Click to view photos from the WVU-Colorado game.

BOULDER, Colo. -- West Virginia returned to what it does best on offense Thursday night, running the football for more than 300 yards.

The Mountaineer defense made vast improvement in a ton of areas, too, pitching a shutout for the final 55 minutes, forcing turnovers and actually getting off the field time and again -- something it had failed to do almost routinely in two earlier games.

Even WVU's special teams were, on the whole, solid and sometimes spectacular.

But guess what? None of it mattered because West Virginia still shot itself in the foot again in every phase, losing 17-14 to Colorado in overtime at Folsom Field.

Aric Goodman kicked a 25-yard field goal in overtime to give the Buffaloes (3-0) the win. West Virginia lost at the end because Pat McAfee had just moments before hit the left upright on a 23-yard field goal reminiscent of his chip-shot misses a year ago against Pitt.

But ultimately there were reasons after reasons the game should never have come down to a kick or an overtime. Pick one: A failure to convert short-yardage situations, a lost opportunity on a wide-open trick play, untimely penalties, defensive liabilities at the outset and even poor clock management.

For the Mountaineers it was, in a word, frustrating.

"I'm so proud of the way they came out and competed,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "There's a lot of heartache in that locker room. But they'll grow and get better.''

The question, though, is becoming "when?''

Three games into the season the Mountaineers are now below .500 for the first time in four years. When the new polls come out next week, they won't be included for the first time in 47 weeks.

Yes, there is a lot of season left, including a game with Marshall a week from Saturday, another chance for a Thursday night showcase against Auburn in a month and an entire Big East schedule. This is still a team that could finish 10-2.

But it won't playing the way it played Thursday night from the standpoint of mistakes.

"It'll be tough, especially for the guys who have been here a few years and aren't used to losing,'' said safety Quinton Andrews. "I guess we'll find out about our character.''

Click to view photos from the WVU-Colorado game.

BOULDER, Colo. -- West Virginia returned to what it does best on offense Thursday night, running the football for more than 300 yards.

The Mountaineer defense made vast improvement in a ton of areas, too, pitching a shutout for the final 55 minutes, forcing turnovers and actually getting off the field time and again -- something it had failed to do almost routinely in two earlier games.

Even WVU's special teams were, on the whole, solid and sometimes spectacular.

But guess what? None of it mattered because West Virginia still shot itself in the foot again in every phase, losing 17-14 to Colorado in overtime at Folsom Field.

Aric Goodman kicked a 25-yard field goal in overtime to give the Buffaloes (3-0) the win. West Virginia lost at the end because Pat McAfee had just moments before hit the left upright on a 23-yard field goal reminiscent of his chip-shot misses a year ago against Pitt.

But ultimately there were reasons after reasons the game should never have come down to a kick or an overtime. Pick one: A failure to convert short-yardage situations, a lost opportunity on a wide-open trick play, untimely penalties, defensive liabilities at the outset and even poor clock management.

For the Mountaineers it was, in a word, frustrating.

"I'm so proud of the way they came out and competed,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "There's a lot of heartache in that locker room. But they'll grow and get better.''

The question, though, is becoming "when?''

Three games into the season the Mountaineers are now below .500 for the first time in four years. When the new polls come out next week, they won't be included for the first time in 47 weeks.

Yes, there is a lot of season left, including a game with Marshall a week from Saturday, another chance for a Thursday night showcase against Auburn in a month and an entire Big East schedule. This is still a team that could finish 10-2.

But it won't playing the way it played Thursday night from the standpoint of mistakes.

"It'll be tough, especially for the guys who have been here a few years and aren't used to losing,'' said safety Quinton Andrews. "I guess we'll find out about our character.''

The Mountaineers found out a little about their character Thursday night. Colorado jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes and it could have been over. But until the overtime field goal, the Buffaloes didn't score again.

The Mountaineers, meanwhile, made some hay. Quarterback Pat White finished the game with 19 carries and 145 yards rushing. Noel Devine ran for 132 yards on 26 tries. White threw for just 43 yards on 10-of-14 completions. It looked a lot like the offenses of the past five years.

Ah, but those mistakes and missed opportunities. There was a failed fourth-and-inches try at the Colorado 17 early in the fourth quarter. A Reed Williams interception return to deep in Colorado territory was followed by a personal foul penalty.

The worst was a trick play with about eight minutes to go. White threw back to wide receiver and third-string quarterback Bradley Starks, who had Jock Sanders wide open down field, no one within 20 yards of him. But Starks' pass was an absolute dead duck, fluttering down 10 yards short of Sanders.

"We had a wide-open guy there and the kid just underthrew the ball,'' Stewart said. "We could have scored there and maybe done some good things. But maybe it doesn't get done.''

And then there was the final drive of regulation. West Virginia got the ball at its own 20 with 2:09 to play and ran five plays to get the ball just short of midfield with 51 seconds left. Two more short passes moved it to the Colorado 47, but with two time outs remaining WVU didn't use either and the clock was down to 22 seconds. A third-down run by Devine lost yardage and West Virginia could then do nothing except let the clock run down and throw a failed Hail Mary pass on the last play of regulation.

Stewart, though, said he would do nothing different.

"I don't second guess,'' he said. "I absolutely wouldn't change a thing.''

West Virginia on its overtime possession ran right down the field behind White and Devine, getting to a third-and-1 at the Colorado 4-yard line. But a third-down run by Jock Sanders lost a yard and the Mountaineers had to line up for the ill-fated field goal attempt.

"I feel sorry for Patrick McAfee,'' Stewart said. "I don't know what happened with the hold or the snap, but it just hit the upright. He's made a bunch for us, but that's a tough one to miss.''

When Colorado got the ball, the Buffs marched easily down the field, centered the ball in the middle and kicked the easy field goal on third down to win the game.

"When they missed the field goal it made it easier on me mentally,'' said Goodman. "I have a chance to win the game, but I can't lose the game.''

Colorado got 166 yards on 28 carries from little freshman running back Rodney Stewart. Quarterback Cody Hawkins completed 22-of-33 passes for 179 yards and two scores. Josh Smith caught five passes for 75 yards.

After trailing virtually from the outset after Colorado jumped out 14-0 in the first five minutes, West Virginia tied the score at 14 with 4:49 to play in the third quarter on a 39-yard scramble for a touchdown by White. White had earlier scored the Mountaineers' first touchdown on a 6-yard draw play in the first quarter.

Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.