Final Update:
(CU Independent/Josh Shettler)
The University of Colorado football team fell to the UCLA Bruins in Pasadena Saturday night, 45-23.
Freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau impressed with a number of throws under pressure, finishing the game with 25 completions on 36 passing attempts for 257 yards and one touchdown.
Placekicker Will Oliver was 3 for 5 on field goal attempts, with field goals made from 23, 37, and 47, and two misses from 45.
Defensively, the Buffs forced three punts in the first half. But in the second half UCLA busted open the game, scoring 28 of their 45 points.
Special teams issues marred the game for the Buffs, with freshman kick returner Ryan Severson fumbling twice. While Severson was able to recover one of those fumbles, the other resulted in a turnover that gave the Bruins excellent field position and led to a UCLA touchdown.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Buffs managed to get back on the board with Tony Jones’ two-yard rushing touchdown. The touchdown followed a 75-yard drive by the Buffs offense aided by two key UCLA penalties, a face mask and a roughing the passer call.
UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, a sophomore, put up some big numbers with 273 yards passing and two touchdowns, to go along with 72 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns.
Oliver’s third field goal with six minutes remaining gave the Buffs some hope, as the field goal narrowed the point deficit to 15. But a subsequent touchdown for the Bruins with 3:36 remaining put the game out of reach for the Buffs.
Wide receiver Paul Richardson had 7 receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown.
The Buffs travel to Washington next Saturday, Nov. 9 to take on the Washington Huskies.
Second Quarter:
With one half in the books the Buffs trail the UCLA Bruins 21-13.
Early in the second quarter junior wide receiver Paul Richardson caught a seven yard touchdown for the Buffs, capping a 73 yard drive. The touchdown followed a 38 yard reception by junior running back Tony Jones that put the Buffs in scoring position on the UCLA 8 yard line.
UCLA responded with a scoring drive of their own, culminating in quarterback Brett Hundley’s 11 yard touchdown run.
On the ensuing kickoff Buffs freshman returner Ryan Severson fumbled, giving UCLA the ball on the Colorado 14. With the short
field UCLA scored again on Devin Fuller’s second touchdown reception of the day, extending their lead to 21-10.
Toward the end of the half a Bruins roughing the punter penalty gave the Buff’s drive a second life, with a new set of downs at the UCLA 39 yard line. The Buffs closed the drive with Will Oliver’s 47 yard field goal, narrowing the Bruins lead to 8.
Oliver is 2 for 3 with field goals made from 47 and 23, and a miss from 45.
UCLA drove late in the half to set up a 45 yard field goal attempt for sophomore Ka’imi Fairbairn, who missed the kick to send the one possession game into halftime.
Quarterback Sefo Liufau has completed 13 passes on 18 attempts for 140 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Paul Richardson has four receptions for 34 yards and one touchdown. Running back Christian Powell has 51 yards rushing on 13 attempts.
First Quarter:
After the first quarter CU trails the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl 7-3.
Freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau has completed six passes on nine attempts for 56 yards. Junior running back Christian Powell has 41 yards rushing. Junior wide receiver D.D. Goodson leads the Buffs with two receptions for 38 yards.
The Buffs opened the game with an 11-play, 57-yard drive that resulted in a missed 45-yard field goal by junior placekicker Will Oliver. Toward the end of the quarter, they put together another long drive, this time for 50 yards over 10 plays resulting in a 23-yard Oliver field goal.
Colorado’s defense forced punts on UCLA’s first two drives, only giving up a 76-yard touchdown reception by Bruin’s sophomore wide receiver Devin Fuller in the last minute of the quarter.
Contact CUIndependent staff writer Sam Routhier at Samuel.routhier@colorado.edu.
