Photo by Cliff Grassmick

CU QB Cody Hawkins is picked up by the fans after the huge win over WVU 17-14.

Thrilled University of Colorado students blared their car horns and shouted the school’s fight song late Thursday after the Buffaloes stunned West Virginia by beating the 21st-ranked Mountaineers with an overtime field goal.

“I took my shirt off and kissed the field,” CU junior Peter Irving, 20, said about his experience rushing Folsom Field after the surprise win. “It was money.”

Unranked CU topped West Virginia with a final score of 17-14. CU junior Zachary Palmer, 20, said among the game’s tensest moments was just before the Mountaineers missed their chance to take the lead with a field goal in overtime.

“I think an angel blew the ball right there,” Palmer said.

A blacked-out student section rushed the field after the win, jumping and shouting the fight song. CU senior Miles Livermore, 21, called it the “most invigorating, stress-relieving moment of my life.”

The night-game atmosphere mixed with a CU-overtime victory forced police to do some crowd control during and after the game. Officers ejected some students from the stadium and made some alcohol-related arrests, though police didn’t provide the number of arrests Thursday.

CU senior Chris Dea, 21, said he was among the students removed from the game for alcohol-related violations.

“The ‘pos’ said, ‘Get out,” Dea said, pointing to the ground to show that he lost a shoe in the confrontation. “It most likely was because I had a flask in my pocket that was exposed.”

Although CU only was leading by a touchdown at the half, junior Barrett Betz, 20, said he left the game because it was “a frickin’ madhouse in there.”

No one could move in the student section, he said.

West Virginia fan Steven Sanglandosski — in town from Las Vegas — said CU’s young team has a bright future.

“They’re probably gonna be the best team in the NCAA in two years,” he said. “For freshmen and sophomores, they’re unbelievable.”

Before the game, John Lawrentz — wearing a camouflage jacket over a Mountaineers shirt and waving a large navy-and-gold West Virginia flag — did his best to stick out on Boulder’s campus.

“This is the farthest we’ve traveled to date,” said Lawrentz, 40, a lifelong West Virginia fan who flew to Colorado from Parkersburg, W.V., for the rare mid-week night game in Boulder.

“This is as big as it gets for us,” Lawrentz said about the nationally televised match-up. “We don’t have pro sports, so this is our top level.”

Louisville resident Jesse Anderson said Thursday’s game was all about celebrating his roots. Anderson, 30, graduated as a Mountaineer in 2001 and said that, win or lose, having his alma mater play in his new backyard was “big time.”

With his game tickets burning a hole in his pocket, Anderson on Thursday wore his navy-and-gold Mountaineers jersey to tailgate and was taunted by the CU faithful who passed his West Virginia party.

“They said, ‘West Virginia sucks,’ and other things about my mother,” Anderson said. “But it made me feel warm inside.”

Seven Buffalo fans felt a little chilly during the game, having left their shirts at home. The men painted their bodies black and spelled out V-I-C-T-O-R-Y on their chests.

“That’s what we’re looking for,” screamed CU junior Andrew Erickson, 20, as the crew of painted men charged toward Folsom Field about an hour before the game.

“We want front row,” said CU sophomore Keith Brady, 19. “That’s why we’re going down now. This is national TV, baby!”

Although CU games traditionally are Saturday mornings or afternoons, many game and tailgate regulars said there were just as many fans partying Thursday as there have been at previous games this season.

“But I would rather have it on Saturday — that’s just me,” said Bob Mitchell, 46, of Centennial, who has been driving to Boulder for Buffs games since the 1980s. “It’s tradition, and, if things get out of control, you’ve got Sunday to recover.”