Colorado
2-1
Air Force
2-0
Buffs Fall To Air Force In Overtime
September 14, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado couldn't conjure up overtime magic two weeks in a row.
The Buffaloes came back from a 23-10 deficit Saturday against Air Force to tie the game at 23-23 and force overtime, but the Falcons scored a touchdown in the extra period and the Buffs came up empty to give AFA a 30-23 win at Folsom Field.
The loss came on the heels of last week's 34-31 win over Nebraska in overtime, a game in which the Buffs trailed 17-0 at halftime. It is the first time in CU history that the Buffs have played back-to-back OT games.
Colorado dropped to 2-1 in Mel Tucker's first year at the helm while Air Force improved to 2-0.
The Buffs spent the week preparing for AFA's offense, but it was the Falcons' defense that made a big difference Saturday. Colorado scored a touchdown on its first possession of the game, then did not reach the end zone again until the fourth quarter. The Buffs finished with 325 yards offense — 220 passing and 105 on the ground.
Air Force, meanwhile, finished with 439 yards offense, including 284 on the ground. But the Falcons were also deadly with their passing game, throwing only 12 times but completing seven for 155 yards and two touchdowns that covered 32 and 81 yards.
CU's defense did, however, keep the game within reach by producing three takeaways.
Air Force scored the winning touchdown on the first play of overtime, getting a 25-yard run from Kadin Remsberg. The Buffs then managed a first down on the ensuing possession, but a fourth-down pass attempt from Steven Montez to Laviska Shenault Jr. in the end zone fell incomplete.
"We have to give Air Force a lot of credit," Tucker said. "Those guys have some good players, play extremely hard, are well coached and made more plays than we made. Execution for us is what is lacking on a consistent basis."
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado trailed 20-10 at the half, then saw Air Force push the lead to 23-10 with a field goal midway through the fourth quarter after a scoreless third period.
The Buffs then finally answered with their first touchdown since the opening drive of the game when they went 75 yards in 12 plays for the score. Montez hit Shenault with a key third-down pass to keep the drive alive, then found Dimitri Stanley in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown with 6:09 left in regulation. The PAT was blocked, however, leaving Colorado trailing by seven, 23-16, with just more than six minutes to play.
"When we execute we can move the ball and finish drives," Tucker said. "When we don't we are not very effective. Same thing defensively. When guys do their job and play sound and solid, we are able to stop people and get off the field on third down. It is death by inches."
Following the touchdown pass to Stanley, the Buffs then forced an Air Force punt and drove 60 yards for the tying touchdown, getting a 2-yard run from Shenault. The PAT tied the game at 23-23 with 28 seconds left. That sent the game into overtime for the second week in a row at Folsom Field.
The Falcons wasted no time in the extra period when Remsberg took a pitch and scampered around the right end, diving into the end zone for the score. Colorado then managed one first down on the ensuing possession, but the drive stalled at the 14-yard line and the game ended when Montez's throw to Shenault fell incomplete.
It was the second straight week when Colorado's offense sputtered in the first half. Last week, the Buffs went scoreless against Nebraska for two periods.
Saturday, CU scored on its first two possessions — a touchdown and a field goal — but then came up empty on its next five times with the ball.
"We didn't execute today," said Montez, who finished 26-for-43 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. "A lot of that is just plain and simple on me. I have to do a better job. We have to come out faster and just better — better execution."
Colorado did look good early, taking the opening kickoff and going 75 yards in 11 plays for a score, culminating the drive with a 42-yard Montez pass to Shenault. Shenault also had a 17-yard catch to keep the drive alive on third down, and Jaren Mangham ran for 2 yards on fourth-and-1.
Colorado then pushed its edge to 10-0 with 7:23 still left in the first quarter when the Buffs converted a Davion Taylor fumble recovery into a 36-yard James Stefanou field goal.
But from that point on, the Falcons controlled the tempo and the rest of the half.
AFA pulled to within 10-6 after CU's field goal, driving 75 yards in seven plays, with a Donald Hammond 32-yard pass to Geraud Sanders capping the drive. AFA's extra point try bounced off the upright, keeping CU's edge at 10-6.
The Falcons, though, kept punching away. AFA forced a CU punt on the Buffs' next possession, he went 78 yards in 12 plays for the go-ahead score. Hammond capped the drive with a 2-yard run and the PAT gave the Falcons a 13-10 lead.
Colorado's offense, meanwhile, continued to sputter. The Buffs punted again on their next possession and AFA needed just two plays to extend its lead to 20-10. Hammond hit Benjamin Waters with an 81-yard touchdown pass and Air Force had a 20-10 lea with 6:37 to go in the half.
The Buffs then committed their first big error of the half when Montez was intercepted at the CU 44. The Falcons then looked poised to extend their lead just before the half, but a tipped ball led to an interception by CU's Mikial Onu in the end zone, and the half ended with CU trailing, 20-10.
"It's a good one, but it's just one win," AFA head coach Troy Calhoun said. "No more than that. Even if the outcome was different, it still would have been just one game."
TURNING POINT: The game wasn't decided until overtime, when the Falcons scored, then leaned on their defense to stop the Buffs.
CU STANDOUTS: Shenault finished with eight catches for 124 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown reception. He had five catches to convert third downs, and also converted a fourth down on a rush. He finished with 25 yards and one touchdown rushing on three carries … Jaren Mangham had 56 yards on 10 carries … Dimitri Stanley had the first touchdown catch of his career and finished with five catches for 35 yards … Along with having a hand in two turnovers — a forced fumble and an interception — Onu had a team-leading 11 tackles … Alex Kinney punted four times for a 49.8-yard average.
KEY STATISTIC: The Falcons rushed for 289 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
WHAT IT MEANS: Now 2-1, the Buffs must bounce back in a hurry, as they travel to Arizona State next Saturday for a night game in Tempe. CU has never won at Arizona State.
NEXT UP: Saturday's game at ASU is an 8 p.m. affair (Pac-12 Network).
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
Team Stats
AF 0, COLO 7
COLO - Shenault, Lavis 42 yd pass from Montez, Steven (Stefanou, James kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 5:23
AF 0, COLO 10
COLO - Stefanou, James 36 yd field goal 5 plays, 15 yards, TOP 1:17
AF 6, COLO 10
AF - SANDERS, Geraud 32 yd pass from HAMMOND III, DJ (KOEHNKE, Jake kickfailed) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:20
AF 13, COLO 10
AF - HAMMOND III, DJ 2 yd run (KOEHNKE, Jake kick), 12 plays, 78 yards, TOP 6:05
AF 20, COLO 10
AF - WATERS, Ben 81 yd pass from HAMMOND III, DJ (KOEHNKE, Jake kick) 2 plays, 78 yards, TOP 0:44
AF 23, COLO 10
AF - KOEHNKE, Jake 47 yd field goal 13 plays, 51 yards, TOP 8:35
AF 23, COLO 16
COLO - Stanley, Dimitr 13 yd pass from Montez, Steven (Stefanou, James kickblocked) 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:14
AF 23, COLO 23
COLO - Shenault, Lavis 2 yd run (Stefanou, James kick), 13 plays, 60 yards, TOP 3:53
AF 30, COLO 23
AF - REMSBERG, Kadin 25 yd run (KOEHNKE, Jake kick), 1 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
