In what was billed during the pre-game hype as a Match-Up of the two most electrifying running backs of the past half-century, Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk certainly showcased their skills, but the game itself was largely a no contest as the Cowboys took advantage of six Aztec turnovers to run up fifty points and more than 400 yards rushing at Jack Murphy Stadium.
The game was competitive for a quarter-and-a-half, and SDSU held the lead for about five minutes after drawing blood first on an Andy Trakas field goal on their first possession, a drive on which they called on Faulk for seven consecutive plays and 30 yards before stalling just outside the red zone. OSU moved the ball well on their ensuing drive, but were halted on fourth-and-two at the Aztec 30; in a sign of things to come, however, David Lowery was intercepted by Melvin Gilliam on the first Aztec play after the turnover and Sanders then took over - three carries for 35 yards got the ball inside the ten, from where Mike Gundy found Vance Vice alone in the back of the end zone for a touchdown that gave Oklahoma State the lead.
The visitors got a short field goal to open the second quarter and, after an 18-yard burst by Faulk helped move the Aztecs across midfield, Lowery was again picked off, this time by Rod Smith (the first of his three picks of the afternoon), and the Cowboys went on a eight-play, 75-yard drive finished off by Cecil Wilson's eight-yard TD scamper. SDSU moved the ball again when they took over, getting inside the OSU 35-yard line, but another turnover doomed them when Lowery was sacked by Brandon Colbert and stripped of the football (the omnipresent Smith pouncing on the loose ball). Seven plays later, Oklahoma State was back in the end zone - 34 yards of work from Sanders capped by a 20-yard TD toss from Gundy to Brent Parker, and the Cowboys took a three-touchdown lead into halftime.
The SDSU offense finally showed some finish in the third quarter, but their defense seemed powerless to stop Sanders. The junior running back ripped off a 14-yard TD on the Cowboys' first possession of the second half and, after SDSU had put together an impressive 93-yard drive that featured 40 yards of Faulk and was capped by Lowery's 14-yard throw to Darnay Scott (10 catches for 138 yards), Sanders did it again on the next drive. A 36-yard strike from Gundy to Hart Lee Dykes had put OSU into Aztec territory, and then Barry carried the ball for four of the next five snaps, finishing things off with a plunge from the one-yard line to make the score 38-10 for the Big Eight school. Faulk responded with 25 yards on the ground on SDSU's next drive, and then caught Lowery's swing pass for an eight-yard score with a minute to go in the third quarter, but it was still a three-score game and there was little drama left in the outcome.
The excitement that was left, however, was watching Sanders do his thing. OSU took the ball just prior to the start of the fourth quarter and Barry ripped off 43 yards on seven carries, five of those covering the final 32 yards as he danced into the end zone from two yards out for his third touchdown of the game. An interception and two fumbles held San Diego State at bay for the rest of the game, while Sanders ground up 59 yards on OSU's final scoring drive before Gerald Hudson did the honors from three yards away. The All-American out of Wichita stood on the sidelines and cheered as his teammates ran out the clock with another 40 yards of punishment on the ground, and he finished the day with 299 yards on 40 carries. Faulk, whose number was called only seven times in the second half due to the lopsided score, had 122 yards on 18 rushes and four catches for 17 yards.
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| Barry Sanders shredded SDSU for 299 yards and three scores |
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