Players Mentioned
Colorado-Central Arkansas Notes
September 08, 2013 | Football
QUICKLY Colorado last opened with a pair of wins in 2008, which was also the last time CU opened 3-0 … The win snapped a 6-game home losing streak (last win: 48-29 over Arizona on Nov. 12, 2011) … The temperature at kickoff – 90 degrees – tied for the ninth warmest for any game in CU history and tied for the second warmest ever in Boulder (with the Aug. 26, 2001 Fresno State game; both are tied for the warmest night game in Boulder); the only warmer game in Boulder was on Sept. 16, 2000 against Washington … Ralphie V did not lead the team out for the first time in about a decade (when Ralphie IV was basically in heat) because of a timing snafu; once the smoke from the tunnel reached her pen, it also freaked her out a little bit. She made the second half run just fine, however …
ODD STAT OF THE GAME: UCA ran 31 first down plays for 98 yards (3.2 per)—and gained over 10 yards just three times—but two were touchdown passes (23 and 11 yards) … this leads us to, yes it is early, but CU is allowing 4.17 yards on 59 first down plays this season; in 2012, the opponent averaged 7.96 yards on first downs.
Colorado has scored 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time since the 10th and 11th games of the 2010 season, and has allowed under 30 for two games in a row since games 4 and 5 of that same year … CU has held its first two foes to under 100 yards rushing for the first time since 2008.
WR PAUL RICHARDSON (11-209-2 TD) The 11 receptions tie the school record for most in a game, but that's the least of what he accomplished: his 209 yards marked the fifth 200-yard receiving game in school history, the first two in back-to-back games (the NCAA record is three—done just twice). He moved from 20th into 14th place in career receptions (94), and from 10th to ninth (passing Monte Huber) in career yards (1,486).
--He has 15 career TD receptions, tying him for fifth with Charles E. Johnson (1990-93);Â Johnson's 15 covered 697 yards, or 46.5 yards per, which still stands as an NCAA record; Richardson's 15 have covered 613 yards, or 40.8 per.
--For the year, "P-Rich" now has 21 catches for 417 yards, 19.9 per, with four touchdowns.
FIRST ACTIONÂ Â Two players made their Buffalo debuts tonight: WR Devin Ross (Fr., true) and WR Alex Turbow (Sr.).
STREAK ENDS IN STYLE  Colorado's last interception was a fourth-quarter pick by ILB Jon Major at Washington State last Sept. 22; some 267 opponent passes later, the Buffaloes finally intercepted their next pass when CB Greg Henderson stole a Wynrick Smothers pass and raced 46 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter; that was CU's first INT return for a touchdown since Oct. 31, 2009, when Benjamin Burney returned one 78 yards or a score against Missouri in Boulder. It was Henderson's second career pick.
- CB Greg Henderson now has two return touchdowns this year (including 53-yard fumble return for a score against CSU last week): the last Buffaloes to have two return touchdowns in the same season came back in 2002, when WR Jeremy Bloom returned two punts for scores and FS Medford Moorer returned an interception and a fumble for six; Bloom, ironically, was the color analyst for the Pac-12 Network for the game, while Moorer is one of CU's assistant directors of academics. (The last Buff to have three or more return TDs in a season was 1999, when CB Ben Kelly returned four – two kickoffs and two fumbles.)
- S Jered Bell also made his second career interception, returning it 79 yards for his first touchdown; it was the 14th longest interception return in CU history. Combined with Henderson's theft and score, it was the first time the Buffs returned two interceptions for scores since the last day of the last century: Dec. 31, 1999 when Jashon Sykes and Rashidi Barnes did it against Boston College in the Insight.com Bowl.
COLORADO INJURIES  DT Nate Bonsu (sprained ankle); he returned to the game. No other significant injuries reported by the trainings staff.
UCA NOTES
Sophomore placekicker Jace Denker scored his first career point with a PAT at the 4:37 mark of the second quarter. Denker was filling in for All-Southland Conference kicker Eddie Camara, out with a groin pull. He added his first career FG with a 28-yarder to open the second half that gave UCA its first lead at 17-14. Denker kicked off 19 times last year but attempted no placements.
Senior quarterback Wynrick Smothers threw his first interception since Oct. 27 of last season against Southeastern Louisiana. Wynrick had no picks in the final three games of last season, including an FCS Playoff game against Georgia Southern, and last week against Incarnate Word. The last time Smothers threw two interceptions in the same game was Oct. 13, 2012 against McNeese State. UCA won that game on a last-second field goal (:22 remaining). He has never thrown three interceptions in his UCA career.
Sophomore DB Bobby Watkins recorded his first career interception with 2:56 left in the first half. He left the field with an injury earlier in thegame. Watkins redshirted at UCA last season after transferring from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
Senior tight end Chase Dixon caught his 12th career pass, and his fifth for a touchdown, in the final minute of the first half. He had 4 touchdowns in just 8 receptions last season.
Senior defensive end Markeith Gaines had two sacks and forced fumbles on both of them. UCA scored after each turnover.
UCA entered the game 1-7 against FBS teams since moving to NCAA Division I in 2006. The lone victory was over Western Kentucky (28-7) in 2009.Â