ASU Flashback: The Big Breakthrough - University of Colorado Athletics

        Arizona State had won the first seven games in the series with Colorado, which didn't begin until 2006 with a home-and-home agreement. They didn't play again until CU joined the Pac-12 Conference in 2011.

        Seemed a little odd, with Arizona being a neighboring state; the Buffaloes had squared off against the University of Arizona 13 times between 1931 and 1986 but had never lined up against the Sun Devils for the first time until 20 years ago.

        Most of those seven games weren't even close. ASU left Boulder with a 21-3 win in 2006, the only time the Sun Devils didn't score 33 or more points in those septet games, outscoring CU 293-108. But on the night of Oct. 15, 2016, at Folsom Field, oh how did the tide turn.

        It shaped up to be one of the most important games for CU's season, in which it would go on and win the Pac-12 South Division title for the only time as a member of the conference. Colorado opened with routs over CSU (in Denver) and Idaho State, but then suffered a 45-28 loss at Michigan, one that CU was dominating until quarterback Sefo Liufau was injured. But the Buffs bounced back with a thrilling 41-38 win at Oregon and then trampled Oregon State in Boulder, 47-6.

        After those two wins, Colorado was 4-1 at that juncture of the season – and ranked 21st in the nation for the first time since Nov. 7, 2005, when the Buffs were No. 22 in the Associated Press poll. But a 21-17 late loss at USC knocked CU back out of the top 25 and to 2-1 in Pac-12 play.

        The Arizona State game loomed large – the Sun Devils came to town with a 5-1 record … and the confidence of the Buffs having been their favorite whipping boy since they first played 10 years earlier. On the other hand, were the Buffs for real and how would they respond after the USC loss?

        It was a beautiful October night in Boulder, 79 degrees under clear skies at the 6:07 p.m. kickoff. The teams battled to a 7-7 tie after the first quarter, though CU was having its way on offense (158 yards), CU's Kyle Evans ran up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown – a hole big enough for three Ralphies to run through. ASU got its touchdown after recovering a fumbled punt and had a short field to score. The game was still tied at 10-10 after swapping field goals with 10:57 left in the half.

        Then the floodgates opened.

        On the first play after ASU's Zane Gonzalez made a 51-yard field goal and with his kickoff sailing through the north end zone, Liufau scrambled to his left and found wide-open Bryce Bobo in front of the Colorado bench and midfield. He was tackled at the ASU 9 after the 66-yard gain, and three plays later Liufau scored from 3 yards out, with Davis Price's PAT kick giving CU a 17-10 lead, one it would not relinquish.

        Phillip Lindsay capped CU's next possession with a 13-yard score – the point after was missed – and the Buffs took a 17-10 lead into the locker room. The Buffs had amassed 305 yards in the first half to ASU's 114, with a 14-4 edge in first downs even though the Sun Devils had an edge in time of possession (15:01).

        Colorado took the second half kickoff but only held the ball for 12 seconds – that's how long it took for Lindsay to race 75 yards for a touchdown and a 30-10 lead. He had two great blocks from guard Gerrad Keogh and center Alex Kelley and then pulled away from four ASU defenders in going over 100 yards for the game (143 at that point).

        Another swapping of field goals – Chris Graham kicked this one for CU from 36 yards for a 33-13 lead after three, with Gonzalez nailing an impressive 59-yarder after another fumbled punt to slice the CU lead to 33-16.

        Lindsay then closed the scoring and his career day with a 4-yard run, carrying the ball on all eight of CU's plays on the drive – and finished with 219 yards and three touchdowns on 26 attempts, never once being thrown for a loss.

        Liufau completed 23-of-31 passes for 265 yards, Bobo hauling in six for 110 yards. Jimmie Gilbert led the Buffs' defense with seven tackles, three for losses including two quarterback sacks, four third down stops and a forced fumble.

        In the end, the Buffs rushed for a season-high 315 yards in rolling up 580 yards, its most in the series to this day, with 27 first downs. The CU defense stifled ASU, holding it to seven first downs and 199 yards, just 50 on the ground.

        Colorado went on to win its remaining five games in league play at Stanford (10-5), over UCLA (20-10), at Arizona (49-24), versus Washington State (38-24) and the division-clincher over Utah (27-22). CU climbed to No. 9 in the nation (No. 8 in the CFP Standings), but lost to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game and to Oklahoma State in the Valero Alamo Bowl to finish with a 10-4 record, and ranked 17th in the nation (AP; 15th by the coaches), the first time since 2002 the Buffs appeared in the final polls.

        Highlights of this great win remain online on YouTube in the old "Pac-12 Football in 60"series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nca_WYmjixc.

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