Obscured by the final score and ultimate defeat, Colorado running back Alex Fontenot provided energy to the Buffs offense on Friday night while delivering his first 100-yard rushing performance since 2019 vs. Washington.
This has not been the season Fontenot envisioned for his last year of college football, but he seems intent on finishing strong after his two-month injury setback.
In the last two games, both against highly-ranked opponents, Fontenot executed CU’s three longest running plays of this season -- a 27-yard run against Oregon, and a 37-yard and 27-yard run in the 55-17 loss Friday night against USC.
“I just felt like I was flying all over the place and I just felt really good,” Fontenot said. “Just getting back to what I do. You know being out for all those games and it kind of felt like I had something to prove.”
Once Fontenot was cleared to practice, he had about a week to physically run the new offense before the Oregon game. The veteran back adjusted well and fast, turning 7 carries into 41 yards against the Ducks while catching 3 passes for 31 yards.
Fontenot’s backfield cohort, Deion Smith, “wasn't quite 100% in warmups,” interim head coach Mike Sanford said after the loss at USC. So Fontenot received 20 carries Friday, which he took for 108 yards while adding a 16-yard reception.
“I thought Alex really competed at a high level and ran hard,” Sanford said.
The Buffs' offensive line has been the most reliable unit and their quality openings, along with the blocking of tight end Brady Russell, helped Fontenot move the ball into red zone territory on three occasions. Colorado ended up scoring on those three drives with one field goal, a Fontenot rushing TD and QB J.T. Shrout’s first career rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The first scoring drive, however, ended with a field goal because Fontenot couldn’t convert on third-and-3, getting tripped up falling for a gain of 1.
“You’ve got to try to get seven at that point,” Sanford said. “We had some decent runs, but when you’re in that position and the defense is playing the way it is, you want points on the board.”
The nation’s sack leader Tuli Tuipulotu was an inhibitor of any CU offensive gains. He produced 2.5 sacks for a loss of 24 yards. One sack caused a fumble on the Buffs' 8-yard line and the quick consecutive Trojan scores sandwiching that turnover set the tone moving forward.
In a season such as this for Colorado, the small victories need to be recognized and Fontenot’s comeback performance was one to take note of.
“I just came back from my injury,” Fontenot said. “It just felt really good. I felt really just fresh and fast and stronger. Just taking that time off to just really work on my skills.”
After the Buffs' final two games of the season against Washington and Utah, Fontenot will hang up his helmet and conclude his six-year college football career with Colorado.
Injuries deducted a large portion of his Buffs career and did so again this season in the form of a chest injury against Air Force that put him out for eight weeks.
Finally back on the gridiron, Fontenot just wants to make the most of the games he has left.
“That's one thing about this team that really, out of the six years I've been here, I've never really experienced us losing, but we keep that same energy,” Fontenot said. “Nobody's getting down on themselves. … Everybody's still locked in. Everybody wants to win. We still have that belief that we can win.”
