Buffs Drop Season Finale To Utah

BOULDER — Colorado's season finale featured a few highlights but not nearly enough Saturday, as the Buffaloes dropped a 63-21 decision to Utah at Folsom Field.

Colorado thus finished the year 1-11 overall and 1-8 in Pac-12 play. The Buffs became just the second team in program history to lose 11 games in a season, joining the 2012 team.

The Utes improved to 9-3.

Utah scored touchdowns on six of its first eight possessions while Colorado failed to cross midfield in the first half. That added up to a 42-0 Utah lead at intermission.

But the Buffs didn't quit on Senior Day and they matched the Utes touchdown for touchdown over the final two periods.

Colorado put points on the board early in the third quarter when a Nikko Reed interception gave the Buffs the ball deep in Utah territory. Two plays later Alex Fontenot celebrated his final game at Folsom with a 1-yard touchdown run and CU added another touchdown later in the period on a 23-yard Anthony Hankerson run. The Buffs then finished the scoring late in the game when tackle Frank Fillip caught a 1-yard touchdown pass.

The Buffs used their fourth different starting quarterback of the season, with transfer Maddox Kopp getting his first collegiate action. Kopp finished 15-for-28 for 121 yards and a touchdown. Hankerson led CU in rushing with 46 yards and senior tight end Brady Russell closed out his Colorado career with a team-leading four catches for 39 yards.

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising played the first half and finished 17-for-19 for 234 yards and three touchdowns.

The Utes outgained Colorado 662-185, including a 379-18 in the decisive first half.

"I don't believe in moral victories normally, but tonight I did," said CU interim head coach Mike Sanford, who finished with a 1-6 record in that role. "For that team, that locker room of players to not only not quit but actually go fight and put together a really good second half of football speaks to exactly what's going on in that group and in our business organization right now. It's been fight. It's been character. It's been fighting through all the adversity that we continue to face."

HOW IT HAPPENED: CU's defense held Utah on its first possession, but after the second Colorado punt of the day, the Utes offense went to work.

The Utes drove 59 yards in eight plays for a touchdown, then added scores on their next two possessions after CU's offense endured consecutive three-and-outs.

Colorado finally managed a first down early in the second quarter when Kopp connected with Montana Lemonious-Craig for a 12-yard gain. But the Buffs couldn't cross midfield as they failed to convert on fourth-and-1 when offensive lineman Casey Roddick lined up as a running back and took the handoff, only to be stopped for no gain.

CU's defense did manage to come up with a stop on Utah's next possession but the Utes forced three more Colorado three-and-outs and tacked on touchdowns after each.

The last score of the half, a 29-yard scoring pass from Rising to Dalton Kincaid, came with just three seconds left in the period and gave Utah a 42-0 cushion at the break.

"They're dangerous, every team can be dangerous," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "You never know what's going to ignite a team on Senior Day. We were not taking them for granted and we prepared the right way."

After Sanford challenged the Buffs at halftime, they responded by putting some points on the board quickly in the third quarter.

Reed picked off a pass from Utah backup quarterback Bryson Barnes and bobbed and weaved his way to the CU 11-yard line. Two plays and a Utah penalty later, Fontenot bulled in from 1 yard out to give the Buffs their first score of the game.

The Utes quickly answered with a 66-yard Ja'Quinden Jackson scoring run, then added another score five minutes later to boost their cushion to 56-7 with more than five minutes still remaining in the third quarter.

But the Buffs added another score on their next possession, marching 79 yards to the end zone in six plays.

Kopp completed two passes to Russell and one to Jack Hestera to put the Buffs on the Utah 23. Freshman Hankerson then wrapped up the drive with a 23-yard burst to the end zone and Cole Becker's PAT made the score 56-14.

Utah added one more touchdown in the final period before the Buffs wrapped up the scoring late in the fourth. Colorado went 76 yards in 12 plays, with Kopp throwing a 1-yard scoring pass to tackle Frank Fillip — lined up as a tight end — to make the final tally 63-21 and finish CU's scoring for the season.

"Of course we all wanted different results," Sanford said. "But we were playing with a lot of guys that really gutted it out. Not only did they not enter the transfer portal (after CU fired Karl Dorrell), they kept fighting. That to me is the biggest accomplishment of this group of players. Not only stay together as a team but also fight to the bitter end."

TURNING POINT: The Buffs endured four three-and-outs to start the game and Utah put touchdowns on the board after three of them to take control.

KEY STATISTICS: Utah outgained Colorado 662-185 while averaging 9.9 yards per offensive play … Colorado was just 1-for-12 on third-down conversion attempts … Utah rushed for 383 yards.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs will now wait to see who is named to be their next head coach, an announcement that is expected to come late next week.

UP NEXT: The Buffs are scheduled to open the 2023 season at TCU on Sept. 2, followed by home games against Nebraska and Colorado State.

Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Cole Becker

Frank Fillip

Alex Fontenot

Anthony Hankerson

Jack Hestera

Maddox Kopp

Montana Lemonious-Craig

Nikko Reed

Casey Roddick

Brady Russell