Colorado University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Colorado-Hawai'i Notes
September 20, 2014 | Football
Players who carried out CU's symbolic instruments today:
Sledgehammer: Mark Mustoe
Toolbox: Sean Irwin
Special Teams Belt: Brady Daigh
Buffalo Head: Malcolm Creer
QUICKLYÂ Colorado evened the all-time series at 2-2 (both wins in Boulder, by a combined score 52-25) ... Colorado won the coin toss and then elected to receive for the fourth straight game in 2014 ... The Buffs are now 5-1 in non-league games over the last two years, their best two-year mark since going 5-1 over the 2004-05 seasons ... Hawai'i lost its 14th straight road game... CU did not allow a touchdown for the first time in 51 games (the 2010 opener, a 24-3 win over CSU in Denver on Sept. 4) ... George Frazier started his first career game (at FB, and he also appeared again for several plays at DE) ... The 12 points by Hawai'i were the fewest scored by an FBS team against CU since that same game ... The 286 yards by Hawai'i were the fewest by an FBS team against CU since the 2011 finale (Utah in Salt Lake, 274 yards); the 3.7 yards per play is the lowest by an FBS team against the Buffs since Nov. 13, 2010 (Iowa State, 3.4, 68 plays for 229 yards) ... Colorado has allowed just 490 yards in the last seven quarters ...
Hawaii gained two yards or less on 24 of 33 first down plays (CU did so on 18 of 32) ... The Rainbow Warriors ran 11 plays in the red zone for a net 9 yards, and had 33 plays in plus territory for 91 (and 57 of those came on four plays) ... Over the last two games, the opponent has run 19 red zone plays for 37 yards ... The Buffs had a season-high four QB sacks and matched their high in pass deflections with nine (also at UMass) ...
WR NELSON SPRUCE (13-172, 1 TD) He set several school records today, including snapping the single-game reception record previously set nine times (by six different players). He now has at least one receiving touchdown in six straight games, dating back to 2013, setting a school record (old mark as 5 set by Rae Carruth during the 1996 season); he did it with the longest reception of his career (71 yards, one more than one he scored on at UMass). He also set school marks for the most consecutive games with seven receptions (four) and six catches (five).
| Single-Game CU Receptions | ||||
| No. | (yds-td) | Player | Opponent | Date |
| 13 | (172-1) | Nelson Spruce | Hawai'i | Sept. 20, 2014 |
| 11 | (186-1) | Michael Westbrook | at Baylor | Sept. 12, 1992 |
| 11 | (168-0) | Charles E. Johnson | at Missouri | Oct. 8, 1992 |
| 11 | (131-2) | Derek McCoy | Washington State | Sept. 13, 2003 |
| 11 | (114-1) | Scotty McKnight | at Toledo | Sept. 11, 2009 |
| 11 | (92-1) | Markques Simas | at Oklahoma State | Nov. 19, 2009 |
| 11 | (141-2) | Paul Richardson | at Kansas | Nov. 6, 2010 |
| 11 | (284-2) | Paul Richardson | California (OT) | Sept. 10, 2011 |
| 11 | (209-2) | Paul Richardson | Central Arkansas | Sept. 7, 2013 |
| 11 | (140-0) | Paul Richardson | California` | Nov. 16, 2013 |
Spruce has 37 catches for 518 yards and 7 TDs in 2014; he now has 136 career catches, moving from ninth to a tie for fifth with Javon Green (1997-2000); he passed Charles E. Johnson (127), Derek McCoy (134) and Rae Carruth (135). With 1,614 receiving yards, he moved past Daniel Graham (1,543) into ninth; the first eight all have over 2,000.
WR SHAY FIELDS (6-26 RECEIVING, 2-14-1 TD RUSHING) He has caught at least six passes in his first four career games (that tied the old mark for the most consecutive games with six or more receptions that Spruce broke in this game). He also scored a touchdown on his first career rushing attempt (13 yards).
QB SEFO LIUFAU (45-29-2, 287, 2 TD) He keeps zooming up the charts: passing yards (2,903, 12th), total offense (2,997, 19th) and TD passes (22, 10th). He now has thrown 2 or more TD passes for seven consecutive games (adding to his own CU record and two shy of the mark of nine straight games with at least one, held by Koy Detmer and Cody Hawkins).
Liufau-to-Spruce: they have connected for 7 touchdown plays this season (record: 8, on two occasions), and for 10 in their careers (record: 15, Cody Hawkins-to-Scotty McKnight).
INDIVIDUAL LINER NOTES
- CB Greg Henderson (7 TT, 4 PBU) How about earning four stats on one play: in the first quarter, he had a sack, a forced fumble, a recovery and a third down stop all on the same play. He moved into a tie for ninth at CU in all-time pass deflections with 28 (up from 13th and tying Dalton Simmons, 1992-96).
- PK Will Oliver (3-3 PAT)Â He has now made 73 consecutive extra points (adding to his school record), and moved into fourth place on CU's all-time scoring list with 214 career points (passing Bobby Anderson, who had 212, 1967-69).
- P Darragh O'Neill (9-46.2, 4 In20) He now has 23 punts on the year, with 12 landing inside-the-20; seven of those have been inside-the-15 (three today). He also had his second career rush, galloping 19 yards on a fourth-quarter fake to earn CU a first down.
COLORADO INJURIES ILB Addison Gillam (concussion), day-to-day for California (which would be his first game as a Buff in Northern California where he grew up).