Seventh-Ranked Buffaloes Stampede Past Cyclones, 49-42

BOULDER, Colo.--Koy Detmer threw for 401 yards and a record-tying five touchdowns and Herchell Troutman added a pair of scoring runs as seventh-ranked Colorado held on for a 49-42 Big 12 Conference victory over Iowa State.

Colorado (8-1, 6-0 Big 12 North) led 21-13 at the half, but allowed Iowa State (2-7, 1-5 North) to take a 28-21 advantage midway through the third period. Troutman then ran for his two touchdowns and Detmer passed for two more as the Buffaloes opened up a 49-28 lead with 5:54 remaining.

Iowa State's Todd Doxzon passed for a TD and ran for another in the final minutes to make it close. Doxzon finished 16-for-27 for 153 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

"I am very proud of the efforts of the players, but I am disappointed that we didn't get the win," said Iowa State coach Dan McCarney. "It is a seven-point loss to the seventh ranked team in the country."

Detmer, who was 27-of-47, owns five of Colorado's six 400-yard passing performances, including three this season. His five TD passes established a career high and tied a school record set twice last year by John Hessler. Last week, he threw for a school-record 457 yards against Missouri.

Rae Carruth had six catches for 154 yards and three scores, Phil Savoy had eight for 104 and tight end Brody Heffner totaled 60 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions. Colorado compiled 591 yards of total offense, eclipsing the 500-yard mark for the fourth time this year.

"Rae is one of the best receivers I've ever seed," said Detmer. "Our system does a great job of coordinating the routes. Plus, whenever Rae is covered, we have a bunch of guys that can step in like Phil (Savoy). The media has been scrutinizing it, but the running game has always been there when we needed it."

Troy Davis contributed 228 yards and two TDs on 35 carries for the Cyclones, who have lost five straight games. The junior tailback needs 178 yards in the last two games to become the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in more than one season.

"We play real hard, but we come up short every game," said Davis. "This game showed us that we can play hard even against the big teams. This is one of the best opponents we've ever played. Their offensive line was doing a great job, and they had a really good game today."

Jamie Kohl's 47-yard field goal gave ISU the lead after its first possession before Detmer connected with Heffner from 11 yards and Carruth for a 77-yard strike to make it 14-3 with 5:48 left in the quarter. It was Carruth's fourth career TD of 70-plus yards.

Kohl added a 35-yarder with 2:14 to go in the first and Davis closed the gap to 14-13 less than six minutes into the second with a six-yard run. The Buffs padded the margin to 21-13 when Detmer's three-yard scoring pass to Carruth with 3:43 left in the half capped a 15-play, 82-yard drive.

The Cyclones rallied 2:35 into the third quarter as Doxzon hit Tyrone Watley from 17 yards away and Davis plunged in from a yard out five minutes later. Watley's two-point conversion pass gave Iowa State a 28-21 advantage.

On Colorado's next series, Troutman broke away for 41 yards to set up his own one-yard TD run that tied the score heading into the final period. Cornerback Toray Davis' 22-yard interception return to the ISU 43 enabled Troutman to rumble in from four yards out for a 35-28 lead just under two minutes into the fourth quarter. Troutman gained 92 yards on 14 carries.

"We feel that as a defense, we can be put into any situation at any time and come out on top," said Davis. "I was just playing in my position (for the interception). We were in a deep zone. I stayed at home and was able to make a move on the ball."

Detmer hit Heffner for a 25-yard TD pass and Carruth from 42 yards out over the next seven-plus minutes as Colorado assumed a 49-28 lead.

But Doxzon hit Joe Parmentier for a five-yard TD strike with 2:24 remaining and, after Colorado's Dwayne Cherrington fumbled at his own 37, Doxzon scampered in from four yards to close the gap to seven points with 28 seconds to play.

"I am convinced that in terms of running a college football program, it belongs to the players and I am normally going to err on the side of letting kids have an opportunity to get in and play," said Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel. "It got a little bit hairy at the end. I think that once again we showed a lot of character in looking adversity right in the face and not buckling, not waining."

"I have a big empty feeling right now," said Doxzon. "We played so hard, we worked so hard, for some reason we just came up short. The biggest thing I was happy with is that nobody gave up. Our coaches put in a good game plan and gave us a chance to make plays."