Brooks: Mannion, OSU Shred Buffs In Pac-12 Opener

CORVALLIS, Ore. – If it was questionable whether a three-week layoff had an ill effect on Colorado's offense here Saturday, there was no question about Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion's effect on the Buffaloes defense. Or how much damage was done by two lost fumbles and a pair of interceptions.

In the end, it all proved devastating in a 44-17 loss that sabotaged CU's 2013 Pac-12 Conference opener under Mike MacIntyre and his team's attempt to open 3-0 for the first time since the 2008 season.

Neither MacIntyre nor his quarterback, Connor Wood, would blame not having played since Sept. 7 for the Buffs' ineffective offensive performance or their inefficiency in other areas.

"Mainly to me it was turnovers and not taking care of the ball," MacIntyre said of the loss. Asked if any of those problems were attributable to the layoff, he answered, "I don't think so."

"That's just making excuses and we're not a team that does that," offered Wood when asked the same question. "There's not one single thing to blame offensively . . . not this position or that position. There were times when I had some happy feet in the pocket."

Wood also said an afternoon that quickly slipped away from the Buffs in the second half can't be viewed "as a failure. You look at it as a learning experience. That's what the great players do; it can't be, oh we lost we're not any good. We have to keep our heads up."

CU (2-1, 0-1) entered Reser Stadium averaging 39.5 points in its first two games, but any momentum from those wins didn't survive. The Buffs, who host No. 2 Oregon next Saturday (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network), didn't score a touchdown until Wood hit Tyler McCulloch with a 24-yard pass early in the fourth quarter.

Wood had averaged 370.5 passing yards a game, but at halftime Saturday he had only 22. And in the second and third quarters, the Beavers (4-1, 2-0) outgained the Buffs 367-33 – hardly evidence of an in-sync offense. Wood finished 14-of-34 for 146 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.

Much of OSU's yardage came courtesy of Mannion, who went over 350 yards passing for the fifth consecutive game – a school record. He also broke the OSU record with six TD passes – two each to Brandin Cooks and Caleb Smith. Mannion finished 27-of-52 for 414 and the six scores.

Cooks and CU's Paul Richardson were among the NCAA receiving leaders, but this gray and sometimes blustery afternoon belonged to Cooks. He finished with nine catches for 168 yards and the two scores, while Richardson managed only five catches for 70 yards and one score – a 28-yard reception with 13 seconds to play.

At 208.5 yards a game, Richardson had been the FBS leader. Cooks was at 159.8 and had caught seven TD passes.

The Beavers amassed 540 yards in total offense to the Buffs' 300. CU rushed for 154 yards and could have been near 200 had it not been for 20 yards lost on a pair of quarterback sacks.

"I felt like we could take advantage of their defense and run the ball," MacIntyre said. "If didn't give up a couple of big sacks, would have had over 200 yards rushing, which is pretty good considering we haven't been rushing very well. And if we would have thrown the ball better . . . there were some plays left on the field."

The Buffs trailed 17-3 at halftime, but it took a late 12-play, 71-yard drive by the Beavers to open that two-touchdown margin. On that march, OSU converted a fourth-and-10 at the CU 33, then scored three plays later on a Mannion-to-Cooks 8-yard pass – Mannion's second scoring pass of the half and Cooks' seventh reception.

Trevor Romaine's PAT put OSU ahead 17-3 with 16 seconds left before intermission.

Before that, the Buffs' defense appeared fairly sound, snuffing a pair of Beavers' drives with an interception by corner Greg Henderson and a sack/forced fumble by end Chidera Uzo-Diribe and fumble recovery by end Juda Parker.

But MacIntyre said his defense did not hold up well and should have had another pair of first-half picks in addition to Henderson's: "We gave up 540 yards and should have had three picks in the first half. We've got to work on making that play. We've got to do a better job of coaches and make them 'high-point' the ball."

The Buffs' offense managed a field goal after Henderson's pick, tying the game at 3-3 on Will Oliver's 19-yarder with 6:19 left in the first quarter. The Beavers had taken their 3-0 lead on Romaine's 36-yard kick a little more 4 minutes earlier.

But following Parker's fumble recovery, which stopped an OSU drive at the CU 19, the Buffs couldn't capitalize. They went three-and-out, with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Daniel Munyer – he was taken out of the game and didn't return – ruining the series and forcing a punt.

Mannion, who had hit Smith with a 3-yard scoring pass for OSU's first TD, and the Beavers took over at their 29 and began their 71-yard march to end the half and begin pulling away.

Wood finished the first half with only four completions (15 attempts) for 22 yards, with one interception. What would have been his longest completion – a 34-yarder to D.D. Goodson at the OSU 38 – was overturned by instant replay. Richardson made only one first-half catch for 2 yards.

Mannion, meanwhile, finished the half 15-of-33 for 247 yards and the pair of scores, and Cooks' seven receptions were good for 152 yards and a TD.

If the Buffs were going to rally, they needed to stop the Beavers immediately in the second half. It didn't happen; OSU took the second half kickoff and fashioned a drive that nearly matched their final first-half march.

It covered 75 yards, required seven plays and concluded with another Mannion-to-Cooks scoring pass – this one for 22 yards. Romaine's extra point pushed the Beavers comfortably in front 24-3 with 12:03 left in the third quarter.

Then the wheels appeared to be close to coming off for the Buffs. But after Marques Mosley fumbled the kickoff and Romaine recovered at the OSU 46, the Beavers were forced into a three-and-out. It didn't matter.

When CU again failed to generate any offense and punted, Mannion completed a 76-yard drive with his third TD pass of the afternoon – a 42-yard screen taken to the end zone by Terron Ward. Romaine made it 31-3 – and another special teams blunder awaited the Buffs on Romaine's kickoff.

When his squib kick wasn't handled by up man Brady Daigh, OSU's Zack Robinson recovered at the CU 26. Four plays later, Mannion tied the OSU single-game record with his fifth TD pass, this one covering 4 yards to Smith.

Romaine's PAT pushed the Beavers up 38-3, and sadly for the Buffs, their 2013 Pac-12 opener was beginning to take on a familiar and unwanted feeling.

Wood and McCulloch hooked up for their score with 10:51 to play. When Wood hit freshman Devin Ross with a two-point conversion pass, the score was 38-11 – but time and most everything else wasn't on CU's side.

After Wood was intercepted with just under 7 minutes remaining, Mannion broke the OSU record for TD passes in a single game, hitting tight end Connor Hamlett with an 11-yard toss. The rout settled at 44-11 with 6:48 remaining, but Wood and "P-Rich" hooked up in the final 13 seconds for their score.

Wood said MacIntyre told the team "there would be ups and down in the season, it's not going to be perfect. The guys that stay even keeled and learn from their mistakes, their losses, the better we'll be as a team. We're still a good team."

NOTABLE: Saturday's attendance was 44,279. Reser Stadium holds 45,674 . . . . CU used freshman tailback Michael Adkins II for the first time on Saturday. He carried five times in the first half for 40 yards, with his 19-yard run the Buffs' longest play for scrimmage in the opening half. He finished with 14 carries for 98 yards . . . . CU was penalized five times for 59 yards in the first half. The Buffs were flagged for eight penalties in each of their first two games. They had six for 64 yards on Saturday . . . . Buffs punter Darragh O'Neill's first punt was a 16-yard shank, but he finished the half averaging 40 yards on seven tries, with a long kick of 55 yards. For the day, he punted 10 times for a 41.1 average.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU

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Team Stats

Connor Wood

Players Mentioned

Michael Adkins II

Greg Henderson

Devin Ross

Players Mentioned

Michael Adkins II

Greg Henderson

Devin Ross