Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
2-3 , 0-2
California
3-1 , 1-1
Brooks: Buffs Lose Shootout To Bears, Fall In 2 OTs
September 27, 2014 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BERKELEY, Calif. – The Colorado Buffaloes might have believed record-setting afternoons by quarterback Sefo Liufau and receiver Nelson Spruce – not to mention 56 points – would be enough for their first Pac-12 Conference road win under second-year coach Mike MacIntyre.
But the Buffs would be wrong, agonizingly wrong.
California senior James Langford kicked a 34-yard field goal in the second overtime Saturday in Memorial Stadium, allowing the Bears to escape with a 59-56 Pac-12 victory.
"If you're a fan, that was a fun one to watch," MacIntyre said. "If you're the losing team it's absolutely gut-wrenching. Our players played their hearts out. We could have done a couple of things better as a coaching staff, our young men could have made a few more plays in regulation and we should have won the game in regulation
"But we didn't and I tip my hat to Cal. They got it done. It was a gorgeous day for football and they found a way to win it."
Completing 46-of-67 passes for 449 yards and seven touchdowns, Liufau set single-game school records for attempts, completions and scoring passes. He also set a single-game mark for total offense – 521 yards.
Cal's Jared Goff matched Liufau's passing yardage – 449 – and also threw for seven TDs, completing 23 of 41. It was the first game in FBS history where both teams threw for seven TD passes, with the total of 14 tying the FBS record set in 1990.
The Buffs outgained the Bears in total yardage 629-576 and had 110 plays to the Bears' 71. But CU allowed 35 second-half points and the game went into OT tied at 49-49 with heartbreak awaiting the Buffs.
Spruce, the Pac-12's leading receiver, caught 19 passes – breaking his own single-game school record set a week earlier – and scored three TDs, giving him 10 in five games.
Spruce said his record-setting numbers "are not something I'm really concerned with . . . we've had our fair share of losses but since I've been here this is probably the toughest one I've been a part of. Just to fight to the end, especially being up big at halftime (28-14) and with a chance to put them away. They fought back, give them credit, but it was a tough one."
It was more than tough on several fronts. Normally reliable senior kicking specialist Will Oliver missed three field goals and CU (2-3, 0-2) failed to score in the second overtime after having first-and-goal at the 2-yard line. On fourth-and-one, a miscommunication in the backfield put Liufau on his own trying to spin to his right, improvise and fight his way into the end zone.
"We miscommunicated that," MacIntyre said. "It was a mess up at a tough time. That play did not lose the football game, though. We made a bunch of other (mistakes) during the regular game. That's something we've got to do a better job as coaches and players of executing that. If we would have executed it I think we would have walked in."
But as it turned out, Cal had little trouble stopping Liufau short of the goal line, and four plays later Langford's 34-yard field goal put an end to the ebb-and-flow on a brilliant September afternoon.
Oliver, who entered the game having made four of his five field goal attempts this season, said he missed Saturday's three attempts due to compensating for wind. He said that his teammates told him they supported him "hurts more . . . this is a real first where you feel completely responsible. It's the beauty and the terrible part about being a kicker."
He also said he was given "the option not to come in here (interview room), but I think it's important to be responsible."
The Bears (3-1, 1-1) won their first conference game under second-year coach Sonny Dykes, and it followed a weekend of heartbreak much like  the Buffs experienced. Cal gave up an 18-point fourth-quarter lead last week at Arizona, allowed the Wildcats 36 points and lost 49-45 on a final-play "Hail Mary."
CU, which defeated Cal 41-24 last season in Boulder, now has lost seven consecutive games in California, including three (1968, 2010, 2014) in Berkeley. The Buffs are 2-17-1 in the Golden State, with wins against Washington in the 1996 Holiday Bowl and at UCLA in 2002.
The Buffs led 28-14 at halftime, but they went to their locker room believing – actually knowing – they had left points on the field. Holding that two-touchdown lead in the half's final half minute, Buffs defensive end Jimmie Gilbert sacked Goff and forced him to fumble. Tackle Juda Parker recovered, giving CU the ball at the Cal 23-yard line with 24 seconds before intermission.
But the Buffs gained only 2 yards, then lost 10 on a holding call. With 4 seconds showing, Oliver's 39-yard field goal attempt clanked off the right upright. It was his second miss of the afternoon from that distance, his first coming just under 6 minutes earlier.
Parker's fumble recovery was the Buffs' second takeaway of the half. On the Bears' first play from scrimmage, CU safety Tedric Thompson intercepted Goff, setting up the Buffs at their own 44-yard line. A second-quarter rib injury took Thompson out of the game, but after that pick – Thompson's third of the season – Liufau engineered a seven-play, 56-yard scoring drive that ended with a 22-yard pass to tight end Sean Irwin.
On its next possession, CU pushed its lead to 14-0 on another Liufau TD pass – this one to fullback George Frazier and covering 2 yards. Liufau's 39-yard run – the longest of his career – set up the Buffs at the Bears 2 two plays earlier.
Cal pulled to 14-7 on a 5-yard Goff-to-Lucas Gingold pass, but the Buffs answered with a 75-yard, 15-play march and scored on Liufau's third TD pass of the half – an 8-yarder to D.D. Goodson. Oliver's PAT gave CU a 21-7 lead with 1:35 left in the first quarter. The Buffs' 21-first quarter points were their most since October 2005 against Texas A&M.
With 10:02 left in the second quarter, the Bears closed to 21-14 on a Goff screen that tailback Daniel Lasco turned into a 92-yard TD – the longest pass play in Cal history. But the Buffs were unfazed; they responded by marching to the Bears 21, where on third-and-10 a Liufau flat pass was dropped by Michael Adkins II, who appeared to have at least 10 yards of open field ahead of him.
On the next play, Oliver missed the first of his two 39-yard field goal tries.
CU's defense promptly got the ball back for Liufau & Co., and the result was a 70-yard penalty aided drive. Flags cost Cal 33 yards in the march, including the last in the end zone on Spruce that gave CU first-and-goal at the Cal 2. Frazier scored two plays later and Oliver's extra point put CU up 28-14.
Liufau finished the half 22-of-32 for 214 yards and three TDs, while Goff was 8-of-16 for 168 yards and two scores. CU enjoyed a 20:22-9:38 advantage in time of possession and outrushed Cal 107-34 in the first half.
But the Bears scored on their first two possessions of the second half, tying the score at 28-28. They got their first TD on a 26-yard Goff-to-Kenny Lawler pass, then took advantage of a 24-yard Darragh O'Neill punt that gave them possession at the CU 49. A 10-yard run by Khalfani Muhammad and Langford's PAT tied the score at 28-28 with 7:39 left in the third quarter.
Suddenly, the Buffs were in a shootout, whether they wanted one or not – and the Bears had no intention of slowing down.
Another short O'Neill punt – this one for 33 yards – gave Cal possession at its 49. Two plays after a 41-yard Goff-to-Muhammad pass that Goff barely released in time, Goff and Lawler teamed for a 5-yard TD throw-and-catch. The Bears had their first lead of the game, 35-28, but the Buffs had an answer.
Liufau and Spruce hooked up for their eighth TD tandem of the season, tying a school record. The scoring pass covered 12 yards, with Oliver's extra point tying the game at 35-35 and the third quarter ending with that score 52 seconds later.
In the final quarter, CU got the first opportunity to break the tie, driving to the Cal 28, where on third-and-seven running back Christian Powell couldn't handle a Liufau pass. On fourth down, Oliver came on for a 46-yard field goal attempt. This one drifted wide right, and the Bears appeared ready to take advantage.
They marched to the Buffs' 19, where on third-and-five CU defensive tackle Josh Tupou sacked Goff for a 5-yard loss. Fourth down . . . and Cal would have kicking problems of its own. Langford missed a 42-yard attempt, giving CU the ball with 7:12 to play.
From his own 24, Liufau took the Buffs 76 yards, completing 6-of-6 passes including a 6-yarder to Spruce for the go-ahead touchdown. Oliver pushed the Buffs up 42-35, leaving the Bears 3:16 to tie.
They needed 20 seconds.
Goff and Anderson teamed for a 75-yard score, with Goff extending a second-down play and Anderson getting behind CU linebacker Kenneth Olugbode. Langford's kick brought a 42-42 tie, but the Bears weren't done.
Linebacker Jake Kearney intercepted a forced Liufau throw intended for Donovan Lee, giving Cal possession at the CU 37. On third-and-13 from the 40, receiver Chris Harper got a step on corner Greg Henderson and made an over-the-shoulder catch for another go-ahead Cal TD.
This shootout was getting serious; the Bears went up 49-42 with 2:29 remaining and the Buffs taking possession at their 25. Ten plays later, with 21 seconds left, Liufau found Bryce Bobo in the end zone for his sixth TD pass. Oliver deadlocked the game at 49-49 and after a futile Cal march to the CU 46, this afternoon was headed for overtime – the Buffs' 11th all-time.Â
Cal had the OT's first possession and got its go-ahead score on a 25-yard Goff to Bryce Treggs pass, which was matched by a Liufau to Spruce 25-yard connection on CU's first OT play. It was 56-56, with the second overtime awaiting and the Memorial Stadium crowd having no idea of what might come next.
Per college OT rules, the Buffs took possession, again at the 25, and went to the 14, where Frazier got a fourth-and-one first down on a 2-yard dive. Liufau hit tight end Kyle Slavin for 12 yards to the 2 and a first down, but the Buffs couldn't score on four tries and the Bears suddenly and nearly miraculously found themselves in perfect position to end it.
NOTABLE
Saturday's attendance was 39,821 . . . . The Buffs return to Folsom Field next Saturday to play Oregon State (2 p.m., Pac-12 Networks) . . . . CU linebacker Addison Gillam, who missed the second half of last week's game with a concussion, was cleared to play Saturday and was in the starting lineup . . . . Cal receiver Darius Powe was out Saturday and replaced in the starting lineup by Stephen Anderson. On defense, Stefan McClure was replaced by Griffin Piatt . . . . On the Buffs' previous trip to Berkeley in 2010, about 9,000 CU fans showed up to watch Cal's 52-7 win. The Buffs contingent on Saturday was maybe a third of that . . . . Former CU offensive tackle Jim Hansen, a Rhodes Scholar, was in the press box Saturday. Hansen captained the Buffs in 1992-93 and was an All-Big Eight selection. In 2012, Hansen, now a U.S. Naval Research Laboratory physical scientist who lives in Monterey, Calif., received the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for meritorious performance of service as research and development lead in the Piracy Attack Risk Surface (PARS) project . . . . Entering Saturday's game, Cal had outscored its opposition 56-0 in the first quarter. CU ended that trend with Liufau's 22-yard pass to Sean Irwin with 10:52 left in the quarter . . . . Cal rushed for only 34 yards in the first half, but got 93 on the ground in the second half . . . . The Buffs' 180 yards rushing was their second-highest total of the season behind the 232 gained against Arizona State . . . . Special teams spark: CU freshman Evan White made a headlong dive across the goal line in the second quarter and tossed a Darragh O'Neill punt back into play. The ball was downed at the Cal 1-yard line . . . . White wound up playing an extended amount of safety due to injuries to Thompson and Marques Mosley.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDUÂ
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Team Stats
COLO 7, CAL 0
COLO - Irwin, Sean 22 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Oliver, Will kick) 7 plays, 56 yards, TOP 2:23
COLO 14, CAL 0
COLO - Frazier, George 2 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Oliver, Will kick) 5 plays, 56 yards, TOP 1:44
COLO 14, CAL 7
CAL - Gingold, Lucus 5 yd pass from Goff, Jared (Langford, James kick) 6 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:54
COLO 21, CAL 7
COLO - Goodson, D.D. 7 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Oliver, Will kick) 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:12
COLO 21, CAL 14
CAL - Lasco, Daniel 92 yd pass from Goff, Jared (Langford, James kick) 4 plays, 99 yards, TOP 1:49
COLO 28, CAL 14
COLO - Frazier, George 1 yd run (Oliver, Will kick), 10 plays, 70 yards, TOP 3:37
COLO 28, CAL 21
CAL - Lawler, Kenny 26 yd pass from Goff, Jared (Langford, James kick) 5 plays, 61 yards, TOP 1:39
COLO 28, CAL 28
CAL - Muhammad, Khalf 10 yd run (Langford, James kick), 7 plays, 49 yards, TOP 2:38
COLO 28, CAL 35
CAL - Lawler, Kenny 5 yd pass from Goff, Jared (Langford, James kick) 5 plays, 51 yards, TOP 1:45
COLO 35, CAL 35
COLO - Spruce, Nelson 12 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Oliver, Will kick) 9 plays, 68 yards, TOP 3:51
COLO 42, CAL 35
COLO - Spruce, Nelson 6 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Oliver, Will kick) 10 plays, 76 yards, TOP 3:49
COLO 42, CAL 42
CAL - Anderson, Steph 75 yd pass from Goff, Jared (Langford, James kick) 2 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:20
COLO 42, CAL 49
CAL - Harper, Chris 40 yd pass from Goff, Jared (Langford, James kick) 3 plays, 37 yards, TOP 0:22
COLO 49, CAL 49
COLO - Bobo, Bryce 30 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Oliver, Will kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:08
COLO 49, CAL 56
CAL - Treggs, Bryce 25 yd pass from Goff, Jared (Langford, James kick) 3 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
COLO 56, CAL 56
COLO - Spruce, Nelson 25 yd pass from Liufau, Sefo (Oliver, Will kick) 1 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
COLO 56, CAL 59
CAL - Langford, James 34 yd field goal 4 plays, 9 yards, TOP 0:00
