Colorado
8-2 , 6-1
Arizona
2-8 , 0-7
Buffs Take Care Of Business To Stay On Top Of Pac-12 South
November 12, 2016 | Football
TUCSON, Ariz. — Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau threw three touchdown passes and rushed for another and Phillip Lindsay ran for three scores as the Buffaloes improved to 8-2 Saturday night with a 49-24 win over Arizona at Arizona Stadium.
The Buffs maintained their Pac-12 South lead with the win, improving to 6-1 in conference play with two games remaining, ahead of Utah (8-2, 5-2) and USC (7-3, 6-2).
HOW IT HAPPENED: After a slow start, CU's offense methodically put the game away, building a 28-10 lead by halftime and extending it to 42-10 by the end of the third quarter.
Meanwhile, although Arizona's offense moved the ball well between the 20s, the Buffs' defense responded when they had their backs to the wall. The Wildcats' rushing game produced more yards against the Buffs than they had given up in the previous three games combined, but the Buffs forced Arizona to settle for field goal tries when it mattered — and the Wildcats missed three of their four attempts.
After taking a 7-0 lead on their first possession on a 1-yard Lindsay run, only to see the Wildcats tie the game early in the second quarter at 7-7, the Buffs took the lead for good on a 4-yard Lindsay run with 11:29 to go in the second quarter. Lindsay's run was set up by a 50-yard Liufau pass to Shay Fields and Davis Price's second PAT of the game gave the Buffs a 14-7 lead.
UA managed to pull within four on its next possession, getting a 23-yard field goal from Josh Pollack to narrow the gap to 14-10.
Colorado, though, then put up 28 unanswered points, beginning with a seven-play, 62-yard touchdown drive on the ensuing possession. Liufau had a 22-yard run on the march, and the Wildcats gave the Buffs a helping hand three plays later with a late-hit penalty that put CU at the Wildcats 16 yard line. Two plays later, Liufau hit Fields with a 15-yard touchdown pass and Price's third PAT gave CU a 21-10 lead.
On Arizona's next possession, Colorado extended its nation-leading streak of forcing at least one defensive takeaway to 23 when a Ryan Moeller hit on Arizona's Nate Phillips forced a fumble that Rick Gamboa recovered. But, Colorado couldn't capitalize and punted back to the Wildcats.
But CU's defense, which played a bend-but-don't-break game against UA's running game, forced another Wildcats punt. The Buffs then wasted no time in pushing the lead to 28-10, going 53 yards in just four plays and 50 seconds. Liufau hit a wide-open Jay MacIntyre down the left sideline for a 40-yard score and CU upped its lead to 28-10.
Arizona then drove into CU territory just before the end of the half, but an intentional grounding penalty left the Wildcats with a 50-yard field goal try and Pollack was wide on the attempt for the second time in the half to keep the score at 28-10.
The Wildcats actually outgained the Buffs, 271-228, in the first half. Colorado, which had yielded just 168 yards rushing in the last three games combined allowed the Wildcats to run for 186 in the opening two quarters.
Still, CU managed to keep the Wildcats out of the end zone for all but one UA possession in the first half, and two missed field goals helped the Buffs carve out their comfortable halftime lead.
Arizona's kicking woes continued early in the third quarter when the Wildcats drove inside CU's 20 before a sack by Buffs OLB Jimmie Gilbert pushed UA back to the CU 27. Pollack missed again — his third miss in four tries — giving CU possession.
The Buffs then drove for the clinching touchdown, going 73 yards in seven plays for a 35-10 lead as Liufau hooked up with Fields on a 27-yard pass for the score.
Colorado added another score late in the third period, driving 52 yards in seven plays with Liufau scoring from 2 yards out for a 42-10 lead.
The Wildcats finally ended CU's 28-point run with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, going 75 yards in seven plays, with Samajie Grant scoring from 3 yards out. Arizona then scored again after a tipped ball resulted in a Liufau interception. The Wildcats went 33 yards in three plays and a Zach Green 3-yard run cut CU's lead to 42-24 with 12:11 to go in the game.
But, Colorado snuffed any hopes of an Arizona comeback when the Buffs went 54 yards in four plays for the game's final score. Lindsay scored his third touchdown of the night on a 34-yard scamper to push CU's lead to 49-24 with 3:34 to go in the game.
TURNING POINT: On the possession following an Arizona field goal that pulled the Wildcats to within 14-10 in the second quarter, Colorado marched 62 yards in seven plays for a touchdown and 21-10 lead. Liufau had a 22-yard run on the drive, then threw a 15-yard TD to Fields. Colorado then forced a turnover on UA's next possession.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs remain in control of their destiny and goal of playing for a Pac-12 championship. But with USC's win over Washington, their margin for error drops considerably. CU has a one-game lead over the Trojans with two games — Washington State and Utah — left to play. USC, meanwhile, has just one conference game remaining, against UCLA. If the Trojans win their finale and the Buffs lose either of their final two games, USC would win a head-to-head tiebreaker. If the Buffs and Utah tie and Utah wins the season finale, the Utes would win the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Buffs, of course, can eliminate all "what ifs" by winning their final two games.
NOTEWORTHY: The Buffs ended an "explosion play" skid. Colorado hadn't had a pass play for 20 yards or more since the third quarter of the Arizona State game, a stretch of 10 quarters. That came to an end on Liufau's 47-yard pass to Fields in the second quarter to set up CU's second touchdown. Liufau's 22-yard run also ended a streak without a run of at least 20 yards that stretched back to the third quarter of the Stanford game.
— Colorado extended its nation-leading streak of games with at least one defensive takeaway to 23 on Gamboa's fumble recovery in the second quarter. CU has forced at least one turnover in every game since Jim Leavitt became defensive coordinator heading into the 2015 season.
— Liufau made his 36th career start at QB for the Buffs, a CU record. He eclipsed the old record of 35, set by Darian Hagan.
— The Buffs have won nine of 10 coin flips this year. Their only coin flip loss came at USC.
— CU's Jimmie Gilbert had two sacks, pushing his season total to 8.5.
NEXT UP: The Buffs play host to Washington State next Saturday.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
Team Stats
COLO 7, ARIZ 0
COLO - Lindsay, Philli 1 yd run (Price, Davis kick), 16 plays, 81 yards, TOP 5:17
COLO 7, ARIZ 7
ARIZ - Grant, S. 3 yd run (Pollack, J. kick), 8 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:25
COLO 14, ARIZ 7
COLO - Lindsay, Philli 4 yd run (Price, Davis kick), 4 plays, 63 yards, TOP 0:53
COLO 14, ARIZ 10
ARIZ - Pollack, J. 23 yd field goal 8 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:01
COLO 21, ARIZ 10
COLO - Fields, Shay 15 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Price, Davis kick) 7 plays, 62 yards, TOP 2:31
COLO 28, ARIZ 10
COLO - MacIntyre, Jay 40 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Price, Davis kick) 4 plays, 53 yards, TOP 0:58
COLO 35, ARIZ 10
COLO - Fields, Shay 27 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Price, Davis kick) 7 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:36
COLO 42, ARIZ 10
COLO - Liufau, Sefo 2 yd run (Price, Davis kick), 7 plays, 52 yards, TOP 3:30
COLO 42, ARIZ 17
ARIZ - Grant, S. 3 yd run (Pollack, J. kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:10
COLO 42, ARIZ 24
ARIZ - Green, Z. 2 yd run (Pollack, J. kick), 3 plays, 33 yards, TOP 0:50
COLO 49, ARIZ 24
COLO - Lindsay, Philli 34 yd run (Price, Davis kick), 4 plays, 54 yards, TOP 2:16
