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Buffs wallop Charleston Southern 43-10
Oct 19th
Video highlights of the game:
Adkins, a true freshman from San Diego, accounted for a freshman school record four touchdowns on runs of 23, 5, 33 yards and 34 yards. Entering Saturday’s game, the Buffs had scored one rushing TD in their previous five games.
“We always say we want to be about 50-50 (run-pass), it depends on how the game goes,” said Adkins, who finished with 137 yards on 13 carries. “But running today definitely was a factor.”
And how. Tailback/fullback Christian Powell also scored on a 2-yard run as the Buffs enjoyed their most productive running afternoon of the season (218 yards). Adkins’ four TDs eclipsed the school freshman record set by Herschel Troutman in 1994 and equaled by Powell last season.
The Buffs’ top rushing effort this season had been 154 yards in a 44-17 loss at Oregon State. In the two games before Saturday, they had totaled 94 yards against Oregon and 99 against Arizona State. Adkins’ carries had steadily risen in the three previous games, with his 98 yards on 14 attempts at OSU the previous high mark for a CU back this season.
“My carries have been increasing every week so I just took advantage of the carries I got,” Adkins said. “Our line blocked well and I just kept grinding and kept finding the holes . . . it gave me a lot of confidence. I didn’t score in my first two games, so scoring today gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
The Buffs broke a three-game losing streak, evened their record at 3-3 and won their first game under first-time starting quarterback Sefo Liufau. CU returns to Pac-12 competition and remain at home next weekend, hosting Arizona (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network) in a game that suddenly looms as perhaps the schedule’s most pivotal.
With Saturday’s win, CU’s goal now becomes to win its first Pac-12 game under first-year coach Mike MacIntyre next week and exit October 4-3 overall. That leaves five conference games in the season’s final month for the Buffs to get two wins and reach six for bowl qualification – something that hasn’t happened since the 2006 season.
“If we get the one next week,” said MacIntyre, “it means November matters in Colorado.”
A true freshman from Tacoma, Wash., Liufau made his college debut last weekend at Arizona State, replacing junior Connor Wood in the first quarter of CU’s 54-13 loss. Liufau finished 18-of-26 for 169 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, in that game.
In his first start Saturday, he was 14-of-20 for 198 yards. Liufau’s TD pass covered 60 yards, most of them courtesy of fleet junior Paul Richardson in the second quarter. Richardson finished with eight receptions for 122 yards.
“It feels good,” Liufau said of his home debut and first start. “It was fun being out there with the guys and just playing and having fun.” He called he confidence gained from the win “a tribute to the team – the O-line blocking, the receivers running the routes. Paul had a great play there . . . I definitely got confidence as I kept going.”
The game against previously unbeaten CSU, the FCS’ No. 24-ranked team, was arranged last month to replace Fresno State on the CU schedule. The Fresno State contest was postponed due to the mid-September floods that ravaged Boulder and Boulder County.
“I’m thankful that Charleston Southern wanted to play us,” MacIntyre said. “Or we couldn’t have played today.”
CSU, which entered the afternoon 7-0, was without its first two quarterbacks and started freshman Kyle Copeland, who was playing in only his third game and had thrown two incompletions in his only two attempts. Copeland’s final passing stats: 7-of-14 for 48 yards, one TD, one interception.
CU outgained CSU 416-196 in total offense, with the Buffs adjusting to the Buccaneers’ option attack and holding them to zero points and 46 total yards in the second half.
“(CU) is just a better team than us,” said CSU coach Jamey Chadwell. “We had seven wins before today and I don’t think that’s going to change. The only difference is that won’t play quite as good of a team. They made some good adjustments during the second half, and as for us, we’re going to keep doing what we do.”
The Buffs got out of the first half with a 22-10 lead largely made possible by a timely fumble recovery by Nate Bonsu and Richardson’s runaway speed.
Bonsu got the loose ball following defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe’s strip of CSU quarterback Kyle Copeland at the Buccaneers’ 12-yard line in the second quarter. Two plays later, Adkins took a handoff headed off left tackle, weaved to his right and scored from 5 yards out.
Will Oliver’s PAT staked CU to a 15-3 lead that ballooned to 22-3 after a three-and-out CSU series and a 60-yard pitch-and-catch executed by Liufau and Richardson.
Credit Liufau with keeping the play afloat; he fielded a bouncing center snap, collected himself and spotted Richardson crossing right to left in front of the formation. “P-Rich” took the short pass, reversed his field and outran two Buccaneers in pursuit to the right pylon.
Oliver again kicked the extra point and CU seemed comfortably ahead 22-3. The Buffs had opened the game with a 65-yard, six-play scoring drive, getting 52 yards on the ground – the last 23 by Adkins. They went ahead 8-0 when holder Darragh O’Neill ran for the two-point conference.
But after CU had surged in front 22-3, CSU collected itself for its second 9-plus minute drive of the half – the first ended with a field goal when an apparent TD pass on a well-designed pitch was reviewed and overruled – and scored on a 7-yard Copeland to Colton Korn with six left before intermission.
The disallowed TD proved pivotal. The play initially was reviewed and not overturned, but MacIntyre called a time out to allow another look and said he was told by an official that the ball being bobbled by tight end Nathan Prater was missed on the first look.
Chadwell said he was upset because “they took a time out, they reviewed the play (and) it was fine. Then the other review took an hour. They (officials) didn’t go by their protocol . . . I just felt like it was huge deal momentum-wise, because that could have meant a touchdown for us.”
CU, which was leading 8-0 at the time, finished the half with 164 yards in total offense, while CSU had 150. Liufau attempted only six first-half passes, completing four for 74 yards – Richardson’s long TD was for 60 – and being sacked once. Copeland, playing in only his second game and 0-2 in passing, was five-for-eight for 27 yards and a TD. The Buccaneers controlled the ball for 21:51 to 8:09 in the opening half.
The Buffs scored on their first possession of the second half, opening a 29-10 lead after a 13-play, 64-yard march capped by Christian Powell’s 2-yard run. Exactly 3 minutes later – at 4:11 – Liufau and his offense failed to capitalize on a Jered Bell interception near midfield, and the quarter ended with CU clutching its 19-point lead.
With 11:22 to play, Adkins’ 33-yard jaunt and Oliver’s extra point sent the Buffs comfortably ahead 36-10. Just over 5 minutes later, Adkins broke loose again and broke three tackles en route to his record-setting fourth rushing TD.
Wood replaced Liufau and Tony Jones replaced Adkins with just over 3 minutes remaining, with CU taking possession near its 15-yard line and ending the game near midfield.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Game Story by B.G. Brooks CUBuffs.com contributing editor
BOULDER – Stepping away from their Pac-12 Conference schedule on a perfect mid-October Saturday, the Colorado Buffaloes eventually stepped out of Folsom Field with a 43-10 romp past overmatched Charleston Southern.
The Buffs’ Big Stepper was tailback Michael Adkins II.
Michael Adkins II
Adkins, a true freshman from San Diego, accounted for a freshman school record four touchdowns on runs of 23, 5, 33 yards and 34 yards. Entering Saturday’s game, the Buffs had scored one rushing TD in their previous five games.
“We always say we want to be about 50-50 (run-pass), it depends on how the game goes,” said Adkins, who finished with 137 yards on 13 carries. “But running today definitely was a factor.”
And how. Tailback/fullback Christian Powell also scored on a 2-yard run as the Buffs enjoyed their most productive running afternoon of the season (218 yards). Adkins’ four TDs eclipsed the school freshman record set by Herschel Troutman in 1994 and equaled by Powell last season.
The Buffs’ top rushing effort this season had been 154 yards in a 44-17 loss at Oregon State. In the two games before Saturday, they had totaled 94 yards against Oregon and 99 against Arizona State. Adkins’ carries had steadily risen in the three previous games, with his 98 yards on 14 attempts at OSU the previous high mark for a CU back this season.
“My carries have been increasing every week so I just took advantage of the carries I got,” Adkins said. “Our line blocked well and I just kept grinding and kept finding the holes . . . it gave me a lot of confidence. I didn’t score in my first two games, so scoring today gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
The Buffs broke a three-game losing streak, evened their record at 3-3 and won their first game under first-time starting quarterback Sefo Liufau. CU returns to Pac-12 competition and remain at home next weekend, hosting Arizona (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network) in a game that suddenly looms as perhaps the schedule’s most pivotal.
With Saturday’s win, CU’s goal now becomes to win its first Pac-12 game under first-year coach Mike MacIntyre next week and exit October 4-3 overall. That leaves five conference games in the season’s final month for the Buffs to get two wins and reach six for bowl qualification – something that hasn’t happened since the 2006 season.
“If we get the one next week,” said MacIntyre, “it means November matters in Colorado.”
A true freshman from Tacoma, Wash., Liufau made his college debut last weekend at Arizona State, replacing junior Connor Wood in the first quarter of CU’s 54-13 loss. Liufau finished 18-of-26 for 169 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, in that game.
In his first start Saturday, he was 14-of-20 for 198 yards. Liufau’s TD pass covered 60 yards, most of them courtesy of fleet junior Paul Richardson in the second quarter. Richardson finished with eight receptions for 122 yards.
“It feels good,” Liufau said of his home debut and first start. “It was fun being out there with the guys and just playing and having fun.” He called he confidence gained from the win “a tribute to the team – the O-line blocking, the receivers running the routes. Paul had a great play there . . . I definitely got confidence as I kept going.”
The game against previously unbeaten CSU, the FCS’ No. 24-ranked team, was arranged last month to replace Fresno State on the CU schedule. The Fresno State contest was postponed due to the mid-September floods that ravaged Boulder and Boulder County.
“I’m thankful that Charleston Southern wanted to play us,” MacIntyre said. “Or we couldn’t have played today.”
CSU, which entered the afternoon 7-0, was without its first two quarterbacks and started freshman Kyle Copeland, who was playing in only his third game and had thrown two incompletions in his only two attempts. Copeland’s final passing stats: 7-of-14 for 48 yards, one TD, one interception.
CU outgained CSU 416-196 in total offense, with the Buffs adjusting to the Buccaneers’ option attack and holding them to zero points and 46 total yards in the second half.
“(CU) is just a better team than us,” said CSU coach Jamey Chadwell. “We had seven wins before today and I don’t think that’s going to change. The only difference is that won’t play quite as good of a team. They made some good adjustments during the second half, and as for us, we’re going to keep doing what we do.”
The Buffs got out of the first half with a 22-10 lead largely made possible by a timely fumble recovery by Nate Bonsu and Richardson’s runaway speed.
Bonsu got the loose ball following defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe’s strip of CSU quarterback Kyle Copeland at the Buccaneers’ 12-yard line in the second quarter. Two plays later, Adkins took a handoff headed off left tackle, weaved to his right and scored from 5 yards out.
Will Oliver’s PAT staked CU to a 15-3 lead that ballooned to 22-3 after a three-and-out CSU series and a 60-yard pitch-and-catch executed by Liufau and Richardson.
Credit Liufau with keeping the play afloat; he fielded a bouncing center snap, collected himself and spotted Richardson crossing right to left in front of the formation. “P-Rich” took the short pass, reversed his field and outran two Buccaneers in pursuit to the right pylon.
Oliver again kicked the extra point and CU seemed comfortably ahead 22-3. The Buffs had opened the game with a 65-yard, six-play scoring drive, getting 52 yards on the ground – the last 23 by Adkins. They went ahead 8-0 when holder Darragh O’Neill ran for the two-point conference.
But after CU had surged in front 22-3, CSU collected itself for its second 9-plus minute drive of the half – the first ended with a field goal when an apparent TD pass on a well-designed pitch was reviewed and overruled – and scored on a 7-yard Copeland to Colton Korn with six left before intermission.
The disallowed TD proved pivotal. The play initially was reviewed and not overturned, but MacIntyre called a time out to allow another look and said he was told by an official that the ball being bobbled by tight end Nathan Prater was missed on the first look.
Chadwell said he was upset because “they took a time out, they reviewed the play (and) it was fine. Then the other review took an hour. They (officials) didn’t go by their protocol . . . I just felt like it was huge deal momentum-wise, because that could have meant a touchdown for us.”
CU, which was leading 8-0 at the time, finished the half with 164 yards in total offense, while CSU had 150. Liufau attempted only six first-half passes, completing four for 74 yards – Richardson’s long TD was for 60 – and being sacked once. Copeland, playing in only his second game and 0-2 in passing, was five-for-eight for 27 yards and a TD. The Buccaneers controlled the ball for 21:51 to 8:09 in the opening half.
The Buffs scored on their first possession of the second half, opening a 29-10 lead after a 13-play, 64-yard march capped by Christian Powell’s 2-yard run. Exactly 3 minutes later – at 4:11 – Liufau and his offense failed to capitalize on a Jered Bell interception near midfield, and the quarter ended with CU clutching its 19-point lead.
With 11:22 to play, Adkins’ 33-yard jaunt and Oliver’s extra point sent the Buffs comfortably ahead 36-10. Just over 5 minutes later, Adkins broke loose again and broke three tackles en route to his record-setting fourth rushing TD.
Wood replaced Liufau and Tony Jones replaced Adkins with just over 3 minutes remaining, with CU taking possession near its 15-yard line and ending the game near midfield.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
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CU women’s volleyball team falls to No. 21 Oregon Ducks
Oct 19th
EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Colorado volleyball team put up a battle but was unable to earn the road win as the Buffs fell 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-18) to the No. 21 Oregon Ducks on Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena.
Junior middle blocker Kelsey English led the Buffs with nine kills and hit a match-best .600 with no errors on 15 attacks. She also recorded three digs and added one block assist.
Kelsey English
Nikki Lindow had seven kills for CU while posting four blocks (one solo and three assists). Taylor Simpson and Alexis Austin each had four kills in the effort and Kerra Schroeder added three kills. The Buff hit .128 in the match with 28 kills and 14 errors on 109 attacks. Nicole Edelman handed out 20 assists for the Buffs and tallied one kill.
Defensively Cierra Simpson picked up 10 digs, while Edelman and Schroeder each had six digs. Edelman also did well at the net with four blocks (one solo and three assists). CU had 38 digs and 7.0 team blocks in the match.
The Ducks hit .226 in the match with 47 kills and 21 errors on 115 swings. Liz Brenner led UO with 14 kills and Canace Finley and Martenne Bettendorf each contributed nine kills. Finley also posted four block solos and Amanda Benson had a match-high 16 digs.
The Buffs are now 11-6 overall, 3-4 in the Pac-12; while the Ducks improved to 11-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
CU took a 6-3 lead in set one after putting together a 5-0 run on Schroeder’s serve, forcing the Ducks to use their first timeout of the set. Oregon came back to even the score at 9-9 and from there it was a back-and-fourth battle to the finish. CU had a 21-19 advantage over the Ducks before UO rallied back to finish the frame with six straight points (25-21). The Buffs out-hit UO in the set .143-.073. Each team recorded 11 kills in the game, but the Ducks had eight errors on 41 attacks while CU had just six errors on 35 attacks.
The second set was another close battle in the beginning before the Ducks took a 13-9 lead. The Buffs tried to stick with UO, but the Ducks increased their lead to 21-13 and finished the set 25-16. The Buffs hit .024 compared to UO’s .189.
Oregon took an 8-5 lead in set three, so Kritza called her first timeout of the frame. The Buffs got back within one point at 11-10, but again the Ducks pulled ahead, this time going up 16-12. Once again CU got back within a point at 17-16 after a 4-1 run, this time forcing the Ducks to use a timeout. Out of that break, the Ducks recorded a 5-1 run (22-17) and the Buffs called their final timeout of the set. CU tried its best, but was unable to overcome the deficit and fell 25-18.
The Buffs return to action on Sunday, Oct. 20 against Oregon State at 12 p.m. MT in Corvallis, Ore.
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COLORADO BUFFALOES
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CU Women’s Soccer Ties Cal 1-1 In Double Overtime
Oct 19th
BERKELEY, Calif. – As the final minute of regulation ticked down at Goldman Field at Edwards Stadium, the University of Colorado soccer team looked primed to upset No. 9 California.
With 42 seconds remaining, Cal netted the equalizer, tying the game at 1-1, a score that would hold for two overtimes.
After a defensive battle in the first half, the Buffaloes grabbed the lead in the 67th minute. Madison Krauser, assisted by Anne Stuller, found the back of the net for her third goal of the game. In the final minute, following a Colorado foul, the Golden Bears tied the game up, with Emi Lawson heading one in off an Arianna Martinez assist. Cal outshot CU 6-1 in overtime play, but neither team could get their golden goal, giving the Buffs their first tie of the season.
Madison Krauser
“I think the first half was pretty tight,” CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. “There weren’t a lot of chances to be had either way. In the second half, Madi scored a great goal with a nice feed from Anne Stuller that banged the back of the goal. At that point, Cal started sending everybody forward. We withstood a couple really dangerous opportunities and they got that one there at the end. I’m pleased with how we responded in overtime. The tendency is to get down, but we kept battling. When it’s all said and done, I think it’s a good result to get on the road against a top 10 team. I’m disappointed that they scored so late, but if you take a step back and look at it, it was probably a good result over 110 minutes.”
The last time the Buffs tied a ranked team was in the 2010 Big 12 Tournament, when CU pushed No. 6 Texas A&M to 0-0 double overtime draw. (That same season, the Buffs beat the No. 6 Aggies 2-1 in an overtime battle in College Station, Texas to record their first regular season victory over A&M – marking the Buffs’ last victory over a ranked opponent).
CU moves to 11-3-1 overall, 3-2-1 Pac-12 Conference. With its fifth tie of the season, Cal is now 9-1-5, 2-1-3 Pac-12. The Bears’ lone loss of the season was to No. 2 UCLA last weekend.
Cal has allowed just one first half goal this season, and that early defensive pressure showed on Friday. The Buffs were held to just two shots in the opening 45 minutes, but got opportunities off five corner kicks (Cal took zero corners in the first half).
In the eighth minute, Stuller took the Buffs’ first corner kick. Five minutes later, Emily Paxton took the first shot of the game, making Cal goalkeeper Emily Kruger grab a save.
Cal quickly responded, with Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick forcing Anne Brunner to grab a save of her own. Though the Buffs took two more corners, the Bears were back on the attack with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Samantha Witteman and Celeste Boureille both hit on target, with Brunner snatching two more saves.
In the final five minutes before the break, the Buffs hit two more corner kicks and Darcy Jerman got her shot blocked, keeping the game scoreless.
Both teams were ready to get on the board in the beginning of the second half, with Cal’s Mekenna DeBack hitting one wide, and Stuller responding with a shot for the Buffs. In the 58th minute, Carly Bolyard took a corner kick. The Buffs kept possession, and Paxton got another shot at the keeper.
In the 67th minute, the Buffs finally hit the back of the net, with Krauser dribbling into the center from the left past a Cal defender and putting the Buffs up 1-0. The Buffs remained on the attack, with Paxton forcing another Kruger save in the 69th minute.
Back-to-back corner kicks helped Cal get back on offense, with Arielle Ship hitting one wide. Though the Buffs responded with shots by Brooke Rice and Olivia Pappalardo, Cal dominated the final minutes of regulation. In the 86th minute, Fitzpatrick once again rushed the net and Brunner got the save.
As the clock wound down, the Buffs were seconds away from the upset. At 89:53, Alex Huynh received a yellow card, helping turn the tides for the Bears. With just 42 seconds remaining, Emi Lawson headed the ball in off an Arianna Martinez assist, sending the game into overtime.
“They had a lot of players going forward and they won a free kick in the corner,” Sanchez said. “It was a great service and a great header. I don’t think there’s anything we could about either one of them. If you’re going to get scored on, you want it to be a good goal like that one … It doesn’t matter when you score them; it’s just that you score them. That’s why Cal’s a good team. They got one late, but we responded well. To get that result in the Pac-12 on the road is good.”
In the first five minutes of overtime, Cal took three shots. Colorado was never able to find its offensive stride, but looked strong defensively. Though the Bears took two corner kicks in the final four minutes of the first overtime, the Buffs kept them from any good looks. The teams were in familiar territory in the 100th minute, as Cal’s Fitzpatrick received a yellow card, but 45 seconds wasn’t enough for the Buffs to put the game away.
Pappalardo hit the Buffs’ only shot in the extra minutes, which Kruger saved at the 102:01 mark. Cal’s leading scorer and 2012 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Ifeoma Onumonu took her first shot of the game in the final minute, but Brunner was ready one final time for the save.
“They were great,” Sanchez said of the Buffs’ defense. “Ifeoma is so dangerous, and I think we did a good job of pushing her wide and making her be the provider and not the finisher. I felt we did a pretty good job on her, but she’s just so dangerous over the full stretch of the match. Those are the type of forwards you face in the Pac-12, and our back four did enough to get us the result. We’re pleased with the result and we’re really pleased with what they did and what Brunner did.”
The Buffs return home next weekend for their final games at Prentup Field. The tough competition continues as the Buffs face USC and UCLA. Both games will be aired on the Pac-12 Networks.
“USC had a bit of a stumble at the beginning of Pac-12 play, but they’ve been hot,” Sanchez said. “They tied this same Cal team, and beat Stanford. They’re really playing well. UCLA, at this point, is the frontrunner to win the league. They’re still undefeated in the league. They’re a very good team and very deep with talent. We know the challenges. I think it will be great to be back home, especially with our last home games of the season and Senior Day on Sunday. We hope to get a big crowd out and to get some results. We have five games left in conference play, and we still have a lot of work to do.”
Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with your CU soccer team in the Breast Cancer Awareness game on Friday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. The first 500 fans to arrive will receive a FREE pink CU rally towel!
—
Marlee Horn
Graduate Assistant SID
University of Colorado
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