Colorado
2-1
Colorado State
1-2
Brooks: Gonzalez Puts Away Rams 27-24 With Overtime Field Goal
September 19, 2015 | Football, B.G. Brooks
DENVER – Second chances don't materialize in life or football that often but when they do and are seized, the sweetness is heavenly. Ask University of Colorado kicker Diego Gonzalez, who coolly rebooted from a potential game-winning flub and landed himself and the Buffaloes in Seventh Heaven Saturday night at frazzled Sports Authority Field.
Moments after badly misfiring on a 48-yard field goal attempt with two seconds remaining in regulation, Gonzalez calmly punched through a 32-yarder in overtime to sink Colorado State 27-24 in the Rocky Mountain Showdown.
"I've been dreaming of this for, I don't know, two years," said Gonzalez, a former Mexican soccer player who switched to American football and drew the Buffs' attention three years ago as a possible replacement for graduated Will Oliver.
"I was pretty confident, I felt pretty good," Gonzalez said of his OT kick. "I felt if they gave me the second opportunity, I would put it through."
While the late glory went to Gonzalez, the Buffs' list of Saturday night heroes was lengthy. A jubilant coach Mike MacIntyre said his team continues to "grow up . . . Last week we were able to put a team (Massachusetts) away. This week we played a very good football team and found a way to come and win it and kept fighting.
"Last year we fought and fought but couldn't find a way to win it. Tonight we found a way to win it; we found a way to block a field goal, found a way to make a kick, found a way to make a play. We got down, kept battling . . . we are still a young team but we are not babies anymore. We are growing into men. So I think you are seeing us grow up in front of your faces."
Improving its series advantage to 63-22-2, CU (2-1) avoided losing to CSU (1-2) for a second consecutive season and the third time in four years in the intense intrastate rivalry.
The last Buffs kicker to defeat the Rams in overtime was Kevin Eberhart, whose 35-yarder in 2007 produced a 31-28 win. Meanwhile, the Rams lost in OT for the second consecutive week; Minnesota beat them 23-20 last weekend.
Gonzalez's game winner was his fourth field goal attempt of the night. After hitting a 52-yarder in the second quarter, he had a 36-yard try blocked just before halftime. He didn't get another chance until his potential game winner near the end of regulation, then received his second chance on the Buffs' fifth play in OT.
"Yeah it's an amazing feeling," Gonzalez said. "It's my first game winner and I'm really happy with the coaches; they trusted me the second time and gave me the opportunity to hit the game winner."
MacIntyre, said he "had all the confidence in the world in him. He had a tough one, one kick was blocked earlier then we had that one happen. He came back and made the kick . . . I was very proud of him."
But Gonzalez and the Buffs left the Mile High City owing a large thank you to safety Tedric Thompson, whose block of CSU kicker Wyatt Bryan's 27-yard attempt in the extra period put CU in position for the gritty win.
At the outset, Saturday night's game didn't appear it would ever reach overtime. CSU took a commanding 14-0 first-quarter lead, and CU at times looked incapable of responding. With a running game that had produced 390 yards last weekend throttled back to 125 by the Rams, the Buffs turned to quarterback Sefo Liufau and the passing game.
"I think it's just us trusting each other," Liufau said of CU being able to shift offensive gears and rally. "I think from an offensive perspective we sputtered in the beginning, I think it was obvious there. And it wasn't just one position; I think everyone kind of took their turn. We kept trusting each other, and we ended up pulling it out and getting something going."
Liufau completed 15-of-28 for 228 yards and touchdown throws to Shay Fields (65 yards) and Devin Ross (24). Fields ended the night with three receptions for 79 yards, Ross two for 36. Nelson Spruce had six catches for 63 yards.
Ross said film study of the Rams defense during game week showed "they play a lot of man, contesting us downfield to see if we could get open. It was a great opportunity for our receivers. The running game has been working the first two weeks and we're going to do whatever is working, whatever helps us win. That's all that really matters."
CSU quarterback Nick Stevens (25-of-39, 282 yards) threw one TD pass (Rashard Higgins, 25 yards) but was intercepted by Ken Crawley and Kenneth Olugbode, whose 60-yard return gave the Buffs a 24-17 lead with 8:50 to play. Entering the game, CSU's nine turnovers – including six lost fumbles – led the nation.
The Rams outrushed the Buffs 218-125, with Dalyn Dawkins running for 118 yards on 20 carries and Jasen Oden Jr. carrying 25 times for 80 yards. Each scored a rushing touchdown. CU's pair of 100-yard rusher from last weekend – Michael Adkins II and Christian Powell – combined for 65 yards, with Powell getting 58 of those after Adkins was injured.
THE BUFFS WITHSTOOD AN ANEMIC first quarter in which they fell behind 14-0 but rallied for 10 second-quarter points to trail 14-10 at halftime. And they squandered a late opportunity to take a halftime lead or at least trail by a point, failing to take advantage of Ken Crawley's third career interception that gave Liufau and his offense a first down at the Rams' 35 with 3:49 before the break.
That drive ended in a blocked field goal attempt by Gonzalez, his first miss in six attempts this season. Earlier in the quarter, he booted a career-long 52-yarder for CU's first points of the game – and they helped put the brakes on what was beginning to look like a Rams runaway.
CSU took its 14-0 advantage on a far-too-easy 13-yard up-the-gut run by Dawkins that capped a 10-play, 52-yard drive and a 25-yard scoring pass from Stevens to Higgins, who outstretched CU corner John Walker at the left pylon to make the catch. Bryan kicked both PATs, and the Rams had their 14-0 lead with 2:44 left in the opening quarter.
The first quarter ended with CSU having nine first downs to CU's three, 125 yards in total offense to 67, and a 9:49 to 5:11 advantage in time of possession. If the Buffs weren't stunned, their fans were.
But CU opened the second quarter showing a spark that was absent in the first. Continuing a drive that had begun at the Rams' 30, the Buffs marched to the CSU 28 and appeared to have scored their first TD on a pass from Liufau to redshirt tight end Dylan Keeney.
But what would have been Keeney's first career reception was wiped out by a hands-to-the-face call on CU right tackle Stephane Nembot. Three plays later, Gonzalez kicked his 52-yard field goal, bring the Buffs to within 14-3.
Just under nine minutes later CU got its first TD. Following a critical fourth-and-one stop of Dawkins by Jimmie Gilbert and Justin Solis at the CU 24 and a short 52-yard field goal attempt by Bryan, Liufau and Fields collaborated for their 65-yard TD. The fleet Fields got two steps on CSU corner Tyree Simmons and flashed past the Rams bench to the end zone.
Gonzalez's PAT pulled CU to within 14-10, and after Crawley's pick wasn't rewarded by the offense, the Buffs had to be content to go to their locker room trailing by four. But the ball was coming their way to open the second half, and they were anxious to see if their second-quarter surge still had life after intermission.
It did – and Liufau's right arm once again supplied it. After a 33-yard kickoff return by Donovan Lee, the Buffs moved the CSU 24. On third down, Liufau dropped in a perfect throw to Ross, who was streaking for the left corner of the end zone.
After Ross ran under it, cradled the ball and scored, Gonzalez kicked the extra point and pushed the Buffs ahead 17-14 with 11:28 left in the third quarter. With CU having scored 17 unanswered points, CSU needed to respond. Quickly.
The Rams marched as far as the Buffs' 7-yard line, where on fourth-and-seven Bryan tied the score at 17-17 with a 24-yard field goal. It was Liufau and CU's turn, but on third-and-10 at the CSU 40 Fields couldn't control an over-the-shoulder end zone catch that would have untied the score.
CSU took possession at its own 16 and wasn't stopped until reaching the CU 30, where on fourth-and-seven Bryan was wide right on a 47-yard field goal attempt with 2:08 left in the third quarter. The third quarter ended at 17-17, and the tie stood until 8:50 remained in the fourth and Olugbode celebrated his birthday with his 60-yard interception return.
HE GOT AN ASSIST ON THE PLAY from fellow linebacker Rick Gamboa, who started in place of Addison Gillam at middle linebacker. Gamboa's hit on the intended Rams receiver sent the ball skyward and into Olugbode's hands. Gonzalez's PAT pushed CU up 24-17.
"Me and Ricky had been talking prior to the snap and they kept getting us on the screen," Olugbode said. "We figured we'd see the screen and right when (the receiver) broke, Rick took off and hit him. The ball went up in the air and I had to have it."
But CSU didn't blink. Driving to the Buffs' 20 and facing fourth-and-three, Stevens hit Joe Hansley with a 13-yard pass. Three plays later, Oden capped the 10-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard scoring run. Bryan's PAT produced the game's second tie (24-24) and left the Buffs with 4:23 to attempt to break it.
They couldn't, faltering at the CSU 47 and leaving an Alex Kinney punt to put the Rams in possession at their own 12 with 2:37 left. But CSU failed to advance and punted, giving CU a final chance from its own 20 with 1:02 to play.
The Buffs moved as far as the Rams' 48, where on fourth-and-one with nine seconds remaining Liufau hit Spruce for 18 yards to the CSU 30. Spruce called time out with two seconds left, leaving Gonzalez to attempt a 48-yard field goal and the first game winner of his career as a Buff.
The Rams called consecutive time outs to freeze Gonzalez. It – or something – worked. His kick wobbled wide left and short. "It was just a miss hit," Gonzalez said. "It was kind of weird snap, but it was just a miss hit; it was on me."
Overtime was on the way, and it didn't start well for the Buffs. But it ended well. Gilbert was ejected for a targeting hit on Stevens, moving the ball to the 13-yard line. But when the drive stalled, Bryan's 27-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Thompson.
CU took over, ran four plays and moved to the 15, where Gonzalez was summoned on third down for his 32-yard field goal. After another icing timeout by the Rams, his second chance at winning the game was perfect, and after his teammates mobbed him, he and the entire Buffs squad gathered in front of the CU student section to celebrate.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Because it's too good not to keep watching, here's Diego Gonzalez's game-winner! #GoBuffs https://t.co/v3ktXKvtqc
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) September 20, 2015
Here's the blocked field goal from Tedric Thompson. HUGE PLAY! #GoBuffs https://t.co/F4lPr7Tayv
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) September 20, 2015
Yes, Kenneth Olugbode can run this fast. And yes, it is his birthday. #GoBuffs https://t.co/bTUCzPerSY
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) September 20, 2015
Team Stats
COLO 0, CS 7
CS - DAWKINS, Dalyn 13 yd run (BRYAN, Wyatt kick), 10 plays, 52 yards, TOP 5:18
COLO 0, CS 14
CS - HIGGINS, Rashar 25 yd pass from STEVENS, Nick (BRYAN, Wyatt kick) 7 plays, 72 yards, TOP 3:33
COLO 3, CS 14
COLO - Gonzalez, Diego 52 yd field goal 12 plays, 36 yards, TOP 4:38
COLO 10, CS 14
COLO - Fields, Shay 65 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Gonzalez, Diego kick) 1 plays, 65 yards, TOP 0:09
COLO 17, CS 14
COLO - Ross, Devin 24 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Gonzalez, Diego kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:32
COLO 17, CS 17
CS - BRYAN, Wyatt 24 yd field goal 11 plays, 68 yards, TOP 4:34
COLO 24, CS 17
COLO - Olugbode,Kennet 60 yd interception (Gonzalez, Diego kick)
COLO 24, CS 24
CS - ODEN, Jasen 1 yd run (BRYAN, Wyatt kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:21
COLO 27, CS 24
COLO - Gonzalez, Diego 32 yd field goal 5 plays, 10 yards, TOP 0:00
