Blown opportunities cost Buffs in 27-13 loss to No. 15 Washington

Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre reacts following a failed third down play at Husky Stadium. Oct. 20, 2018 (Nigel Amstock/CU Independent)

Fans of the Colorado Buffaloes are likely suffering from a collective headache from banging their heads on the wall for much of Saturday’s game between the Buffs and No. 15 Washington Huskies.

Colorado certainly gave them a surplus of reasons to do so. The Buffaloes were repeatedly handed opportunities to put points on the board and take a lead over the Huskies, but CU’s offense could do no right in the second half as Colorado fell in Seattle, 27-13.

In the end, the contest felt more like a game of Simon Says � with the Buffs and Huskies battling to see who could more effectively shoot themselves in the foot � rather than a football game.

Much credit should be given to the Buffaloes defense. It kept UW quarterback Jake Browning in check for the most part and played well overall. Colorado’s offensive players owe their teammates on the other side of the ball a few rounds of drinks to say the least.

“We had some chances and we gave [the ball] right back to the Huskies and they took advantage of it,” said junior quarterback Steven Montez. “We didn’t when we had the ball.”

Montez couldn’t have said it better. The Buffs put up just 263 yards of total offense in the game, with only 86 yards coming in the second half.

Colorado scored first in the game, won the turnover battle and ultimately hung within one score of Washington for most of the second half, but it was not enough. Every positive happening on defense was negated by the offense’s ceaseless stagnation.

The football gods provided the Buffs with enough opportunities, but CU’s inability to find the endzone sank the ship for Colorado, which after starting the season 5-0, has lost two games in a row.

“Our guys played really hard,” said head coach Mike MacIntyre. “I was proud of the way our guys fought and battled. We just couldn’t generate enough points today.”

The Buffaloes silenced the crowd of 68,798 fans at Alaska Airlines Field relatively quickly, as they forced a punt on UW’s first possession and upon beginning their own first offensive drive, marched 80 yards downfield in seven plays, finding the endzone after Montez connected with freshman wideout Daniel Arias for a 37-yard strike.

It was Arias’ first career catch. He took the field for CU on Saturday in lieu of sophomore wideout Laviska Shenault, Jr. missing the game due to a toe injury. Freshman tight end Brady Russell made an impact too, catching four passes for 23 yards.

“Daniel is a guy who we think is going to be a really good weapon,” MacIntyre said. “[He] stepped up.”

In total, Montez connected with seven different players in the game.

Washington tied the game early in the second quarter, but the Buffs jumped ahead shortly thereafter via a 37-yard field goal from freshman placekicker Evan Price, who filled in for the injured James Stefanou. Price made two field goals for Colorado in the loss.

The first big break for Colorado came late in the second half, with the Huskies up 14-10. The Buffs got the ball back with 5:31 on the clock, hoping to put some much-needed points on the board, but instead, managed only five plays for 17 yards before punting.

Trouble seemed imminent for CU as the Huskies took possession of the ball with just under three minutes before halftime. But senior defensive back Nick Fisher picked off Browning and returned the ball to Washington’s 9-yard line.

Colorado settled for a field goal, but prevented the Huskies from potentially busting the game open. At halftime, the Buffaloes trailed Washington, 14-13.

The Buffs’ best drive in the second half gained 43 yards. Other than that, Colorado averaged just 9.6 yards per drive in the final 30 minutes of the game.

Although MacIntyre and the Buffaloes seemed to be in high spirits following the loss, Saturday’s game very much has the feel of a blown opportunity to defeat a Pac-12 Conference bully.

“We’re going to learn from this experience,” said senior linebacker Drew Lewis. “I can tell our confidence is always going to be there. When things don’t go our way, that’s when we need to rally up and come together…we’re going to come out even hotter next week.”

Colorado got another massive break at the end of the third quarter. With Washington up 17-13 and in the red zone, UW’s Chico McClatcher caught a 14-yard pass from Browning and made it into the endzone, but sophomore linebacker Nate Landman forced a fumble that went out of the back of the endzone.

The result was a touchback, and Colorado got the ball, escaping a potential late-game punch in the gut. On its ensuing offensive drive, the Buffs penetrated to the deepest point in UW territory that they would in the second half, making it to the 37-yard line, but stalled out and punted the ball back to the Huskies.

For all its mistakes and mishaps, Washington did enough things right to win. Upon getting the ball back after CU failed to capitalize on the touchback, the Huskies dealt what would become the K.O. punch to the Buffs, going up 24-13 after a 12-play, 84-yard drive that ate up 5:56 from the clock in the fourth quarter.

The Buffs’ next drive resulted in an interception by UW linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven, who was a tackling machine, recording 15 in total.

UW made a field goal, going up 27-13 and that was essentially that. On their final drive, the Buffaloes racked up -1 yards in four plays.

“[The loss] stings,” Lewis said. “We’ve just got to learn from it at this point…we fought hard, and they fought hard. There’s nothing we can do other than get back, get some recovery, get in the film room and learn from it.”

Colorado returns home this upcoming weekend for a showdown with the Oregon State Beavers. The Buffs and Beavers kickoff from Folsom Field at 1 p.m. MST.