Nov. 2nd – at UCLA – What is it Going to Take?

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 21-of-28 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown, leading the Bruins to an easy 31-14 victory over Colorado. Taking advantage of a Steven Montez interception and a porous Colorado defense, the Bruins raced to a 17-0 first quarter lead … before the Buff offense could muster its first first down of the contest.

Steven Montez completed only 21-of-38 passes for 195 yards against a defense which entered the game 127th in the nation in pass defense (306.8 yards/game). Overall, the Buffs mustered only 14 points against the No. 114 scoring defense, and only 283 yards of total offense against the No. 112 defense in the country.

The Buffs’ leaders on offense each only mustered 77 yards, with Jaren Mangham gaining 77 yards on the ground (on 17 carries), while Tony Brown led the receivers with 77 yards on six receptions, including a 27-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter when the game was already well out of reach.

“We’re here to win championships,” Mel Tucker said upon his hire. “That’s OK with me” … The Buffs opened with a heady 3-1 record, but reality (and injuries) have set the program back (again) … What will it take to push the program back to where we know it belongs? …

No. 7 Oregon puts Clay Helton back on the hot seat with 56-24 rout … No. 9 Utah takes control of the Pac-12 South with road win over Washington … Arizona drops fourth in a row in 56-38 home loss to Oregon State …

Pat Rooney: Is CU/UCLA a litmus test for which program will reach contender status first? … Buff bowl chances rest on win in Pasadena – Montez: “It’s extremely motivating” … CU rushing attack has been good – just not good enough – the past few games …

With Oregon’s and Utah’s wins over USC and Washington, the Pac-12 has two legitimate contenders for the College Football Playoffs … After those two, however, who is the No. 3 team? Only Arizona State has three or fewer losses, and the Sun Devils have lost two straight …

Neill Woelk’s Friday Fast Five … Injury Report (Pursell back practicing) … 1991 memory: “We Don’t Go Out in That Kind of Weather to Play for a Tie” … Can going 0-for-260 be a good thing? … CU and UCLA are neck-and-neck in all-time winning percentage …

Mel Tucker: “I’m not into any type of moral victories. There’s a saying, ‘If you could’ve won, you should’ve won'” … CU could have (and should have) beaten USC. Can the Buffs finally get over the hump and win against a team they can beat? … What is your prediction for the game? …

Oregon and Utah continue to separate themselves from the rest of the conference, but after the Ducks and the Utes, where do you place the rest of the league? … Where do the Buffs stack up in the bottom quadrant, with Arizona and Cal struggling? …