Confidence can be a powerful factor for a college football team and Colorado regained some of that on Saturday in a commanding 34-0 win over Arizona.
For now, let’s ignore the fact that Arizona is now riding an 18-game losing streak. A win is a win, right? Nearly every facet of the now 2-4 Buffaloes took a step forward to finally seal their first Pac-12 win.
Offensively, look no further than what Brendon Lewis and Brenden Rice were able to accomplish. Lewis’ improved deep ball accuracy helped his wide receiver reel in a career-high 111 receiving yards, including a 62-yard touchdown.
It did take a while for the offense to fully get going, however. The ball was moving but Cole Becker’s two made field goals were all the Buffs could get in the first half. And if it weren’t for a four-play goal line stand by the defense, Colorado was nearly down 7-6 late in the second quarter.
The third quarter was really when CU impressed thanks to its defense and special teams.
On an Arizona punt attempt, freshman Trevor Woods, who plays safety outside of special teams, snuck past the Wildcats’ line and blocked the kick. Woods was then able to recover the football and return it 36 yards into the endzone. The punt block turned touchdown was CU’s first since Lawrence Vickers did so against Washington State in 2004. Just five plays later, the fun continued on Arizona’s ensuing drive when defensive end Carson Wells picked off Gunner Cruz and brought it home 50 yards.
Karl Dorrell believed the pair of big plays gave the Buffs a “shot in the arm” to close out the game strong.
“This is a really good win for us because all three areas (offense, defense and special teams) scored touchdowns,” Dorrell said. “A young freshman (Woods) made a play—it was great to see that. It kind of gave us a chance to create some opportunities on the defensive side. Carson Wells did a tremendous job of stepping in front of a pass and going for another score.”
Rice’s 62-yard TD soon followed and Lewis later found Dimitri Stanley for an 11-yard score. Lewis ended the afternoon with a career-high 248 yards and two touchdowns. After receiving plenty of criticism during Colorado’s now extinguished four-game losing streak, the second-year freshman QB appeared relieved following the win.
“I was able to keep my head up because of the support that my teammates and my coaches have showed me throughout this adversity that we’ve gotten,” Lewis said.
Going back to Wells, his pick-six wasn’t his only shining moment on Saturday. All four of his tackles were for a loss and he added a sack of Cruz in the third quarter.
In the secondary, Christian Gonzalez and Mekhi Blackmon were strong once again and Mark Perry caught his first interception of 2021. Cruz and Will Plummer, who replaced an injured Cruz in the third quarter, combined for just 153 passing yards. Colorado’s defensive shutout was its first against a conference opponent since beating Oklahoma State by the same score of 34-0 in 2005.
But with all that being said, a better barometer of how good the Buffs are will come next week at California. Yes, the Golden Bears are 1-5, but they are nowhere near how bad the Wildcats have been. A Buffs’ win in Berkeley would quickly catapult them back to .500 in Pac-12 play.
[vertical-gallery id=1148]