Colorado football clinches first win of the season in blowout fashion

The Buffs celebrate their 48-14 victory over the UMass minutemen at Folsom Field. (Nigel Amstock/CU Independent)

It has been nearly a year since the University of Colorado football program won a game. In that time the team suffered every kind of defeat imaginable, from outrageous blowouts to heartbreaking final-second losses. However, Colorado finally managed to get the win it so desperately needed against the University of Massachusetts. Not only did Colorado win, it did so in spectacular fashion, posting a 48-14 final score.

Coming into the season, Colorado set the bar high by announcing its aspirations to make a bowl game. Those aspirations appeared to come to a screeching halt after a lackluster performance against the University of Hawaii. The Buffs, whether it was because of long travel, the late kickoff or first game jitters, came out flat and did not look like a team that was ready to play, let alone make a bowl game. The Colorado team that came to play UMass was a different team entirely. The Buffs looked like the team that inspired its coach’s preseason goals.

“We kept talking to them about if you can correct [mistakes from Hawaii] and come ready to play,” Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “Come with a chip on your shoulder every week. … we kind of said this is a draw-a-line-in-the-sand week. We’re not gonna take it anymore. I was hoping they would do that. They really did better than I thought they would do.”

MacIntyre’s staff addressed the most glaring issue after the Hawaii game: the Buffs’ ability to protect junior quarterback Sefo Liufau. Against UMass, Liufau’s line kept him upright all game and gave him ample time in the pocket to find his receivers.

While the offensive line did a much better job this week protecting its quarterback, it truly shined in opening holes for the running game. The Buffs ended the game with 390 yards on the ground led by junior running back Micheal Adkins II, who rushed for 119 yards, and senior Christian Powell who added 105. Colorado’s domination in the run game played a huge role in Saturday’s decisive victory.

Despite the lopsided final score, the teams traded touchdowns during the first quarter and part of the second. Colorado struck first when Powell capped a 60-yard drive with a touchdown. UMass struck back two possessions later. Minutemen quarterback Blake Frohnapfel hooked up with senior wide receiver Tajae Sharpe on a 31-yard pass to get into the red zone. After the first of multiple pass interference calls against the Buffs, the Minutemen punched it in to tie the game.

Sophomore running back Philip Lindsay put Colorado in position to take the lead back with a 34-yard reception. Liufau capitalized with a touchdown on a designed run a few plays later. It was the first rushing touchdown of his career. Another pass interference call on junior cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon set Frohnapfel up for his first and only passing touchdown of the day. UMass would not score again.

The turning point of the game came in the middle of the second quarter. The Buffs were up 24-14, but the Minutemen drove into the red zone. Colorado defensive back Afolabi Laguda was ejected from the game for targeting when he attempted to break up a pass at the goal line. It appeared Laguda led with his shoulder, but after the game MacIntyre said the crown of Laguda’s helmet connected with the chin of the receiver. Just when it looked like momentum was swinging back UMass’ way Frohnapfel lofted a pass into the endzone. Sophomore cornerback and former walk-on Ryan Moeller, who had been seen a similar route a few plays earlier, recognized what was coming and intercepted the pass.

The interception swung momentum back Colorado’s way and the Buffs never looked back as they steadily built a lead so large that many of CU’s stars watched the fourth quarter from the sidelines.

One of the highlights of the game was senior wide receiver Nelson Spruce, who finished with 64 yards and a touchdown, breaking Colorado’s all time receptions record set by Scotty McKnight. While Spruce did not even know he had broken the record during the game, he understood the significance of the moment afterwards.

“It’s pretty cool,” Spruce said. “Scotty was someone I met a couple times and coming in that was someone I was compared to a lot. He put up such good numbers here you don’t come in and say I’ll be there one day.”

Spruce went on to say he was far more excited about the win than the record. The theme of the past year has been Colorado failing to breakthrough and secure that elusive ‘W’. Today the Buffs decided they were done with losing.

“I think that consistently losing and having a chip on our shoulder and finally saying enough is enough in terms of losing,” Liufau said. “It’s frustrating. I think that we didn’t believe in ourselves enough to go out there and win a game. I think today we did that and we believed and trusted each other to everyone do their job and we expect that of each other now.”

This win puts the Buffs back on track, but they have a long way to go if they want to achieve their goal. To keep the bowl dream alive, Colorado has to carry the momentum it built against UMass into its annual rivalry game next week against Colorado State.