The names, faces and opponents change, but for Colorado, the lopsided results of a lost season continue.
In their final road game of the season, the Buffs were blown out, 54-7, by Washington at Husky Stadium Saturday night, dropping them to 1-10 overall and 1-7 in Pac-12 play.
It marked the second-consecutive game in which Colorado allowed more than 50 points, something that, for all of its struggles, it didn’t do in its first nine games. In their 11 games this season, the Buffs have been out-scored by an average of 27.9 points per contest. Saturday marked the second time this season they have fallen by at least 40 points.
Colorado yet again struggled to control a high-powered offense, giving up 575 total yards. Washington scored on eight of its first 11 drives, seven of which ended with a touchdown.
Despite facing off against one of the country’s most prolific passers in Michael Penix Jr., Colorado’s greatest defensive shortcoming Saturday was failing to stop the run. The Huskies racked up 280 rushing yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Wayne Taulapapa led that push, amassing 107 yards and two rushing touchdowns while averaging 9.7 yards per carry
Saturday’s setback was the fifth time in 11 games this season that the Buffs have allowed at least 500 yards.
Entering the night as a 30-point favorite, Washington wasted little time getting ahead, building a 14-0 lead about 12 minutes into the matchup. Whatever doubt remained about the final result disappeared rapidly in a second quarter in which the Huskies scored 19 points, 12 of which came in the final 1:32 of the half, when Washington got a rushing touchdown, a safety when a Colorado long snap sailed over punter Trent Carrizosa’s head and through the back of the end zone, recovered a Nikko Reed fumble on the ensuing kickoff and drilled a 33-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer.
For all their defensive woes, the Buffs’ offense was just as ineffective, finishing with just 202 yards, their second-lowest total of the season. On their way to digging a 33-point deficit, they had just 56 yards and averaged only 2.2 yards per play in the first half.
Quarterback J.T. Shrout was erratic yet again, completing only six of his 18 passes for 120 yards. Those numbers were boosted largely by a 69-yard touchdown pass to Montana Lemonious-Craig in the third quarter, giving Colorado its only score of the night.
Colorado offensive player of the game
Alex Fontenot was the only thing even slightly resembling a bright spot for the Buffs in the loss. The senior running back had 71 yards on 11 carries, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. In three games since returning from an injury that had sidelined him for most of the season, the Texas native has rushed for 220 yards and a touchdown while averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Colorado defensive player of the game
I’ll abdicate my duty here and instead of singling out a standout defensive player – because, frankly, there really wasn’t one – I’ll go with interim defensive coordinator Gerald Chatman. While it contributed to Washington’s big day on the ground as a team, the decision to drop eight players into coverage on most snaps limited Penix’s effectiveness. The Huskies’ star quarterback had his lowest passing yardage total of the season (229) and his fourth-lowest completion percentage (61.3%).
Scoring summary
1st Q, 5:18: Wayne Taulapapa 8-yard rush (Peyton Henry PAT)
1st Q, 2:49: Michael Penix Jr. 27-yard pass to Jalen McMillan (Henry PAT)
Second quarter
2nd Q, 10:33: Taulapapa 2-yard rush (Henry PAT)
2nd Q, 1:32: Colorado snap on a punt goes out of the back of the end zone for a safety
2nd Q, 0:15: Cameron Davis 4-yard rush (Henry PAT)
2nd Q, 0:00: Henry 33-yard field goal
Third quarter
3rd Q, 8:51: Davis 6-yard rush (Henry PAT)
3rd Q, 2:11: Richard Newton 2-yard rush (Henry PAT)
3rd Q, 1:45: J.T. Shrout 69-yard pass to Montana Lemonious-Craig (Cole Becker PAT)
Fourth quarter
4th Q, 8:10: Dylan Morris 15-yard pass to Sam Adams II (Henry PAT)
Turning point of the game
Trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, Colorado generated its first bit of offensive momentum Saturday, riding a 26-yard run from Fontenot to get as far as the Washington 43, but on a fourth and three, a Shrout pass to Lemonious-Craig was incomplete.
The Huskies took advantage of the favorable field position, going 57 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown to extend their lead to 21 with 10:33 remaining in the second quarter. If the game weren’t already over before then, it was at that moment.
Buffs’ play of the game
Already in possession of a 33-0 lead, the Huskies appeared to be on their way to yet another touchdown early in the third quarter when they had a third and goal at the Colorado one. After stopping Taulapapa for no gain on third down, Quinn Perry and Na’im Rodman again stuffed the running back just shy of the goal line, drawing a spirited reaction from the Buffs’ bench. Given where Washington was on the field, and given how far behind Colorado was, it would have been easy to fold in that situation, but to their credit, the Buffs didn’t. It’s a low bar, sure, but it’s where we are at this last stage in the season.
Colorado had few opportunities to celebrate Saturday night, but for a brief moment there – and even with the game already well out of hand – it had some reason for pride.
Why Colorado lost
At this point in the season, it doesn’t require much of an explanation, right?
