Sept. 11th – No. 5 Texas A&M – It’s All Relative, Part II

Colorado held the lead for three quarters of the game, but wore down in the end, surrendering the winning touchdown with 2:41 to play, falling to No. 5 Texas A&M, 10-7. The Buff defense held the Aggie offense to 1-for-10 on third downs through the third quarter, but A&M went 7-for-10 on third downs the remainder of the game, culminating in a game-winning 11-play, 77-yard drive to pull out the victory.

The Colorado defense held Texas A&M, which had 595 yards in their opener, to 289 total yards (with 145 of those yards coming in the decisive fourth quarter). The Buff offense, though, mustered only 260 yards of total offense, with only 54 of those yards coming after the break. Both teams had only 14 first downs (A&M had 29 in its opener), with the only stat line of any solace being CU’s two penalties for 17 yards (a week after posting 12 penalties for 118 yards against Northern Colorado in Week One).

Brendon Lewis went 13-for-25 for 89 yards passing, also leading the team in rushing, with 76 yards on nine carries. Jarek Broussard had 51 yards on 12 carries, scoring CU’s lone touchdown on a two-yard run late in the first quarter.

“We had opportunities in the first and second half and we didn’t do what we should have done,” Dorrell said. “We didn’t do well enough offensively. Defensively I thought they played their butts off. We just have to get better. I don’t make excuses. For us to be the team we need to be, we must get better in a heartbeat.”

I always get a kick out of the comments posted on the website right after a CU game.

Emotions are running high, and common sense often takes a holiday.

That’s fine. We’re all devoted Buff fans. You wouldn’t be reading if this if you weren’t, and you are certainly entitled to vent your frustrations.

And the 10-7 loss to Texas A&M, a game which the Buffs lead for almost three full quarters of game clock, was frustrating. You just don’t get that many opportunities to knock off a Top Five team (CU is 12-55-1 all-time v. Top Five teams). Sure, the Aggies lost their quarterback early, but the CU defense stifled the A&M offense for three quarters, and deserved to win the game. Other than a missed field goal, the CU special teams were also very good, with Josh Watts punting for a 49.0 yard average, with excellent coverage.

Still, it goes down in the books as a loss, and Buff fans have endured way too many of those over the past fifteen seasons.

So, what went wrong?

There was the missed field goal, a failed quarterback sneak in the second quarter, and … a second half with only 54 yards of total offense against one of the best defenses in the nation.

Hmmm, and that’s about it.

Minnesota hangs on against Miami (Ohio), posting a 31-26 win … No. 12 Oregon upsets No. 3 Ohio State, 35-28 … It’s Official! Big 12 invites BYU, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston to join the conference … College Football News previews A&M game …

Rooney: Buffs have nothing to lose against No. 5 Aggies … Rick George contract extended through 2026 … Buffs ready for “measuring stick” game against Aggies … Empower Field GameDay Info (No Ralphie VI) … Neill Woelk’s Five Keys to the A&M Game …

The three statistical categories which could decide the A&M game … The last time CU played a team other than CSU in Denver? (1947) … The last time a Pac-12 team defeated a top-ten non-conference opponent? (2017) … Four Pac-12 teams are double-digit underdogs …

A&M has enough talent to create a two-deep roster of four-star players – at every position … Yet A&M, like CU, was not as solid in Week One as fans would have hoped … The last time CU upset a top five team, it was with a freshman QB and a second-year head coach – Can lightning strike twice? …

The first review/preview Podcast of the season, with a look back at the 35-7 victory over Northern Colorado, and your “T.I.P.S.” for the Buffs v. the Aggies in Mile High Stadium (Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Fox) … Buffs are 17.0-point underdogs – is there a chance at an upset? …