Could things get any worse for the Colorado football team to start the season?
After losing to their in-state rival on Sunday, it’s hard to think they could. Yet, the Buffs dropped their second game in a week, this time to the Toledo Rockets on Friday night, losing 54-38.
For a second straight game, CU (0-2) came out flat and looked like a deer-in-the-headlights as Toledo (1-1) jumped out to an early 13-0 lead after the first quarter.
Colorado would finally get on the board with an Aric Goodman field goal to start the second quarter, but after Alex Steigerwald hit a career-long 50-yard field goal, Toledo would find the end zone again to take a 23-3 lead at halftime.
The Rockets would score two touchdowns early in the third, but the Buffs would score three of their own in the quarter to cut the lead to 13 heading into the final 15 minutes of play.
Unfortunately, Dan Hawkins’ seat as head coach got a little bit hotter as Toledo would score three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Toledo quarterback Aaron Opelt had a career night going 15-for-23 passing for 319 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 109 yards for two touchdowns, including a 61-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter.
Toledo finished with 624 total yards, while Colorado could only manage 451 yards.
A bright spot for the Buffs was that Darrell Scott had a great first half running the ball, but didn’t see a lot of action in the second as the Colorado coaching staff decided to throw the ball more instead. Scott finished with 12 carries for 85 yards.
Scotty McKnight also had a good game for the Buffs, finishing with 11 catches for 114 yards and one touchdown.
The Buffs would score two touchdowns late in the fourth, but it would not be enough to form any kind of a comeback.
A scary moment happened with 1:53 to go in the game as quarterback Cody Hawkins ran 12 yards into the end zone. But as he went across the goal line, he had a helmet-to-helmet collision with a Toledo player.
Replays showed that he had suffered a concussion and it is unknown at this time if he will start the Buffs’ next game on Sept. 19 vs. Wyoming.
Hawkins went 30-for-64 passing for 356 yards and four touchdowns, while adding three interceptions in the loss.
If Hawkins can’t go on against Wyoming, newly redshirted quarterback Tyler Hansen might have his redshirt pulled once again to fill in as quarterback.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Ron Knabenbauer at Ronald.Knabenbauer@colorado.edu.
1 comment
Hey Sam–did you write this?