Buffs Roll Past New Hampshire To Improve To 3-0

BOULDER — Colorado's offense put 28 points on the board in the first half Saturday and the defense pitched a first-half shutout, paving the way for a 45-14 win over New Hampshire at Folsom Field.

The Buffs — who then quickly put the game out of reach by scoring on the first play of the second half — improved to 3-0 while the visiting Wildcats dropped to 0-3. Colorado also improved to 6-2 all-time against FCS schools.

Colorado now heads into a bye week, with roughly two weeks to prepare for the Sept. 28 Pac-12 opener against UCLA under the Folsom Field lights (7 p.m., FS-1).

"I thought our team came out and played hard and physical," said CU head coach Mike MacIntyre. "We had a couple of mistakes that made the game last a little longer than it should have but I was very pleased with our state of mind and our aggressiveness in the game."

HOW IT HAPPENED: Once again, Colorado's defense set the table nicely for the offense. The Buffs forced a pair of first-half turnovers, with the first — a Rick Gamboa interception on UNH's first possession — leading to Colorado's first score of the game. The second, a Davion Taylor fumble recovery and 14-yard return for a touchdown, gave the Buffs their 28-0 halftime lead.

Taylor's fumble return — his second fumble recovery in the last two games — was the sixth takeaway by the Buffs this season, with CU converting five of them into touchdowns. The Buffs then added another fumble recovery late in the final period.

"He's gotten better each and every week," MacIntyre said. "He has that explosive athleticism. He's going to make a lot more plays. I'm excited Davion and the ways he's improving."

Colorado was dominant on both sides of the ball. The Buffs held a commanding 234-75 edge in yardage after just two quarters, with quarterback Steven Montez completing 14 of 19 attempts for 167 yards and a score. Montez's day, which ended after CU's first score of the second half, included a 28-yard touchdown pass to Laviska Shenault Jr. to cap CU's first drive, giving the CU sophomore a touchdown catch in each of CU's first three games this season.

"He's played really well," MacIntyre said of Montez. "He's been really sharp and done some really good things. I think he is a heck of a football player. He's going to need to play well for us to be successful and I definitely believe he will."

Running back Travon McMillian, meanwhile, ran 15 times for 162 yards and two scores. His first touchdown, out of the wildcat formation, came from 1 yard out and gave the Buffs a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. His second, a 75-yard jaunt on the opening play of the third quarter, gave CU a 35-0 lead and signaled the end of the first team offense's time on the field.

The Buffs used the opportunity to play a long list of youngsters and backups — which played a role in the Wildcats finally getting on the board. New Hampshire scored its first touchdown on an interception return of CU backup Sam Noyer, a 15-yard pick six by Pop Bush. New Hampshire's offense then got into the action when quarterback Christian Lupoli threw a 71-yard scoring pass to Neil O'Connor against CU's second defense late in the third quarter.

That score pulled the Wildcats to within 38-14, but Colorado then regained control and coasted home for the win. CU redshirt freshman Alex Fontenot scored the Buffs' final touchdown of the day, a 15-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: With CU leading 14-0 in the second quarter, the Wildcats had a chance to get on the board, only to see a field goal attempt hit the uprights. The Buffs then answered with a 75-yard scoring drive to take a 21-0 lead and essentially put the game away.

NOTABLE: Colorado redshirt freshman offensive lineman Jacob Moretti got the first start of his career, stepping in at left guard. … JC transfer offensive lineman Kary Kutsch also got some time with the No. 1 offense at right guard with his first start. … 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 covered 43 yards in 5:21 — the longest scoring drive in terms of time for the Buffs this year. ... With 166 yards passing, Montez moved into seventh all-time on CU's passing yards list with 4,847; he passed John Hessler (4,788) and Mike Moschetti (4,797), both of whom threw passes to CU's current offensive coordinator, Darrin Chiaverini, between 1995-98. He also passed Koy Detmer into seventh on the career total offense list with 5,443

WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs wrap up their non-conference schedule with a 3-0 mark and plenty of momentum and confidence heading into their Sept. 28 Pac-12 opener.

NEXT UP: The Buffs have a bye week directly ahead, then play host to UCLA on Sept. 28 in a Friday night affair under the lights at Folsom Field (7 p.m. FS-1).

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

Next Event

Team Stats

Steven Montez

Sam Noyer

Players Mentioned

Jacob Callier

Alex Fontenot

Rick Gamboa

Kary Kutsch

Nate Landman

Travon McMillian

Steven Montez

Jacob Moretti

Sam Noyer

Laviska Shenault Jr.

Davion Taylor

Players Mentioned

Jacob Callier

Alex Fontenot

Rick Gamboa

Kary Kutsch

Nate Landman

Travon McMillian

Steven Montez

Jacob Moretti

Sam Noyer

Laviska Shenault Jr.

Davion Taylor