No. 25 Utah 38, Colorado 34


Posts Tagged ‘Darragh O’Neill’

No. 25 Utah 38, Colorado 34

//posted 11.29.2014

A pick-six with ten minutes gives Utah game-winning points … “I think the word I’d use is ‘gut-wrenching’ ” …

READ MORE >>

The recruiting history, graduation status, and career highlights of CU’s 21 seniors have all been posted!

READ MORE >>

No. 2 Oregon 44, Colorado 10

//posted 11.22.2014

No. 2 Oregon methodically took care of business against out-manned Colorado, posting almost 600 yards of total offense in posting a 44-10 victory. Heisman hopeful Marcus Mariota threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns, adding 73 yards and another touchdown rushing, as the Ducks built up a 30-3 halftime lead before coasting in the second half.

Colorado was stymied on offense, gaining only 226 yards of total offense. Sophomore quarterback Jordan Gehrke made his first career start, and was never able to generate any consistency. Gehrke went 9-for-18 for 64 yards before being replaced in the third quarter by Sefo Liufau. The Buffs’ only touchdown of the game, a five yard touchdown pass from Liufau to freshman wide receiver Donovan Lee, came late in the third quarter when the game was already well in hand for the 10-1 Ducks.

READ MORE >>

Four turnovers prove too much for Buffs to overcome, spoiling another positive overall effort

READ MORE >>

No. 22 USC 56, Colorado 28

//posted 10.19.2014

Colorado fans thought they had seen the best USC quarterbacks had to offer. In 2011, Trojan quarterback Matt Barkley torched Buff defense for a school record six touchdown passes. To prove the 2011 effort was no fluke, Barkley threw for six touchdowns against Colorado again in 2012.

Cody Kessler, seen as a game manager even by the USC faithful, was arguably no Matt Barkley.

Against Colorado, though, he was even better.

Kessler threw for a school-record seven touchdown passes, completing 19-of-26 passes for 319 yards and seven scores in No. 22 USC’s 56-28 rout of Colorado (yes, Buff fans, Kessler had as many touchdown passes as he had incompletions). Kessler’s favorite target was Nelson Agholor, who had six receptions for 128 yards and three scores. Javorius Allen, the Pac-12’s leading rusher, had 15 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown.

For Colorado, Sefo Liufau completed 23-of-35 passes for 143 yards, with two touchdown passes to Nelson Spruce. Liufau also had two costly interceptions in the first quarter, when USC sprinted out to a 28-0 lead, never looking back.

READ MORE >>

Colorado went over 400 yards in total offense for the fifth straight game, something not seen in Boulder since 1996, but the 431 yards of total offense were not enough to overcome mistakes and some questionable officiating, with Oregon State escaping Boulder with a 36-31 victory.

The game was close on the scoreboard and on the stats sheet. Oregon State had 445 yards of total offense; Colorado 431. The Buffs had the edge in first downs, 25-22, and both teams went 6-for-14 on third down attempts. The Buffs did have one costly turnover, an interception which led to an eight yard touchdown drive by the Beavers in the first quarter.

Sefo Liufau went 32-for-49 for 308 yards, two touchdowns and that costly interception. Nelson Spruce, the nation’s leader in catches, yardage and touchdowns, was held to six catches for 35 yards. Tyler McCulloch helped to pick up the slack, with four receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Adkins, who had 14 carries for nine yards in the previous four games, had 13 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown to lead the Buffs’ rushing attack.

READ MORE >>

Sefo Liufau crushed his previous career bests with 449 yards passing and seven touchdowns, but it was not enough, as Colorado fell in two overtimes to California, 59-56. Liufau hit Nelson Spruce 19 times – a week after Spruce set the all-time record for catches in a game with 13 – for 176 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-best 79 yards.

The offensive fireworks, which led to leads of 14-0, 21-7, and 28-14, though, were not enough to stop the offensive onslaught from the Bears. The Colorado secondary surrendered touchdown passes of 92, 26, 10, five, 40, and 25 yards as Jared Goff duplicated Liufau’s 449 yards passing and seven touchdowns. Three missed field goals by Will Oliver figured into a game in which Colorado ran a school-record 110 offensive plays.

The loss left the 2-3 Buffs (0-2 in Pac-12 play) wondering what might have been … and what was still to come in the 2014 season.

READ MORE >>

Colorado 21, Hawai’i 12

//posted 9.21.2014

Colorado jumped out to a 21-6 second quarter lead against visiting Hawai’i, but then almost spoiled a record-setting afternoon by wide receiver Nelson Spruce, hanging on to defeat the Rainbow Warriors, 21-12, before 39,478 sunbaked fans at Folsom Field.

Nelson Spruce had 13 catches on the afternoon, breaking the school-record of 11 (done nine times previously, including three times by Paul Richardson), going for a personal-best 172 yards. Spruce also set a school-record by collecting a touchdown reception in his sixth straight game.

But it was almost all for naught, as the Buffs were shutout in the second half by the Rainbow Warriors. It took an exceptional effort from the Colorado defense – which held an opponent out of the end zone for the first time since 2010 (a 24-3 win over Colorado State) to preserve the win. The Buffs held the Rainbow Warriors to only 286 yards of total offense, the best for the CU defense since holding Utah to 274 yards in the 2011 finale.

READ MORE >>

No. 16 ASU 38, Colorado 24

//posted 9.14.2014

Colorado out-gained No. 16 Arizona State, 545 yards to 426 yards, but three turnovers doomed the Buffs to a 38-24 loss to the Sun Devils in Boulder.

Sefo Liufau went 31-for-46 for 278 yards and three touchdowns, but also had two interceptions. Christian Powell, thanks to two long runs, became the first Buff to rush for over 100 yards in 2014, with 11 carries good enough for 118 yards. Nelson Spruce had a pair of touchdowns for his third consecutive game, collecting seven catches for 97 yards.

After being out-gained by the Sun Devils, 222-22 in the first quarter, the Buffs had 523 yards of total offense to 205 for the Sun Devils in the final three quarters, but were never able to get closer than two touchdowns in the second half.

READ MORE >>

Spring Grades – Defense

//posted 4.16.2014

The CU defense has more talent and depth, but questions along the line remain …

READ MORE >>

Utah 24, Colorado 17

//posted 12.1.2013

Colorado spotted Utah a 21-0 lead early, but then fought back to get within a touchdown late before falling, 24-17.

Sefo Liufau fumbled twice in the first quarter, with both turnovers leading to Utah touchdowns. Liufau, who was harassed all game long, completed 23-of-46 passes for 241 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Nelson Spruce led the receivers, with six receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown – and also contributed a 32-yard completion to Sefo Liufau on a trick play in the second quarter.

Colorado posted 321 total yards, with only 48 coming on the ground. After surrendering yards and points early, the CU defense held up its end for most of the remainder of the game, giving up 388 total yards to the Utes.

READ MORE >>

No. 23 USC 47, Colorado 29

//posted 11.26.2013

The No. 23 USC Trojans took advantage of two first half Colorado turnovers to build a 23-0 halftime lead, coasting to a 47-29 win over the Buffs in Boulder. The Buffs’ point total matched the temperature at kickoff, 29-degrees, with only 36,005 on hand to witness the Buffs’ home finale.

USC quarterback Cody Kessler went 19-of-28 for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Javorius Allen had 20 carries for 143 yards and three scores to lead the Trojans. The Buffs, held to 73 yards of total offense in the first half, managed four second half touchdowns to make the score more respectable.

Freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau finished 17-of-33 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Paul Richardson, shut out in the first half, finished with eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Adkins led the CU rushing attack with 14 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown.

READ MORE >>