DENVER (AP) Tedric Thompson blocked Wyatt Bryan's 27-yard field goal attempt in overtime and Diego Gonzalez atoned for a miss at the end of regulation by hitting a 32-yarder, powering Colorado past rival Colorado State 27-24 in the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Saturday night.
Gonzalez had shanked a 48-yarder as time expired following an 18-yard catch by Nelson Spruce at the 30 on fourth-and-1 with two seconds left.
The Buffs won the toss and elected to start out on defense. After a roughing/targeting penalty on Jimmie Gilbert gave them a first down at the 12, the Rams stalled at the 9.
Thompson blocked the field goal and Gonzalez was true from 32, leading to a wild celebration all over Sports Authority Field, where the Buffs wore white helmets for the first time in their 126-year history while the Rams trudged to their locker room following their second straight overtime loss.
The Buffaloes (2-1), who snapped a nine-game skid with a win over UMass a week earlier, have their first two-game winning streak since the first two games of the 2013 season.
The Rams (1-2) again lost in extra time, and again it was largely self-inflicted.
After committing four turnovers in a 23-20 loss to Minnesota last week, the Rams missed two field goals and were stuffed on fourth-and-1 from the Colorado 24 in addition to the blocked field goal in overtime.
Colorado also had some blown chances, including a blocked field goal and Sefo Liufau's 28-yard TD pass that was negated by penalty.
Buffs linebacker Kenneth Olugbode celebrated his 20th birthday with a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter that broke a 17-17 tie.
The Rams responded with a 75-yard drive to tie it on Jasen Oden Jr.'s 1-yard run with 4:29 remaining.
Colorado State star Rashard Higgins returned from a sprained ankle that sidelined him against the Gophers and caught eight passes for 125 yards and a 25-yard TD from Nick Stevens, who threw for 282 yards but was intercepted twice.
Luifau threw for 220 yards and two TDs for Colorado, a 65-yarder to Shay Fields and a 24-yarder to Devin Ross.
The Rams jumped to an early 14-0 lead on Dalyn Dawkins' 13-yard TD run and Higgins' 25-yard TD catch.
Gonzalez's 52-yard field goal got Colorado on the board, but only after right tackle Stephane Nembot's hands-to-the-face flag negated a 28-yard touchdown catch by an uncovered Dylan Keeney.
One play after Bryan missed a 52-yard field goal try for CSU, Fields raced past cornerback Tyree Simmons and hauled in Liufau's 65-yard pass that pulled Colorado to 14-10.
The rattled Rams turned the ball over two snaps later when Stevens' pass was picked off by cornerback Ken Crawley and returned to the CSU 35. But Preston Hodges blocked Gonzalez's 36-yard attempt to preserve Colorado State's 14-10 halftime lead.
The Buffaloes took their first lead on Ross's 24-yard TD catch and the Rams tied it at 17 on Bryan's chip-shot field goal.
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AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org
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