No. 11 Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1 Big 12) vs. Colorado (3-4, 0-3), 9:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
Line: Oklahoma by 23 1/2.
Series Record: Oklahoma leads 39-17-2.
Last Meeting: 2007, Colorado 27-24.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Oklahoma, at ninth in the BCS standings, can cling to an outside shot at the national championship by rebounding from its first loss of the season. The Sooners have the nation’s longest home winning streak at 34 games while Colorado hopes to snap the longest road losing streak in school history at 14.
KEY MATCHUP
Oklahoma D-line vs. Colorado QB Cody Hawkins. After an injury to starter Tyler Hansen, the coach’s son will try to lead the Buffaloes to a big upset against the Sooners—just like he did as a freshman three years ago in Boulder. Oklahoma is coming off its first sack-free game this season and expects to be without injured DTs Casey Walker and Daniel Noble again.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Oklahoma: RB Roy Finch. After a foot injury kept him out the first five games of the season, the freshman is averaging a team-leading 6 yards per carry. He also led the Sooners with 59 yards rushing on nine carries in their loss to Missouri a week ago.
Colorado: SS Terrel Smith. The freshman from New Jersey burned his redshirt last week and made the most tackles by a freshman in his debut with 15, including a pair of half-sacks. It also matched the Buffaloes’ freshman tackles record set by J.J. Billingsley in 2002.
FACTS & FIGURES
RB DeMarco Murray needs 167 all-purpose yards to break the Oklahoma career record of 5,881 held by Joe Washington. Murray is averaging 150.6 per game. … Colorado broke a streak of 31 straight games with at least one turnover last week against Texas Tech. … Coach Barry Switzer and players from the Sooners’ 1985 national championship team will gather for a reunion and be recognized during the game.
