Woelk: Buffs Pass First Big Test On Big Stage
September 08, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
LINCOLN, Neb. — Now we know.
Now we know this young Colorado football team has the swagger to stare adversity down in the most hostile of environments. Now we know when plays have to be made, when the game is on the line, these Buffs have the ability to answer the bell.
Not that Saturday's heart-stopping, gut-wrenching 33-28 win at Nebraska will ultimately define this 2018 season. But if these Buffs do go on to do great things, if they do once again prove the "experts" wrong, Saturday will be the moment that we look back at as the beginning.
Two weeks, two games against long-time rivals and two victories. It is not a schedule most coaches would embrace, but these Buffs never blinked.
Certainly they did not back down on this day. Not in front of nearly 90,000 fans, not with the game on the line, not even in the most critical of moments, when virtually everyone in the stadium not wearing black and gold was poised to celebrate a Nebraska win.
Instead, CU's defense rose to the occasion. After a tough first half, when the Huskers rolled up 329 yards and 21 points, Colorado allowed just one more touchdown over the final two quarters. When big plays were needed most, the defense delivered.
Crucial moments? There was none more critical than late in the game. With the clock ticking down to the four-minute mark and Nebraska clinging to a 28-27 lead, CU's defense bowed its neck one more time to force NU's third punt of the day. That gave the ball back to Colorado's offense with 2:23 remaining and 77 yard to go to the end zone.
That proved to be more than enough time. The Buffs methodically drove to midfield, converting a third-and-6 in the process, then were the beneficiaries of a key penalty on third-and-24. That personal foul put the Buffs at the NU 40 — and it took just one more play for Colorado to reach the end zone. A perfect strike from quarterback Steven Montez found the hands of leaping Laviska Shenault Jr. in the end zone to put the Buffs in the lead, 33-28.
Suddenly, two missed field goals in the fourth quarter were no longer a death sentence for the Buffs. Neither was a stymied fourth-down play at midfield.
That put the game in the hands of the defense one more time — and the defense responded once more. The Huskers drove deep into CU territory, but Colorado forced three incompletions in a row to end the game.
For many teams, missed field goals and failed fourth downs in critical situations would have been enough to convince them it wasn't their day. Many teams would have shrugged their shoulders and said "Wait 'til next week."
But this Colorado team, an interesting blend of youngsters and veterans who appear to have struck a strong chemistry, never lost its swagger. There is a deeply embedded resiliency in these Buffs that will serve them well as the season unfolds.
"We believed," a jubilant Montez said in the locker room "We believed all the way through, no matter what happened. Through not getting the fourth down, not getting the field goals, we never quit. There were a ton of times our guys could have given up. But the point is they didn't. We didn't give up and we believed in what the coaches were saying. We believed in what we were doing and we figured out a way to get it done. That  the only thing on our mind the whole second half — figure out a way to get it done."
This was truly a complete team win. Colorado's offense was good — very good — at times, but struggled at others. CU's defense struggled early, but came through in the end.
And when absolutely necessary, both units produced game-changing plays.
"This team really loves each other," said senior captain Rick Gamboa. "We talked about it the whole game. Have each other's back, don't give up, make the plays when we need them. We made mistakes out there today, but nobody ever pointed a finger or blamed everybody. We just kept getting together and told ourselves we needed one more play. When the offense needed the ball in the fourth quarter, we had to get it for them."
There were plenty of outstanding individual performances. Montez delivered his second consecutive 300-yard performance, completing 33 of 50 attempts for 351 yards and three scores. Shenault — who last week had 211 yards receiving — finished with 10 catches for 177 yards. Jay MacIntyre added eight catches for 45 yards and a pair of scores.
Defensively, sophomore inside linebacker Nate Landman put together his second straight standout effort, finishing with 13 tackles and two for loss — including two fourth-down stops — as well as his second interception of the season. Defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson had seven tackles, a pair of sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery; while Buff back Davion Taylor also had a fumble recovery.
There were also some special teams standouts. Kicker Davis Price was pressed into duty as CU's punter when starter Alex Kinney suffered a broken collarbone — and all Price did was average 40.8 yards per try on four kicks. Then there was walkon quarterback Josh Goldin who stepped in as the holder on field goal tries and PATs after Kinney was injured.
But more than anything, it was a collective effort. A team that came up short too often in crucial moments a year ago proved — without a doubt — that it has the ability to perform in the clutch.
There will, of course, be plenty more such moments in the future. The Buffs have yet to begin Pac-12 play, with New Hampshire scheduled to visit Folsom Field next week. There will be plenty more crucial junctures ahead, moments that will decide games.
There is, however, one thing we know about these Buffs this morning that we did not just 24 hours ago.
They are not afraid of those tough moments. They will not fold in pressure situations — and while they may not succeed in every such situation, they know what it takes to succeed in those moments.
They know because they proved it on Saturday in one of the most hostile environments in college football.
That is the kind of proof that can stick with a team through an entire season.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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