Colorado
4-7-0 , 1-6
Southern California
7-3-0 , 5-2
Brooks: Buffs Lose Liufau, Fall Short In Heartbreaker To Trojans
November 14, 2015 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER – Like they have most of the season, the Colorado Buffaloes battled and kept it close Friday night at Folsom Field against Southern California. But once again, the Buffs couldn't rewrite their longstanding script for disappointment.
With starting quarterback Sefo Liufau injured and supported by crutches on the sideline, the Buffs rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit behind backup Cade Apsay before faltering on their final possession and losing, 27-24.
"That's definitely a heartbreaker for sure for us," CU coach Mike MacIntyre said. "The kids keep battling, keep coming back and just came up short again. But wow, the last two years that team (USC) has shellacked us. We've caught up in a lot of areas, but that still hurts mightily for those young men. I feel bad for Sefo. Cade came in and I thought did some good things."
The Trojans (7-3 overall, 5-2 Pac-12) were behind 17-6 at halftime but outscored the Buffs 21-7 in the final two quarters to defeat CU for the 10th consecutive time.
CU (4-7, 1-6) failed in its attempt for a successful sendoff for 15 seniors. The Buffs also saw their postseason hopes end, unless they manage to win their final two games and there is a shortage of six-win teams to fill all bowl berths. To qualify outright for postseason eligibility, CU needed to win seven games because of its 13-game schedule.
"A bowl game was our goal starting out at the beginning of the season but 6-7, if we can get to that, we aren't totally out of a bowl game depending on how that scenario plays out," said senior receiver Nelson Spruce. "We are just going to try to take it week by week for these next two." CU closes the regular season with games at Washington State next Saturday and at Utah on Nov. 28.
The Buffs lost Liufau to a lisfranc (midfoot) injury on his left foot at the end of the first quarter. He left the game having completed 6-of-8 passes for 84 yards and staking his team to a 7-3 lead. He will have surgery as soon as possible and is expected to be out six to eight months.
"Sefo was hot, he was playing good and it was kind of going to be his night (until the injury)," MacIntyre said. "He was on a roll. He had a great week of practice; I don't think he missed a throw all week. He was getting back in rhythm.
"He was trying to go back in (the game) and I just looked at his eyes and said, 'You can't go back in.' They took him in (to the locker room) . . . he was trying to tape it up and I said, 'No.' He's such a warrior and such a leader."
Apsay, a redshirt freshman, played the final three quarters and finished 18-of-23 for 128 yards and two touchdowns. USC sacked him five times, and coupled with Liufau's lone sack, the Buffs lost 36 yards in sack yardage.
Still, MacIntyre was impressed with Apsay's accuracy and said the game was not too fast for him.
"He should have gotten the ball out of his hands a couple times a little bit quicker on some quick game things when it wasn't right there, or just thrown it away," MacIntyre said. "He'll learn that on film; you have to learn that by playing, it's sad but you do. I think Cade has a lot of ability, he's a very accurate passer."
Apsay, whose duty in last week's final quarter against Stanford was his first since Nicholls State in late September, called his performance "OK . . . If I were to give it a grade it would average like a 'C' because there was a lot of things I could do better and execute better; make better decisions, better checks, etc. It was OK. I could do better for sure."
Spruce caught one of Apsay's TD tosses, giving him 22 scoring receptions for his career and tying him with Scotty McKnight for the school record. Spruce finished his final game at Folsom with seven catches for 94 yards, made a career-long 45-yard punt return, and received the Buffalo Heart Award, presented annually by fans.
He said the award "means a lot. I have accomplished a lot here but this award is up there with everything else because I pride myself with being that guy that goes to work every day, is a tough player and sets that example for the team. So for the fans to recognize that and that I got that award means a lot to me."
THE TROJANS OUTGAINED THE BUFFS 333-281 in total offense, including a 129-59 edge on the ground. USC's Justin Davis led all rushers with 85 yards on 14 carries.
Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler, who threw seven TD passes last season against the Buffs, tossed three touchdown passes Friday night and finished 17-of-27 for 204 yards.
He was intercepted once, that pick by CU senior Jered Bell. It was Bell's third interception of the season and seventh of his career.
CU led 17-6 at halftime, but had it not been for an ill-timed time out in the half's final three seconds the advantage would have been 17-3. That timeout allowed USC kicker Alex Wood a second chance at a 41-yard field goal that was blocked on his first attempt.
Nonetheless, the Buffs went to their locker room with a lead – a rare thing in this series. And the lead was fashioned in a most unpredictable manner, with the starting quarterback relegated to a spectator role.
Liufau left the game on the final play of the first quarter, suffering his injury after being sacked for a 5-yard loss. It was the only time the Trojans rush got to him, and it ended what looked to be shaping up as a good night for the junior.
After USC took a 3-0 lead on Wood's 22-yard field goal on the game's opening possession, Liufau drove the Buffs 61 yards for a touchdown on their second series. Phillip Lindsay scored on a 4-yard run, giving the Buffs their first lead over the Trojans since CU joined the Pac-12 in 2011.
Diego Gonzalez's PAT made it 7-3, and CU's defense made that score stand up entering the second quarter. But it changed quickly. Backed up to his 6-yard line by a 40-yard Alex Kinney punt, Kessler moved the Trojans to their 32-yard line in three plays.
But on the fourth, Bell stepped in front of Kessler's pass, picked it off and returned it to the USC 26. It was a big moment for Bell, but a different outcome would have been bigger.
"It's fun to compete but we're here to compete and win," he said. "It's not enough just to compete. I'm over the moral victories . . . this program is over the moral victories. It's time to finish, execute and win these games."
After Bell's pick, Apsay, who had been sacked for an 8-yard loss on his first snap of the night, settled himself with four hand-offs to Lindsay before finding Spruce on a slant across the middle for a 9-yard TD.
Gonzalez's extra point gave the Buffs a 14-3 lead, and with 3:14 left in the half he kicked a 28-yard field goal (17-3) before Woods' second-chance kick ended the half.
The Buffs defense was solid in the first half, limiting the Trojans to one third conversion in seven attempts, with three of those stops in the red zone. USC gained 12 yards on 10 red zone plays in the first half.
But the second half opened in a different way – and it wasn't pleasant for the Buffs. They were stopped after receiving the second-half kickoff and the Trojans quickly took advantage. Kessler drove them 83 yards in 13 plays – eight of them runs – then hit fullback Jahleel Pinner with a 4-yard TD pass after the Buffs had sacked Kessler but given him another down due to lining up off-sides.
MACINTYRE SAID THE TROJANS MADE some second-half adjustments, but added, "We just fumbled the ball to them – gave them that – then lined up off sides on a big third-down play which would have made them kick a field goal but they score the next play."
After that Kessler-to-Pinner TD pass, USC initially wanted a two-point conversion try, but a false start brought out Wood for the PAT. He made it, bringing the Trojans to within 17-13. And they weren't done.
On the first play of CU's next series, tailback Christian Powell fumbled and USC nose tackle Antwaun Woods pounced on the ball at the Buffs 34. Seven plays later, Kessler and tight end Taylor McNamara teamed for a 2-yard TD, and Wood's PAT gave the Trojans their first lead – 20-17 – with 2:32 left in the third quarter.
The last quarter began with CU facing third-and-13 at the USC 38. An Apsay pass to Lindsay gained only four yards, and Gonzalez was brought on to attempt a 51-yard field goal.
It never cleared USC's do-everything Adoree' Jackson, who blocked it, recovered it and returned it to the CU 36. One play later Kessler found receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster behind Buffs safety Tedric Thompson in the end zone.
Wood kicked the Trojans ahead 27-17 with 13:55 to play, leaving Apsay and his offense plenty of time – provided they could regain their composure and execute. They found hope by converting a fourth-and-1 at their own 44, then had it flicker when Apsay was sacked for a 10-yard loss two plays later.
Two plays after that, a 49-yard Kinney punt pinned the Trojans at their 5-yard line. The Buffs 'D' accepted the challenge, forcing a punt and setting up Spruce for his 45-yard return to the Trojans 4-yard line.
A late-hit penalty on USC moved CU two yards closer to the goal line, and after a plunge by Donovan Lee netted a yard Apsay faked nicely to Lee and found tight end/H-back George Frazier for the score.
With Gonzalez's PAT, the Buffs were back to within three points – 27-24 – with 6:13 remaining. Once again, the call went out to CU's defense to shut down Kessler & Co – and the Buffs answered, forcing another punt and giving Apsay 4:38 to move from his 21 into at least field goal position to tie.
CU moved as far as its own 43, where on fourth-and-5 Apsay and Devin Ross couldn't hook up on a deep sideline route. USC took possession at the 43 with 1:59 to play and, after forcing the Buffs to use their last two timeouts, picked up the decisive first down and ended the game.
The Buffs, said Spruce, "don't know what it takes to finish a game. We've been so close and haven't had that game where we finish. Oregon State was kind of that game but when we're playing a team like USC and the game that we had against UCLA, I don't think we know what that one thing is to finish."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Team Stats
USC 3, COLO 0
USC - Wood, Alex 22 yd field goal 10 plays, 58 yards, TOP 4:25
USC 3, COLO 7
COLO - Lindsay,Phillip 4 yd run (Gonzalez, Diego kick), 7 plays, 61 yards, TOP 2:09
USC 3, COLO 14
COLO - Spruce, Nelson 9 yd pass from Apsay, Cade (Gonzalez, Diego kick) 5 plays, 26 yards, TOP 2:35
USC 3, COLO 17
COLO - Gonzalez, Diego 28 yd field goal 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:45
USC 6, COLO 17
USC - Wood, Alex 41 yd field goal 10 plays, 52 yards, TOP 3:07
USC 13, COLO 17
USC - Pinner, Jahleel 4 yd pass from Kessler, Cody (Wood, Alex kick) 13 plays, 83 yards, TOP 6:20
USC 20, COLO 17
USC - McNamara, Taylo 2 yd pass from Kessler, Cody (Wood, Alex kick) 7 plays, 34 yards, TOP 2:48
USC 27, COLO 17
USC - Smith-Schuster 36 yd pass from Kessler, Cody (Wood, Alex kick) 1 plays, 52 yards, TOP 0:08
USC 27, COLO 24
COLO - Frazier, George 1 yd pass from Apsay, Cade (Gonzalez, Diego kick) 2 plays, 2 yards, TOP 0:40
