Tag: colorado

Nov 20, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Washington Huskies linebacker Jackson Sirmon (43) tackles Colorado Buffaloes running back Jarek Broussard (23) in the first quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being badly outgained, Colorado edges Washington

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Brendon Lewis ran for a touchdown, Jack Lamb returned a fumble for another score, and the Colorado Buffaloes beat the Washington Huskies 20-17 in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday.

Colorado (4-7, 3-5 Pac-12 Conference) won despite being outgained 426-183.

For Washington, Dylan Morris was 33-for-52 passing for 387 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, Rome Odunze had nine receptions for 68 yards and a TD, and Ja’Lynn Polk caught two passes for 60 yards and another score.

Washington turned the ball over four times.

The Buffaloes got on the board first with a 35-yard field goal by Cole Becker early in the first quarter. The Huskies (4-7, 3-5) drove to the Colorado 3 on their first possession but fumbled, and Lamb scooped it up and ran 88 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead with 2:37 left in the quarter.

Peyton Henry kicked a 30-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 59-yard drive for Washington early in the second period to make it 10-3.

On the Huskies’ next drive, Morris hit Odunze for an 8-yard touchdown and a 10-10 tie with 2:11 left in the first half.

Washington had a few opportunities to take the lead in the third quarter, but mistakes kept the score tied. The Huskies drove to the Colorado 36, but Morris threw an interception to end the drive, and on their next possession Henry missed a 49-yard field-goal attempt.

A fumble on Washington’s 7-yard line led to a 22-yard field goal by Becker and a 13-10 Colorado lead with 14:35 left in the game.

The Huskies again marched down the field and were in a position to tie or go ahead when Morris threw his second interception of the day deep in Buffaloes’ territory.

Colorado took advantage of the turnover, driving 80 yards in 14 plays capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Lewis and a 20-10 lead with 4:05 remaining.

The Huskies struck quickly when Morris connected with Polk on a 55-yard touchdown pass with 2:30 left to end the scoring.

Washington had another chance with two minutes left but turned the ball over on downs.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2021; Pasadena, California, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Brendon Lewis (12) is tackled by UCLA Bruins defensive back Quentin Lake (37) in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA scores 37 unanswered to crush Colorado

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UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson rushed for 99 yards, and Zach Charbonnet and Brittain Brown combined for another 125 on the ground in the Bruins’ 44-20 win Saturday over Colorado at Pasadena, Calif.

UCLA (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) trailed 20-10 at halftime before scoring 34 unanswered points to take control of the game against the Buffaloes (3-7, 2-5).

The Bruins, coming off consecutive losses, are bowl eligible for the first time since 2017.

Thompson-Robinson, who missed UCLA’s previous game at Utah two weeks ago with a thumb injury, completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 257 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. His 99 yards rushing came on nine carries.

Charbonnet had 17 rushes for 67 yards with three touchdowns and Brown finished with 58 yards on six rushes with a touchdown.

UCLA finished with 245 rushing yards and 502 total.

The Bruins had seven penalties for 42 yards in the first half and had none in the third quarter before getting flagged twice for 25 yards.

UCLA scored on five consecutive possessions, starting with a 41-yard field goal by Nicholas Barr-Mira as time expired in the first half.

Thompson-Robinson rushed for a 23-yard touchdown and Charbonnet had scoring runs of two and three yards in the third quarter.

Charbonnet added another touchdown, a 2-yard score with 12:12 left in the fourth quarter, to increase the lead to 37-20.

Colorado punted after five plays on the ensuing possession, resulting in Kyle Philips returning the punt 82 yards for the final score with 10:10 remaining.

Philips also had eight receptions for 99 yards, giving him 192 total yards.

Colorado’s Brendon Lewis completed 17 of 26 pass attempts for 158 yards. Jarek Broussard finished with 108 yards on 16 carries.

The Bruins’ defense limited Colorado to 359 total yards, including only 117 in the second half. The Buffaloes were only 1-of-7 in third-down conversions after halftime.

Colorado also rushed for just 38 yards in the second half after gaining 155 on the ground in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 16, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly returns to the locker room following pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Pressure mounting on Chip Kelly as UCLA hosts Colorado

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Following consecutive losses to Oregon and Utah and then having a week off, UCLA and embattled head coach Chip Kelly look to get back to winning when the Bruins host Colorado in a Pac-12 game Saturday in Pasadena.

The Buffaloes, coached by former UCLA coach Karl Dorrell, are coming off a 37-34 double-overtime victory over Oregon State at Boulder, Colo.

Colorado is 0-3 on the road this season losing by an average of almost 23 points.

The Buffaloes (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12) dropped consecutive games on the road against California and Oregon, losing 26-3 to the Golden Bears and 52-29 to the Ducks, before the win against the Beavers.

“We got a lot of work to do, and we can feel good about what we’ve done at this point,” said Dorrell, who was a receiver at UCLA from 1983-86 and was 35-27 as a head coach there from 2003-07.

“Hopefully we play better and continue to do some positive things as we move through this last part of the season.”

UCLA (5-4, 3-3) has lost three of its last five, including two games at the Rose Bowl against Arizona State and Oregon.

Kelly is facing criticism from the Los Angeles media for the Bruins’ record in his fourth season as head coach. He is 15-25 overall and 13-18 in Pac-12 games during his tenure.

The Los Angeles Times ran a story this week with the headline: “Chip Kelly is nowhere close to elite, and UCLA can do much better.”

The Bruins, who played without injured starting quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the loss at Utah two weeks ago, are facing the likelihood of having their Rose Bowl drought reach 23 years.

“We still got a lot of football to be played this season,” Kelly said. “I wouldn’t bet against that group (his players) in that room there. That group in that room there’s awesome and I love those kids.”

Thompson-Robinson returned to practice this week after suffering a right thumb injury against Oregon that kept him out against Utah. He warmed up before the game against the Utes but did not play.

Ethan Garbers replaced Thompson-Robinson at Utah and the Bruins had the opportunity to take the Pac-12 South lead but lost 44-24 because their defense allowed the Utes to rush for 290 yards.

Colorado quarterback Brenden Lewis has been efficient in the Buffaloes’ last two games, throwing six touchdown passes with no interceptions. He has completed 40 of 57 pass attempts for 394 yards with only one sack.

–Field Level Media

Nov 6, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oregon State Beavers linebacker Jack Colletto (12) scores a touchdown past Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Christian Gonzalez (3) in the second quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Field goal in second OT lifts Colorado over Oregon State

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Cole Becker drilled a 43-yard field goal in the second overtime Saturday night, allowing Colorado to escape with a 37-34 Pacific-12 Conference victory over visiting Oregon State.

Becker’s kick came after Oregon State’s Everett Hayes, who sent the game into overtime when he nailed a 60-yarder on the final play of regulation, was wide left on a 38-yarder.

Colorado’s Brendon Lewis had a 9-yard TD run and Oregon State’s B.J. Baylor a 1-yarder in the first overtime, sending the Buffaloes (3-6, 2-4 Pac-12) and Beavers (5-4, 3-3 Pac-12) into a second extra session.

Seeking to end a two-game losing streak, Colorado was one second away from a regulation win after Lewis threw his third TD pass of the game, a 16-yarder to Montana Lemonious-Craig, for a 27-24 lead with 2:24 to go.

When Oregon State’s Hayes missed left from 51 yards out on a potential game-tying field goal with 27 seconds remaining, it appeared the Beavers would suffer their second straight regulation defeat.

But the visitors used all three of their timeouts to retain five seconds on the clock after a Colorado punt, and after a 9-yard pass from Chance Nolan to Anthony Gould moved the ball closer with still one second remaining, Hayes drilled his 60-yarder to force overtime.

Down 10-0 in the first quarter and 20-10 in the third, Oregon State rallied into its first lead at 24-20 when Nolan connected with Tre’Shaun Harrison for a 27-yard TD with 8:23 remaining in the game.

That score followed a 31-yard TD run by Trey Lowe that had gotten the Beavers within one score at 20-17 late in the third period.

Lewis’ first two TD passes went to Daniel Arias for 43 yards in the first quarter and Brenden Rice for 5 yards in the third.

Becker had 28- and 52-yard field goals in the first half for the Buffaloes, while Oregon State’s Hayes was good from 45 yards on the final play of the second period, sending the teams into the break with Colorado up 13-10.

Jack Colletto scored on a 14-yard run for the Beavers’ first points on the first play of the second quarter.

Lewis finished 15-for-24 for 170 yards and the three scores. Jarek Broussard rushed for a game-high 151 yards on 24 carries for the Buffaloes, who won despite getting outgained 475-392.

Nolan went 20-for-38 for 255 yards with one interception. Baylor was Oregon State’s top rusher with 98 yards on 22 carries.

–Field Level Media

Oct 30, 2021; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Travis Dye (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 7 Oregon kicks it into high gear, tops Colorado

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No. 7 Oregon reached a season high in points while unleashing in a 52-29 romp over visiting Colorado on Saturday at Eugene, Ore.

The Ducks gained 568 yards of total offense as they rolled to a stress-free Pac-12 victory for the first time since an easy win over Arizona in September.

Quarterback Anthony Brown completed 25 of 31 passes for 307 yards with three touchdowns and was taken out early in the fourth quarter with the Ducks comfortably ahead. He also had a touchdown run called back on a penalty against teammate Devon Williams, but threw a touchdown pass to Williams on the next play.

Colorado scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make it 45-29 with just over six minutes to play, so Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal put Brown back in the game. Brown then engineered a five-minute that ended in Seven McGee’s short touchdown run with 50 seconds to play.

Travis Dye had two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown catch to give him seven TDs in the past two games, while freshman Byron Cardwell ran for 127 yards on only seven carries as Oregon (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) took a 44-14 lead into the final quarter.

Oregon lit up the Buffaloes (2-6, 1-4) in the first half with 344 yards of total offense, their most in any half this season, and Brown completing 19 of 24 passes for 201 yards with two touchdowns.

The Ducks got a 27-yard field goal from Camden Lewis as the first half clock expired to take a 31-14 lead into halftime.

Cardwell — who is seeing more of an opportunity with running back CJ Verdell out long term due to an injury – showed his ability in the first quarter with a 34-yard run up the middle for a touchdown.

Colorado’s Brendon Lewis passed for 224 yards with three scores. completing 25 of 33 passes. Brenden Rice caught five of those passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, while Alex Fontenot had a rushing and receiving touchdown for Colorado.

–Field Level Media

Oct 23, 2021; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Chase Garbers (7) scrambles for the first down and passes the school record held by Joe Kapp for the most rushing yards by a quarterback for the last 60 years against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Chase Garbers helps California rout Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Chase Garbers was 22-of-29 passing for 225 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 96 yards, and California beat Colorado 26-3 in Pac-12 play in Berkley, Calif., on Saturday.

Keleki Latu had three catches for 36 yards and a score and Gavin Reinwald caught a 31-yard touchdown pass for the Bears (2-5, 1-3 Pac-12).

Cal held Colorado to 104 total yards, sacked quarterback Brendon Lewis six times and intercepted him once.

The Bears struck first on the first of four field goals by Dario Longhetto, this one from 49 yards out.

On the ensuing possession the Buffaloes (2-5, 1-3) went for it on fourth-and-one at midfield but were stopped.

The Bears took advantage of the field position when Garbers connected with Latu on a 24-yard scoring strike to put Cal ahead 10-0 with 6:05 left in the first quarter.

Colorado was forced to punt again on its next possession and the Bears took 7:08 to drive 88 yards to the Buffaloes 12-yard line. Longhetto made it 13-0 with a 30-yard field goal.

Colorado finally got on the board on its next possession. The Buffaloes drove to the Cal 13 but couldn’t convert on a third-and-two, settling for Cole Becker’s 33-yard field goal that made it 13-3.

The Bears padded their lead before halftime. After Colorado kicked off, Garbers took Cal down the field and hit Reinwald on a 31-yard touchdown pass with 3:21 left in the second quarter.

The Buffaloes got one first down on their ensuing possession before punting to the Bears’ 17. Garbers completed four passes and ran for a first down in the final 58 seconds, and Longhetto hit a field goal from 51 yards out as time expired to make it 23-3.

Neither team scored in the third quarter but Cal added some insurance in the fourth after a wild sequence. Longhetto had his 38-yard field goal attempt blocked and Colorado returned it for an apparent touchdown.

However, the Buffaloes were offside, giving Longhetto another chance, and he hit from 33 yards.

–Field Level Media

California s Jake Tonges dives into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game against Oregon during the first quarter. Eug 101521 Uofb Cal 20

Cal still confident … and still searching for first FBS win against Colorado

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The Cal Bears have a losing record but with a few breaks they could be .500 or better.

The Bears (1-5, 0-3 Pac-12) have lost games by five points, two points and another in overtime. They also went on the road to No. 9 Oregon and gave the Ducks a scare before falling 24-17 last week.

So, it’s no surprise Cal is still confident heading into its home matchup with Colorado at Berkeley Saturday afternoon.

“We have a close-knit group of guys,” senior safety Elijah Hicks said. “To be honest, we’re confident we can play with anybody. The confidence isn’t going to go anywhere.”

Cal is still looking for its first win over a FBS school. The Bears’ lone win came against Sacramento State on Sept. 18.

The Buffaloes (2-4, 1-2) got a much-needed win against Arizona, 34-0, on Saturday. Colorado had opened the season strong with a win and a near upset of No. 5 Texas A&M but was then outscored 102-27 in the next three games.

Freshman quarterback Brandon Lewis has been forced to learn on the job, and the lessons have been tough at times. In his first three games, he threw for 218 yards combined. But against Arizona, he had 248 yards passing with two touchdowns.

The Buffaloes also got a strong game out of Trevor Woods, who had a blocked punt that he returned for a touchdown. He was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Monday.

“That was a really good win for us as a program,” CU coach Karl Dorrell said. “All three phases scored touchdowns … We had two weeks of really doing some things in detail. I just felt like the dam was going to break at some point and it did [vs. Arizona].”

The Buffaloes will be without some players against Cal. Running back Ashaad Clayton will miss his second straight game for an undisclosed injury, defensive back Nigel Bethel has a knee injury and “it doesn’t look so good,” Dorrell said.

Wide receiver La’Vontae Shenault is also still serving a suspension.

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Gunner Cruz (9) throws the ball away under the pressure of Brigham Young Cougars defensive lineman Earl Tuioti-Mariner (91) at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Offense-challenged Arizona takes backup QB to Boulder

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Arizona will try to end the nation’s longest losing streak with its backup quarterback when the Wildcats play at Colorado on Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

Jordan McCloud, who showed promise in starting the past two games, suffered a season-ending leg injury in the fourth quarter of a 34-16 loss to UCLA on Saturday night. First-year coach Jedd Fisch will go back to Gunner Cruz, who started the first two games before losing his job.

Cruz passed for 336 yards in the opener against BYU but struggled against San Diego State in the next game.

“I believe in Gunner,” Fisch said of the Washington State transfer.

“Gunner won the job in training camp because of the way he was able to throw the football. We have to go back to that week of BYU preparation and remind him why he won the job and show him some of the good things he did against BYU.”

Arizona (0-5, 0-2 Pac-12) has lost 17 consecutive games. The Wildcats’ last victory was on Oct. 5, 2019, at Colorado.

The Buffaloes (1-4, 0-2) are coming off a bye week as they enter this basement battle in the Pac-12 South. They are on a four-game skid — although a 10-7 home loss to Texas A&M on Sept. 11 looks more impressive in hindsight.

Colorado, too, is facing quarterback questions. Freshman Brendon Lewis has completed 48 of 90 passes for 475 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

“Hopefully, the changes we’ve made are going to help us play more efficient and effective football,” Dorrell said of off-week tweaks. “We addressed a lot of things. Coaches’ roles, in terms of what the expectations are, the expectations we set for our players … they’ve owned up that we can be better.”

Colorado will try to unleash Jarek Broussard, the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. He has been held in check this season, rushing for 256 yards on 60 carries in five games.

Arizona gave up 329 rushing yards last week to the Bruins and allow 219.4 per game, ranking 122nd in the nation.

Each offense has suffered from a lack of explosive plays. Colorado hasn’t scored more than 14 points in a game during its four-game slide. Arizona hasn’t reached 20 points in eight consecutive games, which includes a home loss to FCS Northern Arizona last month.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Karl Dorrell calls a time out n the second quarter against the USC Trojans at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado coach Karl Dorrell apologizes for camera incident

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Colorado coach Karl Dorrell apologized Sunday for an incident in which he shoved the camera of a photojournalist after the Buffaloes were routed by Southern California on Saturday.

Video of the incident shows him reaching out with his right hand to push the camera aside as the photographer from CBS affiliate KCNC-TV in Denver filmed Dorrell jogging off the field after the 37-14 loss in Boulder.

“I want to apologize for the incident at the end of our game Saturday,” the 58-year-old Dorrell said Sunday in a statement released by the university. “We do value the media and the coverage they provide for our program, and this was strictly in the heat of the moment.

“That’s not who I am, and I hope people who have known me through the years do realize that. I did reach out and spoke directly this morning to the videographer from CBS-4 and personally apologized to him.”

About three hours after the incident, athletic director Rick George apologized in a tweet: “Coach Dorrell sends his apologies to the local journalist who he intercepted after today’s game. We treat journalists with respect and apologize for falling short of that today.”

That apology drew criticism on social media due to Dorrell not directly issuing it.

The loss to the Trojans was the fourth straight for the Buffaloes (1-4, 0-2) and third straight via blowout. Colorado has been outscored 102-27 while losing to Minnesota, Arizona State and USC over the past three weeks.

The Buffaloes went 4-2 last season in Dorrell’s first campaign.

Dorrell was formerly the head coach at UCLA and went 35-27 in five seasons from 2003-07.

–Field Level Media

Sep 25, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Drake London (15) runs the ball after a complete pass in the second half of the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

USC looking to get on track at Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Southern California has been a bedrock program for decades, but after last Saturday’s surprising loss to Oregon State, the Trojans look like a team in disarray.

They fired their coach, Clay Helton, after two games because things were going in the wrong direction. Interim coach Donte Williams may be feeling the heat after the blowout loss at home to the Beavers, but he can turn down the temperature on Saturday when USC plays Colorado in Boulder.

The Trojans (2-2, 1-2 Pac-12) had not lost at home to Oregon State since 1960, and this game wasn’t even close. USC trailed by 25 in the fourth quarter and some thought the team quit, but Williams said Sunday he saw his club was playing hard in the fourth quarter.

Williams also vowed to turn things around.

“It will all get fixed,” he said. “I promise you that.”

Playing a scuffling Buffaloes team might help. Colorado (1-3, 0-1) has lost three straight since winning its opener, and the last two games haven’t been competitive. The Buffaloes have been outscored 65-13 by Minnesota and Arizona State.

While the offense is sputtering, Colorado’s defense will get a boost this week with the return of Mustafa Johnson. The defensive lineman put his name in for the 2021 NFL Draft but wasn’t picked and he didn’t find a team through free agency, so he applied for a waiver that the NCAA granted.

“He gives us a veteran presence in the defensive front,” Buffaloes coach Karl Dorrell said. “He’s excited to play and obviously he feels it was a blessing to get another opportunity to play. He’ll be a good veteran piece for us defensively.”

The defense has played relatively well while the offense has sputtered. Colorado has scored 20 points in its last three games after putting up 35 in its opener. Freshman quarterback Brandon Lewis has struggled against FBS opponents and the team is averaging just 239 yards of offense per game, ranked 128th in the nation out of 130 FBS teams.

The Buffaloes may have a chance to get the offense rolling Saturday. The USC defense is allowing 391.2 yards per game and has given up an average of 33.7 points over its last three.

The Trojans are 14-0 all-time against Colorado. The last time the teams met, in Boulder in 2019, the Buffaloes held a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before USC won 35-31.

–Field Level Media