Colorado
3-7 , 2-4
Iowa State
6-5 , 3-4
Mistakes, Missed Opportunities Keep Buffs Out Of Bowls
November 14, 2009 | Football, B.G. Brooks
AMES, Iowa - In a tale of two seasons told in one afternoon, one team advanced, the other officially settled among the also-rans.
Iowa State qualified on Saturday for its first postseason appearance since 2005, while Colorado's improbable dream of attaining bowl eligibility finally crashed.
The Cyclones' 17-10 victory in wind-swept Jack Trice Stadium dropped the Buffaloes to 3-7 (2-4 in the Big 12 Conference) with two games remaining, making it impossible for them to reach the six wins necessary for bowl eligibility.
ISU, meanwhile, improved to 6-5 (3-4 Big 12) under first-year coach Paul Rhoads and will finish out the regular season next week at Missouri.
Assured of a fourth losing season under fourth-year coach Dan Hawkins (16-31 overall), CU has games remaining Thursday at No. 17 Oklahoma State and on Nov. 27 against Nebraska.
"We haven't lived up to the expectations of this year and how we play football here," junior receiver Scotty McKnight said. "It's frustrating for all of us."
Said Hawkins: "You're always going to have failures and setbacks . . . you have to funnel it toward something positive. You have to push that hurt in the right direction."
That's a lengthy, disturbing push after another 2009 game that fell into the "one that got away" category. CU outgained ISU 390-310 in total offense, 21-19 in first downs and forced nine punts (the Buffs had six).
But the afternoon's other numbers - namely CU's turnovers and penalties - trumped all the others.
Had they taken advantage of the opportunities presented them, the Buffs could have won their first road game since 2007. Instead, they're 2-18 under Hawkins away from Folsom Field.
"We didn't handle our end of the bargain at all," said McKnight, a 100-yard performer (eight catches, 107 yards) along with Markquis Simas (7-128) as the Buffs finally found their passing touch - and finally some adequate protection - in the second half.
But by then, as they have in a handful of preceding losses, they were playing from behind. CU failed to capitalize on a first-and-goal at the ISU 5-yard line with a chance to tie the score in the first half, then the Buffs sabotaged themselves with major penalties on a second-half inside the Cyclones 10 while trailing by 10 points.
In all, CU produced only three points after having four first downs inside the 10-yard line and finished with 11 penalties for 110 yards, numbers McKnight called "ridiculous."
What's more, the Buffs lost three turnovers (one interception by quarterback Tyler Hansen, two fumbles by normally sure-handed tailback Rodney "Speedy" Stewart).
"We were focused until those things (penalties, turnovers) happened, then we just kind of fell into the tank," said Simas, who produced his second consecutive 100-yard receiving day.
Added Hansen: "It comes down to converting in the red zone and avoiding penalties. It's really disappointing . . . it's what we'd been talking about all week."
CU scored its first touchdown of the game with 3:17 remaining on Hansen's 36-yard fourth-down pass to Simas. That score pulled CU to 17-10, but the Cyclones allowed the Buffs offense back on the field with only 23 seconds remaining.
Taking over at its 20-yard line, CU managed three plays and was left to ponder spending another postseason - the third in the past four - to be spent as a spectator.
Hawkins said he believed his team will demonstrate its pride in finishing out the season: "Our guys will go."
The Buffs forced a pair of first-half turnovers, but offset those with penalties and sloppy play that allowed the Cyclones to take a 10-3 halftime lead.
Iowa State scored on its second possession, courtesy of 25 penalty yards against CU that kept an 83-yard touchdown drive from derailing. The costliest infraction: A 15-yard facemask flag on third-and-15 and a 5-yard sideline penalty on the same play that allowed the Cyclones to escape from their own 12 to the 32.
Six plays later, Austen Arnaud (12-of-25, 116 yards, two TDs, one interception) hit Marquis Hamilton with an 8-yard touchdown pass. It was a redemptive score for Hamilton, who earlier in the drive had a 77-yard TD catch waved off after he interfered with CU corner Jimmy Smith.
Two series later, the Cyclones appeared headed for another score when Smith intercepted Arnaud and returned it 10 yards to the Iowa State 5-yard line.
After two handoffs - one to Stewart, one to Demetrius Sumler - produced minus-2 yards, Hansen ran a quarterback draw to the one. On fourth down, Sumler ran into the middle for no gain, and the Buffs' opportunity to at least pull even vanished.
"On fourth-and-one, it's dig deeper time," McKnight said. "You have to say, 'Stop me.'"
Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau didn't second-guess the four plays he called: "We had a set of plays set and (Iowa State) gave us the looks we wanted. We just didn't execute."
CU's defense, which forced Iowa State into seven three-and-outs, presented another scoring chance on the Cyclones' first series of the second quarter, and this time the Buffs took advantage.
After safety Anthony Perkins caused Iowa State receiver Darius Darks to fumble, defensive tackle Nate Bonsu hopped on the ball at the CU 30-yard line.
Hansen & Co. mustered enough efficiency to drive 65 yards and position Aric Goodman for a 22-yard field goal (7-3), but Iowa State's Grant Mahoney answered with a 25-yarder on the final play of the half (10-3).
CU wound up with 97 yards in total offense (58 rushing) in the first half and was penalized six times for 57 yards. But the second half held promise for the Buffs, who got both the ball and the wind at their backs to begin the third quarter.
That good vibe lasted one play; Hansen (18-of-38, 258 yards, one TD, one interception) was intercepted on the second play by nose guard Nate Frere. The Cyclones didn't do any immediate damage, but their punt was downed at the Buffs' 6-yard line.
A 24-yard Hansen-to-McKnight pass appeared to give the Buffs room to maneuver. But a play later, Stewart fumbled after a 5-yard gain - a replay reversal was required to give Iowa State possession at the CU 33 - and the Cyclones capitalized.
"Tough day," Stewart said, understating the obvious. "I don't know why (I fumbled) . . . I was hoping I was down."
On third-and-nine, Arnaud found running back Alexander Robinson (30 carries, 138 yards) free near the right sideline, lobbed him a pass, and watched him run 20 yards for a touchdown.
When Mahoney's PAT pushed Iowa State ahead 17-3, CU's afternoon (and season) slipped toward the abyss. Then came the long plunge.
Taking over at the Cyclones' 36 after a short punt, the Buffs advanced to the 9-yard line, where disaster awaited. On first down, right tackle Bryce Givens drew 30 yards in penalties - the first a hands-to-the-face flag, the second an unsportsmanlike conduct flag for protesting the first.
Hawkins called the sequence "inexcusable," and Hansen said Givens was "bumming . . . I feel for him. He's an emotional guy, and he let his emotions get the best of him."
Instead of having first-and-goal at the 9, the Buffs had first-and-goal at the 39. After another 5 yards were lost on a false start when guard Ryan Miller jumped, the once-promising drive ended with Goodman sending a 42-yard field goal attempt wide right.
The Buffs tried to regroup on their first possession of the final quarter, putting together a penalty aided drive (CU got a first down on a personal foul flag on corner Kennard Banks) that ended with another lost fumble by Stewart - this one recovered by the Cyclones at their 8-yard line after Stewart was blind-sided.
With 11:44 remaining, CU appeared all but bankrupt in the opportunity department. After the Hansen-to-Simas TD pass pulled them to 17-10, Goodman's kickoff trickled out of bounds, giving ISU a first down at 40 with 3:17 to play.
The Cyclones were too close to the postseason to let this chance escape. And with their afternoon mostly spent in self-destruction, the Buffs were too out of sorts to stop them.
Coming from a somber CU locker room, safety Ben Burney insisted being eliminated from postseason contention would make him and his fellow seniors "battle even harder . . . I've got less time to be with my brothers now. We're still all in."
Right now, it's all they've got left.
BUFF BITS: Saturday's attendance was 43,208 . . . . The Buffs played without outside linebacker B.J. Beatty (concussion) and safety Ray Polk (broken bone in foot). Polk hopes to return Thursday night (5:30 MST, ESPN) against the Cowboys, Beatty's status is unknown. Tyler Ahles started in Beatty's place . . . . Iowa State was playing to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2005. After winning just five games in two seasons under Gene Chizik, the Cyclones matched that total in rookie coach Paul Rhoads' first 10 games . . . . Iowa State's 23 seniors played their final home game Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium . . . . McKnight caught a pass for the 34th consecutive game - an on-going school record. He's third in all-time receptions . . . . McKnight also worked as CU's punt returner, a job he's held on the absence of Jason Espinoza (thumb injury) . . . . The home team in the CU-ISU series has won the past six games . . . . The three most recent meetings have been decided by a total of 14 points (31-28 Iowa State win in 2007, a 28-24 CU win last season, 17-10 Saturday).
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Team Stats
CU 0, ISU 7
ISU - Hamilton,Marqui 8 yd pass from Arnaud,Austen (Mahoney,Grant kick) 9 plays, 83 yards, TOP 3:49
CU 3, ISU 7
CU - Goodman, Aric 22 yd field goal 12 plays, 65 yards, TOP 5:34
CU 3, ISU 10
ISU - Mahoney,Grant 25 yd field goal 10 plays, 41 yards, TOP 1:07
CU 3, ISU 17
ISU - Robinson,Alexan 20 yd pass from Arnaud,Austen (Mahoney,Grant kick) 6 plays, 33 yards, TOP 2:20
CU 10, ISU 17
CU - Simas, Markques 36 yd pass from Hansen, Tyler (Goodman, Aric kick) 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:31
