SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 1, 2011
Marshall Lobbestael threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Marquess Wilson with 1:10 left as Washington State overcame a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to stun host Colorado 31-27 on Saturday for the program’s 500th victory.
The Cougars got the ball back at their 10 with 1:50 left and no timeouts before Lobbestael went 4 of 5 for 90 yards to spoil the Buffaloes’ first game as a member of the Pac-12 Conference.
Rodney Stewart rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Hansen threw for a pair of scores for Colorado (1-4, 0-1 Pac-12 South).
Wilson, who entered the game leading the nation with 143 receiving yards per game, finished with 121 on six catches.
Hansen’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Toney Clemons in the third quarter gave Colorado a 20-10 lead and Stewart’s 1-yard run with 5:11 left put the Buffaloes ahead 27-17.
Lobbestael finished 32-of-49 for 376 yards with an interception and three touchdowns, including a 19-yard strike to Isiah Barton with 2:53 left to make it 27-24.
Hansen and Paul Richardson connected for a 9-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Buffaloes a 10-7 lead. Richardson, a sophomore, has 11 touchdowns in 17 career games.
Washington State (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12 North) led 7-3 after one quarter on Carl Winston’s 2-yard run as Colorado has yet to score a touchdown in the first quarter this season.
The Cougars are 500-506-45 all-time.