Colorado Defeats Utah 27-22, Buffs now 10-2 and headed to PAC 12 Title Game

Boulder, Colorado - Saturday Night in front of a sellout home crowd of 53,301 fans at Folsom Field the No. 9 ranked Colorado Buffaloes defeated the No. 22 Utah Utes by a score of 27-22.

Colorado now 10-2 on the season will take on 11-1 Washington next Friday in Santa Clara, CA at Levi's Stadium at 7PM MST on FOX. This is Colorado's first 10 win season since 2001.

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Colorado opened the game winning the coin toss for the 11th time this season and elected to defer. On Utah’s opening drive they went three and out, Colorado Corner Chidobe Awuzie came up with a big quarterback sack on third down.

The Buffs fumbled away the football on their opening drive when Utah’s Kavika Luafatasaga stripped Colorado Quarterback Sefo Liufau. Utah would again punt on their next possession, the punt by Utah’s Mitch Wishnowsky went for 35-yards and pinned the Buffs at their own five-yard line to start their second drive of the game.

Liufau found Devin Ross on third down and 10, Ross came up 1-yard short of a first down and would be forced to punt. With 9:35 in the first quarter and the score 0-0, Colorado Alex Kinney punted the football 41-yards to Utah’s Boobie Hobbs who would make several Colorado defenders miss and return the football 55-yards for a touchdown to give the Utes a 7-0 lead with 9:17 in the first quarter.

Colorado’s third possession of the game was another punt, which set up the Utes at their own 30-yard line with 7:35 in the opening quarter. Utah would drive down the field to Colorado’s 27-yard line and Andy Phillips, Utah’s kicker would miss a 45-yard field goal to keep the score 7-0 Utah with 2:16 in the first quarter.

The Buffs having momentum from Utah’s missed field goal would drive down the field 71-yards in 6 plays in 2:19 seconds being capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Quarterback Sefo Liufau. The key play of the drive was Liufau’s 42-yard pass to Devin Ross which moved the Buffs down into Utah territory. The score ending the first quarter at 7-7.

Key 1st Quarter Stats

Colorado had 92 offensive yards to Utah’s 46

Utah had 12 passing yards

Liufau had 67-yards passing

Lindsay had 2 carries for 3-yards

1st Quarter Scoring Summary

9:17 - TD Utah - Bobbie Hobbs 55-yard punt for TD - Utah 7, Colorado 0

00:00 - TD CU - Sefo Liufau 2-yard TD Run - Colorado 7, Utah 7

Utah would open the second quarter with a punt and Colorado would start their first drive of the quarter their own 24-yard line. With 13:15 in the 2nd Quarter Colorado would put together long 14 play 69-yard drive that lasted 4:38 seconds and would end with a 25-yard field goal by Chris Graham that would put the Buffs up 10-7 with 9:20 in the quarter.

The Buffs picked up 4 first downs on the drive, but the key play was Liufau missing a wide open Devin Ross in the end zone in what would have been a sure touchdown. Down by three Utah’s offense would try to get something going and at this point of the game they only had 45 yards of total offense.

The Utes would turn the football over on downs when the Buffs stuffed the Ute’s on a 4th and 1 at the Utah 34-yard line. With 7:18 in the quarter Colorado would get a first down on a pass interference call on Dominique Hatfield, which would move Colorado to the Utah 4-yard line. With 3rd and 1 from the 1-yard line Colorado called a timeout and designed a beautiful play action pass, Liufau threw to a wide open George Frazier who dropped the ball, the Buffs would have to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Chris Graham to make it 13-7 Colorado with 5:21 in the quarter.

Utah would take over at the 30-yard line and for the fifth time of the game would have to punt the football away to Colorado. The Buffs would punt the football right back to Utah and the Utes with 1:00 before half would have the football at their own 48-yard line.

With just two seconds on the clock, Utah Quarterback Troy Williams would throw up a hail mary that would be intercepted in the end-zone by Tedric Thompson (6th pick of the Year) who would return the football 51-yards to end the half.

Key Stats from the 2nd Quarter

Utah QB Troy Williams was 4 of 13 passing for 30-yards

Utah RB Joe Williams ran for 11 carries for 28-yards

Liufau was 10 of 19 passing for 121-yards

Colorado had 186-yards of offense to Utah’s 86

Utah was 3 for 10 on third downs

2nd Quarter Scoring Summary

9:20 - FG CU - 25-yard field goal by Chris Graham - Colorado 10, Utah 7

5:21 - FG CU - 19-yard field goal by Chris Graham - Colorado 13, Utah 7

Colorado would receive the football to start the 2nd half and start at their own 20-yard line and they would go a quick three and out having to punt the football away to Utah. The Utes at the Colorado 42 and down 13-7 with 14:03 in the 3rd quarter would drive down to the Colorado 4-yard line, but were unable to get into the end zone and Field Goal Kicker Andy Phillips would hit a 22-yarder to make it 13-10 Colorado with 11:54 in the quarter.

The Buffs next series was another three and out as Utah’s Hunter Dimick (Nation’s sack leader with 16 sacks) got to Quarterback Sefo Liufau to force a second straight punt for the Buffs. Utah’s next offensive possession looked to be productive as Quarterback Troy Williams hooked up with Receiver Tim Fitzpatrick for a 35-yard gain, but the drive would end when Running Back Joe Williams fumbled away the football (stripped by Ryan Moeller), which would be recovered by Colorado Corner Chidobe Awuzie at the 14-yard line.

With 6:55 in the 3rd Quarter, Colorado would also cough up the football when Liufau was hit by Utah’s Chase Hansen which caused a fumble that was recovered by Chris Hart. The Utes would then tie it up at 13 points a piece when Andy Phillips hit a 22-yard field goal with 2:58 to play in the 3rd Quarter.

The Buffs on their third possession of the third quarter would march down the field on a 8 play 75-yard scoring drive to make it 20-13 just as the quarter ended. Sefo Liufau hit Jay MacIntyre for a 37-yard gain, then Liufau threw a perfect fade route pass to Shay Fields for the touchdown.

Key Stats from the 3rd Quarter

Utah was 5-14 on third downs (through entire game)

Colorado was 8-16 on third downs (through entire game)

Colorado had 302-yards of offense to Utah’s 232

3 redzone trips for zero touchdowns (through game)

3rd Quarter Scoring Summary

11:54 - FG Utah - 25-yard field goal by Andy Phillips - Colorado 13, Utah 10

2:58 - FG Utah - 22-yard field goal by Andy Phillips - Colorado 13, Utah 13

00:00 - TD CU - 6-yard TD pass from Liufau to Shay Fields - Colorado 20, Utah 13

The 4th quarter opened up with 93-yard kickoff return by Utah’s Kyle Fulks who was pushed out of bounds at the 5 by Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie. The Buffs defense again would force a field goal, Utah’s kicker Andy Phillips hit a 23-yard chip shot to make it 20-16 with 13:53 in the 4th quarter.

Colorado’s first possession of the 4th quarter would result in a punt and Utah would get the football back trailing by 4 points with 12:56 remains and start their next drive at their own 18-yard line. Unable to pick up a first down, Utah would punt the football back to the Buffs with 11:56 in the game.

Colorado starting at their own 40-yard line would go a quick three and out and for the second time of the quarter would punt right back to the Utes. With 11:05 left, Utah down by 4 would start at their own 13 yard line and Colorado Linebacker Rick Gamboa would strip Utah Running Back Joe Williams, the ball was recovered by Colorado’s Kenneth Olugbode who would return it 10-yards for a touchdown to make it 27-16 Colorado with 10:56 left in the game.

The Buffs would then force an interception when Tedric Thompson came up with his second pick of the game and then would force another Utah punt with 6:28 left in the game. The Buffs would punt the football away with 3:45 left and the Utes would drive down the field on a 13-play 80-yard scoring drive, the score was a touchdown pass from Troy Williams to Demari Simpkins for a 7-yard score. The Utes would miss the 2pt conversion and the game would be 27-22 Colorado lead with 1:34 left in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, the Utes tried an onside kick, which would be recovered by Colorado's Kabion Ento with 1:32 left in the game. Colorado would run the clock out to end a thrilling game in Boulder.

Colorado is Now 10-2 On The Season

4th Quarter Scoring Summary

13:53 - FG Utah - 23-yard field goal by Andy Phillips - Colorado 20, Utah 16

10:56 - TD CU - 10-yard fumble recovery by Kenneth Olugbode for TD - Colorado 27, Utah 16

1:34 - TD Utah - 7-yard TD pass from Troy Williams to Demari Simpkins - Colorado 27, Utah 22

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1st Quarter

9:17 - TD Utah - Bobbie Hobbs 55-yard punt for TD - Utah 7, Colorado 0

00:00 - TD CU - Sefo Liufau 2-yard TD Run - Colorado 7, Utah 7

2nd Quarter

9:20 - FG CU - 25-yard field goal by Chris Graham - Colorado 10, Utah 7

5:21 - FG CU - 19-yard field goal by Chris Graham - Colorado 13, Utah 7

3rd Quarter

11:54 - FG Utah - 25-yard field goal by Andy Phillips - Colorado 13, Utah 10

2:58 - FG Utah - 22-yard field goal by Andy Phillips - Colorado 13, Utah 13

00:00 - TD CU - 6-yard TD pass from Liufau to Shay Fields - Colorado 20, Utah 13

4th Quarter

13:53 - FG Utah - 23-yard field goal by Andy Phillips - Colorado 20, Utah 16

10:56 - TD CU - 10-yard fumble recovery by Kenneth Olugbode for TD - Colorado 27, Utah 16

1:34 - TD Utah - 7-yard TD pass from Troy Williams to Demari Simpkins - Colorado 27, Utah 22