Nov. 4th – at Arizona State – Gold Games

Arizona State scored 24 fourth quarter points, erasing a ten-point deficit to defeat Colorado, 41-30. The Sun Devils went for 583 yards of offense, including 381 yards on the ground. ASU quarterback Manny Wilkins passed for 202 yards, rushed for 95 more, while running back Demario Richard had 25 carries for 189 yards and a touchdown.

The Buffs had leads of 10-0, 17-7 and 27-17, but squandered multiple opportunities to put away the Sun Devils. Steven Montez completed 23-of-40 passes for 345 yards, while Phillip Lindsay had 140 yards of total offense (80 yards rushing; 60 yards passing). It made little difference, though, as the Arizona State had seven second half possessions, scoring on five of them.

The loss left Colorado with a 5-5 overall record, 2-5 in Pac-12 play … and in last place in the Pac-12 South.

In the CU meeting room, the schedule for the season is posted.

At the outset of the 2016 campaign, head coach Mike MacIntyre highlighted the games the Buffs were to play in November, labeling them “Gold Games”.

Now, it’s an old football cliche that “the games they remember are played in November”.

In 2016, however, the Buffs were coming off of ten straight losing seasons. In recent memory there had been little for Buff players (or their fans) to get excited about when the calendar turned to November.

Indeed, from 2012-15 – Mike MacIntyre’s first three years at Colorado – the Buffs were 1-13 in November games.

Not much shine to CU’s November “Gold Games”.

Buffs looking for first-ever road win over Sun Devils … CU/ASU by the numbers … Phillip Lindsay file

Drew Litton … “Never Stop Rising: Episode 4” … Neill Woelk’s Five Keys … History of Ralphie IV

“T.I.P.S.” for CU/ASU – Have the Buffs woken up for their final four “Gold games”? …