Buffs Fall to Arizona State

Saturday, November 4

Tempe, AZ

7:00 PM

Colorado

5-5 , 2-5

Arizona State

5-4 , 4-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Colorado

Arizona State

Photo by: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

November 04, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk

Box Score Woelk: Loss A Painful One Visual Recap Notes Quotes Final Game Book

By: Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Colorado Buffaloes let a golden opportunity for a sixth win and bowl eligibility literally slip through their hands Saturday night.

While the Buffs led Arizona State for much of the game, miscues in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams — kept the Sun Devils in the game. The Buffs had a 10-point lead at three different junctures, including heading into the fourth quarter, but ASU outscored Colorado 24-3 in the final period to come away with a 41-30 win.

The loss dropped CU to 5-5 overall and 2-5 in Pac-12 play while ASU improved to 5-4 4-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED: While CU took the lead on its first possession and never trailed through the first half, the Buffs could have put much more distance between them and the Sun Devils had it not been for a handful of miscues.

In the end, those missed opportunities — dropped passes, a blocked punt and missed tackles — cost the Buffs a victory.

Colorado still held a 27-17 edge heading into the final period. But the Sun Devils closed the gap to seven early in the period, then tied the game midway through the quarter after a blocked punt and CU's offense never really regained momentum. Colorado managed to briefly take the lead again, 30-27, but ASU answered with a long touchdown drive for its first lead of the game, 34-30, then tacked on one more score for the final margin. ASU rushed for 381 yards in the game, with more than half — 191 — coming in the fourth quarter.

"We made some mistakes and Arizona State played better than we did," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "We hurt ourselves too many times."

After forcing an ASU punt to open the game, the Buffs drove deep into ASU territory before the march stalled on the Sun Devil 17. The Buffs missed two chances at the end zone in the air, but still got a 34-yard James Stefanou field goal for a 3-0 lead.

CU missed a golden opportunity on its next possession when a flea-flicker pass from Steven Montez found a wide-open Shay Fields downfield for what would have been a 76-yard touchdown, only to see the ball bounce off Fields' hands. Three plays later, CU punted.

But, after the Sun Devils' Brandon Ruiz missed a field goal on the ensuing possession, Colorado finally found the end zone, going 74 yards in 13 plays. Montez completed a 16-yard pass to Fields on third-and-6 and Lindsay ran eight times for 42 yards on the march, including a 6-yard scoring run for a 10-0 CU lead.

The Buffs then missed another opportunity after stopping the Sun Devils at midfield on a fourth-and-1. CU drove to the ASU 28-yard line, but came up short on fourth-and-1. Arizona State then answered with a 72-yard scoring drive, getting a 20-yard Manny Wilkins pass to N'Keal Harry to cut CU's lead to 10-7.

After both teams traded punts, Colorado put together an eight-play, 51-yard scoring drive. Montez hit Jay MacIntyre for 20 yards, then connected with Bryce Bobo for 15 before Lindsay carried in from 1 out for a 17-7 lead with just 1:07 left in the half.

That, however, was enough time for the Sun Devils to go 77 yards in seven plays, with Wilkins connecting with Kyle Williams from 25 out with just 7 seconds remaining to cut CU's lead to 17-14. ASU then recovered an onsides kick, but missed a 55-yard field goal try as time expired.

"We dropped balls our senior receivers should have caught," MacIntyre said. "We should have caught those but didn't."

Both teams traded punts to open the second half before Colorado extended its lead to 20-14 on a 53-yard Stefanou field goal, who improved to 15-for-17 on field goals for the season with the kick.

The Sun Devils then answered with a 15-play drive deep into CU territory before the Buffs held in the red zone, limiting ASU to a Ruiz field goal that closed CU's gap to 20-17.

Fields then redeemed himself on CU's next possession. The senior wide receiver streaked down the right sideline ahead of ASU corner Kobe Williams, then gathered in a Montez pass on the run for a 54-yard touchdown and 27-17 Colorado lead with 4:55 to go in the third period. The Buffs seemed to have regained some momentum at the point, but it was also clear that CU's defense was tiring.

Arizona State then cut the lead to 27-20 early in the fourth quarter, getting a 37-yard Ruiz field goal with 13:37 left in the game.

That led to one more Colorado miscue that turned the tide in ASU's favor for good. On CU's ensuing possession, Alex Kinney's punt was blocked, giving ASU a short field. The Sun Devils went 40 yards in seven plays, with a 5-yard Richard run tying the game at 27-27.

"That was a huge momentum switch," MacIntyre said. "You hardly ever win a game with a blocked punt. Statistics show that."

Colorado did come back quickly to temporarily regain the lead. A 60-yard Montez pass to Lindsay put the Buffs at the ASU 15, but Colorado then had to settle for a 28-yard field goal and 30-27 lead with 7:09 remaining in the game.

The Sun Devils, however, continued to pound away at CU's tiring defense. ASU took its first lead of the game on the next possession, driving 75 yards in five plays. An Eno Benjamin 19-yard run helped ASU to a 34-30 edge with 5:33 to go in the game. Colorado could not move the ball on its next possession and punted, and the Sun Devils then tacked on one more touchdown for the final margin.

"They definitely wore us down," MacIntyre said. "We should have gotten some first downs there (and not given ASU the ball back so quickly)."

TURNING POINT: After the Buffs held ASU to a field goal to keep their lead at 27-20, they had a chance to regain some momentum. Instead, managed just one first down on the next possession and punted. The kick was blocked, with ASU recovering on the CU 40. The Sun Devils then drove in for the tying score. While Colorado temporarily regained the lead on its next possession, Arizona State quickly answered with a touchdown and its first lead of the game.

KEY STATISTIC: The Sun Devils rushed for 381 yards, with 191 coming in the fourth quarter.

CU STANDOUTS: Montez threw for 345 yards and a touchdown. ... Lindsay rushed for 80 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. ... Derek McCartney had 14 tackles and Rick Gamboa 13, both career highs.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs are now still one game away from bowl eligibility with two left to play.