Game Updates: Colorado vs. Colorado State

August 31, 2018 | Football

By: Drew Sharek, CUBuffs.com

Colorado

45

Denver • August 31, 2018 • 7:30 p.m. MT

Links: Watch On CBS Sports | Listen On News Radio 850 | Live Stats

Colorado State

13

Weather:

It's a partly cloudy Friday evening at Bronco Stadium at Mile High with temperatures in the mid-70's. Wind gusts blowing at 6 mph from the Southeast.

Pregame

The Buffaloes kick off the season once again in Denver as they take on the Colorado State Rams (0-1) in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Kickoff is set at 7:39 MST.
CU currently leads the all-time series against CSU (65-22-2), CU's won 10 of the last 12 matchups when the Rocky Mountain Showdown isn't Colorado State's opener.
Colorado looks to extend their winning streak against the Rams to four games, which last happened from 1991 to 1995.
Junior QB Steven Montez only needs eight yards tonight to surpass 4,000 passing yards for his career.
The Rams look to bounce back after dropping their first game in Fort Collins to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors by the score of 43-34

First Quarter

Colorado State wins the toss and elects to defer, Colorado will start off with the ball at the 25 yard line following a touchback.
Touchdown Colorado. Steven Montez runs it in from 38 yards on a scramble through the left side of the defense. A swift, comfortable five play, 75 yard drive for the Buffs including Steven Montez finding Laviska Shenault Jr., K.D. Nixon and Kyle Evans. 13:36 left.
CSU starts out at their own 25. Three rushes from Matthews gives CSU a fresh set of downs.
A key sack by Mustafa Johnson on 3rd and 1 forces CSU to punt. Buffs' offense will come back out at their own 13.
Touchdown Colorado. A deep ball from Steven Montez falls right into the hands of K.D. Nixon on a 46 yard streak route. It completes a five play, 87 yard drive. 8:17 left.
CSU once again starts at the 25 on a touchback. Carta-Samuels rifles two straight completions to get into Colorado territory.
Touchdown Colorado State. Carta-Samuels finds Johnson on a 26 yard cross route for the score. 5:54 left.
Three plays and CU are already into CSU territory. Steven Montez is currently 9-9 for 118 yards. Travon McMillian gets a few carries on the drive for 40 yards. Timeout CSU. 4:38 left.
Touchdown Colorado. Steven Montez finds Beau Bisharat on a four yard flat route capping off the nine play, 75 yard drive. Montez has yet to throw and incompletion, going 11-11 and throwing for 130 yards and two scores. Shenault has five catches for 47 yards already. 3:25 left.
CSU starts from the 25. Carta-Samuels finds Williams for seven on 3rd down to move the chains. CU will challenge the ruling on the field as to whether it was a catch or not.
The ruling on the field is confirmed, CU now has two timeouts left for the half.
Johnson once again comes up with another key sack to force the Rams to punt again. 31 seconds left in the quarter.
CU will take over at their own 47 after a short punt.
END OF THE 1ST QUARTER. Colorado leads 21-7 on Montez' stellar quarter, he's 12-12 for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Nixon leads wideouts with four catches for 73 yards and a score.

Second Quarter

Montez' first throw of the quarter is an interception, targeted for Jay MacIntyre and intercepted by Banks. 1st down CSU at their 15.
Nate Landman's 10th tackle of the night stops Matthews and brings up 4th and 2.
Carta-Samuels finds Johnson for four yards on the in route to keep their drive alive.
Landman's productive night defensively becomes better. Claims an interception on 3rd down thanks to Johnson tipping the ball thrown by Carta-Samuels. CU takes over at the CSU 48.
Three plays into the new drive gets the Buffs into the red zone.
Shenault takes the direct snap in the wildcat on 3rd down and gets a five yard rush to make it 1st and goal at the 5.
Touchdown Colorado. Juwann Winfree makes a great over-the-shoulder catch with great balance for six. It's Montez' third throwing touchdown on the night and puts the Buffs up three possessions with 6:14 left. Montez on the night is 15-16 for 165 yards, three touchdowns and one pick.
Rams start back up at their 28.
Terrance Lang and Johnson take down Carta-Samuels and a two-yard rush on third down. Brings up 4th and 6 in which the Rams will punt.
A 53-yard punt will have CU start at their own 18. 4:25 left.
Nixon explodes for a 37-yard run on a sweep, Buffs already into CSU territory on the 45.
A catching mishap from Shenault in the open field brings up 4th and 9. Colorado takes their second timeout and will punt for the first time tonight. An excellent punt by Alex Kinney is downed at the CSU 1-yard line by Kabion Ento.
Matthews on 3rd down is stuffed both by Israel Antwine and Jacob Callier. CU defense forces CSU to punt for the 4th time tonight. 1:12 left.
Punt returned by Ronnie Blackmon for 19 yards to the CSU 38-yard line.
Nixon's catch is fumbled and recovered by the Rams. CSU takes back over at their 36.
CSU now into CU territory after a nice catch and run by Williams. Carta-Samuels on 3rd and 10 completes it to Matthews but only for a gain of seven. Brings up 4th and 3 on the 38 with 16 seconds left.
Kicker Braxton Davis' 56 yard FG attempt is wide right. But a running into the kicker penalty gives the Rams a first down.
Davis makes a 51-yard field goal from the left hash to end the first half.
END OF THE 2ND QUARTER: CU comfortably leads in the yardage department 332-179 while Montez is 18-20 for 205 yards with 3 TD's. Nixon still leads CU's receiving corps with six catches for 112 yards. McMillian has six touches and Evans has seven touches. Both have 84 yards rushing combined.

Third Quarter

Second half is underway and CSU will start again at the 25.
Lang hurries Carta-Samuels' throw on 3rd and 10 and falls incomplete. CSU punts again and CU take over at their 15.
Official attendance tonight: 70,158
Montez completes to Nixon under pressure and goes for a big gain, yet it's brought back to their 8 due to a holding call on Shenault.
Touchdown Colorado. Shenault takes it all the way to the house for 89 yards, break two tackles along the way on a checkdown. It's Montez' 4th touchdown on the night and it's Shenault's first score of the game. 12:40 left.
CSU starts again at their 25. Colin Hill now in at quarterback for the Rams.
Pass interference call on Wigley keeps CSU's drive alive.
Abrams comes in with a booming tackle on Matthews on 3rd and 10. CSU will punt for the sixth time tonight. Blackmon returns the punt for 28 yards to the CU 30. 10:18 left.
Shenault's 10th catch of the night is just short of a 1st down, now has 168 yards on the night.
Touchdown Colorado. McMillian takes all the way for 49 yards and his first score of the night. Caps off a five play, 70 yard drive. McMillian now has 95 rushing yards on seven carries for the evening.
CU forces the second 3 and out of the game and Blackmon returns the punt to the CU 33.
Another big play for Shenault. A gain of 43 gets Shenault 211 yards on the night and onto the CSU 23. 5:30 left. Timeout CSU
After Shenault's big play, the Buffs will have to settle for a field goal after three rushes for negative yardage. Stefanou's kick is good from 39 yards on the left hash. 3:23 left.
Carta-Samuels is back in at quarterback for CSU.
END OF THE 3RD QUARTER: An electric quarter for Shenault as he surpasses the 200 yard mark for the night.

Fourth Quarter

Franke sacks Carta-Samuels on third down and the punt is downed at the CU 8 yard line.
CSU forces a three-and-out and the Rams will take back over at their 42.
A big run of 24 yards for McElroy put the Rams into CU territory.
Carta-Samuels' throw on 3rd and 9 is broken up by Derrion Rakestraw. Bryan's kick from 27 yards on the right hash is good. 8:39 left.
Donovan Lee returns the kickoff to the 31 yard line. Sam Noyer comes in at quarterback for CU. Timeout Colorado.
Alex Fontenot and Tony Brown make their first entrance into the game.
Kinney punts it 45 yards to the CSU 20.
Chris Mulumba and Daniel Talley come together for the sack on Carta-Samuels to force another 3 and out. Punt returned by Lee to the CU 36. 4:47 left.
Tyler Lytle comes into the game at quarterback for CU. Bisharat gets nice gain of 20 on second down and gets to the CSU 40.
Another nice rush for Bisharat, a gain of 17 gets CU into the red zone. 52 yards on seven carries for his night.
Lytle kneels down with less than two minutes to go. This one will be wrapped up.
CSU take over possession thanks to Lytle kneeling on 4th down with 26 seconds left. Ball on CSU 18.