Buffs Notes: Big Day For McMillian; Moretti Starts

BOULDER — Colorado running back Travon McMillian is quickly making an impact in his first and only year with the Buffs.

The senior graduate transfer from Virginia Tech rushed for a career-high 162 yards Saturday on just 15 carries, a day that included a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter. He also had a 1-yard touchdown run from the wildcat formation.

Saturday was his second 100-yard game as a Buff. He had 103 yards on 10 carries, including a 49-yard scoring run, in CU's opening 45-13 win over Colorado State. His previous high game in rushing yards came as a freshman with the Hokies, when he ran for 142 yards against Duke in 2014.

"I've been putting in a lot of hard work this offseason to try and have a really consistent year," McMillian said. "I'm going to keep trying to get better throughout practice each and every day. I'm going to remain humble and keep working."

CU finished with 311 yards on the ground, with junior Beau Bisharat adding 92 yards on 13 carries, including a 47-yard run.

"It felt great," Bisharat said. "I feel comfortable and I felt good."

CU's Kyle Evans added 25 yards on five carries, including a 6-yard scoring run.

MORETTI STARTS: It's been almost three years (33 months) since Jacob Moretti lined up as a starter in a football game.

Saturday afternoon, Moretti did just that, lining up as Colorado's starting left guard in the Buffs' 45-14 win over New Hampshire.

Moretti's comeback from a horrific knee injury has been well documented. He enrolled at CU in the spring of 2017, but was unable to even practice until a year later. This year, he slowly got his football legs back, and played a handful of plays in CU's first two games.

Saturday was the latest step in his comeback.

"It's pretty special," Moretti said. "It's been a long journey. But the coolest thing about it is all the people around me who supported me — the training staff, the coaches, the strength staff. Literally everyone here has done so much to help me out, it's cool for them as well. It's great to share that experience with them."

Moretti played in the place of regular Brett Tonz, who sat out with an ankle injury suffered last week at Nebraska.

The Buffs also used Saturday's win as an opportunity to get some quality snaps for several other linemen, including redshirt freshman Will Sherman at left tackle and junior college sophomore transfer Kary Kutsch in a start at right guard.

"We're still looking for our (best combination), but we feel like we have some guys that can play," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "I thought Jake played well. We just have to keep moving and keep working with them."

Overall, the line had a solid effort. CU gave up just two sacks and also opened holes for a 311-yard day on the ground.

LANG HELPS FORCE TURNOVER: Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Terrance Lang came up with a big play early in the game. Lang broke through the line and very nearly sacked UNH quarterback Christian Lupoli. While he didn't get to Lupoli, he did force a quick throw — and the pass landed in the hands of CU linebacker Rick Gamboa, who returned the pick 17 yards to set up Colorado's first touchdown of the game.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Lang said. "I I couldn't be more excited to get out there."

After his redshirt year, when he added some strength and size, Lang said he's much more comfortable on the field. It is clear the Buffs see him as a big pass rush threat.

"I think it's a combination of everything — getting the experience, becoming more comfortable with the speed of the game, all those things," he said. "It's becoming easier to see things and recognize things."

BIG DAY FOR BROWN: Wide receiver Tony Brown had five catches for 80 yards in his first start as a Buff. He took the place of regular Juwann Winfree, who sat out with an ankle injury.

Brown's day included a 53-yard catch on a CU scoring drive in the second quarter.

"My connection with Steven (Montez) felt really good," Brown said. "We've been practicing all week for it and got our timing down."

Brown has had big catches two weeks in a row. He also had a key third-down reception last week against Nebraska on CU's game-winning drive.

ETC. Outside linebacker Alex Tchangam got some snaps with the first defense Saturday, and just missed a quarterback sack on a couple of occasions. … Sophomore ILB Nate Landman recorded the first sack of his career. … Sophomore OLB Jacob Callier recorded his first sack since the opening game of the 2017 season. … Taylor's fumble recovery was his second this season, as he also had one against Nebraska that set the stage for a Colorado touchdown. … Redshirt freshman running back Alex Fontenot scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career, a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter. … CU's final scoring drive of the day, which covered 43 yards in 5:21 — the longest scoring drive in terms of time for the Buffs this year.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu