but the Cowboys had not fared much better. Oklahoma State was 1-5-1 on the year, with the only win a 15-6 win over San Diego State (an Aztec team which had come to Stillwater 1-6). The Cowboys had fallen to West Texas State in the season opener, and had not played very well since.
Enter the Colorado Buffaloes – healers to the sick.
If there was any momentum for the Colorado football program from the victory over the Cyclones, it was lost on the way down to Stillwater. The Buffs fumbled four times in the first half alone, stumbling to a 28-0 deficit at the break. With Oklahoma State an opponent there for the taking, the return to the bumbling Buffs was not a welcome sight.
The Colorado running game, potent a week earlier against Iowa State, was anemic against Oklahoma State. Lance Olander was banged up and limited to special teams play. Walter Stanley was hurt on the first series, putting the ball into the hands of freshman Derek Singleton. Singleton ran for 120 yards on 25 carries, but two first half fumbles helped seal Colorado’s fate. Scott Kingdom could only complete 14-of-35 passes on the day.
With the loss, the Buffs sunk into a tie for last in the Big Eight with an overall record of 1-8.
For Oklahoma State, the 42-7 rout of the Buffs represented assurance that the Cowboys would not finish last in the Big Eight, and the 42 points set a series record for the most points Oklahoma State has ever scored on Colorado.
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Game Notes –
– The 42-point outburst by the Cowboys was later matched in 1987 (a 42-17 OSU win), and in 2004 (a 42-14 OSU win).
– In 1980, Oklahoma State was in its second year under head coach Jimmy Johnson. The flamboyant coach would spend a total of five seasons in Stillwater, accumulating an overall record of 29-25-3, with bowl appearances after the 1981 and 1983 seasons. The 1980 season was his worst in Stillwater, though, as the Cowboys finished the 1980 season with a 3-7-1 overall record, 2-4-1 in Big Eight play.
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