Buffs Still Searching For Ways To Close Deal

BOULDER — For the Colorado Buffaloes, progress has been … well, painful at times.

Saturday's 35-31 loss to UCLA, a game in which the 4-5 Buffs overcame a 21-3 deficit to take a 31-28 lead in the fourth quarter only to see it slip away, is simply the latest example.

Once again, the Buffs played well enough to win — at times. The offense had its best day of the season — but struggled in the red zone. The defense came up with plenty of big stops — but still gave up 6.8 yards per play.

They had the opportunity to win, but could not close the deal.

Perhaps most memorable from the game are the one-play difference makers, the kind that give coaches nightmares: a dropped pass in the end zone; an 82-yard UCLA touchdown run that came because of a misalignment; a UCLA interception return for a touchdown; a 31-yard UCLA touchdown on third-and-14; a 51-yard UCLA gain on third-and-10 that set up another score.

And that is where the Buffaloes are today — a play or two away. Once again, they are looking back at a game in which they had a fourth-quarter lead and let it slip away, this time against a top 25 opponent whose coach called the win “one of the most rewarding wins that I've had in three and a half years here.”

The road doesn't get any easier. Still remaining on the schedule are No. 9 Stanford (Saturday, 11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks) and No. 13 Utah; plus USC and Washington State, both of whom received votes in the most recent poll. There's not a game in the list in which the Buffs won't be the underdog.

But what the schedule also means is this team still has an opportunity to turn the corner, to collect some wins against quality opponents — and that's how the Buffs see the remainder of their schedule.

It's an opportunity for players to make just a few more plays that make a difference. It's a chance for coaches to put the right players in the right place to make those plays when it matters most.

Simply, it's four more opportunities to close the deal.

Judging from Saturday's atmosphere in the locker room, nobody in a CU uniform — coach or player — has given up on the season. Rather, they still believe they have a chance to make something of this season, a chance to be the group that changed the trajectory of a program.

It won't be easy. Each of their next four opponents has plenty on the line. Three of the four are still squarely in the hunt for a division title; all are in the hunt for an upper-tier bowl game.

But the feeling here is that sometime soon, these Buffs will throw a wrench into someone's plans. One play here, one play there — they'll finally make the plays that make the difference.

YOUNG GUN: One of the brightest signs to come out of Saturday's game was the performance of true freshman running back Patrick Carr. CU's coaches have been counting on big things from Carr since early in training camp, but some early season injuries delayed his progress.

Saturday, we saw a fully healthy and fully confident Carr, and the result was a 19-carry, 100-yard day that included a 6-yard touchdown run.

Carr no doubt enjoyed the playing time. “It felt good to get out there,” he said. “It was fun and exciting.”

But just as promising as Carr's day on the field was his attitude after.

“We should have found a 'W,'” he said. “We will find a way. We've just got to keep pushing through.”

YOUNG GUNS II: Carr wasn't the only underclassman to produce some nice numbers in the game. Sophomore receiver Devin Ross was the Buffs' leader in yardage. While it wasn't a perfect day for Ross, he still finished with nine catches for 102 yards, including a 62-yard reception that set up Carr's touchdown run. … While it's no surprise because he's been a regular in the starting lineup, it's worth remembering that defensive end Derek McCartney is just a sophomore. McCartney was in on six tackles, including two for losses. … Freshman linebackers Grant Watanabe and Rick Gamboa were both in on four tackles. … Sophomore Donovan Lee, who plays both running back and wide receiver, caught seven passes for 15 yards and also ran 13 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. … Sophomore Shay Fields had four catches for 39 yards.

NO PRACTICE SUNDAY: The Buffs were originally scheduled to practice Sunday afternoon, but the coaching staff decided to hold team meetings and not have a workout on the field. The Buffs will have their regular day off Monday, then return to the practice field Tuesday.

STANFORD UPDATE: The ninth-ranked Cardinal (6-0, 7-1) remained the only team in the Pac-12 without a conference loss by surviving a 30-28 scare in Pullman against Washington State. The Cougars missed a field goal as time expired, and Stanford utilized two fourth-quarter scores to come from behind and pull out the win.

The Cardinal are still the league's most balanced squad on both sides of the ball. The Stanford defense forced two late interceptions of WSU quarterback Luke Falk to set up the rally; and the offense got 112 yards rushing from quarterback Kevin Hogan and another 107 on the ground from Christian McCaffrey. Stanford has the fourth-ranked scoring offense and third-ranked scoring defense in the league.

The Buffs haven't played Stanford since 2012, but their last two affairs weren't pretty: the Buffs lost 48-7 in 2011 and 48-0 the following year.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu