Thursday, November 3
Boulder, Colo.
7:00 PM
Colorado
7-2-0 , 5-1
20
vs
10
UCLA
3-6-0 , 1-5
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
UCLA
7
3
0
0
10
Colorado
7
0
3
10
20
Isaiah Oliver on a punt return in the second quarter, his 68-yard return for a touchdown late sealed the game for the Buffaloes.
Photo by: Tony Harman
Oliver’s Timely Return, Unyielding ‘D’ Lift Buffs To Gritty Win Over Bruins
November 03, 2016 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER – Isaiah Oliver's 68-yard fourth-quarter punt return offered No. 21 Colorado some much-needed breathing room and propelled the Buffaloes to a 20-10 Pac-12 Conference victory over UCLA on Thursday night at Folsom Field.
In defeating the Bruins for the first time in six tries as Pac-12 members, the Buffs (7-2 overall) improved to 5-1 in the conference and remained atop the South Division. UCLA dropped to 3-6, 1-5.
CU was penalized a season-high 12 times for 128 yards, while UCLA was flagged 13 times for 96 yards. The Buffs suffered three interceptions and lost one of four fumbles.
But the Buffs defense held the Bruins to 210 yards in total offense, including only 25 rushing. CU rushed for 144 yards, paced by tailback Phillip Lindsay (78 yards, 1 TD) and quarterback Sefo Liufau (58 yards). Lindsay also made 11 receptions – a CU record for a running back.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Given a short field after the Bruins' first error-marred possession, the Buffs took over at the UCLA 37-yard line but couldn't capitalize. CU turned the ball over on a Liufau interception – his first in a school-record 152 attempts – by safety Tahaan Goodman.
The Buffs defense quickly returned the favor, with linebacker Kenneth Olugbode picking off Mike Fafaul and returning it to the Bruins' 25. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed CU back to the UCLA 28.
But five plays before Olugbode's pick the Buffs lost starting outside linebacker Jimmie Gilbert – their quarterback sack leader – to a disqualification on a targeting call. He went to the locker room with 10:21 left in the first quarter.
CU took quick advantage of Olugbode's theft, moving 38 yards in eight plays and capping the drive with Lindsay's 2-yard run. Chris Graham's PAT gave the Buffs a 7-0 lead, but the Bruins responded almost immediately, taking advantage of a 65-yard kickoff return by Brandon Burton and another 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty set UCLA up inside the CU 40.
Three plays later, Fafaul found receiver Darren Andrews uncovered on the left sideline and hit him with a 38-yard scoring pass. Andrew Strauch kicked the extra point, creating a 7-7 tie that held for the remainder of the first quarter.
Liufau was picked off again in the opening minutes of the second quarter, this time by linebacker Cameron Judge on an errant throw. Taking over at the CU 28, UCLA promptly lost 8 yards and on fourth down summoned J.J. Molson for a 48-yard field goal attempt.
He made it, giving the Bruins a 10-7 lead with 12:19 left before halftime. The Buffs went three-and-out on their next possession, but the defense bottled up the Bruins and forced a punt. But what appeared to be a promising CU drive ended when Liufau was hit and fumbled while attempting to pass.
UCLA linebacker Jayon Brown caught the ball in midair and returned it to the CU 18. But again, CU's 'D' stiffened and forced Molson on for a 26-yard field goal attempt. The ball never cleared the line of scrimmage, batted down by Chidobe Awuzie.
Injured on his fumble, Liufau was replaced by Steven Montez for the Buffs' futile final two possessions of the half, which ended with the Bruins up 10-7.
CU's first half was disjointed, with a season-high eight penalties costing the Buffs 85 yards, with five of the flags 15-yarders. They handcuffed CU offensively as much as the four turnovers (two picks and a fumble by Liufau, one pick by Montez). CU finished the half with 164 yards in total offense (72 rushing).
Credit the Buffs defense for preserving a three-point halftime deficit. The Bruins were held to 102 total yards (31 rushing) and could convert only three of nine third-down attempts.
Liufau finished the half with 75 yards passing (9-of-14, 2 INT) and 25 yards rushing, while Montez completed one of his three passes (one INT) for 17 yards and rushed for two yards.
The Buffs received the second-half kickoff, with Liufau returning at quarterback. But CU's first-half offensive woes also came back, and it took a 42-yard punt return by Oliver to help the Buffs pull to a 10-10 tie.
After his return to the UCLA 17, CU needed two breaks – an illegal substitution call on the Bruins that gave the Buffs a first down and Lindsay recovering his own fumble at the 1-yard line – before Graham could tie the game at 10-10 with a 21-yard field goal.
After Molson was wide right on a 44-yard field goal attempt, Liufau drove the Buffs to the Bruins' 5-yard line before the teams swapped unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. CU got the worst of that; a first-and-goal at the 5 turned into a second-and-goal at the 16.
Two plays later Graham's 37-yard field goal pushed the Buffs up 13-10 with 13:40 to play. But just over 7 minutes later, after a CU drive stalled at the UCLA 18, a low 36-yard attempt by Graham was blocked with 6:33 to play.
But on UCLA's next possession, it was Oliver's turn once more to provide a difference-making play. His 68-yard punt return – the first scoring punt return for CU since Stephone Robinson on Oct. 20, 2005 vs. Kansas – finally put the Buffs in command with 5:27 to play.
TURNING POINT: Isaiah Oliver's 68-yard punt return with 5:27 remaining gave the Buffs a 20-10 cushion in what had been a defensive and penalty-marred game.
CU STANDOUTS: Oliver – 5 punt returns, 124 yards, 1 TD; Liufau – 19-of-30, 143 yards (two interceptions, two fumbles); 23 carries, 58 yards; Phillip Lindsay – 24 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD; 11 receptions, 76 yards; Tedric Thompson – 5 tackles (4 solo); Addison Gillam – 5 tackles (4 solo).
KEY STATISTIC: CU's defense held UCLA to 25 yards rushing, 210 yards in total offense and allowed the Bruins only one third-down conversion in the second half.
THE PLATI'-TUDE STAT: Lindsay's 11 pass receptions set a CU single-game record for a running back, breaking the old mark of nine by Lawrence Vickers in 2004.
WHAT IT MEANS: It wasn't a night for style points to pile up, but those don't matter at this point of the season. The Buffs won ugly, narrowly and in an offbeat way decisively. They simply won – and improved to 5-1 in the Pac-12 South, remaining atop the division with three games to play – two of them at Folsom Field. CU remains on track to win a divisional title and advance to the conference championship game.
NOTEWORTHY: Thursday night's attendance was 43,761 – the third-highest home attendance of the season . . . . Olugbode's interception extended CU's nation-leading streak of forcing at least one turnover to 22 consecutive games . . . . Making his seventh start of the season, Liufau tied the CU record for career starts (35), tying former QB and current running backs coach Darian Hagan (1989-91) . . . . Liufau entered the game having thrown a school record 152 consecutive passes without an interception. That streak ended on the Buffs' first possession when safety Tahaan Goodman picked off a tipped ball . . . . Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott attended the game. Also in attendance was the conference's vice president for communications, Dave Hirsch . . . . Two members of UCLA's coaching staff have CU ties: offensive coordinator/running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu was on former Buffs coach Rick Neuheisel's staff, going by Kennedy Pola at the time. Bruins tight ends coach Rip Scherer was on ex-CU coach Jon Embree's staff as quarterback coach. Scherer was a member of UCLA's athletic administrative staff the last couple of years before returning to an on-field role . . . . Freshman defensive back Ronnie Blackmon celebrated his 19th birthday on Thursday . . . . The Buffs entered Thursday night's game with a 31-20-2 all-time record in games played on Thursday . . . . Prior to Thursday night, UCLA owned a 9-2 all-time record against CU, including a 5-0 mark in Pac-12 play. A good omen? Yes. The Buffs entered the season a combined 0-13 in Pac-12 play against Arizona State, Oregon and Stanford. They've beaten all three this year, and now they've added UCLA to the list.
QUOTEWORTHY: "We'll get right back to it. We have another game coming up next Saturday and this one's behind us now. We're going to come next week with a different mentality and not get those type of penalties." – Bryce Bobo on CU's dozen penalties
"It's not us. It's now how you play . . . it happens but we have to clean it up. Everybody talks, it's part of the game, the part that makes the game really competitive." – Kenneth Olugbode on the penalties and the game turning chippy
"It's between me and them." – Coach Mike MacIntyre on what he told the Buffs at halftime
"We can sit here and give excuses all day, but we just didn't handle business. We had the bye week which helped us heal and . . . we kept the tempo but we just didn't go out there and play Colorado football. We played sloppy and we have to change that." – Phillip Lindsay on the Buffs' overall play
"Jimmie's ejection didn't really spark us. It was just that the next person to step up . . . It was more motivation for me to do my job and do what I had to to get this win for the team." – N.J. Falo on filling in for Jimmie Gilbert, who was ejected for targeting in the first half
"It was just a little stinger, nothing serious. We just wanted to make sure I could be able to play." – Quarterback Sefo Liufau on his late first-half injury that brought in backup Steven Montez for two series
NEXT UP: The Buffs play at Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 12 (8 p.m. MST, FS1).
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
In defeating the Bruins for the first time in six tries as Pac-12 members, the Buffs (7-2 overall) improved to 5-1 in the conference and remained atop the South Division. UCLA dropped to 3-6, 1-5.
CU was penalized a season-high 12 times for 128 yards, while UCLA was flagged 13 times for 96 yards. The Buffs suffered three interceptions and lost one of four fumbles.
But the Buffs defense held the Bruins to 210 yards in total offense, including only 25 rushing. CU rushed for 144 yards, paced by tailback Phillip Lindsay (78 yards, 1 TD) and quarterback Sefo Liufau (58 yards). Lindsay also made 11 receptions – a CU record for a running back.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Given a short field after the Bruins' first error-marred possession, the Buffs took over at the UCLA 37-yard line but couldn't capitalize. CU turned the ball over on a Liufau interception – his first in a school-record 152 attempts – by safety Tahaan Goodman.
The Buffs defense quickly returned the favor, with linebacker Kenneth Olugbode picking off Mike Fafaul and returning it to the Bruins' 25. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed CU back to the UCLA 28.
But five plays before Olugbode's pick the Buffs lost starting outside linebacker Jimmie Gilbert – their quarterback sack leader – to a disqualification on a targeting call. He went to the locker room with 10:21 left in the first quarter.
CU took quick advantage of Olugbode's theft, moving 38 yards in eight plays and capping the drive with Lindsay's 2-yard run. Chris Graham's PAT gave the Buffs a 7-0 lead, but the Bruins responded almost immediately, taking advantage of a 65-yard kickoff return by Brandon Burton and another 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty set UCLA up inside the CU 40.
Three plays later, Fafaul found receiver Darren Andrews uncovered on the left sideline and hit him with a 38-yard scoring pass. Andrew Strauch kicked the extra point, creating a 7-7 tie that held for the remainder of the first quarter.
Liufau was picked off again in the opening minutes of the second quarter, this time by linebacker Cameron Judge on an errant throw. Taking over at the CU 28, UCLA promptly lost 8 yards and on fourth down summoned J.J. Molson for a 48-yard field goal attempt.
He made it, giving the Bruins a 10-7 lead with 12:19 left before halftime. The Buffs went three-and-out on their next possession, but the defense bottled up the Bruins and forced a punt. But what appeared to be a promising CU drive ended when Liufau was hit and fumbled while attempting to pass.
UCLA linebacker Jayon Brown caught the ball in midair and returned it to the CU 18. But again, CU's 'D' stiffened and forced Molson on for a 26-yard field goal attempt. The ball never cleared the line of scrimmage, batted down by Chidobe Awuzie.
Injured on his fumble, Liufau was replaced by Steven Montez for the Buffs' futile final two possessions of the half, which ended with the Bruins up 10-7.
CU's first half was disjointed, with a season-high eight penalties costing the Buffs 85 yards, with five of the flags 15-yarders. They handcuffed CU offensively as much as the four turnovers (two picks and a fumble by Liufau, one pick by Montez). CU finished the half with 164 yards in total offense (72 rushing).
Credit the Buffs defense for preserving a three-point halftime deficit. The Bruins were held to 102 total yards (31 rushing) and could convert only three of nine third-down attempts.
Liufau finished the half with 75 yards passing (9-of-14, 2 INT) and 25 yards rushing, while Montez completed one of his three passes (one INT) for 17 yards and rushed for two yards.
The Buffs received the second-half kickoff, with Liufau returning at quarterback. But CU's first-half offensive woes also came back, and it took a 42-yard punt return by Oliver to help the Buffs pull to a 10-10 tie.
After his return to the UCLA 17, CU needed two breaks – an illegal substitution call on the Bruins that gave the Buffs a first down and Lindsay recovering his own fumble at the 1-yard line – before Graham could tie the game at 10-10 with a 21-yard field goal.
After Molson was wide right on a 44-yard field goal attempt, Liufau drove the Buffs to the Bruins' 5-yard line before the teams swapped unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. CU got the worst of that; a first-and-goal at the 5 turned into a second-and-goal at the 16.
Two plays later Graham's 37-yard field goal pushed the Buffs up 13-10 with 13:40 to play. But just over 7 minutes later, after a CU drive stalled at the UCLA 18, a low 36-yard attempt by Graham was blocked with 6:33 to play.
But on UCLA's next possession, it was Oliver's turn once more to provide a difference-making play. His 68-yard punt return – the first scoring punt return for CU since Stephone Robinson on Oct. 20, 2005 vs. Kansas – finally put the Buffs in command with 5:27 to play.
TURNING POINT: Isaiah Oliver's 68-yard punt return with 5:27 remaining gave the Buffs a 20-10 cushion in what had been a defensive and penalty-marred game.
CU STANDOUTS: Oliver – 5 punt returns, 124 yards, 1 TD; Liufau – 19-of-30, 143 yards (two interceptions, two fumbles); 23 carries, 58 yards; Phillip Lindsay – 24 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD; 11 receptions, 76 yards; Tedric Thompson – 5 tackles (4 solo); Addison Gillam – 5 tackles (4 solo).
KEY STATISTIC: CU's defense held UCLA to 25 yards rushing, 210 yards in total offense and allowed the Bruins only one third-down conversion in the second half.
THE PLATI'-TUDE STAT: Lindsay's 11 pass receptions set a CU single-game record for a running back, breaking the old mark of nine by Lawrence Vickers in 2004.
WHAT IT MEANS: It wasn't a night for style points to pile up, but those don't matter at this point of the season. The Buffs won ugly, narrowly and in an offbeat way decisively. They simply won – and improved to 5-1 in the Pac-12 South, remaining atop the division with three games to play – two of them at Folsom Field. CU remains on track to win a divisional title and advance to the conference championship game.
NOTEWORTHY: Thursday night's attendance was 43,761 – the third-highest home attendance of the season . . . . Olugbode's interception extended CU's nation-leading streak of forcing at least one turnover to 22 consecutive games . . . . Making his seventh start of the season, Liufau tied the CU record for career starts (35), tying former QB and current running backs coach Darian Hagan (1989-91) . . . . Liufau entered the game having thrown a school record 152 consecutive passes without an interception. That streak ended on the Buffs' first possession when safety Tahaan Goodman picked off a tipped ball . . . . Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott attended the game. Also in attendance was the conference's vice president for communications, Dave Hirsch . . . . Two members of UCLA's coaching staff have CU ties: offensive coordinator/running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu was on former Buffs coach Rick Neuheisel's staff, going by Kennedy Pola at the time. Bruins tight ends coach Rip Scherer was on ex-CU coach Jon Embree's staff as quarterback coach. Scherer was a member of UCLA's athletic administrative staff the last couple of years before returning to an on-field role . . . . Freshman defensive back Ronnie Blackmon celebrated his 19th birthday on Thursday . . . . The Buffs entered Thursday night's game with a 31-20-2 all-time record in games played on Thursday . . . . Prior to Thursday night, UCLA owned a 9-2 all-time record against CU, including a 5-0 mark in Pac-12 play. A good omen? Yes. The Buffs entered the season a combined 0-13 in Pac-12 play against Arizona State, Oregon and Stanford. They've beaten all three this year, and now they've added UCLA to the list.
QUOTEWORTHY: "We'll get right back to it. We have another game coming up next Saturday and this one's behind us now. We're going to come next week with a different mentality and not get those type of penalties." – Bryce Bobo on CU's dozen penalties
"It's not us. It's now how you play . . . it happens but we have to clean it up. Everybody talks, it's part of the game, the part that makes the game really competitive." – Kenneth Olugbode on the penalties and the game turning chippy
"It's between me and them." – Coach Mike MacIntyre on what he told the Buffs at halftime
"We can sit here and give excuses all day, but we just didn't handle business. We had the bye week which helped us heal and . . . we kept the tempo but we just didn't go out there and play Colorado football. We played sloppy and we have to change that." – Phillip Lindsay on the Buffs' overall play
"Jimmie's ejection didn't really spark us. It was just that the next person to step up . . . It was more motivation for me to do my job and do what I had to to get this win for the team." – N.J. Falo on filling in for Jimmie Gilbert, who was ejected for targeting in the first half
"It was just a little stinger, nothing serious. We just wanted to make sure I could be able to play." – Quarterback Sefo Liufau on his late first-half injury that brought in backup Steven Montez for two series
NEXT UP: The Buffs play at Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 12 (8 p.m. MST, FS1).
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Team Stats
UCLA
COLO
Total Yards
210
304
Pass Yards
185
160
Rushing Yards
25
144
Penalty Yards
96
128
1st Downs
14
24
3rd Downs
4
7
4th Downs
0
2
TOP
24:35
35:25
1st Quarter
UCLA 0, COLO 7
COLO - Lindsay, Philli 1 yd run (Graham, Chris kick), 8 plays, 38 yards, TOP 2:31
UCLA 7, COLO 7
UCLA - Andrews 39 yd pass from Fafaul (Strauch kick) 3 plays, 38 yards, TOP 1:33
2nd Quarter
UCLA 10, COLO 7
UCLA - Molson 48 yd field goal 4 plays, -3 yards, TOP 1:38
3rd Quarter
UCLA 10, COLO 10
COLO - Graham, Chris 21 yd field goal 7 plays, 15 yards, TOP 3:54
4th Quarter
UCLA 10, COLO 13
COLO - Graham, Chris 37 yd field goal 14 plays, 54 yards, TOP 6:02
UCLA 10, COLO 20
COLO - Oliver, Isaiah 68 yd punt return (Graham, Chris kick)
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
19
TD
0
YDS
143
INT
2
CMP
1
TD
0
YDS
17
INT
1
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
OLB
/ Football
OLB
/ Football
ILB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
TB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
ILB
/ Football
DB
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