Goodman's short FG in OT clinches Colorado's win over WVU

BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado kicker Aric Goodman wasn't ignored or isolated on the sideline as he waited for his chance.

Some of his Buffaloes teammates even sought him out and offered a little friendly advice -- don't miss.

Goodman didn't, making a 25-yard field goal in overtime to give Colorado a 17-14 victory over No. 21 West Virginia on Thursday night.

The Mountaineers (1-2) had the ball first in overtime, but Pat McAfee's 23-yard field goal attempt clanged off the left upright.

At first, Goodman wasn't going to watch McAfee's attempt, turning his back to the field. But he spun around at the last second, his heart beginning to race.

"I saw it bounce out and knew it was my chance," he said.

The Buffaloes ran four plays and then trotted out Goodman for the kick. The transfer from Wyoming knew it was good the moment he hit it, running toward the sideline as the crowd began to storm onto the field.

It got better as Colorado coach Dan Hawkins awarded Goodman a scholarship after the game.

"Aric Goodman is having the best day of his life," defensive tackle George Hypolite proudly proclaimed.

Not a bad day for the Buffaloes all around as they moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2004.

"We're still in the national championship hunt," Hypolite said with a grin.

Cody Hawkins threw two first-quarter touchdown passes and freshman Rodney Stewart ran for 166 yards.

"I was figuring out where the holes were and luckily I was getting yards," Stewart said.

West Virginia quarterback Pat White was finding holes as well, running for two touchdowns and 148 yards. Noel Devine finished with 133 yards on the ground.

White, the two-time Big East offensive player of the year, has 3,814 yards in his career, moving him into third place on the NCAA's quarterback rushing list. He vaulted by Kent State's Joshua Cribbs with a 12-yard run in the first quarter. White is 476 yards away from breaking former Missouri star Brad Smith's mark.

"That guy's good," Dan Hawkins said.

Then again, the Buffaloes didn't expect to completely stop White.

"You're not going to shut down Michael Jordan, he's going to get some shots on you," Hawkins said.

The Buffaloes did limit the damage White could caused through the air as he finished with just 43 yards, his lowest output since also throwing for 43 against Maryland on Sept. 14, 2006. He had minus-5 yards at halftime.

The curtailing of the passing game was by design, though, offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen said.

"We purposely tried to limit the throwing game to help our defense, keep them off the field," Mullen said.

The Mountaineers have lost consecutive road games for the first time since 2003. They were upset 24-3 at East Carolina on Sept. 6.

"Those guys in that locker room have hurt hearts. They don't feel good, I don't feel good," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "We have a chance to have a tremendous year if we grow."

Cody Hawkins came out firing the football, throwing touchdown passes to Josh Smith and Patrick Devenny in the first 4:50, the fastest pair for Colorado to start a game in nearly seven years.

Smith got behind the West Virginia secondary for a 38-yard touchdown on the opening drive, and Devenny beat a linebacker on a pattern straight up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown, giving the Buffaloes an early 14-0 lead.

White had touchdown runs of 6 and 39 yards to tie it, setting up Goodman's winning field goal.

Maybe now he can forget that article. Goodman had a story taped up in his room after he missed an extra point while kicking for Wyoming, costing the Cowboys a potential win.

The newspaper story served as motivation, until Cody Hawkins tore it down.

"I said, 'I don't want to see this again,'" Hawkins said. "He said, exact words, 'All right, when I kick a game-winner against West Virginia next year, I want a framed copy.' "

Before the game, there was a tribute for Eddie Crowder, the former Colorado football coach and athletic director who died last week of complications from leukemia.

Dan Hawkins thinks Crowder may have provided a hand in the win.

"I drive over coming in on Arapahoe [Road] every day, and I came in the other morning and the moon was just bigger than a silver dollar, just sitting over the Rockies," Hawkins said. "I texted my wife and said, 'Check it out, Eddie's watching over us.' ... That was special."