
Buffs Fall Short Against Arizona
October 05, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — An expected offensive shootout lived up to its billing Saturday at Folsom Field, but Colorado came out on the short end, dropping a 35-30 decision to Arizona.
The Buffs fell to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Pac-12 play while Arizona improved to 4-1, 2-0.
The game featured nine lead changes, with Arizona scoring what proved to be the winning touchdown with 6:51 left in the game.
Colorado finished with 496 yards total offense while the Wildcats had 487. But it was Arizona's Khalil Tate who once again proved to be a puzzle the Buffs couldn't solve. The UA senior had his third straight outstanding performance against CU, going 31-for-41 for 404 yards and three scores.Â
CU quarterback Steven Montez was 28-for-42 for 299 yards and a touchdown, and Tony Brown had 10 catches for 141 yards and a 15-yard rushing touchdown.
"We have a very disappointed locker room," head coach Mel Tucker said. "We have to give Arizona a lot of credit. They made more plays than we made. They executed more often than we did."
The Buffs hurt themselves with penalties, drawing eight flags for 85 yards while Arizona had one penalty for 5 yards.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado took a 20-14 lead into the locker room at the half, thanks to a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive just before halftime. Colorado capped the march with a 12-yard Montez throw to tight end Brady Russell, with Montez scrambling for several seconds to keep the play alive.
"Initially everybody was covered, so I just kind of figured I would scramble around," Montez said. "I knew we had 11 seconds left, so I scrambled around a little bit. I knew I couldn't take a sack, so I avoided a couple defensive linemen, saw Brady and I just tried to give him a quality catch."
But the Wildcats answered with a touchdown on their first possession of the second half, going 65 yards in just six plays for a 21-20 lead. CU then responded with a four-play, 68-yard scoring drive, with Montez connecting with Brown for a 49-yard gain before Brown ran 15 yards on a reverse on the next play for a touchdown and 27-21 lead.
Once again, though, the Wildcats responded. Tate directed a six-play, 85-yard drive, getting a 5-yard run from Nathan Tilford to put the Wildcats back up 28-27 after the PAT.
Tate was 23-for-27 for 229 yards in the second half.
"Give those guys credit, they're a good football team," Tucker said. "They are getting the most out of the guys that they have. They just made more plays than us."
Colorado, though, wouldn't quit. CU marched downfield to retake the lead on its next possession, going 72 yards before settling for a 20-yard James Stefanou field goal and a 30-28 lead with 11:29 left in the fourth period.Â
But that was more than enough time for the Wildcats to put together what proved to be the game-winning drive. UA marched 77 yards on 13 plays, getting another 5-yard Tilford scoring run, and the PAT gave the Wildcats a 35-30 lead with 6:51 to go.
Colorado then had one more chance with the ball, but the drive ended on downs at midfield. Arizona took possession with 2:23 to go and ran the clock down.
After an unexpected defensive struggle for much of the first half, the two teams exploded to put 21 points on the board in the last two minutes of the second quarter.
Colorado started the run with a 38-yard trick play for a touchdown following an interception by CU's Mikial Onu. Montez handed off to running back Jaren Mangham, who ran left, then pitched back to wide receiver K.D. Nixon on a reverse. Montez then threw a big block to give Nixon enough time to heave a 38-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Dimitri Stanley in the end zone.
Stefanou, who had two field goals earlier in the half, then gave Colorado a 13-7 lead with the PAT with 1:50 to play in the half.
"I was a quarterback in middle school," Nixon said. "I knew I could get it to him. The play was a run/pass option. I could have kept it and run, and there was room. But I told Dimitri during the week to get open and I would get him the ball."
But even before Buffs fans could finish celebrating, Arizona answered on the first play from scrimmage on its ensuing possession. Tate dropped back and hit a streaking Cedric Peterson with a 75-yard touchdown throw to put the Wildcats back in the lead, 14-13, with just 1:40 remaining.
That, though, was enough time for Montez to guide a nine-play, 75-yard scoring march. CU capped the drive with the 12-yard Montez pass to Russell. Stefanou added the PAT and Colorado took a 20-14 lead into the locker room at the half.
Prior to the late scoring surge, the Buffs had taken the lead with a field goal on their first possession of the day before Arizona took the lead with a 90-yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter. Colorado finally pulled to within 7-6 on another Stefanou field goal with 2:37 to play in the second quarter, setting the stage for the frantic final minutes of the half.
TURNING POINT: When the Buffs had to settle for a field goal early in the fourth quarter, it gave Arizona some momentum, even though Colorado took a 30-28 lead. The Wildcats then came out and scored the go-ahead touchdown and held CU on downs on its final possession.
KEY STATISTICS: The Buffs finished with eight penalties for a season-high 85 yards … Arizona converted eight of 14 third down plays … Tate's 404 yards were the most by an opposing QB in five years.
WHAT IT MEANS: Instead of sitting atop the Pac-12 South standings, the Buffs are now mired in the middle with two road games directly ahead.
NEXT UP: The Buffs hit the road for a game under the lights next Friday when they face Oregon at Autzen Stadium in an 8 p.m. (Mountain time) game, to be televised by FS1.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
Team Stats

ARIZ 0, COLO 3
COLO - Stefanou, James 37 yd field goal 13 plays, 55 yards, TOP 5:58

ARIZ 7, COLO 3
ARIZ - Berryhill III 7 yd pass from Tate, K. (Havrisik, L. kick) 8 plays, 90 yards, TOP 3:11

ARIZ 7, COLO 6
COLO - Stefanou, James 39 yd field goal 6 plays, 27 yards, TOP 2:26

ARIZ 7, COLO 13
COLO - Stanley, Dimitr 38 yd pass from Nixon, K.D. (Stefanou, James kick) 1 plays, 38 yards, TOP 0:09

ARIZ 14, COLO 13
ARIZ - Peterson, C. 75 yd pass from Tate, K. (Havrisik, L. kick) 1 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:10

ARIZ 14, COLO 20
COLO - Russell, Brady 12 yd pass from Montez, Steven (Stefanou, James kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:37

ARIZ 21, COLO 20
ARIZ - Casteel, B. 33 yd pass from Tate, K. (Havrisik, L. kick) 6 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:49

ARIZ 21, COLO 27
COLO - Brown, Tony 15 yd run (Stefanou, James kick), 4 plays, 68 yards, TOP 1:11

ARIZ 28, COLO 27
ARIZ - Tilford, N. 5 yd run (Havrisik, L. kick), 6 plays, 85 yards, TOP 1:29

ARIZ 28, COLO 30
COLO - Stefanou, James 20 yd field goal 14 plays, 72 yards, TOP 7:13

ARIZ 35, COLO 30
ARIZ - Tilford, N. 5 yd run (Havrisik, L. kick), 13 plays, 77 yards, TOP 4:32