Utah 20, Colorado 14

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November 28th – at Utah          Utah 20, Colorado 14

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For the fifth straight game since joining the Pac-12 conference, the Colorado/Utah game was decided by a touchdown or less.

For the fourth time in a row, Utah came out the winner, hanging on for a 20-14 win over Colorado as Buff backup quarterback Jordan Gehrke fumbled the ball at the Utah 47 with 30 seconds remaining in the game, thwarting the Buffs last chance at an upset.

Gehrke’s fumble was the fourth turnover of the game for the Buffs, who also had a field goal attempt blocked and 49 yards rushing on a snowy afternoon in Salt Lake City.

The Buffs had more first downs, 19-18, and were close to the Utes in total offense, 324-307, but could not overcome squandered opportunities. Cade Apsay threw for 145 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before leaving the game, with replacement Jordan Gehrke throwing for 113 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and the final turnover of the Buffs’ season.

Nelson Spruce became CU’s all-time receiving touchdown leader, with his 23rd touchdown part of a five-catch, 111-yard day. Phillip Lindsay led the Buffs with 48 yards rushing, and also added a 17-yard touchdown reception.

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Colorado opened its final game of the 2015 season with a sense of purpose.

Buff running back Phillip Lindsay opened the game with a 17-yard run, moving the ball out to near midfield. Two plays later, quarterback Cade Apsay hit Nelson Spruce for nine yards on a third-and-eight, keeping the drive alive. Back-to-back completions to Spruce and tight end Sean Irwin, going for 13 and 16 yards, set up the Buffs at the Utah eight yard line.

There, the Colorado offense, ranked 119th in the nation in red zone offense, did what teams ranked so poorly do … it failed to score.

A sack of Apsay forced a field goal attempt, but the 31-yard field goal attempt by Diego Gonzalez was blocked, ending the 11-play, 51-yard drive with no points.

The Utah offense, held out of the end zone the week before in a 17-9 loss to UCLA, had no issue scoring a touchdown on the Colorado defense. The Utes marched down the field with their opening possession, going 80 yards in 13 plays, with Travis Wilson hitting Kenneth Scott for a 16-yard touchdown with five minutes remaining in the first quarter.

It would have been easy at that point for the Buffs, faced with adversity of the first two drives, to mail it in in the Salt City snowstorm. Instead, the Buff offense again put together a drive. Starting at their five yard line after a penalty on the kickoff, Cade Apsay connected with Sean Irwin for a 17-yard gain to get the Buffs out of trouble. On the next play, Apsay hit Nelson Spruce for a 50-yard gain to the Utah 27-yard line. A 14-yard gain on a run by Apsay, with a personal foul tacked on, gave Colorado a first-and-goal at the Utah six yard line.

There, the Colorado offense, which had only 37 scores in its 51 previous trips to the red zone in 2015 … again failed to score.

On third-and-goal at the eight, a Cady Apsay offering was tipped at the line of scrimmage, with the pass intercepted by Marcus Williams.

Utah moved the ball to midfield, looking to turn the game into a rout, but there Buff defensive lineman Jordan Carrell forced a fumble from Ute running back Joe Williams, with linebacker Kenneth Olugbode recovering for the Buffs.

The Colorado offense, though, could not take advantage of the shift in momentum. Three plays netted nine yards, with coach Mike MacIntyre deciding to go for the first down on fourth-and-one at the Utah 43. Quarterback Cade Apsay, though, fumbled the snap, falling on the ball for a one yard loss and a turnover on downs.

Still only down 7-0, the Buff defense made another stand. Successive sacks by Samson Kafovalu and Jimmie Gilbert forced a Utah punt. The CU offense, though, also went three-and-out, giving Utah the ball back at their own 41-yard line. An eight-play, 40-yard drive ensued, with the Utes settling for a 37-yard field goal by Andy Phillips. Utah 10, Colorado 0, midway through the second quarter.

A quick three-and-out from the Buff offense gave the Utes a great opportunity to seize control of the game, but Alex Kinney’s 47-yard punt was fumbled by Boobie Hobbs, with the ball recovered by CU senior safety Jered Bell at the Utah 33-yard line.

The Buff offense then finally solved its red zone issue … by not having a snap in the red zone. On third-and-five at the Utah 28, Apsay hit Nelson Spruce for a touchdown. The scoring reception was the 23rd of his career, finally allowing CU’s all-time leading receiver to capture the lone remaining major CU receiving record which had eluded him, breaking the tie Spruce had held with Scotty McKnight.

When the Buff defense forced a three-and-out on the Utes’ next possession, it was CU’s turn to take control of the game’s momentum … and then give it right back.

On CU’s first play from scrimmage after the punt, Cade Apsay through his second interception of the game, with this pick by Cory Butler-Byrd setting the Utes up near midfield.

After yet another three-and-out by the Utah offense, the Buffs once again had a chance to tie the game or take the lead. With Jordan Gehrke now at the helm, the Buffs drove 47 yards … with 30 of those yards on penalties against the Utah defense.  The Utah penalties were not enough to keep the drive going, with the Buffs punting the ball away.

The Utah offense, stymied for much of the second quarter by the Buffs, quickly responded. A 64-yard run by Joe Williams set the Utes up at the Colorado 15-yard line. There, however, Ute quarterback Travis Wilson was intercepted by CU junior safety Tedric Thompson, allowing the Buffs to escape without further damage.

Halftime score: Utah 10, Colorado 7.

With yet another chance at a break-through win, the Buffs needed a fast start to the second half to sustain momentum.

They got exactly the opposite.

On its first possession of the third quarter, Utah methodically moved the ball down the field before a 28-yard pass completion gave the Utes a first-and-goal at the CU five. On the next play, Joe Williams took it in to complete a 13-play, 68-yard drive. Utah 17, Colorado 7.

The Buffs’ answer?

One play – an interception thrown by Jordan Gehrke.

The Utes took over at the Buff 28-yard line, but the CU defense stiffened in the red zone, forcing a 27-yard field goal by Andy Phillips. Still, it was more points for the Utes, making it a 20-7 game midway through the third quarter.

The Buffs next drive produced one first down – highlighted by Phillip Lindsay knocking down his own blocker, guard Gerrad Kough, on a screen pass – but ended in another Alex Kinney punt.

As the third quarter turned into the fourth quarter, the teams traded punts, with the clock running out on CU’s final chance at a 2015 victory.

With 9:36 left to play in the game, the Buffs set off on a do-or-die drive. Runs by Phillip Lindsay and Jaleel Awini got the drive started, but the Buffs appeared halted with fourth-and-two at the Utah 43 yard line. An eight yard run by Awini, though, kept the drive alive. A 17-yard run by Lindsay got the ball down to the Utah 18. Then, on third-and-eight at the 16, Gehrke connected with Lindsay for a 16-yard touchdown.

The 13-play, 80-yard drive brought the Buffs back to within a score, at 20-14, but the drive consumed 5:23 of game clock and two of CU’s time outs.

Utah received the ensuing kickoff with 4:13 to play, needing only a pair of first downs to run out the clock. Instead, the Colorado defense forced one last three-and-out, with Ute quarterback Travis Wilson being stopped for no gain on a third-and-three at the Utah 32.

The Buffs took over at their 19-yard line with 2:28 to play an no time outs. After a sack of Jordan Gehrke, the CU offense faced a third-and-15 at its 14 yard line. An eight-yard completion from Gehrke to Bryce Bobo made it fourth-and-seven at the 22. There, Gehrke hit Bobo for a 22-yard gain and new life.

Two plays later, Gehrke was sacked, fumbling the ball away. With 30 seconds remaining, the Buffs’ last chance at a fifth win in 2015 was recovered by the Utes. The Buffs’ fourth turnover proved to be the last play of the season, with one kneel down by Travis Wilson ending the game.

Final score: Utah 20, Colorado 14

The six-point loss continued a series of frustrating losses for the Buffs, both in 2015 and against the Utes. After defeating Utah, 17-14, in the first game between the schools as members of the Pac-12, the Utes, with the 20-14 win, extended their win streak against the Buffs to four games, with the other three wins coming by scores of 42-35, 24-17, and 38-34.

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Game Notes –

– The “Voice of the Buffs,” Larry Zimmer, wrapped up his 42nd and final season calling CU games with the Utah game; it was his 486th game (KOA surprised him pregame with special messages from 12 former players, including John Stearns, Mike Pritchard, Matt Russell and Chauncey Billups as well as three former head coaches (Bill McCartney, Rick Neuheisel and Gary Barnett);

– The game was CU’s first time with significant snowfall during the game since Nov. 11, 2000 (versus Iowa State in Boulder);

– Nelson Spruce I … the senior wide receiver had five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. Spruce added to his school and Pac-12 marks in career receptions (294) and to his school mark in yards 3,347 (that number is good for eighth all-time in the Pac-12);

– Nelson Spruce II … his touchdown reception enabled him to break a tie with Scotty McKnight (2007-10) for the most TD receptions in school history with 23 … his 294 receptions are the 16th-most in NCAA (FBS) history;

– Nelson Spruce III … he finished the season with 1,053 yards, joining Charles E. Johnson (1992-93) and Rae Carruth (1995-96) as the three players in school history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He finished his career catching at least one pass in 38 straight games (multiple in 33 straight, the latter also a CU record);

– Phillip Lindsay had nine carries for 48 yards, giving the sophomore 1,042 career yards, becoming the 53rd player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a career. He also went over the 1,000-yard mark in kickoff return yards, finishing with 1,003.

– Linebacker Rick Gamboa had 11 tackles (five unassisted) against Utah. Gamboa finished the season as the Buffs’ leading tackler, with 96 tackles, the second-highest total by a freshman in CU history (Addison Gillam, 119 in 2013).

… Coming Sunday morning … the final game essay of 2015 …

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Tags: Alex Kinney, Bryce Bobo, Cade Apsay, Diego Gonzalez, Gerrad Kough, Jaleel Awini, Jered Bell, Jordan Carrell, Jordan Gehrke, Kenneth Olugbode, Nelson Spruce, Phillip Lindsay, Sean Irwin, Tedric Thompson
This post, about the Utah game, from the 2015 Season, is filed under Game.
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