Sloppy Colorado holds off equally bad Stanford 10-5

Almost to a player, Colorado welcomed the idea of becoming bowl eligible for the first time in a decade with a collective shrug of the shoulders and a yawn.

Outside of a brief celebration in the northwest corner end zone at Stanford Stadium and an acknowledgement later in the locker room, the Buffaloes didn't make much of their 10-5 win over the Cardinal other than it was another step toward their ultimate goal of winning the Pac-12 championship.

That's exactly how coach Mike MacIntyre expected and wanted his team to react, no matter the historical implications.

"We have one goal, and that's Pac-12 champions," said running back Phillip Lindsay after rushing for 131 yards before leaving midway through the third quarter with an ankle injury. "Winning six games, that's cool, it's cute. But we have to continue to move on. We have bigger things to worry about."

That Colorado is even in the discussion for the Pac-12 championship seems far-fetched after the Buffaloes won only one conference game in 2015.

MacIntyre isn't too surprised, though, and told his team in the offseason he believed they would be in the running. At a meeting with his players in May, McIntyre discovered the Buffaloes felt the same way.

"We gelled at that time," MacIntyre said. "We were either going to get it done or we weren't. And they got it done."

Chris Graham kicked a 23-yard field goal with 2:13 remaining following two earlier misses, propelling the Buffaloes to their first win over the Cardinal since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.

Colorado (6-2, 4-1) went into the day tied with Utah for first place in the South division and inched one step closer toward a possible berth in the conference title game despite an off day by the offense.

The Buffaloes missed three field goals and had a touchdown called back by a pass interference penalty but held the Cardinal to three points while winning for the fourth time in five games. Quarterback Sefo Liufaupassed for 135 yards with one touchdown despite being sacked six times.

Liufau, one of three seniors starting on offense for Colorado, said the Buffaloes becoming bowl eligible was a reward to the team's older players who stuck it out through the lean years.

"No one left, no one from my class quit," Liufau said. "It's a great feeling. We worked so hard. To see it all come to fruition is a great feeling. I'll remember this season for the rest of my life no matter how it ends."

Stanford (4-3, 2-3) failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season despite getting running backChristian McCaffrey back in the lineup. McCaffrey, a 2015 Heisman Trophy finalist, was had 92 yards on 21 carries but was held in check most of the afternoon by Colorado's opportunistic defense.

The Buffaloes intercepted Stanford quarterback Ryan Burns three times, twice on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter to stall the Cardinal's comeback hopes.

At one point late in the first half the home crowd booed Stanford when it ran the ball on a 2nd-and-26 play.

"If you could see me on TV, I might have been the one booing," Cardinal coach David Shaw said. "It was not good enough.

THE TAKEAWAY

COLORADO: It wasn't pretty any stretch of the imagination but coach Mike MacIntyre will take the Buffaloes first win against the Cardinal since 1990. Colorado, which has a bye this week, continues to control its own destiny and has a Nov. 26 showdown with Utah looming that could decide which team goes to the Pac-12 title game.

STANFORD: The Cardinal have lost three of four and are in danger of missing out on the postseason. Losing to a beefed-up Colorado team shouldn't hurt too much but this was a game Stanford needed to get back on track. Instead, it's another loss and another week of pondering what went wrong. "Offensively we've got to score more than three points . it's as simple as that," Shaw said. "There were a lot of things that we have to do better and some things that we have to look into tweaking."

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Colorado is likely to move back into the Top 25 after being knocked out of the rankings earlier this season following its loss to USC.

UP NEXT

COLORADO: The Buffaloes host UCLA on Nov. 3 and have put up nearly 1,100 yards of offense combined in the last two meetings with the Bruins but lost both times.

STANFORD: The Cardinal play at Arizona next Saturday and have won four straight and nine of the last 11 games against the Wildcats.

Lindsay leads Colorado past Arizona State 40-16

Sefo Liufau has thrown for 1,101 yards against Arizona State, so the Sun Devils naturally expected to see plenty of passes Saturday night when the Buffaloes senior quarterback returned to the starting lineup for the first time in a month.

Instead, they got steamrolled.

Phillip Lindsay rushed for 219 yards and three touchdowns in the Buffaloes' 40-16 romp that marked Colorado's first win over the Sun Devils in eight tries.

Lindsay averaged 8.4 yards on 26 carries and his big day included a 75-yard TD rumble on the first snap of the second half. He also scored from 13 yards out and capped it off with a 4-yard run in the final minute.

The Buffs ran for 315 yards overall compared to just 50 for Arizona State.

"We didn't play very well and my hat goes off to them because they ran the ball on us unlike anyone has ever run it the whole time I've been at Arizona State," said Sun Devils fifth-year coach Todd Graham.

Liufau threw for 265 yards on 23 of 31 passing against the nation's worst pass defense in his return to the Buffs starting lineup for the first time since spraining his left ankle at Michigan on Sept. 17.

His biggest play came when he slipped a sack, rolled left and found Bryce Bobo all alone for a 66-yard gain to the Sun Devils 9. Three plays later, Liufau took it in himself from the 3 to snap a 10-10 tie.

"We can enjoy the win tonight, but we have to go back to work on Monday and prove ourselves all over again," Liufau said.

The Buffs (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) need just one more win to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2007.

Buffs coach Mike MacIntyre called it a breakthrough victory because "this is the first team with a winning record we beat this year and they perennially have beaten us bad."

MacIntyre's teams had lost to the Sun Devils (5-2, 2-2) by scores of 54-13, 38-24 and 48-23.

"We've usually gotten destroyed by them," Liufau said. "We want to leave a better legacy than we came in with."

Senior Zane Gonzalez's field goals of 50, 51 and 59 yards tied an FBS record for most 50-plus field goals in a game and his 59-yarder established a Sun Devils record. It was the second-longest at Folsom Field behind Mason Crosby's 60-yarder against Iowa State on Oct. 16, 2004.

ONE HARD HIT: You won't see a quarterback get hit harder than the shot QB Manny Wilkins took from Buffs inside linebacker Addison Gillam in the second half. Wilkins rolled to his left and had no protection in front of him. He also had no open receivers and Gillam had a 15-yard full sprint. Wilkins fired the ball into the Buffaloes bench but not quickly enough to avoid getting blasted with a textbook tackle. The Buffs had five sacks and six more quarterback hits. "We wanted to make a statement: when you play us, you're `gonna get hit,'" outside linebacker Jimmie Gilbert said.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE: The Buffs had 580 yards to Arizona State's 199. That's the fewest yards they've allowed in a conference game in 15 years.

POLL IMPLICATIONS:

Colorado: After falling out of the Top 25 with their 21-17 loss at USC, the Buffs might inch their way back into the poll.

THE TAKEAWAY:

Arizona State: The Sun Devils came in surrendering more yards in the air (404.3) than any team in the country, and they gave up plenty on the ground against the Buffaloes, whose fans stormed the field after the game.

Colorado: The Buffs need some work on special teams. Jay MacIntyre's two muffed punts led to 10 points and he also let a punt bounce past him at the 30 and get downed at the 5, which would lead to a field goal. MacIntyre was concussed on his second muffed punt. Also, Davis Price was benched after missing an extra point and shanking a 26-yard field goal attempt.

UP NEXT:

Arizona State: The Sun Devils host Washington State.

Colorado: The Buffs, who extended their nation-best takeaway streak to 20 games with safety Afolabi Laguda's third-quarter interception, travel to Stanford.

USC overcomes turnovers, finishes off No. 21 Colorado 21-17

 Tyler Petite caught his second touchdown pass from Sam Darnold with 8:28 to play, and Southern California overcame four turnovers to earn a 21-17 victory over No. 21 Colorado on Saturday.

Daniel Imatorbhebhe also caught a TD pass from Darnold, who passed for 358 yards and three scores along with two fumbles and an interception. USC (3-3, 2-2 Pac-12) shredded one of the nation's top defenses for 539 yards, but Colorado's takeaways kept an otherwise one-sided game close.

In the Buffaloes' first game as a ranked team since Nov. 7, 2005, receiver Bryce Bobo threw a 67-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and caught a tying TD pass with 10:20 to play.

Colorado (4-2, 2-1) kicked a field goal with 4:49 left after Petite's tiebreaking score , but the Trojans coolly ran out the clock.

"All Pac-12 wins are tough, especially when you turn the ball over like we did," USC coach Clay Helton said. "We really had a ton of yards, but just a bunch of turnovers."

Justin Davis rushed for 83 yards before leaving with an ankle injury early in the second half for USC, which improved to 11-0 against Colorado in the schools' history.

The Trojans' offense picked up right where it left off last week in a 41-point performance against Arizona State, while the defense held Colorado's potent offense to 371 yards - just 127 in the first half.

Steven Montez passed for 197 yards in the freshman's third straight start. Colorado career passing leaderSefo Liufau also played briefly, but neither quarterback had sustained success against USC's improving defense.

"Today was just a testament to how much work we have left," Montez said. "It's a humbling experience to show that we weren't what we thought we are, and have so much work to do. I think it will help us in the long run. It will keep us hungry and get us focused."

Bobo threw the 67-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Lindsay on a trick play for Colorado's first points in the third quarter, and he caught a 10-yard throw from Montez to cap an 84-yard tying drive.

Darnold fumbled twice in Colorado territory, including a goal-line fumble on the opening drive. Davis also fumbled deep in Buffs territory in the second half.

Bobo shushed the USC crowd after his tying TD catch, but the Trojans got rolling on their tiebreaking drive when Darreus Rogers reached over Colorado cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and wrestled an interception away from him for a 46-yard gain.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Colorado: The Buffaloes' return to the AP Top 25 after an 11-year absence could be over after one week after losing to a .500 opponent, but they'll have a chance to return quickly.

THE TAKEAWAY

Colorado: The Buffaloes have plenty of work to do if they want to stay on top of the Pac-12 South standings. USC exposed deficiencies on both sides of the ball, but the Buffs' opportunistic defense kept it close and suggested that this long-downtrodden program can hang with anybody.

USC: After going 1-3 in a brutal September schedule, USC has been largely outstanding against two Pac-12 opponents in October. Coach Clay Helton surely will emphasize ball security in the upcoming week, because it's the only thing that kept this win from being a second straight blowout of a division foe.

UP NEXT

Colorado: The Buffs are back in Boulder to host Arizona State in another key Pac-12 South showdown. The Trojans routed the Sun Devils last week.

USC: The Trojans head out for their only road game of October, traveling to Arizona. USC rallied from a big early deficit to beat the Wildcats 38-30 last season.

Colorado crushes Oregon State 47-6 behind Montez, Fields

Steven Montez had three long touchdown throws to Shay Fields and Colorado cruised past Oregon State 47-6 on Saturday.

The last time Colorado (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12) was a double-digit favorite in a league game was Nov. 25, 2005, against Nebraska - and they didn't wear the tag well, getting walloped 30-3 by the Cornhuskers when they were part of the Big 12.

This time, they came in as an 18-point darling against the Beavers (1-3, 0-1) and they handled their business.

The Buffs, who entered this season 5-40 in Pac-12 play, failed to score a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time all season. After that three-and-out, however, they settled in and scored on their next five possessions.

Montez, a freshman making his second straight start in place of injured senior Sefo Liufau, hit Fields with scoring strikes of 51 , 33 and 63 yards before Phillip Lindsay ran it in from a yard out.

Fields had seven receptions for 169 yards and Montez completed 19 of 27 passes for 293 yards without a sack or an interception.

TAKEAWAYS

OREGON STATE: The Beavers suffered a slew of injuries, all in the first half. Left guard Fred Lauina hurt his left knee and was helped off the field. Outside linebacker Titus Failauga limped off and cornerback Jay Irvineleft with an arm or shoulder injury. None of them returned to action.

COLORADO: The Buffaloes hadn't had more than one conference win since 2011, when they beat Arizona at home and Utah on the road in their first season in the Pac-12. They haven't won more than two league games since 2007, when they went 4-4 in the Big 12 on their way to an Independence Bowl bid, the school's last postseason appearance.

UP NEXT:

OREGON STATE: It doesn't get any easier for the banged-up Beavers who host Cal next weekend.

COLORADO: The Buffaloes travel to USC next weekend and they can really make a statement with their first win over the Trojans, against whom they're 0-10.

Oregon rallies to beat Colorado 41-38

 Steven Montez threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start and Colorado held off Oregon 41-38 on Saturday, the Buffaloes' first victory over the Ducks since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.

Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted Dakota Prukop's pass to Darren Carrington in the end zone on Oregon's final drive to preserve the win for Colorado (3-1).

The Buffaloes had retaken the lead following a controversial 31-yard touchdown from Montez to Bryce Bobo. After review, the officials ruled Bobo had control of the ball in his right hand when his right foot came down in the end zone - but the crowd at Autzen Stadium booed in disagreement.

The Buffaloes led from the start and went up 33-17 following Montez's 48-yard TD pass to Devin Ross to open the second half.

But Kani Benoit scored on a 3-yard touchdown to pull Oregon (2-2) within 33-31. Troy Dye's interception on Colorado's subsequent possession led to Prukup's 18-yard go-ahead TD pass to Carrington late in the third quarter.

THE TAKEAWAY

Colorado: The Buffaloes showed surprising toughness on defense despite missing one of their top defensive players, linebacker Derek McCartney, who tore his right ACL and is out for the season. They also were resilient on offense in the absence of Liufau. Ross finished with seven catches for 153 yards.

Oregon: It was anticipated that the Ducks would come out with zeal following the disappointing loss to the Huskers but they sputtered from the start, allowing Colorado to jump out to an early 22-7 lead in the opening half.

UP NEXT

Colorado: After two straight on the road, the Buffaloes return home to host Oregon State. The Beavers (1-2) hold a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, but Colorado won the last one, 17-13. Oregon State fell 38-24 at home to Boise State earlier Saturday.

Oregon: The Ducks head north for a game against Washington State in Pullman. The Cougars (1-2) have a bye this weekend. While Oregon has a 47-34-6 advantage in the all-time series, Washington State pulled off an 45-38 upset in double overtime last year in Eugene.

No. 4 Michigan rallies for 45-28 victory over Colorado

 De'Veon Smith gave Michigan the lead with a 42-yard run early in the third quarter and the No. 4 Wolverines pulled away to beat Colorado 45-28 on Saturday.

The Wolverines (3-0) were behind 21-7 in the first quarter and by four points in the opening minute of the second half.

"There was no level of panic," said Jabrill Peppers, who returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown

The Buffaloes (2-1) got to midfield on the final possession, but they were more than a Hail Mary away by the end of the matchup, which rekindled memories of Kordell Stewart's 64-yard pass to Michael Westbrook in 1994 in the same stadium.

It didn't help that Sefo Liufau was hurt after throwing his third TD pass, a 70-yarder to Shay Fields that put Colorado up 28-24 just after halftime.

Liufau, who was shaken up in the first half, grabbed his right ankle afterRyan Glasgow hit him on the go-ahead score. The senior quarterback limped through Colorado's next series before being replaced by freshman Steven Montez.

Liufau said it was "devastating," to have to watch the rest of the game.

"It's a little over-dramatic, I think, but I can't really find another word right now, it just hurts," he said.

THE TAKEAWAY

Colorado: The Buffaloes look as if they should have enough talent to win more than four games, the most they've won in coach Mike MacIntyre's previous three years at the school. Colorado, however, has to hope Liufau is not injured seriously again. "I just couldn't plant, and throw with much velocity," Liufau said. "It was better for me to come out."

Michigan: The Wolverines are giving up big plays, allowing Colorado to go nearly three-fourths of the field on one play a week after letting Central Florida run for 80-plus yards on two runs. "We definitely have to get the big plays corrected," Peppers acknowledged. Wilton Speight struggled for the first time, barely completing half of his passes and nearly getting picked off several times. "It wasn't as clean as a quarterback would have liked it to be," coach Jim Harbaugh said.

UP NEXT

Colorado: The Buffaloes, who have only one Pac-12 win in MacIntyre's three years, open the conference season with a tough test at Oregon.

Michigan: The Wolverines, whose last Big Ten title was in 2004, will play their fourth of five straight games at home against Wisconsin in their conference opener.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Wolverines will likely move up a spot because No. 2 Florida State lost 63-20 to Louisville.

Liufau throws 2 TD passes as Buffs rout Idaho State 56-7

Colorado wanted to build momentum with a big win over an FCS school. Idaho State was happy to fill its coffers by being the fall guy for the Buffaloes.

Sefo Liufau passed for 204 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 54 yards and another score in less than a half as the Buffaloes beat the Bengals 56-7 on Saturday.

Colorado has scored 100 points in its first two games but now the focus is playing at No. 5 Michigan next week with a chance to put a signature win on its resume and end an eight-year bowl drought.

But that's not the only goal for the suddenly prolific Buffaloes

"There's a misconception with everyone that we just want to get to a bowl game," Liufau said. "We're shooting for much higher than that. We want to win every week."

Phillip Lindsay ran for two scores as Colorado (2-0) built a 49-0 halftime lead on its way to a second straight blowout win.

Liufau, who had 384 yards of offense in the 44-7 win over Colorado State last week to earn Pac-12 Player of the Week honors, had another big game with touchdown passes of 15 and 4 yards. He ended his day with a 19-yard touchdown run late in Colorado's 35-point second quarter that made it 42-0.

Liufau's backup Steven Montez connected with Kabion Ento for two more touchdown passes.

Colorado won its first two games for just the second time in nine seasons. The Buffaloes are 5-40 in the Pac-12 since joining in 2011 and are hoping to use the first three games as a springboard into conference play.

"They're really hungry," coach Mike MacIntyre said. "They're basically starving. In the Pac-12 we haven't done very well as far as winning the games we've had a chance to win. That keeps them hungry."

Jakori Ford scored for the Bengals (1-1), who had just seven first downs and 96 yards total offense.

Idaho State was paid a reported $500,000 to travel to Colorado and be routed.

"A big check," coach Mike Kramer said when asked what he could take from this game. "Literally."

Colorado receiver Shay Fields got the best of Bengals defensive back Anthony Ricks in a one-on-one battle in the second quarter. Fields went deep four times with Ricks chasing him. Ricks was flagged for pass interference three times, one of which was declined after Fields caught a 42-yard pass to set up a score. He had a 36-yard reception that led to another touchdown.

"It's always kind of stressful when he holds and you only have one hand, but I still have to make the catch," Fields said.

THE TAKEAWAY

IDAHO STATE: Josh Cook had five receptions for 28 yards to establish the school record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,287. He passed Josh Hill, who is now with the New Orleans Saints.

COLORADO: The offense looks vastly improved under new offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini. The Buffaloes had 578 yards in the opener and 597 more Saturday. It's the first time since November 2002 Colorado has had more than 500 yards of offense in consecutive games.

UP NEXT

IDAHO STATE: The Bengals play their second-straight Pac-12 team when they travel to Oregon State next week. Beavers head coach Gary Anderson coached at Idaho State in 1992-93.

COLORADO: The Buffaloes return to the Big House next week to face Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines. It is their second visit to Ann Arbor since the `94 Miracle in Michigan, when Kordell Stewart hit Michael Westbrook with a 64-yard pass on the final play to beat the Wolverines, 27-26.

Liufau leads Colorado to 44-7 rout of Colorado State

 Alex Kelley turned in Colorado's first TD of the season. Quite an achievement for an offensive lineman.

Sefo Liufau threw for 318 yards to become Colorado's all-time leading passer and Kelley recovered a fumble for a score as the Buffaloes rolled past Colorado State 44-7 on Friday night.

"I didn't know I scored until I ran off the field," said Kelley, who jumped on Liufau's fumble in the end zone. "Everyone said I scored and I celebrated then."

Kelley's next mission: Find that football. It's the first TD of his life. He's never so much as had one in practice.

Tailback Phillip Lindsay had two TDs for Colorado (1-0), which built a 37-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The defense did its part, forcing four turnovers and bottling up the Rams (0-1) all evening.

Liufau made an unexpectedly quick recovery from left foot surgery to return for his senior season. He showed he's up to speed by rushing for 66 yards. He also threw one TD pass.

"This version of Sefo we have right now is way better (than before he was hurt)," Kelley said. "His passion for the game? I feel like it's never been this high. His work ethic? Never been this high. You could see it tonight - it was on point most of the night. He's completely better than before."

On Colorado's opening possession, Liufau surpassed Cody Hawkins (7,409 yards, 2007-10) as the school's leading passer. Later on that drive, Liufau fumbled going into the end zone, but his center, Kelley, pounced on the loose football - the first score by a Colorado offensive lineman since Heath Irwin on Oct. 28, 1995.

"I'm happy for Alex," said Liufau, whose team had 578 yards of total offense. "But I should take care of the football."

Colorado State coach Mike Bobo kept his starting quarterback secret until game time. Starter Nick Stevens never found his rhythm, finishing 6 of 20 for 31 yards and two interceptions. His backup, Georgia transfer Faton Bauta, provided a late spark. Bauta threw a 5-yard TD pass to Marcus Wilson to start the fourth quarter. It prevented the first shutout in the series since 1957.

"It's embarrassing. Totally embarrassed our name," Bobo said. "There's only one (thing) we've got to do, we've got to go back to work. We can talk about a lot of things, what ifs. Bottom line, we got our tails whipped tonight."

QUITE A GRAB

Colorado receiver Bryce Bobo turned in a nifty one-handed grab down the left sideline just before halftime. It set up a Lindsay score to give the Buffaloes a 31-0 lead.

"A couple of plays before that, I dropped a wide open pass. It hit me dead in the hands," Bobo explained. "Sefo gave me a chance to go deep and threw me the ball again. It happened to be a one-handed catch. I work on one-handed catches in practice. It paid off."

QB QUANDARY

Mike Bobo will reassess his muddy QB situation as both Stevens and Bauta failed to ignite the offense.

"We really weren't executing anywhere, not just the quarterback position," Bobo said. "We've got to be able to throw the ball more than we did tonight, at a higher percentage.

"We'll reassess it and figure out who gives us the best chance to win next week."

THE TAKEAWAY

Colorado State: Shake it off. The Rams were an 8 1/2-point underdog, anyway. Mike Bobo and his team started 1-2 last season and still went to the Arizona Bowl.

Colorado: This takes some pressure off coach Mike MacIntyre, who's on the hot seat entering his fourth season. His career record at Colorado is now 11-27. With a veteran-laden squad, the Buffaloes are trying to earn their first bowl trip since 2007.

"This is the best football team we've had since I've been here," MacIntyre said.

UP NEXT

Colorado State: Host University of Texas at San Antonio, Sept. 10. Beat the Roadrunners 33-31 last season.

Colorado: Host Idaho State, Sept. 10. It's the first meeting between the two schools. Colorado is 4-2 all-time against FCS teams.