Woelk: Buffs 'Brotherhood' Builds 4-0 Start With Win Over Bruins

BOULDER — Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes were by no means perfect Friday night.

But after a 38-16 win over UCLA, the Buffs are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12.

That's tough to argue with.

Yes, Colorado struggled early to find its rhythm under the Folsom Field lights. Uncharacteristic penalties — on both sides of the ball — proved costly, particularly in the first half. The Buffs also made some early mistakes that allowed UCLA to stay in the game.

But the Buffs are 4-0, and unlike many past seasons, these Buffs don't blink. Their brotherhood — a team chemistry developed through a long offseason dedicated to washing away the disappointment of 2017 — has built a team that can take a punch and then punch back.

For the second time in four games this season, the Buffs trailed in the second half.

For the second time in four games, the Buffs came back from that deficit.

Friday night, Colorado fell behind 16-14 on the Bruins' first possession of the third quarter. But almost before the Bruins had time to celebrate their short-lived lead, Colorado answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive to regain the edge, 21-16.

The Buffs never looked back.

After the go-ahead score, Colorado's defense produced a three-and-out. Then came the drive that ripped the heart out of the Bruins, a methodical 13-play, 67-yard march that consumed 5:45 off the clock. CU quarterback Steven Montez — who finished with a terrific 22-for-26, 237-yard, one-touchdown night — completed two passes on the drive, but the biggest play came with his legs.

On third-and-5 from the UCLA 17, Montez was swarmed in the pocket. Somehow, he avoided a sack, then another tackle, then another. Eleven yards later, he had a first down at the Bruins 6-yard line, and one play later, Travon McMillian scored from 6 yards out for a 28-16 lead.

"Just another play," Montez shrugged. "A guy kind of got on my back, I ducked under him and got past him."

But it was the play that deflated the Bruins for good, as they never mounted another serious threat.

Colorado steadily built its lead, first adding a field goal before putting the final nail in the coffin with a five-play, 63 yard drive. Montez covered the last 35 yards on his own, making a beautiful fake up the middle before tucking the ball away and racing 35 yards to the end zone — his second rushing touchdown of the night — to cap a 24-point run and give the Buffs a 38-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

In the span of barely a quarter, an up-in-the-air game had turned into a rout.

"They don't blink," CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "Their brotherhood is really unique. Nobody's panicking. It's a physical group, they believe in each other and they believe in their coaches. They just keep coming back and coming back."

It is also a group that has playmakers on both sides of the ball.

Montez was by no means the only offensive standout Friday night. Wide receiver Laviska Shenault — who came into the game as the nation's leader in receptions and yards per game — did nothing to hurt those numbers. The CU junior had 12 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown, a 57-yard strike from Montez for Colorado's first score of the night. Shenault also ran five times for 18 yards and a score.

Junior wideout Tony Brown added 77 yards on six catches and wide receiver Jay MacIntyre had one reception for 10 yards and one completion for 31 yards to Kyle Evans to set up the go-ahead score.

On the ground, the Buffs had a 100-yard rusher for the third time this season. Travon McMillian hit the mark for the third time in four games, finishing with 102 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

Meanwhile, CU's defense came up strong, particularly in the second half. After some early struggles, Colorado limited UCLA to just a second-half field goal. Outside linebackers Drew Lewis (two sacks and another tackle for loss, eight total tackles) and Davion Taylor (one sack) kept pressure on UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson all night. Inside 'backer Nate Landman was credited with nine tackles and safety Nick Fisher with seven, and safety Evan Worthington had a pair of pass breakups, including a beautiful knockdown on a deep ball.

But the biggest defensive stat of the night? Try UCLA's third-down conversion rate. After the Bruins converted four of their first seven third-down tries, they were successful on just one of their last nine.

"I thought (defensive coordinator) D.J. Eliot did a great job of mixing up his pressures," MacIntyre said.

Indeed, one trait this Colorado defense has displayed is the ability to adjust. Twice this year they have been hurt early by big plays — and twice they have stiffened up in the second half to give their offense every opportunity possible to come back.

In a 33-28 win at Nebraska, they held the Huskers to just one second-half touchdown. Friday night, it was just one second-half field goal.

The offense then takes advantage of those opportunities.

Today, Buffs fans — and the rest of the Pac-12, for that matter — will still be withholding full judgment on this Colorado team. After all, the composite record of CU's opponents thus far is 1-14 and the Buffs have made their share of mistakes. They will be the first to admit they have plenty of work to do.

But while we still have nuch to learn about the 2018 Colorado Buffaloes, this much can't be disputed:

The Buffs are 4-0.

That's awfully hard to argue with.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu