The University of Colorado Boulder’s football team celebrate scoring during the game against Texas Christian University at Folsom Field on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. (Io Hartman/CU Independent)
On Nov. 11, the USC Trojans handed the Buffs a blowout 55-17 loss at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The 34-point favorite, eighth-ranked Trojans beat up the Buffaloes, handing them their worst loss of the season so far. After dropping their fourth straight game, Colorado has moved to a dismal 1-9 record.
Following the first quarter, the Buffs had an advantage over the Trojans with a score of 3-2. Early in the game, the Buffs’ defense locked down quarterback Caleb Williams and the USC offense, holding them to an impressively low eight yards of total offense throughout the quarter. The Buffalo’s defense also managed to pick off Williams for only his second interception of the season. Sophomore cornerback Nikko Reed completed this beautiful interception, masterfully undercutting a route from former Buff Brenden Rice to come away with the turnover.
“I thought it was a good start, particularly on the defense,” said interim head coach Mike Sanford. “I was really pleased with how we prepared. We came out and gave some different looks.”
However, the efficiency and success shown by Colorado’s defense proved unsustainable, as USC and Williams began to dismantle Colorado’s defense in the beginning of the second half. Following his unusually rough first quarter, Williams torched the Colorado secondary through the air, finishing the game with 268 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Colorado secondary also allowed USC’s backup quarterback, Miller Moss, to pass for 78 yards and score a touchdown after entering the game in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a quick guy,” said Colorado defensive lineman Jalen Sami. “Our game plan was to drop eight and just rush three. That’s a heavy burden on [our] D-lineman when you’re rushing three against five. He had a lot of time, and he made some good throws.”
In addition to the issues with CU’s defense, the offense had trouble gaining momentum throughout the game. Junior quarterback J.T. Shrout and the rest of the offense only managed to muster up 259 yards of total offense. Shrout finished the game with 124 passing yards, one pick and an ugly safety via an intentional grounding call. The USC secondary locked down the Buffs’ receivers, as no one target finished the game with over 34 reception yards. The absence of CU wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who missed this week’s game due to an injury to his lower left leg, didn’t help either. Tyson, who played phenomenally against Oregon last weekend, was sorely missed in the passing attacks.
On the bright side, Colorado running back Alex Fontenot had an impressive showing for his second game back after an injury. The senior rushed for a team high 108 yards on 20 carries and had a 37 yard rush to top it off. Fontenot nearly single-handedly carried Colorado’s rushing attack, as tailback Deion Smith was out due to an injury. His playing proved to be one of the biggest highlights of the game for Buffs fans. Fontenot’s return will be integral to Colorado if they are to win either of their two remaining games.
“I felt like I was flying all over the place,” Fontenot said. “I felt really good just getting back to what I do. Being off for all those games, I kind of felt like I had to prove something.”
Though the offense and defense struggled throughout, another major factor that led to Colorado’s loss included the penalty bug. Colorado, who has been a fairly disciplined team so far this season, entered the game as the second least penalized team in the PAC-12. However, during their game against the Trojans, the Buffs had nine penalties for a total of 68 yards. The Buffalo’s lack of discipline resulted in many free yards for their opponents, which gave the Trojans a significant advantage in several pivotal moments during the game.
Next, the 1-9 Buffaloes make their way to Seattle to play the 25th ranked Washington Huskies. This will be the third ranked opponent that the Buffs have played in the past three weeks, and one of their final opportunities to win another game. Buffs fans can tune into the game at 7 p.m. MST on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ryland Scholes at ryland.scholes@colorado.edu.
