
Notes: USC 27, Colorado 24
November 14, 2015 | Football
PDF of Final and Halfitme Notes
Tonight's Captains: Murphy, Nembot, Powell, Spruce
Players who carried out CU's symbolic instruments tonight:
Sledgehammer: George Frazier              Toolbox: Vincent Arvia
Special Teams Belt: Isaiah Oliver          Buffalo Head: Coach Adams
United States Flag: John Finch                Colorado Flag: Ed Caldwell
USC now leads the series by a 10-0 count (5-0 in Boulder and with both as members of the Pac-12) … The game was CU's second fastest of the year (3:06) … The loss snapped a 9-game winning streak by CU on games played on November 13 (Colorado is 13-4 on the date and now 11-20 on Fridays; this was CU's first-ever football game on a "Friday the 13th" ...
Rare Stuff … When Colorado took a 7-3 lead on Phillip Lindsay's 4-yard TD run, it marked just the second time in 10 games in the series the Buffs had a lead against USC (the other: when CU jumped out to a 7-0 lead against the Trojans in Boulder on Nov. 4, 2011, CU's first year in the conference). That also was the biggest lead (11 points) CU had ever taken in the series.
In the first four Pac-12 games between these two, prior to tonight, USC had outscored CU 63-10 in the first quarter, 56-13 in the second quarter and 119-23 in the first half; tonight, CU won all, 7-3, 10-3 and 17-6.  This season, USC had outscored its opponents 131-39 in the second quarter, but CU got the Trojans tonight (10-3).
USC was 1-of-7 on third down in the first half (0-of-3 in the red zone), earning a net minus-3 yards despite averaging just 4.9 yards to go. In fact, USC ran 10 plays in the red zone for a net 10 yards in the first half.
Individual One-LinersÂ
WR Nelson Spruce (7-94, 1 TD). He continued to add to his school and Pac-12 marks in career receptions (279) and went over the 3,000-yard plateau (3,116) in adding to his CU record (he moved into 15th place in all-time on the Pac-12 list, moving up two notches tonight, including passing USC's Kareem Kelly (3,104). He finally tied Scotty McKnight (2007-10) for the most TD receptions in school history with 22. He has caught at least one pass in 36 straight games (multiple in 31 straight, the latter also a CU record). His 45-yard punt return was the longest by a Buff since Oct. 23, 2010, when Travon Patterson returned one against Texas Tech the same distance.Â
Buffalo Heart Award. Following the game, Spruce was presented with the Buffalo Heart Award "by the fans behind the bench." The 17th annual award is coordinated by the same group of fans that initiated it in 1998; they select the player they feel best represents what it means to be a CU Buffalo.
FS Jered Bell. He made the seventh interception of his career, the third this season; he now has the second most career  interceptions by a CU player in a career since 1999, as only Terrence Wheatley (14, 2003-07) had more with Medford Moorer (7; 2000-03) with as many.
QB Sefo Liufau (8-6-0, 94, 0 TD; 2-4 rushing, 98 TO). He became CU's all-time leader in total offense (7,842 yards; he did move into second place in career passing yards (7,397, as he passed Joel Klatt (7,375), and is just 13 yards shy of the besting the top mark (7,409 by Cody Hawkins).Â
Liufau, who wears No. 13, was injured on Friday the 13th… 13 yards shy of becoming the school's all-time passing leader.