Nov. 26th – No. 14 Utah – CU in ’22: The Worst Team in Program History?

Colorado posted a grand total of one first down and 18 total yards of offense in the first half, leading to a 42-0 deficit at the break, with No. 14 Utah coasting to a 63-14 victory. The Buffs finished the season with a 1-11 record, joining the 2012 Jon Embree team as the only 11-loss teams in school history.

Utah quarterback Cam Rising threw for three first half touchdowns, completing 17-of-19 passes for 234 yards as the Buff defense couldn’t stop the Utes. At the break, Utah had 379 yards to CU’s 18, with 20 first downs, averaging almost ten yards per play. The Buff offense, meanwhile, went three-and-out in seven of eight first half drives, averaging less than a yard per play.

Redshirt freshman Maddox Kopp made his first career start at quarterback, completing 15-of-28 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown – a one-yarder to offensive lineman Frank Fillip on a tackle-eligible pass in the final minutes. In the decisive first half, however, Kopp was 5-of-14 for 26 yards, with the Buffs posting negative yardage rushing the ball. In the first two quarters, the Buffs had a total of 13 carries … for minus-eight yards.

“I don’t believe in moral victories normally, but tonight I did,” said CU interim head coach Mike Sanford, who finished with a 1-6 record in that role. “For that team, that locker room of players to not only not quit but actually go fight and put together a really good second half of football  speaks to exactly what’s going on in that group and in our business organization right now. It’s been fight. It’s been character. It’s been fighting through all the adversity that we continue to face.”

The only winless team in school history was the first (0-4 in 1890) … Then there were the 1-10 teams in 1980 and 1984 … Then Jon Embree came along, posting CU’s first 11-loss season, with program-worst numbers … That was, of course, until the 2022 team came along … So, which was the worst team ever? … Let’s find out …

Game Day! … With little else to celebrate, CU to celebrate seniors … Daily Camera: Five Utes to Watch … Neill Woelk: Keys to CU v. Utah – How do Buffs pull off the upset? … Buffalo Heart Award candidate Terrance Lang ready for one last run behind Ralphie …

Running backs coach Darian Hagan joins an elite group … Bar bet winner: When was the last time CU played a game as a ranked team? … Where does Utah rank on the list of CU’s all-time most played opponents? … On a rivalry weekend, the Pac-12 has five home underdogs …

The November from Hell mercifully will come to an end this weekend … Utah is (likely) out of the race to repeat as Pac-12 champions – will that have an effect on the game? (Or at least, the Utes’ interest in dominating the game?) … CU is last in the nation in rushing defense and scoring defense – will the Buffs finish the season dead last? …

Does it help to get away from CU football for just a few hours, be it on the slopes in Colorado, or on the frozen tundra in Montana for ESPN’s GameDay? … Did Chancellor DiStefano’s recent quotes about transfers give Buff fans hope for change? … Can Senior Day provide the Buffs a spark against the Utes? … Let’s find out …

Rivalry Week Pac-12 odds: Colorado not a 30-point underdog for the first time in a month (okay, so it’s 29.5-points) … USC back in the Top Five in Associated Press poll for the first time since 2017 …