—
November 22nd – Boulder Arizona State 42, Colorado 17
—
Arizona State running back Raleek Brown ran for 255 yards, the third-most in Arizona State history, and had a pair of touchdowns to help Sun Devils take out Colorado, 42-17. The Sun Devils finished with 580 total yards, including 355 yards rushing. A 13-7 game at halftime, ASU outscored Colorado 29-10 in the second half.
Freshman CU quarterback Julian Lewis finished 19-of-38 for 161 yards and a touchdown pass in his first home start, but the Buffs finished with only 300 yards of total offense.
“The football team you saw in the first half from us was the football team that we’re capable of being,” said Coach Prime. “Just the consistency to hold on and continue to be that — that’s a whole other thing.
“I can’t be happy with being close, because I expect to win. There’s no consolation prize in football, man. You can’t be happy with just because you’re in the game; you’re supposed to be winning the game. I’m not built like that. I want to win. I don’t want to be close.”
The game left Arizona with an 8-3 record, still mathematically alive for a chance at berth in the Big 12 title game, and a chance to repeat as conference champions. Colorado, meanwhile, fell to 3-8 in Coach Prime’s third season, finishing with a 3-4 home record.
—
Game Story … The game started out promising for the Buffs, with the CU defense forcing a quick three-and-out. The Buff offense, though, also went three-and-out on its first drive, with freshman quarterback Julian Lewis suffering the first of four sacks on the night.
Aided by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty and a 42-yard pass completion from quarterback Jeff Sims to former Buff Jordyn Tyson, the Sun Devils quickly moved deep into CU territory on their next drive. Three incompletions later, though, ASU had to settle for a 39-yard Jesus Gomez field goal and a 3-0 lead.
Defenses then took over with CU going three-and-out (again), Arizona State going three-and-out, and CU going three-and-out (again).
The Buff defense then gave the Folsom Field crowd of 43,348 (the lowest – by 5,000 – home crowd of the Coach Prime era) something to cheer about. Safety Tawfiq Byard forced a fumble from running back Demarius Robinson, with defensive lineman Keaten Wade recovering the ball at the ASU 22-yard line.
An eight-yard completion from Julian Lewis to Dre’lon Miller on third-and-nine left the Buffs with a fourth-and-one at the ASU 13-yard line. A Julian Lewis keeper, however, failed to pick up the first down, with the CU offense leaving the field empty handed on its first red zone opportunity.
After the Buff defense forced the third three-and-out from of the ASU offense in the first quarter, the Buffs took over at their 43-yard line. A 39-yard run by Micah Welch gave CU its first first down of the game (on its fifth possession), setting up the CU offense at the ASU 18-yard line. After two more runs netted 11 yards, Hayden scored on a seven-yard run, giving CU a 7-3 lead on the last play of the first quarter.
Arizona State’s next drive took 11 plays and almost five minutes of second quarter clock, but came up empty. On fourth-and-one at the CU 18-yard line, quarterback Jeff Sims was hurried on a throw by Reginald Hughes, with the incompletion giving the ball back to the Buffs.
A 15-yard completion from Lewis to Omarion Miller was the highlight of CU’s ensuing drive, but three plays later, the Buffs punted again.
Taking over at its 23-yard line, the ASU offense this time was not to be denied. The eight-play, 77-yard drive was culminated by a 33-yard touchdown pass from Sims to Raleek Brown, making it a 10-7 game with just over three minutes remaining in the first half.
A 13-yard completion from Lewis to Joseph Williams and a roughing the passer penalty helped the CU offense move into ASU territory on the Buffs’ next drive, but a sack on fourth-and-six at the ASU 38 gave the ball back to the Sun Devils.
One play later, the Buffs were back in business, with a Jeff Sims pass intercepted by Buff defensive back John Slaughter. The CU offense took the opportunity … to go three-and-out for the fourth time in the first half.
Taking over with less than a minute remaining, ASU quickly moved into scoring position with a 59-yard run by Raleek Brown. Set up at the CU 21, the Sun Devils went no further, with Jesus Gomez connecting on a 39-yard field goal with five seconds remaining before the break.
Halftime score: Arizona State 13, Colorado 7
Taking the second half kickoff, the Buff offense set on on only its second sustained drive of the game. A 13-yard completion from Julian Lewis to Sincere Brown, followed by a 42-yard run by Dallan Hayden, gave CU a first down at the ASU 28. Two plays later, Lewis found Omarion Miller in the end zone for a 22-yard score and a 14-13 Buff lead.
The lead, however, lasted less than 90 seconds. A 68-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Sims to wide receiver Derek Eusebio gave the Sun Devils the lead for good, at 21-14, after a successful two-point conversion attempt made it a four-point game less than five minutes into the third quarter.
A 15-yard completion from Lewis to Joseph Williams was all the Buff offense could muster before punting on its next possession. But the Buffs were back on the field a play later, as Jeff Sims fumbled the ball back to the Buffs, with CU linebacker Shaun Myers forcing a fumble on a sack, then returning the ball ten more yards to the ASU nine-yard line.
Instead of taking advantage, however, the Buff offense went backwards, losing a yard in three plays. A 28-yard field goal by Alejandro Mata made it a 21-17 game with five minutes remaining in the third, but an opportunity had been lost.
The teams traded punts before the CU offense was given another chance at redemption. At the end of a 20-yard run by ASU back Raleek Brown, Buff linebacker Reginald Brown forced a fumble, recovered by defensive back John Slaughter at the ASU 46-yard line.
Again, though, the Buffs failed to capitalize. A 33-yard completion from Lewis to Sincere Brown set the Buffs up at the ASU 26-yard line. The very next play, however, wide receiver Ronald Coleman, after a 14-yard run, fumbled the ball back to the Sun Devils. Instead of having a first down in the red zone early in the fourth quarter down only a score, the CU offense left the field.
And the ASU offense made them pay. On the next play from scrimmage, Raleek Brown went the distance, scoring on an 88-yard run to give Sun Devils their first two-score lead of the game, at 28-17.
Though over 13 minutes remained, the fumble in the red zone, coupled with a quick ASU touchdown, seemed to take the life out of the Buffs. After another punt, ASU methodically moved down the field, with a three-yard touchdown run by Kanye Udoh finishing off the 74-yard drive. Just like that, a 21-17 game was now a 35-17 rout.
A quick three-and-out by the Buffs was followed by another long touchdown drive by the Sun Devils. The ten-play, 76-yard drive chewed up almost half of the fourth quarter clock, with a three-yard touchdown run by Jason Brown, Jr. finishing off the Buffs.
Final score: Arizona State 42, Colorado 17
Arizona State, despite four turnovers, finished the game with 580 yards of total offense. Colorado, meanwhile, managed only 12 first downs and 300 yards of total offense. Julian Lewis completed half of his 38 passes for all of 161 yards and a touchdown, with the CU rushing attack led by Dallan Hayden, with 65 yards on ten carries.
“The goal was not to inflict any wounds on ourselves, and we did that,” Coach Prime said postgame. “The goal was to stop the running game because we figured they wouldn’t throw the pass, and we gave up 355 yards rushing: four turnovers but only three points off turnovers.
“Two plays to me changed the whole course of the game,” Coach Prime continued. “The [fourth quarter] fumble and the explosion [88-yard score] right after the fumble.”
–
—–
6 Replies to “Arizona State 42, CU 17”
SURE STU, ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE.
A BUFFALO BULL MAY NOT GET EXCITED WHEN HE SEES A COW IN ESTRUS. BUT HE WILL.
B.S. COULD NOT STINK. BUT IS DOES.
GOVERNMENT CANDIDATES COULD NOT TALK FOR SOOOO LONG. BUT, THEY DO. (BOY, TALK ABOUT B.S.)
AND….. KANSAS STATE MAY NOT RUN THE BALL FOR 200 YARDS. BUT THEY WILL.
THE WILDCATS Q.B. MAY NOT RUN FOR 100 YDS. AND PASS FOR ANOTHER 100. BUT, HE PROBABLY WILL.
EVERYTHING ABOUT RETAINING N.I.L. PLAYERS IN BOULDER MAY NOT DEPEND ON THE PROMISE OF AN 18 Y.O. Q.B. WITH 4 GAMES EXPERIENCE (2 GAMES WITH BRIEF EXPERIENCE)……BUT – SADLY – IT DOES.
Tough loss for the Buffs to absorb. ASU’s offense clearly found a rhythm that Colorado’s defense just couldn’t disrupt, and that 42-17 scoreline reflects a game that was controlled in the trenches. The Sun Devils’ ability to sustain drives and capitalize in the red zone seemed to be the ultimate difference-maker.
My question is about the momentum shift: At what point did you feel the game truly slipped away from Colorado? Was it a specific failed fourth-down conversion, a key defensive stop by ASU, or did the cumulative effect of the Sun Devils’ ground game just wear the Buffs’ defense down as the game progressed?
The 4th down attempt where they had less than a yard to go and bunched up on both sides for the obvious QB “sneak” where the Buffs ran into a stone wall? Very telling for the O line.
My feeling is the lack if offense by the Buffs, along with being on the field for so long was not only physically tiring but mentally as well. During the 4th qtr running blitz by ASU there was plenty of half hearted efforts to tackle.
Speaking of conditioning we haven’t heard as much about it as we have in the past. Are they getting enough aerobic conditioning? just time in the weight room?
Yeah the D came to play. The turning point had to be when one middle linebacker, whose name will not be mentioned, decided to dance the heebie jeebie while a WR ran right through his position for a TD. Not long after that the D decided to quit tackling when it was apparent the O line had not been blocking for the entire game. That moment will go viral. The weekly whippings weren’t mockery enough for the Buffs.
Pointing to choice number one on the poll, unless Sanders decides to resign, every single guy who is on the staff that has anything at all to do with the O has to leave. Hopefully Shurmur has already reserved a U Haul but I’m serious. EVERYONE. And every ex NFL star, even the HOFers have got to go too. No more reality shows in practice where the players to try and out cute each other. No more jewelry. No more stupid penalties, No more signaling for the refs…..arrrgghhhh.
If Sanders is still here he is going to have to find staff(and players) with an above average IQ over 120 that are serious about their profession. They will all probably have to come from the FCS or lower. W/o his homies, Sanders will probably have to have a search committee formed for him.
These people and players are out there. Finding a salesman who can sell ice to an Eskimo may be necessary to convince anyone to come here.
btw
K State hung 47 on the Utah D last night. It may be hard to watch the last game of the year. …..and the departure of commits and players into the portal. This program will have to start on the rock bottom once again.
Don’t think I can watch the K-state game, either. Wildcats put up almost 400 rushing yards *in the first half* against a stout Utah D. Has any team ever put up 800 rushing yards on another in one game? We may be about to find out.
Oklahoma had 758 yards rushing against the Buffs in the epic 82-42 game in 1980.
That stood as an NCAA record until Oklahoma went for 768 yards against Kansas in 1988.
Anything’s possible …