Colorado-Oregon Notes
vs
TCU
Oct 4 (Sat)
5:30 p.m.
Players who carried out CU’s symbolic instruments today:
Sledgehammer: Chidobe Awuzie
Toolbox: Sully Wiefels
United States Flag: Josh Kaiser
Colorado Flag: Ryan Moeller
QUICKLY The Buffs have won all four coin tosses this season and have deferred each time … Colorado extended the nation’s fifth-longest PAT made streak to 156 before Oregon blocked the Buffs’ second attempt of the game (the 156 is a school record; the streak dated back to Nov. 26, 2011) … Colorado improved to 80-41-2 all-time in conference openers (2-4 in the Pac-12 – both wins on the road; other: at Washington State, 35-34 in 2012) … CU ended a 6-game losing streak against the Ducks; Oregon now leads the series, 12-9 (5-3 in Eugene; CU’s last win here had been in 1967 in the first game ever at Autzen Stadium) … QB Steven Montez made his first career start; PK Davis Price was the fourth true freshman to play in a game this year.
First Quarter … Colorado has come out of the gate strong all four games: CU has outscored the opponent 72-14 with an 815-197 edge in total offense in the four first quarters combined. CU has now scored a touchdown on its first possession in each of its first four games, the first time that has happened since 1989.
Offense Notes … CU has also scored on three of its four opening drives in the second half (2 TDs/1 FG) … The Buffs ran plays in Oregon territory on each of their first eight drives before going 3-and-out on the ninth drive … CU was 17-of-31 on second down conversions (54.8 percent), 5-of-5 with 1-to-4 yards to go … Colorado is now 51-9 all-time when rushing (260 today) and passing (333) for 200-plus yards in both … The 593 yards are the most CU has ever gained in 21 games against the Ducks and is actually the first time a Colorado team has gained over 400.
Defense … CB Ahkello Witherspoon’s game-saving interception extended CU’s nation’s-best streak of forcing at least one turnover to 17 games. It was his third career interception—his first-ever was against … Oregon in 2015 … This was the fewest points Oregon has scored against CU as a member of the Pac-12, and the fewest since the 2002 Fiesta Bowl (a 38-16 UO win).
INDIVIDUAL LINER NOTES
QB Steven Montez (32-23-2, 333, 3 TD, 177.7 rating; 21-135, 1 TD rushing; 448 total offense). He enjoyed the fourth-best game in a quarterback’s first start at Colorado in terms of passing yards (list below), but the best in total offense (surpassing 430 by Kordell Stewart vs. Colorado State in 1992 – 409 pass/21 rush).
--His 135 yards rushing were the most in a debut by a starting QB (topping the 116 by Darian Hagan vs. Texas in 1989) and is the 10th most in any game all-time at Colorado by a quarterback.
--It was the first-ever 300 passing/100 rushing game in school history and just the second 200/100 game (Stewart had 205/143 against Notre Dame in the ’95 Fiesta Bowl).
--His 14 straight completions in the first half tied for the second-most in school history (trailing 15 by Mike Moschetti over two games in 1999); it matched the most in one game (Koy Detmer, 14 at Colorado State in 1996).
Most Yards Passing / CU Quarterback Debuts
WR Devin Ross (7-153, 1 TD). He had a career-day for yards (his second career 100-yard game), and he has now caught a touchdown pass in four straight games (tied for the third longest streak in school history; record is 7).
Sledgehammer: Chidobe Awuzie
Toolbox: Sully Wiefels
United States Flag: Josh Kaiser
Colorado Flag: Ryan Moeller
QUICKLY The Buffs have won all four coin tosses this season and have deferred each time … Colorado extended the nation’s fifth-longest PAT made streak to 156 before Oregon blocked the Buffs’ second attempt of the game (the 156 is a school record; the streak dated back to Nov. 26, 2011) … Colorado improved to 80-41-2 all-time in conference openers (2-4 in the Pac-12 – both wins on the road; other: at Washington State, 35-34 in 2012) … CU ended a 6-game losing streak against the Ducks; Oregon now leads the series, 12-9 (5-3 in Eugene; CU’s last win here had been in 1967 in the first game ever at Autzen Stadium) … QB Steven Montez made his first career start; PK Davis Price was the fourth true freshman to play in a game this year.
First Quarter … Colorado has come out of the gate strong all four games: CU has outscored the opponent 72-14 with an 815-197 edge in total offense in the four first quarters combined. CU has now scored a touchdown on its first possession in each of its first four games, the first time that has happened since 1989.
Offense Notes … CU has also scored on three of its four opening drives in the second half (2 TDs/1 FG) … The Buffs ran plays in Oregon territory on each of their first eight drives before going 3-and-out on the ninth drive … CU was 17-of-31 on second down conversions (54.8 percent), 5-of-5 with 1-to-4 yards to go … Colorado is now 51-9 all-time when rushing (260 today) and passing (333) for 200-plus yards in both … The 593 yards are the most CU has ever gained in 21 games against the Ducks and is actually the first time a Colorado team has gained over 400.
Defense … CB Ahkello Witherspoon’s game-saving interception extended CU’s nation’s-best streak of forcing at least one turnover to 17 games. It was his third career interception—his first-ever was against … Oregon in 2015 … This was the fewest points Oregon has scored against CU as a member of the Pac-12, and the fewest since the 2002 Fiesta Bowl (a 38-16 UO win).
INDIVIDUAL LINER NOTES
QB Steven Montez (32-23-2, 333, 3 TD, 177.7 rating; 21-135, 1 TD rushing; 448 total offense). He enjoyed the fourth-best game in a quarterback’s first start at Colorado in terms of passing yards (list below), but the best in total offense (surpassing 430 by Kordell Stewart vs. Colorado State in 1992 – 409 pass/21 rush).
--His 135 yards rushing were the most in a debut by a starting QB (topping the 116 by Darian Hagan vs. Texas in 1989) and is the 10th most in any game all-time at Colorado by a quarterback.
--It was the first-ever 300 passing/100 rushing game in school history and just the second 200/100 game (Stewart had 205/143 against Notre Dame in the ’95 Fiesta Bowl).
--His 14 straight completions in the first half tied for the second-most in school history (trailing 15 by Mike Moschetti over two games in 1999); it matched the most in one game (Koy Detmer, 14 at Colorado State in 1996).
Most Yards Passing / CU Quarterback Debuts
| Yards | (A-C-I, TD) | Player | Opponent | Date |
| 409 | (36-21-1, 4) | Kordell Stewart | Colorado State | Sept. 5, 1992 |
| 402 | (34-21-0, 4) | Joel Klatt | Colorado State (Denver) | Aug. 30, 2003 |
| 348 | (34-24-0, 5) | John Hessler | at Oklahoma | Sept. 30, 1995 |
| 333 | (32-23-2, 2) | Steven Montez | at Oregon | Sept. 24, 2016 |
| 257 | (32-21-0, 3) | Mike Moschetti | Colorado State (Denver) | Sept. 5, 1998 |
| 239 | (25-15-0, 1) | Craig Ochs | at Texas A & M | Oct. 7, 2000 |
WR Devin Ross (7-153, 1 TD). He had a career-day for yards (his second career 100-yard game), and he has now caught a touchdown pass in four straight games (tied for the third longest streak in school history; record is 7).