No. 14 Utah 63, Colorado 21


Posts Tagged ‘Nikko Reed’

No. 14 Utah 63, Colorado 21

//posted 11.27.2022

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.”

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No. 8 USC 55, Colorado 17

//posted 11.13.2022

Colorado took its first lead in a month, carrying a 3-2 lead over No. 8 USC into the second quarter, but that was as good as it was get, as No. 8 USC scored 23 unanswered points in the second quarter, coasting to a 55-17 victory. Trojan quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for two more to lead the USC rout.

Buff quarterback J.T. Shrout completed 11-of-21 passes for 124 yards, also rushing for a touchdown. But Shrout also gave up a safety on an intentional grounding but had two turnovers with an interception and a fumble, leading to two USC scores. Senior running back Alex Fontenot had 20 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown, with the Buffs managing only 259 yards of total offense (going 3-for-12 on third downs).

“The turnovers and the sack where the intentional grounding safety was called, were too much to overcome against a team with the firepower that they have”, said interim head coach Mike Sanford. “We’re gonna keep on fighting. We’re gonna keep on finding a way to put ourselves in position to win games. I thought we did that and it got away from us today”.

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Colorado 20, Cal 13, OT

//posted 10.17.2022

A 22-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback J.T. Shrout to Montana Lemonious-Craig gave CU the lead in overtime, with the Buff defense making it stand up with a four down stop, giving Colorado a 20-13 overtime win over California. Cal had a first-and-goal at the CU 10-yard line, but a fourth-and-goal pass fell incomplete, preserving the victory. The Buffs, who had only led once during the first five games of the season – and that was in the first quarter of the first game – had leads of 3-0, 10-7, and 13-10 before taking the lead for good in overtime.

The much maligned Colorado defense, dead last in the nation in rushing defense (giving up an average of 294.2 yards per game), held the Cal offense to 35 yards rushing, with the Bears held to 297 yards of total offense overall. The Buff offense, which had also struggled, posted only 328 yards of total offense, but had its first 100-yard receiving game of the season, with Montana Lemonious-Craig collecting eight passes for 119 yards and the game-winning touchdown. Backup J.T. Shrout, who replaced injured starter Owen McCown in the third quarter, completed 8-of-12 passes for 69 yards.

“This is all about the players,” interim coach Mike Sanford said. “Their resilience, their resolve. I’m really proud of these players. As I told them in the locker room, the best part about being 1-0 in our new season is the chance to be 2-0.”

“I have had some pretty good moments with this program, but I’ll definitely put this one in the books”, said senior defensive lineman Terrance Lang. “It was a hard-fought win and we deserve it. And credit to those fans, man. I love our fans. They show up every time.”

A sellout crowd of 50,471 basked in a warm October afternoon, watching the Buffs first victory since taking down Washington on November 20, 2021. “I mean we love Buff Nation,” said hero of the game Montana Lemonious-Craig. “They stay with us through thick and thin and when they stormed the field it was just great vibes, great energy all over the place and we’re just happy we were able to get the win for them because at the end of the day, our fans show up week in week out, no matter the record, no matter nothing. They come here and give us their all, so we’re glad that we were able to give them our all.”

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Colorado Daily

//posted 8.27.2022

**CU Depth Chart released (no resolution at quarterback or tailback)** … Senior WR Maurice Bell back from injury: “I’m ready to prove everybody wrong” … *Video: OL Tommy Brown and WR RJ Sneed happy to be back practicing* …

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College Football Playoff Expansion Talk Back on the Table … Preseason Media All-Pac-12 Team Released (CU only team with no representatives on first- or second-teams) … UCLA’s “messy situation” could get much worse …

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Nikko Reed made a name for himself as a true freshman, with a game-saving interception against Washington and a 100-yard kickoff return against Utah … What was it like losing three starters in the secondary (and his position coach)? … What does Reed have to say about his new position coach, Rod Chance? (“He tells us the truth”) …

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If Gonzalez, Perry and Blackmon had returned, CU’s defensive backfield would have been a strength … Instead, it’s Isaiah Lewis and a bunch of question marks … Will CU’s talented – but inexperienced – defensive backs make a statement, or will CU be forced to rely on post-spring transfers to fill the void? …

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No. 16 Utah 28, Colorado 13

//posted 11.26.2021

Quarterback Cameron Rising threw for three touchdown passes, and two Ute running backs had over 100 yards rushing apiece as No. 16 slowly pulled away from Colorado, defeating the Buffs, 28-13. The Buff offense, which ended the season with its lowest total yard average since 1964, had only 148 total yards, with an interception return to the Utah 15 by safety Mark Perry and a 100-yard kickoff return by Nikko Reed supplying 10 of CU’s 13 points.

Buff quarterback Brendon Lewis finished the season with the CU freshman record for consecutive passes without an interception, but completed only 9-of-23 passes for 84 yards. With Jarek Broussard out with an illness, Alex Fontenot was the Buffs’ leading rusher … with 28 yards on ten carries.

The Buffs played short-handed on both sides of the ball. Linebacker Nate Landman missed his sixth game, along with fellow linebackers Jack Lamb, Guy Thomas and Joshka Gustav. Defensive backs Mekhi Blackmon and Kaylin Moore were also out. On offense, receivers Brenden Rice and Montana Lemonious-Craig, along with Broussard, didn’t see the field in CU’s final game of the 2021 season.

“Everybody feels that we have that foundation to build from moving forward,” Dorrell said. “It’s unfortunate — I would love to have started the offseason with a win, winning this game and using that as juice to get some things going for us in a positive way into the offseason, but there’s enough of a good feel on this team. We feel like we’re close.”

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Colorado 20, Washington 17

//posted 11.21.2021

Colorado’s defense produced four takeaways and the offense came up with a game-clinching 90-yard touchdown drive Saturday as the Buffaloes claimed a 20-17 win over Washington at Folsom Field.

Washington dominated nearly every statistical category except one — turnovers. CU’s defense collected two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, including a 92-yard scoop-and-score by linebacker Jack Lamb in the first quarter that gave CU a 10-0 lead. Colorado also turned a Robert Barnes fumble recovery into a field goal in the fourth quarter, then drove for the game-clinching touchdown following a Nikko Reed interception.

The Buffaloes were outgained 426-183 and allowed the Huskies to convert 14 of 21 third-down tries while converting just 2-of-14 of their own. On the day, Washington gained more on third downs (188) than Colorado did all day (183).

Quarterback Brendon Lewis hit on 14-of-25 passes for 112 yards, and contributed 30 yards on the ground, including the game-winning two-yard touchdown run with four minutes remaining. CU’s leading rusher was Jarek Broussard, who had all of 43 yards on 12 carries, with 26 of those yards coming on the Buffs’ game-winning drive.

“It was a hard-fought win,” head coach Karl Dorrell said. “I’m very proud of his team. They’re starting to develop that competitiveness, that drive to just fight for 60 minutes. It’s definitely something our program’s going to build on. It’s really going to be part of who we are, that’s our fabric, is being fighters. We have to continue to build this program the way that it used to be. We’re going to get it back to that level.”

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Mekhi Blackmon and Isaiah Lewis have All-Pac-12 honors on their resumes, but Christian Gonzalez may be the best player in the defensive backfield … Can Chris Miller stay healthy long enough to be effective? Will the newcomers who will be thrust into the fray be ready to contribute? …

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CU Recruiting Class of 2021

//posted 4.16.2021

Bios and videos for every member of the CU Recruiting Class of 2021 … Surprise late addition: CU signs tight end Austin Smith (CU Press Release added) … Smith: “I feel like whenever I step on the field, I am the most athletic player” …

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Signed Letters of Intent

//posted 12.16.2020

Bios for all of CU’s Early Signing Day recruits … Karl Dorrell: “It is a small class, but a very, very impactful class. Every position really has a chance to compete and help us this fall” … Links to the official CUBuffs.com bios for every signee … Class includes six offensive players; ten defensive players; and a specialist …

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