Colorado is riding one of their best seasons in recent history following a 40-16 victory over Arizona State to move to 5-2 and 3-1 in conference play. Here are 25 reasons to further believe in Colorado Football.
Reasons 1-5 after their 40-16 victory over Arizona State
1. Colorado’s offense gained 580 total yards, Arizona State had just 199-yards
The Buffs offense was on point Saturday Night against the Sun Devils, Starting Quarterback Sefo Liufau was 23-31 passing for 265-yards and had a quarterback rating of 146.0.
2. Colorado’s defense allowed just 50-yards rushing, Colorado rushed for 315-yards
Arizona State’s rush game was non-existent for much for the night. They ran the football 28 times for just 50-yards which is an average of 1.8. The Buffs’ rush game was superb racking up 315-yards off 52 carries, a 6.1 per average.
3. Colorado had 27 first downs, Arizona State had just 7
Quick drives, long drives, Colorado controlled the tempo and picked up first down after first down against the Sun Devils. See stat No. 4.
4. Arizona State was 3 of 18 on red down conversions
You cannot get a first down if you cannot convert 3rd downs. Against Colorado, Arizona State was out-coached by Colorado Defensive Coordinator Jim Leavitt along with Buffs just making plays all over the field.
5. Colorado got to the quarterback 5 times
Jimmie Gilbert recorded 2 sacks, Kenneth Olugbode had 1 sack, Chidobe Awuzie had 1 sack, and Addison Gillam had 1 sack.
Reasons 6-25 after Colorado is 5-2 and 3-1 in Conference
6. Only losses come at Michigan and at USC
Michigan defeated Colorado 45-28 in mid-September. They are currently ranked within the top 5 in the nation with a 6-0 record. The score does not indicate how close this game actually was. Colorado’s second loss of the season came on the road at the LA Coliseum against USC 21-17. They did not lose to USC who got pounded by Alabama and lost to Stanford, rather they lost to midseason form USC who is playing at a different level right now. Those are not bad losses by any means.
7. Rank 2nd in PAC 12 in total offense
Colorado is ranked 2nd overall in offensive yardage within the PAC 12. Through 7 games, Colorado has racked up 3,607-yards which is a 515.3 per game average, that average is No. 1 overall in the PAC 12.
8. Ranked 1st in PAC 12 in total defense
Through 7 games, Colorado is allowing just 314.1 yards on defense which is 1st in the PAC 12. Opponents are rushing for an average of 132.2 yards per game and passing for an average of 179.8 per game.
9. Defensive secondary
The Colorado Secondary continues to get praised each week and they are the real deal. Allowing just 179.8 yards per game is incredible through 7 games, the defense has forced 6 interceptions and a big reason why opponents have an average third down conversion rate of 30% against Colorado.
10. Overall play against through 7 weeks
Colorado opened up the season with a 44-7 victory over Colorado State, then blasted Idaho State, lost on the road to Michigan 45-28 (led at one point 21-7), beat Oregon in Autzen 41-38, beat Oregon State 47-6, lost on the road to USC 21-17 (game was tied 14-14 in the 4th quarter), and beat previously 5-1 ASU 40-16 in a game that was never close.
11. Balanced offensive attack
Again and again, Colorado has proven to have a balanced offensive attack that has been very tough for opponents to prepare for as well as stop. Against Arizona State, they ran for 315-yards while throwing for 265-yards through the air.
12. 3-0 in Boulder and 4-0 in Colorado.
Playing in Colorado has been great for the Buffs this season. They are 4-0 in the State of Colorado (played the opener in Denver) and unbeaten at home. They have outscored opponents at Folsom Field 143-29 (48-9). 3 out of their next 5 are at home.
13. Quarterback Play
Colorado has two quarterbacks that have been named PAC 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Senior Sefo Liufau who has thrown for 1,044-yards with 6 touchdowns and RS-Freshman Steven Montez who has thrown for 94-yards and 9 touchdowns. Combined the two quarterbacks are 152 of 226 passing (67.3%) for 1,984-yards passing with 15 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions.
14. Tied for first in the PAC 12 South with Utah
After 7 weeks of play No. 21 Utah has a record of 6-1 and 3-1 in the conference, Colorado is 5-2 and 3-1 in conference. UTAH beat USC and USC beat Colorado, but the Buffs are still in the mix to win the conference controlling their own destiny. Utah is at UCLA in Week 8, Colorado is on the road at Stanford.
15. Scoring over 39 per game
Colorado is scoring an average of 39 points per game this season. The scored 44 against Colorado State, 56 against Idaho State, 41 against Oregon, 47 against Oregon State, and 40 against Arizona State.
16. Receiving corps are among best in PAC 12
When Nelson Spruce who is now with the LA Rams graduated, the question was: Who is going to step up at receiver. This year Colorado has a trio of receivers that have proved to be outstanding. Shay Fields has caught for 27 receptions for 512-yards with 5 touchdowns, Devin Ross has caught for 38 receptions for 458-yards with 5 touchdowns, and Bryce Bobo has caught for 33 receptions for 441-yards and 2 touchdowns.
17. Phillip Lindsay has come alive
Junior Running Back Phillip Lindsay who ran for a career high 219-yards and 3 touchdowns against Arizona State has emerged as a true running back threat. On the year he has rushed for 107 carries for 614-yards and scored 9 touchdowns.
18. Jimmie Gilbert leads nation in forced fumbles, leads nation
Senior Linebacker Jimmie Gilbert has 6 sacks on the season and leads the nation in forced fumbles with 5. Through just 7 games Gilbert has already met his sack total from a season ago, he’s proven to be one of the best pass rushers in the PAC 12.
19. Defense has forced a takeaway in 20 consecutive games, leads nation
The Buffs have forced at least one turnover in the last 20 games. That stat leads the entire nation. Saturday evening, Colorado Safety Afolabi Laguda came up with an interception late in the game which extended the streak.
20. Offensive Line Play
The Offensive Linemen of Colorado have not received much attention this year, but they are the reason the offense has been so productive. On the year they have allowed just 7 sacks and last night after Running Back Phillip Lindsay rushed for over 200-yards and 3 scores, Lindsay brought the entire offensive line to the press conference. He said that the blocks were there creating rushing lanes and all he had to do was run. Junior Linemen Jeromy Irwin has more than 15 knockdowns on the season, senior center Alex Kelley has been outstanding, and RS-Freshman Tim Lynott has been a top newcomer.
21. Veteran Leadership
The Buffs are led by a majority of upperclassmen this year on both sides of the football. 3 seniors, 7 Juniors, and 1 RS-Freshman start on offense. On the defensive side of the ball 8 seniors, 2 juniors, and 1 RS-Sophomore start. That is a total of 20 out of 22 starters that are either seniors or juniors on the field each Saturday, most of them have been here since Colorado Football Coach Mike MacIntyre arrived in 2013.
22. Jim Leavitt
The former Head Coach at South Florida and the former linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers is having an amazing year the Defensive Coordinator at Colorado. The defense ranks No. 1 overall in the PAC 12 allowing mind-blowing 314.1 yards per game. ASU had just 199-yards of total offense Saturday night.
23. 1st half play
Colorado’s first half play has been tremendous. They are outscoring opponents in quarters one and two 187-71. In the first quarter, they are averaging 13.1 points per game, in the second quarter they are averaging 13.5 points per game. The only game they did not score in the first half was against USC. They were leading Colorado State 31-0 at half, leading Idaho State 49-0 at half, leading Oregon 26-17 at half, leading Oregon State 37-6 at half, and lead Arizona State Saturday evening 23-10 at half.
24. 3rd down efficiency
The Buffs have a 3rd down efficiency of 47% this season. That stat translates to their big average of 26 first downs per game. They move the chains.
25. Mike MacIntyre’s program turnaround
Honestly, who in College Football at the Head Coaching Position has had a bigger program turnaround than Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre? Through this first three seasons with the Buffs, he was 2-25 in conference play with an overall record of 10-27 since 2013. This year the Buffs are 5-2 and 3-1 in conference and were ranked earlier this season, the first time that has happened to Colorado since 2005. While there are plenty of games left, MacIntyre’s name has to be mentioned in the Coach of the Year discussion if the Buffs keep winning. The Rise is only Real because of the foundation MacIntyre has built.
5 More Reasons
Reasons 1-5 after their 40-16 victory over Arizona State
1. Colorado’s offense gained 580 total yards, Arizona State had just 199-yards
The Buffs offense was on point Saturday Night against the Sun Devils, Starting Quarterback Sefo Liufau was 23-31 passing for 265-yards and had a quarterback rating of 146.0.
2. Colorado’s defense allowed just 50-yards rushing, Colorado rushed for 315-yards
Arizona State’s rush game was non-existent for much for the night. They ran the football 28 times for just 50-yards which is an average of 1.8. The Buffs’ rush game was superb racking up 315-yards off 52 carries, a 6.1 per average.
3. Colorado had 27 first downs, Arizona State had just 7
Quick drives, long drives, Colorado controlled the tempo and picked up first down after first down against the Sun Devils. See stat No. 4.
4. Arizona State was 3 of 18 on red down conversions
You cannot get a first down if you cannot convert 3rd downs. Against Colorado, Arizona State was out-coached by Colorado Defensive Coordinator Jim Leavitt along with Buffs just making plays all over the field.
5. Colorado got to the quarterback 5 times
Jimmie Gilbert recorded 2 sacks, Kenneth Olugbode had 1 sack, Chidobe Awuzie had 1 sack, and Addison Gillam had 1 sack.
Reasons 6-25 after Colorado is 5-2 and 3-1 in Conference
6. Only losses come at Michigan and at USC
Michigan defeated Colorado 45-28 in mid-September. They are currently ranked within the top 5 in the nation with a 6-0 record. The score does not indicate how close this game actually was. Colorado’s second loss of the season came on the road at the LA Coliseum against USC 21-17. They did not lose to USC who got pounded by Alabama and lost to Stanford, rather they lost to midseason form USC who is playing at a different level right now. Those are not bad losses by any means.
7. Rank 2nd in PAC 12 in total offense
Colorado is ranked 2nd overall in offensive yardage within the PAC 12. Through 7 games, Colorado has racked up 3,607-yards which is a 515.3 per game average, that average is No. 1 overall in the PAC 12.
8. Ranked 1st in PAC 12 in total defense
Through 7 games, Colorado is allowing just 314.1 yards on defense which is 1st in the PAC 12. Opponents are rushing for an average of 132.2 yards per game and passing for an average of 179.8 per game.
9. Defensive secondary
The Colorado Secondary continues to get praised each week and they are the real deal. Allowing just 179.8 yards per game is incredible through 7 games, the defense has forced 6 interceptions and a big reason why opponents have an average third down conversion rate of 30% against Colorado.
10. Overall play against through 7 weeks
Colorado opened up the season with a 44-7 victory over Colorado State, then blasted Idaho State, lost on the road to Michigan 45-28 (led at one point 21-7), beat Oregon in Autzen 41-38, beat Oregon State 47-6, lost on the road to USC 21-17 (game was tied 14-14 in the 4th quarter), and beat previously 5-1 ASU 40-16 in a game that was never close.
11. Balanced offensive attack
Again and again, Colorado has proven to have a balanced offensive attack that has been very tough for opponents to prepare for as well as stop. Against Arizona State, they ran for 315-yards while throwing for 265-yards through the air.
12. 3-0 in Boulder and 4-0 in Colorado.
Playing in Colorado has been great for the Buffs this season. They are 4-0 in the State of Colorado (played the opener in Denver) and unbeaten at home. They have outscored opponents at Folsom Field 143-29 (48-9). 3 out of their next 5 are at home.
13. Quarterback Play
Colorado has two quarterbacks that have been named PAC 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Senior Sefo Liufau who has thrown for 1,044-yards with 6 touchdowns and RS-Freshman Steven Montez who has thrown for 94-yards and 9 touchdowns. Combined the two quarterbacks are 152 of 226 passing (67.3%) for 1,984-yards passing with 15 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions.
14. Tied for first in the PAC 12 South with Utah
After 7 weeks of play No. 21 Utah has a record of 6-1 and 3-1 in the conference, Colorado is 5-2 and 3-1 in conference. UTAH beat USC and USC beat Colorado, but the Buffs are still in the mix to win the conference controlling their own destiny. Utah is at UCLA in Week 8, Colorado is on the road at Stanford.
15. Scoring over 39 per game
Colorado is scoring an average of 39 points per game this season. The scored 44 against Colorado State, 56 against Idaho State, 41 against Oregon, 47 against Oregon State, and 40 against Arizona State.
16. Receiving corps are among best in PAC 12
When Nelson Spruce who is now with the LA Rams graduated, the question was: Who is going to step up at receiver. This year Colorado has a trio of receivers that have proved to be outstanding. Shay Fields has caught for 27 receptions for 512-yards with 5 touchdowns, Devin Ross has caught for 38 receptions for 458-yards with 5 touchdowns, and Bryce Bobo has caught for 33 receptions for 441-yards and 2 touchdowns.
17. Phillip Lindsay has come alive
Junior Running Back Phillip Lindsay who ran for a career high 219-yards and 3 touchdowns against Arizona State has emerged as a true running back threat. On the year he has rushed for 107 carries for 614-yards and scored 9 touchdowns.
18. Jimmie Gilbert leads nation in forced fumbles, leads nation
Senior Linebacker Jimmie Gilbert has 6 sacks on the season and leads the nation in forced fumbles with 5. Through just 7 games Gilbert has already met his sack total from a season ago, he’s proven to be one of the best pass rushers in the PAC 12.
19. Defense has forced a takeaway in 20 consecutive games, leads nation
The Buffs have forced at least one turnover in the last 20 games. That stat leads the entire nation. Saturday evening, Colorado Safety Afolabi Laguda came up with an interception late in the game which extended the streak.
20. Offensive Line Play
The Offensive Linemen of Colorado have not received much attention this year, but they are the reason the offense has been so productive. On the year they have allowed just 7 sacks and last night after Running Back Phillip Lindsay rushed for over 200-yards and 3 scores, Lindsay brought the entire offensive line to the press conference. He said that the blocks were there creating rushing lanes and all he had to do was run. Junior Linemen Jeromy Irwin has more than 15 knockdowns on the season, senior center Alex Kelley has been outstanding, and RS-Freshman Tim Lynott has been a top newcomer.
21. Veteran Leadership
The Buffs are led by a majority of upperclassmen this year on both sides of the football. 3 seniors, 7 Juniors, and 1 RS-Freshman start on offense. On the defensive side of the ball 8 seniors, 2 juniors, and 1 RS-Sophomore start. That is a total of 20 out of 22 starters that are either seniors or juniors on the field each Saturday, most of them have been here since Colorado Football Coach Mike MacIntyre arrived in 2013.
22. Jim Leavitt
The former Head Coach at South Florida and the former linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers is having an amazing year the Defensive Coordinator at Colorado. The defense ranks No. 1 overall in the PAC 12 allowing mind-blowing 314.1 yards per game. ASU had just 199-yards of total offense Saturday night.
23. 1st half play
Colorado’s first half play has been tremendous. They are outscoring opponents in quarters one and two 187-71. In the first quarter, they are averaging 13.1 points per game, in the second quarter they are averaging 13.5 points per game. The only game they did not score in the first half was against USC. They were leading Colorado State 31-0 at half, leading Idaho State 49-0 at half, leading Oregon 26-17 at half, leading Oregon State 37-6 at half, and lead Arizona State Saturday evening 23-10 at half.
24. 3rd down efficiency
The Buffs have a 3rd down efficiency of 47% this season. That stat translates to their big average of 26 first downs per game. They move the chains.
25. Mike MacIntyre’s program turnaround
Honestly, who in College Football at the Head Coaching Position has had a bigger program turnaround than Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre? Through this first three seasons with the Buffs, he was 2-25 in conference play with an overall record of 10-27 since 2013. This year the Buffs are 5-2 and 3-1 in conference and were ranked earlier this season, the first time that has happened to Colorado since 2005. While there are plenty of games left, MacIntyre’s name has to be mentioned in the Coach of the Year discussion if the Buffs keep winning. The Rise is only Real because of the foundation MacIntyre has built.
5 More Reasons
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