Colorado’s dream season isn’t over yet.
The ninth-ranked Buffaloes used a battering defense and several timely second half scores to beat No. 22 Utah 27-22, securing the Pac-12 South title and the school’s first trip to the conference title game.
Quarterback Sefo Liufau was battered and bruised by a tough pass rush but scrambled out of several bad situations to throw for 270 yards and a touchdown -- numbers that would have been much greater had his wideouts not dropped several big passes in the first half. The signal-caller also led the team in rushing with 59 yards as tailback Phillip Lindsay was bottled up for the most part.
Yet it was the Buffs’ defense that really won them the game and showed why they are one of the best units in the country. In addition to limiting Utah quarterback Troy Williams to 13-of-40 passing (with two interceptions, one touchdown), Kenneth Olugbode’s scoop and score extended the Colorado lead to two scores and gave the team all of the second half momentum. Safety Tedric Thompson tied a school-record for interceptions in a season late in the fourth quarter with his seventh pick of the year to seal the game.
Utes running back Joe Williams managed just 3.7 yards a carry on a night where his normally reliable offensive line had trouble with everything the opposing front-seven threw their way. Utah failed to capitalize on multiple trips to the red zone and made it to the opposing four yard line but came away with just nine points. The score was only as close as it was because of the team’s terrific special teams that managed to find the end zone on a 55 yard punt return.
The win, arguably the biggest in Mike MacIntyre’s tenure given the stakes, sets up a juicy Pac-12 title game next Friday in Santa Clara. Washington is bound to move up into the top four in the rankings with a clear path to the College Football Playoff and only one game left standing in the way.
Colorado has been proving people wrong all season long though and will have one more chance to do it again against the Huskies.