Colorado-Utah Notes
vs
Wyoming
Sep 20 (Sat)
8:15 p.m.
Players who carried out CU’s symbolic instruments tonight:
Sledgehammer: Tim Lynott, Jr.
Toolbox: Jeromy Irwin
United States Flag: Alex Kelley
Colorado Flag: Frank Umu
QUICKLY Colorado is now 10-2 overall for the first time since 2001, and its 8-1 mark in league play is CU’s first-ever 8-win conference season … CU is the fifth team to win the Pac-12 South Division title (As a member of the Big 12, the Buffs won four North Division titles (2001-02-04-05) ... The Buffs have their first six-game overall and conference game winning streak since 1996, when they lost the third and final non-league game of the season and then reeled off seven straight conference wins in the inaugural season of the Big 12 (under then-coach Rick Neuheisel) … Colorado has its most wins since finishing 10-3 in 2001, and this marks CU’s seventh 10-win season in its history … The Buffs finished undefeated at home (6-0) since a similar mark in 1994; it’s the sixth time the Buffs have finished 6-0 at home (1937, 1975, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2016) … Colorado has now won 11 of the 12 coin tosses this season (and has deferred to the second half all 11 times; USC is the only game it lost the toss) … This was CU’s 401st all-time victory at home (309th at Folsom Field) … Uniforms: The Buffs are now 22-26-1 when wearing all black (22-21-1 with a gold helmet) … CU is now 56-19 against unranked teams in November dating back to the early 1990s … In 2013, 31 schools hired new head coaches; 23 remain at those institutions; of those, only Western Michigan (P.J. Fleck, 12-0) has a better fourth-year record than CU’s Mike MacIntyre (Willie Taggart at USF is also 10-2); MacIntyre is now 20-29 at Colorado … Colorado had no penalties for just the fifth time in recorded history, and for just the second time since 1985 (last: vs. Texas Tech in Boulder, Oct. 14, 2006).
Attendance … Tonight’s attendance of 52,301 was: a) the first sellout since Oct. 4, 2008 (53,927 vs. Texas; Folsom’s capacity then was 53,613, but 3,000+ seats were removed during 2014’s renovation); b) the largest since Oct. 2, 2010 (52,855 vs. Georgia); c) the first over 50,000 since Nov. 4, 2011 (50,083, USC); and d) the largest for a non-Nebraska home finale since 1996 (53,550 for Kansas State on Nov. 16), as well as the fifth-most ever for a Folsom finisher that didn’t involve the Huskers.
u CU averaged 46,608.7 for the season (279,652 for 6 home games), its highest average since 2011 (50,355 for 5 games).
Series Notes … Colorado now leads the series by a 32-28-3 count, but Utah holds the edge as members of the Pac-12 by a 4-2 margin; all six of those games have been decided by one score (3, 7, 7, 4, 6, 5), all came down to the last or next-to-last possession, and have been decided by a total of 32 points.
Versus The Ranked … CU has defeated two ranked teams in back-to-back weeks since 2002 (31-17 over #20 UCLA, 35-31 over #13 Kansas State; that was also the last time the Buffs won two in a row over ranked opponents. Colorado last won three in a row over the ranked in 2001, and last did it three weeks in a row in 1994 … Colorado is now 4-1 as a ranked team this year.
Offense Notes … WR Kabion Ento made his first career start tonight in place of the injured Bryce Bobo (ankle sprain) … Colorado has now scored in 14 straight quarters (extending that streak twice today with scores at 0:00 of the 1st and 3rd stanzas) … The Buffs were an uncharacteristic 3-for-26 on second down efficiency, but averaged just 5.4 yards to go on a season-high 22 third down tries (inflated due to the last one being 13 yards to go on kneeldowns); CU was 6-of-8 on 3rd-&-1 plays (and seventh Liufau had earned the first down before fumbling).
Defense Notes … The opponent has failed to score on its first possession in all 12 games this season (six 3-and-outs, five others with just one first down earned) … Utah’s longest gain on first down in the first half was 5 yards; it gained a net of 3 on 11 plays (0.3 per); its 86 first half yards were the third-lowest this year against the Buffs … Utah had the fourth field goal drive against the Buffs this season that went for minus yards … Utah was 2-of-11 for 20 yards passing on first down (sacked twice for 12 yards) … Utah had four goal-to-go situations and was stuffed on its first nine plays (kicking three field goals), before scoring a TD on its 10th try.
LAST TO FIRST: Colorado is technically the first AND fourth team to go from “worst to first” in Pac-12 history. The Stanford and Cal teams did it, along with the ’59 Washington team that was 1-6 in 1958 but went 3-1 in 1959 (the year Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State left the conference for up to five seasons). But in all three cases, Idaho was a member of the league those years but always played an abbreviated schedule (finishing 0-3 all three times).
INDIVIDUAL LINER NOTES
SS Tedric Thompson (4,0-4 TT, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 4 PBU, 4 3DS). He had one of the best defensive “farewell games” in Folsom history, with four passes broken up, four third down stops. His interception at the end of the first half extended CU’s nation-best streak to forcing at least one turnover to 25 straight games (Alabama is next with 24). His fourth quarter pick gave him seven on the season, tying him for the single-season best in CU history (matching Dick Anderson in 1967, Cullen Bryant in 1972). He has tied Tim James (1987-90) for fifth place all-time with 13 career interceptions.
QB Sefo Liufau (44-23-0, 270, 1 TD passing; 21-59, 1 TD rushing; 329 total offense). He earned his 86th and 87th school records as he tied Cody Hawkins for the all-time CU mark in touchdown passes with 60. He upped his career best marks of passing yards (9,547) and total offense (10,475). He also went over the 2,000-yard mark for the season (2,150), tying Kordell Stewart (1992-94) and Joel Klatt (2003-05) for the most 2,000-yards passing seasons in a career with three. Liufau also threw for over 2,000 yards in 2014 (3,200) and 2015 (2,418).
ILB Kenneth Olugbode (5 TT, 1 FR/TD). He scored his second career touchdown with his 10-yard fumble return for a score in the fourth quarter (he returned an interception 60 yards for a score against Colorado State in 2015).
CB Chidobe Awuzie (8 TT, 1 FR, 1 QBS). He had his ninth career quarterback sack tonight, adding to his record by a CU defensive back.
WR Devin Ross (9-94, 0 TD). He matched his career-high with 9 receptions (also had nine against UCLA earlier this month).
Sledgehammer: Tim Lynott, Jr.
Toolbox: Jeromy Irwin
United States Flag: Alex Kelley
Colorado Flag: Frank Umu
QUICKLY Colorado is now 10-2 overall for the first time since 2001, and its 8-1 mark in league play is CU’s first-ever 8-win conference season … CU is the fifth team to win the Pac-12 South Division title (As a member of the Big 12, the Buffs won four North Division titles (2001-02-04-05) ... The Buffs have their first six-game overall and conference game winning streak since 1996, when they lost the third and final non-league game of the season and then reeled off seven straight conference wins in the inaugural season of the Big 12 (under then-coach Rick Neuheisel) … Colorado has its most wins since finishing 10-3 in 2001, and this marks CU’s seventh 10-win season in its history … The Buffs finished undefeated at home (6-0) since a similar mark in 1994; it’s the sixth time the Buffs have finished 6-0 at home (1937, 1975, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2016) … Colorado has now won 11 of the 12 coin tosses this season (and has deferred to the second half all 11 times; USC is the only game it lost the toss) … This was CU’s 401st all-time victory at home (309th at Folsom Field) … Uniforms: The Buffs are now 22-26-1 when wearing all black (22-21-1 with a gold helmet) … CU is now 56-19 against unranked teams in November dating back to the early 1990s … In 2013, 31 schools hired new head coaches; 23 remain at those institutions; of those, only Western Michigan (P.J. Fleck, 12-0) has a better fourth-year record than CU’s Mike MacIntyre (Willie Taggart at USF is also 10-2); MacIntyre is now 20-29 at Colorado … Colorado had no penalties for just the fifth time in recorded history, and for just the second time since 1985 (last: vs. Texas Tech in Boulder, Oct. 14, 2006).
Attendance … Tonight’s attendance of 52,301 was: a) the first sellout since Oct. 4, 2008 (53,927 vs. Texas; Folsom’s capacity then was 53,613, but 3,000+ seats were removed during 2014’s renovation); b) the largest since Oct. 2, 2010 (52,855 vs. Georgia); c) the first over 50,000 since Nov. 4, 2011 (50,083, USC); and d) the largest for a non-Nebraska home finale since 1996 (53,550 for Kansas State on Nov. 16), as well as the fifth-most ever for a Folsom finisher that didn’t involve the Huskers.
u CU averaged 46,608.7 for the season (279,652 for 6 home games), its highest average since 2011 (50,355 for 5 games).
Series Notes … Colorado now leads the series by a 32-28-3 count, but Utah holds the edge as members of the Pac-12 by a 4-2 margin; all six of those games have been decided by one score (3, 7, 7, 4, 6, 5), all came down to the last or next-to-last possession, and have been decided by a total of 32 points.
Versus The Ranked … CU has defeated two ranked teams in back-to-back weeks since 2002 (31-17 over #20 UCLA, 35-31 over #13 Kansas State; that was also the last time the Buffs won two in a row over ranked opponents. Colorado last won three in a row over the ranked in 2001, and last did it three weeks in a row in 1994 … Colorado is now 4-1 as a ranked team this year.
Offense Notes … WR Kabion Ento made his first career start tonight in place of the injured Bryce Bobo (ankle sprain) … Colorado has now scored in 14 straight quarters (extending that streak twice today with scores at 0:00 of the 1st and 3rd stanzas) … The Buffs were an uncharacteristic 3-for-26 on second down efficiency, but averaged just 5.4 yards to go on a season-high 22 third down tries (inflated due to the last one being 13 yards to go on kneeldowns); CU was 6-of-8 on 3rd-&-1 plays (and seventh Liufau had earned the first down before fumbling).
Defense Notes … The opponent has failed to score on its first possession in all 12 games this season (six 3-and-outs, five others with just one first down earned) … Utah’s longest gain on first down in the first half was 5 yards; it gained a net of 3 on 11 plays (0.3 per); its 86 first half yards were the third-lowest this year against the Buffs … Utah had the fourth field goal drive against the Buffs this season that went for minus yards … Utah was 2-of-11 for 20 yards passing on first down (sacked twice for 12 yards) … Utah had four goal-to-go situations and was stuffed on its first nine plays (kicking three field goals), before scoring a TD on its 10th try.
LAST TO FIRST: Colorado is technically the first AND fourth team to go from “worst to first” in Pac-12 history. The Stanford and Cal teams did it, along with the ’59 Washington team that was 1-6 in 1958 but went 3-1 in 1959 (the year Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State left the conference for up to five seasons). But in all three cases, Idaho was a member of the league those years but always played an abbreviated schedule (finishing 0-3 all three times).
INDIVIDUAL LINER NOTES
SS Tedric Thompson (4,0-4 TT, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 4 PBU, 4 3DS). He had one of the best defensive “farewell games” in Folsom history, with four passes broken up, four third down stops. His interception at the end of the first half extended CU’s nation-best streak to forcing at least one turnover to 25 straight games (Alabama is next with 24). His fourth quarter pick gave him seven on the season, tying him for the single-season best in CU history (matching Dick Anderson in 1967, Cullen Bryant in 1972). He has tied Tim James (1987-90) for fifth place all-time with 13 career interceptions.
QB Sefo Liufau (44-23-0, 270, 1 TD passing; 21-59, 1 TD rushing; 329 total offense). He earned his 86th and 87th school records as he tied Cody Hawkins for the all-time CU mark in touchdown passes with 60. He upped his career best marks of passing yards (9,547) and total offense (10,475). He also went over the 2,000-yard mark for the season (2,150), tying Kordell Stewart (1992-94) and Joel Klatt (2003-05) for the most 2,000-yards passing seasons in a career with three. Liufau also threw for over 2,000 yards in 2014 (3,200) and 2015 (2,418).
ILB Kenneth Olugbode (5 TT, 1 FR/TD). He scored his second career touchdown with his 10-yard fumble return for a score in the fourth quarter (he returned an interception 60 yards for a score against Colorado State in 2015).
CB Chidobe Awuzie (8 TT, 1 FR, 1 QBS). He had his ninth career quarterback sack tonight, adding to his record by a CU defensive back.
WR Devin Ross (9-94, 0 TD). He matched his career-high with 9 receptions (also had nine against UCLA earlier this month).