Colorado-Arizona Notes
vs
Iowa State
Oct 11 (Sat)
1:30 PM
Players who carried out CU’s symbolic instruments tonight:
Sledgehammer: Nate Landman
Toolbox: Josh Kaiser
United States Flag: Trey Udoffia
Colorado Flag: Daniel Talley
QUICKLY
TV Replays: Saturday: 6:30 a.m. on Fox Sports 1; 3:30 p.m. on AT&T SportsNet. Sunday: 7:00 p.m. on AT&T SportsNet. Tuesday: 12:00 a.m. on AT&T SportsNet. Several others condensed on Pac-12 Football in 60.
Colorado now leads the series by a 14-7 margin, as Arizona has won the last two in the series … Colorado is now 4-6 in the modern era (post-World War II) with five days in-between games (1-2 with four days rest) ... Colorado did not commit a turnover last week against Oregon State, and went 83 plays on offense between turning it over when K.D. Nixon fumbled on fourth down on the first series … There were 10 points scored in the first quarter, 7 in the fourth; 59 combined in the second and third; the winner of the game in all eight Pac-12 meetings between the two since CU joined the league in 2011 has scored at least 38 points in each … The Buffs have outscored opponents 80-31 in the first quarter … Colorado has lost four games in a row by a combined 40 points (two one-score and two two-score games … WR Laviska Shenault, the nation’s leader in receptions per game (10.0) as well as yards per game (130.0) missed his third straight game with a toe injury; the Buffs lost two other receivers tonight when K.D. Nixon (lower body) and Jay MacIntyre (concussion) left the game in the first half.
And Then There Were Four. When PK Tyler Francis made CU’s first PAT, he became the fourth player to attempt a placekick (FG and/or PAT) this season for CU – that tied for the most at Colorado since the end of the platoon era (1965-on). He joined James Stefanou (out with a hip strain) and the Price brothers (Davis and Evan, the latter whom did not make the trip due to illness). CU also had four players attempt kicks in 2016 (Diego Gonzalez, Chris Graham, Alex Kinney and Davis Price) and in 1976 (Pete Dadiotis, Tim Mangnall, Bobby Morris and Mark Zetterberg). Francis is a true freshman walk-on from Carlsbad, Calif., who joined the team for August camp (he didn’t kick in high school until his senior year; he has a soccer background).
Francis was perfect in his collegiate debut, scoring 10 points as he made was 4-of-4 on PAT kicks and 2-of-2 on field goals from 25 and 48 yards.
O-Line Hat Trick. Colorado started three freshmen on the offensive line for the second straight game; the first time in its history was last week. The same trio started: LT Will Sherman, C Colby Pursell, RT Frank Fillip; Fillip is a true frosh.
Busting Through. The 59-yard punt return in the first quarter by CB Ronnie Blackmon was the second-longest by a Buffalo in the last 13 seasons; Isaiah Oliver returned one 68 yards for a TD against UCLA in Boulder in 2016. It was the longest away from Boulder by a Buff since Jeremy Bloom returned one 80 yards for a TD against Oklahoma in the 2002 Big 12 Championship Game.
Tonight’s Firsts/Bests:
WR Tony Brown. first career TD catch.
S Derrion Rakestraw: first career interception in his first career start.
CB Ronnie Blackmon: career long punt return (59 yards).
PK Tyler Francis: first career action.
TE Brady Russell: first career start.
INDIVIDUAL LINER NOTES
QB Steven Montez (42-27-1, 343, 3 TD, 151.7 rating; 16-(-24) rushing, 319 yards total offense)
He is now tied for third all-time at Colorado with 44 touchdown passes (with Joel Klatt, 2002-05); Cody Hawkins (2007-10) and Sefo Liufau (2013-16) top the list with 60 each.
With 319 yards of total offense, he has become the fifth player with 7,000 yards (7,159). It was his sixth 300-yad game this year, the 13th of his career, as he has tied Sefo Liufau for the all-time record in CU history.
He has five 300-yard passing games this season, giving him 10 for his career; Liufau owns that school mark with 11.
He had a streak of 82 straight passes come to an end without an interception (his third of 80-plus in his career).
WR Juwann Winfree (8-101 receiving)
He had his second career 100-yard game while catching a career-high eight catches.