Colorado University Athletics
Colorado-Utah Notes
November 25, 2011 | Football
QUICKLY The win snaps Colorado's 23-game road losing streak, dating back to the last win, 31-26 at Texas Tech on Oct. 27, 2007; also CU's last win on artificial turf (that streak included 17 league games, 13 Big 12 and four Pac-12) ... After a 49-year dormancy, Colorado now leads the series 31-24-3 (15-15-2 in Salt Lake City), snapping a two-game Utah win streak ... With CU reviving its series with Hawaii last year for the first time in 85 years and now doing the same with Utah, the most dormant regular season series are now with Tulsa (1969) and Penn State (1970) ... The Buffs are now 21-20-4 all-time in the state of Utah, as this was CU's first appearance in the state since the last Utah game in 1962 ... The win enabled CU to finish tied for fifth in the Pac-12 South; the Buffs have not finished last outright in any conference or division standings since 1915 ... The Buffs are now 51-11 dating back to 1985 against unranked opponents in November ... Utah's 274 yards were the second lowest allowed by CU in 2011 (CSU: 243) and had just two plays over 20 yards, a season opponent low ... This was just CU's 23rd win when held to two touchdowns or less dating back to 1989 (23-71-2) ... Colorado now has at least one quarterback sack in 43 of the last 45 games.
INDIVIDUAL LINER NOTES
TB Tony Jones had a career high 72 rushing yards (12 carries), eclipsing his 19-for-71 effort versus Oregon.
PK Will Oliver set the school record for most field goals made in a season by a freshman (true/redshirt), with his 11th, breaking Tom Field's record of 10 in 1979. He finished with 62 points on the season, a CU freshman record (PK Mason Crosby had the old mark of 52 in 2003).
DE Josh Hartigan (2 QBS, reminder CU counts sacks for zero historically) finished his career with 15, tying him for 12th alltime at CU ... with Kanavis McGhee (1987-90), his position coach.
DT Curtis Cunningham bookended his career: his first career stat was an interception at Florida State in 2008; his last were a fumble recovery and then a pass broken up two plays apart in the fourth quarter today.
DE turned TE Nick Kasa made his first career reception at his new position, after switching to offense in late October.
FB Evan Harrington scored his first career touchdown on his 1-yard reception in the third quarter.
ILB Derrick Webb recovered an onside kick and had at least two other points on special teams; that will be official tomorrow but he should be the Buffs' annual special teams point champion with at least 34.
TB RODNEY STEWART (10-35 RUSH, 2-10 RECEIVING) He missed most of the second half with an ankle injury, thwarting his effort to become the 27th player in the NCAA (FBS) history to have 3,000 rush/1,000 receiving in a career. Here's where he finished in CU annals: 809 rushing attempts (first), 3,598 yards (second), 25 touchdowns (10th), tied for 18th in scoring (150 points), first in receptions by a running back (93; tied for 14th overall), 969 receiving yards (first by a running back, 26th overall), 3,635 yards of total offense (11th), 4,567 yards from scrimmage (first) and 4,828 all-purpose yards (first).
WR TONEY CLEMONS (4-102-0 TD RECEIVING) He closes his career with three 100-yard games in his last four, and with 86 receptions (tie-18th), 1,162 yards (17th, just four yards behind Jon Embree in 16th); and 11 TDs (tie-9th).
QB TYLER HANSEN (36-22-1, 264 2 TD) Here are his final career numbers and school ranks: 872 attempts (third), 505 completions (third), 5,705 yards (fourth), 36 TD passes (fourth), 6,183 yards of total offense (fourth). He also tied the school record for the most 200-yard passing games in season with nine.
FIRST QUARTER WAKEUP CALL It took a while, but CU had a dominant first quarter, as Utah was just the second team that did not score in the quarter this year (Cal being the other); CU came in outscored in the period, 142-27 and outgained by 1,720-767, or nearly 1,000 yards; the Buffs had 185 yards to Utah's 17 today. The 185 yards were the most in a quarter this season, eclipsing 171 in the fourth quarter versus Cal.
BEST FIRST HALF Colorado's 10-0 halftime lead marked the first time CU held an opponent scoreless at intermission since leading Colorado 17-0 in the 2010 season opener (in Denver); the last time CU shutout an opponent on the road in the first half was Nov. 10, 2007, leading Iowa State in Ames, 21-0 (eventual a controversial 31-28 loss) ... CU held a 254-39 advantage in total offense at halftime; that's the fewest yards CU has allowed since Baylor had 39 in the second half in a 37-0 Colorado win in Waco in 1999; you have to go back to a 54-7 win over Kansas State in Boulder to find where the opponent had fewer (32 first/minus- 16 second), and Utah ran seven plays for a net nine yards in plus territory for the half.
COLORADO INJURIES Only TB Rodney Stewart (reaggravated an ankle sprain) was hurt and did not return).
UCLA COACH RICK NEUHEISEL CU's win guaranteed UCLA the first Pac-12 South Division title. "I am thrilled for Jon and the Buffs. He wanted to end that road streak so badly, I'm glad that's now behind them. It just goes to show you, never say die, anything can happen and in college football, anything often does. We're thrilled that we're officially in the title game, but we're not even thinking about that right now. We have a big game ahead of us in USC first."