Colorado University Athletics
Saturday, November 1
Boulder, Colo.
5:00 p.m.
Colorado
17
vs
52
Arizona
Micah Welch
Turnovers Costly As Arizona Takes Down Colorado
November 01, 2025 | Football
BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado committed five turnovers and 14 penalties and Arizona took advantage of several short-field opportunities as the Wildcats rolled to a 52-17 victory over the Buffaloes Saturday at Folsom Field.
The Buffs defense had their backs against the wall repeatedly, as four times Arizona started a drive inside the 20. Â Additionally, all seven of Arizona's touchdown drives took less than 2:35 and six of them were under two minutes.
The Buffs held on one of those drives, giving up three touchdowns on four short drives. The Wildcats also scored quickly on four long drives, three of them for 75 yards and one that was 65 yards.
Each of those four drives featured a gashing play by the Arizona offense. The Wildcats received the opening kickoff and on the game's third play, Noah Fifita hit Tre Spivey for a 57 yard touchdown and the game's first points.
The Buffs held Arizona to a field goal on their second drive and then after Kaidon Salter was sacked and fumbled, Fifita needed one play to cover the 12 yards to make it 17-0 halfway through the first quarter.
The Buffs then had their longest drive of the season, taking up 7:40 on the clock with a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter. Arizona immediately responded with a 60-yard pass from Fifita to Gio Richardson on the fourth play of the ensuing drive to go up 24-7.
The teams then traded punts before Slater was intercepted by Dalton Johnson, who returned it inside the 10-yard line and two plays later Javin Whatley scored to make it 31-7. After another CU punt, Arizona went into its two-minute offense and scored on a 34-yard Fifita to Whatley touchdown with just 21 seconds left in the half to go up 38-7.
Turnovers then haunted the Buffs in the third quarter, as Ryan Staub, who took over for Slater just before halftime, threw an interception on his first pass attempt. The Buffs D responded as Tawfiq Byard forced a fumble by punching the ball out of Kris Hutson's hands and Preston Hodge recovered it. Four plays later, however, Staub threw another interception on his second pass attempt that put the Wildcats at 1st-and-Goal to open a series for the second time in the game.Â
Ismail Mahdi then scored from seven yards out to put the Wildcats up 45-7 two plays later.
Julian Lewis entered the game for the Buffaloes with 12:06 to go in the third and provided a spark, hitting Omarion Miller for 59-yards to make the game 45-14. But Arizona again responded immediately and after Mahdi went 68 yards on the first play of the drive, the Wildcats scored three plays later to make it 52-14.  Alejandro Mata hit a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the game's final points.
To pour salt on open wounds, several plays went against the Buffs, as well, the first of which being Sincere Brown catching a 75-yard apparent touchdown from Kaidon Salter that would've made the game 24-14 but it was called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield.Â
On the next drive for Arizona, Ivan Yates intercepted Fifita but the Buffs were called for roughing the passer. Later in the game, Keaton Wade apparently knocked the ball out of backup QB Braedyn Locke's hand and Reggie Hughes picked it up for a touchdown, but after replay, the refs said Locke's hand was moving forward.Â
Miller led the Buffs with 5 receptions for 91 yards and a pair of scores and Lewis was impressive in his first action since the Delaware game, hitting 9-of-17 passes for 121 yards a touchdown. Mata was again perfect, hitting his only field goal from 31 yards and both of his PATs. He's now hit 103 consecutive PATs, setting a new school record.
Colorado travels to face West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. MT
The Buffs defense had their backs against the wall repeatedly, as four times Arizona started a drive inside the 20. Â Additionally, all seven of Arizona's touchdown drives took less than 2:35 and six of them were under two minutes.
The Buffs held on one of those drives, giving up three touchdowns on four short drives. The Wildcats also scored quickly on four long drives, three of them for 75 yards and one that was 65 yards.
Each of those four drives featured a gashing play by the Arizona offense. The Wildcats received the opening kickoff and on the game's third play, Noah Fifita hit Tre Spivey for a 57 yard touchdown and the game's first points.
The Buffs held Arizona to a field goal on their second drive and then after Kaidon Salter was sacked and fumbled, Fifita needed one play to cover the 12 yards to make it 17-0 halfway through the first quarter.
The Buffs then had their longest drive of the season, taking up 7:40 on the clock with a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter. Arizona immediately responded with a 60-yard pass from Fifita to Gio Richardson on the fourth play of the ensuing drive to go up 24-7.
The teams then traded punts before Slater was intercepted by Dalton Johnson, who returned it inside the 10-yard line and two plays later Javin Whatley scored to make it 31-7. After another CU punt, Arizona went into its two-minute offense and scored on a 34-yard Fifita to Whatley touchdown with just 21 seconds left in the half to go up 38-7.
Turnovers then haunted the Buffs in the third quarter, as Ryan Staub, who took over for Slater just before halftime, threw an interception on his first pass attempt. The Buffs D responded as Tawfiq Byard forced a fumble by punching the ball out of Kris Hutson's hands and Preston Hodge recovered it. Four plays later, however, Staub threw another interception on his second pass attempt that put the Wildcats at 1st-and-Goal to open a series for the second time in the game.Â
Ismail Mahdi then scored from seven yards out to put the Wildcats up 45-7 two plays later.
Julian Lewis entered the game for the Buffaloes with 12:06 to go in the third and provided a spark, hitting Omarion Miller for 59-yards to make the game 45-14. But Arizona again responded immediately and after Mahdi went 68 yards on the first play of the drive, the Wildcats scored three plays later to make it 52-14.  Alejandro Mata hit a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the game's final points.
To pour salt on open wounds, several plays went against the Buffs, as well, the first of which being Sincere Brown catching a 75-yard apparent touchdown from Kaidon Salter that would've made the game 24-14 but it was called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield.Â
On the next drive for Arizona, Ivan Yates intercepted Fifita but the Buffs were called for roughing the passer. Later in the game, Keaton Wade apparently knocked the ball out of backup QB Braedyn Locke's hand and Reggie Hughes picked it up for a touchdown, but after replay, the refs said Locke's hand was moving forward.Â
Miller led the Buffs with 5 receptions for 91 yards and a pair of scores and Lewis was impressive in his first action since the Delaware game, hitting 9-of-17 passes for 121 yards a touchdown. Mata was again perfect, hitting his only field goal from 31 yards and both of his PATs. He's now hit 103 consecutive PATs, setting a new school record.
Colorado travels to face West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. MT
Players Mentioned
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S
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CB
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QB
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PK
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WR
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QB
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QB
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CB
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