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Pullman, Wash. • Jordan Webb scored on a 4-yard run in the final seconds, the last of three Colorado touchdowns in the final 7 minutes, to beat Washington State 35-34 on Saturday in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams.
Webb threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more for Colorado (1-3), which had been outscored by an average of 40-19 coming into the game.
Connor Halliday threw four touchdown passes for Washington State (2-2), which was looking for its first three-game winning streak since 2006.
Washington State was ahead 34-28 when Colorado took over on its 30 and marched to the WSU 4. On fourth down, Webb bootlegged up the middle for a touchdown to tie the score. Will Oliver's extra point gave Colorado its first lead, 35-34, with 9 seconds left.
Colorado had pulled within 31-28 on Webb's 70-yard touchdown pass to Nick Kasa midway through the fourth quarter, followed by Tony Jones' 84-yard scoring run with 4:23 left. On the ensuing kickoff, the Cougars wasted Teondray Caldwell's 56-yard return and had to settle for Andrew Furney's 42-yard field goal. That set up Webb's final drive and touchdown run.
The game was played in air thick with smoke from wildfires 200 miles away in central Washington.
Washington State was coming off narrow wins over Eastern Washington and UNLV, and so far has shown only flashes of new coach Mike Leach's high-flying "Air Raid" offense.