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“It’s Real Frustrating, Actually”
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It’s tempting, when a game is decided by less than a touchdown, to play the “What If?” game.
What if … the Buffs weren’t called for holding on a Steven Montez touchdown run with seven minutes remaining? The Buffs would have take a 27-24 lead instead of settling for a field goal and a 24-23 deficit.
What if … the Buffs hadn’t gone for the fake field goal late in the second quarter? Instead of trailing 14-10 at the break, it would have been a 14-13 game, and the strategies of play the second half would been altered.
What if … Buff receivers hadn’t dropped two touchdown passes in the end zone?
“We had a couple plays here or there that could have gone either way”, said Mike MacIntyre. “That was the difference in the game”.
The “What If?” game can drive you crazy, and is not advised. (If you still aren’t convinced, ask a Colorado State fan to lunch, and start the conversation with: “How do you think the Rocky Mountain Showdown would have turned out if the Rams hadn’t been called for three offensive pass interference penalties?”. An hour later, you’ll agree that the “What If?” game is to be avoided).
There is a case to be made, however, for taking a look at the UCLA game for its defining moments. Not only game-defining moments, mind you, but potentially season-defining moments.
Case in point … Colorado at Oregon, 2016.
When the Buffs traveled to Eugene last September, both teams were 2-1. CU had vanquished Colorado State and Idaho State, but had just absorbed a tough road loss to Michigan the week before. Oregon had vanquished UC-Davis and Virginia, but had just absorbed a tough road loss to Nebraska the week before.
Oregon was coming off of a 9-4 season in 2015, and hadn’t had a losing season in a decade.
Colorado, meanwhile, was coming off of a 4-9 season in 2015, and hadn’t had a winning season in a decade.
The game went back and forth, and came down to one play.
The Buffs were up, 41-38, but the lead was precarious. Oregon had a first-and-goal at the Colorado seven yard line, with 1:43 still to play. All the time in the world to run three plays for a game-winning touchdown, with a field goal to force overtime the worst case scenario.
Instead, the Ducks, out of an arrogance built out of a decade of success, didn’t take their time. Senior transfer quarterback Dakota Prokup did not make the correct read, lofting a pass to the corner of the end zone, where it was intercepted by Ahkello Witherspoon.
Game over. Buffs win in an upset, 41-38.
Buff fans all know what happened next. The Buffs went on to an 8-1 Pac-12 record, claiming the Pac-12 South title. Oregon, meanwhile, went the other direction, finishing 4-8 (2-7 in Pac-12 play), including a 70-21 mauling at the hands of Washington, and an embarrassing season-ending loss to Oregon State.
What if … Dakota Prokup had handed the ball off instead of going for a quick score on first-and-goal at the seven with 1:43 remaining? The Buff defense was reeling, and, even if the Buffs had held the next three plays and forced a field goal, the Ducks would have had momentum heading into overtime.
If Oregon had pulled out the win, would the Ducks have collapsed so dramatically? Would Mark Helfrich still be coaching in Eugene?
Closer to home, an Oregon victory would have meant that Colorado would have fallen to 2-2 on the season, 0-1 in Pac-12 play. Would the Buffs have bounced back from yet another close loss? Would Colorado, which had gone 5-40 in its first five seasons in the Pac-12, gone on to win seven of its next eight conference games?
I’m guessing “no”.
The 27-23 loss to UCLA can be the catalyst for the Buffs turning the 2017 season into something special … or it could be the first of what could become a series of tough-to-live-with losses, like those experienced in 2015.
Remember … Arizona 38, Colorado 31? No. 25 UCLA 35, Colorado 31 (2OT)? USC 27, Colorado 24? No. 23 Utah 20, Colorado 14?
It’s the difference between 8-4 and 4-8.
The Buffs, for their part, are vowing to use the UCLA game as an instrument of motivation …
— “The biggest thing is we got to work on the little things, that are coming up on film,” said defensive end Leo Jackson III. “One or two yards that make the critical difference we need. We need those yards, we need to find out a way to make those plays.”
— “It’s just about taking that next step,” said defensive back Isaiah Oliver. “It starts with fixing mistakes, we had way too many penalties today, way too many coverages busted and things like that. So we’re going to fix that this week and come out strong and get ready to play Arizona.”
— “It’s real frustrating, actually,” said quarterback Steven Montez, who led the team in passing (17-of-36, 243 yards, one touchdown) and rushing (15 attempts for 108 yards). “I thought there were a lot of plays out there that could have gone our way. Obviously they didn’t. We need to get back to practice on Monday and just use this as motivation. If this doesn’t fire you up, I don’t know what will. I thought that we played a good game. We’ve just got to finish”.
There were some positives to come out of the UCLA game. The Buffs put together perhaps their most complete effort of the season, and the numbers back that up …
— The Buff offense went for 434 yards, including 191 on the ground (while holding UCLA to 95 rushing yards);
— The Buffs came into the game 97th in the nation in turnovers lost, and 121st in sacks against, but did not have a turnover, and did not surrender a sack; and
— Freshman kicker James Stefanou remains a weapon (as long as he is not asked to catch passes). Stefanou hit all three of his field goal attempts, giving him nine consecutive made kicks (and 10-of-11 on the season).
The Colorado offense (finally) showed some semblance of consistency, with four drives of over ten plays, with drives covering 63, 76, 75, 62, and 55 yards.
The major problem, though, comes when the Buffs hit the red zone.
The Colorado offense made it inside the UCLA 20-yard line five times on the night, but came away with one touchdown. Scoring four times out of five in the red zone isn’t bad, but one touchdown, three field goals, and a botched field goal attempt is not going to win many games on the road against Pac-12 opponents.
For the season, the Buffs have been inside the opponent’s red zone 18 times, but have come away with only eight touchdowns, to go with seven field goals and three outright whiffs.
“We’re going to keep moving, we’re going to keep working forward and we’re going to get ready for our next one,” said Mike MacIntyre. “Our kids will bounce back but I was really proud of the way they fought and really proud of the way they played. Had a couple plays here or there that could have gone either way, that was the difference in the game, that’s just the way it goes sometimes.”
It is just the way it goes sometimes.
Sometimes teams bounce back.
Sometimes teams can’t get over the hump (see: Colorado, 2015).
Sometimes teams don’t recover (see: Oregon, 2016).
“The kids just battled extremely hard and we’re getting better and better and better,” said MacIntyre. “We’re going to get a bunch of wins before it’s over.”
Buff fans can only hope that will prove true, and that the 2017 season-defining moment won’t prove to be a holding call in the fourth quarter of the 27-23 loss to UCLA …
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Stuart
Continue reading...
“It’s Real Frustrating, Actually”
—
It’s tempting, when a game is decided by less than a touchdown, to play the “What If?” game.
What if … the Buffs weren’t called for holding on a Steven Montez touchdown run with seven minutes remaining? The Buffs would have take a 27-24 lead instead of settling for a field goal and a 24-23 deficit.
What if … the Buffs hadn’t gone for the fake field goal late in the second quarter? Instead of trailing 14-10 at the break, it would have been a 14-13 game, and the strategies of play the second half would been altered.
What if … Buff receivers hadn’t dropped two touchdown passes in the end zone?
“We had a couple plays here or there that could have gone either way”, said Mike MacIntyre. “That was the difference in the game”.
The “What If?” game can drive you crazy, and is not advised. (If you still aren’t convinced, ask a Colorado State fan to lunch, and start the conversation with: “How do you think the Rocky Mountain Showdown would have turned out if the Rams hadn’t been called for three offensive pass interference penalties?”. An hour later, you’ll agree that the “What If?” game is to be avoided).
There is a case to be made, however, for taking a look at the UCLA game for its defining moments. Not only game-defining moments, mind you, but potentially season-defining moments.
Case in point … Colorado at Oregon, 2016.
When the Buffs traveled to Eugene last September, both teams were 2-1. CU had vanquished Colorado State and Idaho State, but had just absorbed a tough road loss to Michigan the week before. Oregon had vanquished UC-Davis and Virginia, but had just absorbed a tough road loss to Nebraska the week before.
Oregon was coming off of a 9-4 season in 2015, and hadn’t had a losing season in a decade.
Colorado, meanwhile, was coming off of a 4-9 season in 2015, and hadn’t had a winning season in a decade.
The game went back and forth, and came down to one play.
The Buffs were up, 41-38, but the lead was precarious. Oregon had a first-and-goal at the Colorado seven yard line, with 1:43 still to play. All the time in the world to run three plays for a game-winning touchdown, with a field goal to force overtime the worst case scenario.
Instead, the Ducks, out of an arrogance built out of a decade of success, didn’t take their time. Senior transfer quarterback Dakota Prokup did not make the correct read, lofting a pass to the corner of the end zone, where it was intercepted by Ahkello Witherspoon.
Game over. Buffs win in an upset, 41-38.
Buff fans all know what happened next. The Buffs went on to an 8-1 Pac-12 record, claiming the Pac-12 South title. Oregon, meanwhile, went the other direction, finishing 4-8 (2-7 in Pac-12 play), including a 70-21 mauling at the hands of Washington, and an embarrassing season-ending loss to Oregon State.
What if … Dakota Prokup had handed the ball off instead of going for a quick score on first-and-goal at the seven with 1:43 remaining? The Buff defense was reeling, and, even if the Buffs had held the next three plays and forced a field goal, the Ducks would have had momentum heading into overtime.
If Oregon had pulled out the win, would the Ducks have collapsed so dramatically? Would Mark Helfrich still be coaching in Eugene?
Closer to home, an Oregon victory would have meant that Colorado would have fallen to 2-2 on the season, 0-1 in Pac-12 play. Would the Buffs have bounced back from yet another close loss? Would Colorado, which had gone 5-40 in its first five seasons in the Pac-12, gone on to win seven of its next eight conference games?
I’m guessing “no”.
The 27-23 loss to UCLA can be the catalyst for the Buffs turning the 2017 season into something special … or it could be the first of what could become a series of tough-to-live-with losses, like those experienced in 2015.
Remember … Arizona 38, Colorado 31? No. 25 UCLA 35, Colorado 31 (2OT)? USC 27, Colorado 24? No. 23 Utah 20, Colorado 14?
It’s the difference between 8-4 and 4-8.
The Buffs, for their part, are vowing to use the UCLA game as an instrument of motivation …
— “The biggest thing is we got to work on the little things, that are coming up on film,” said defensive end Leo Jackson III. “One or two yards that make the critical difference we need. We need those yards, we need to find out a way to make those plays.”
— “It’s just about taking that next step,” said defensive back Isaiah Oliver. “It starts with fixing mistakes, we had way too many penalties today, way too many coverages busted and things like that. So we’re going to fix that this week and come out strong and get ready to play Arizona.”
— “It’s real frustrating, actually,” said quarterback Steven Montez, who led the team in passing (17-of-36, 243 yards, one touchdown) and rushing (15 attempts for 108 yards). “I thought there were a lot of plays out there that could have gone our way. Obviously they didn’t. We need to get back to practice on Monday and just use this as motivation. If this doesn’t fire you up, I don’t know what will. I thought that we played a good game. We’ve just got to finish”.
There were some positives to come out of the UCLA game. The Buffs put together perhaps their most complete effort of the season, and the numbers back that up …
— The Buff offense went for 434 yards, including 191 on the ground (while holding UCLA to 95 rushing yards);
— The Buffs came into the game 97th in the nation in turnovers lost, and 121st in sacks against, but did not have a turnover, and did not surrender a sack; and
— Freshman kicker James Stefanou remains a weapon (as long as he is not asked to catch passes). Stefanou hit all three of his field goal attempts, giving him nine consecutive made kicks (and 10-of-11 on the season).
The Colorado offense (finally) showed some semblance of consistency, with four drives of over ten plays, with drives covering 63, 76, 75, 62, and 55 yards.
The major problem, though, comes when the Buffs hit the red zone.
The Colorado offense made it inside the UCLA 20-yard line five times on the night, but came away with one touchdown. Scoring four times out of five in the red zone isn’t bad, but one touchdown, three field goals, and a botched field goal attempt is not going to win many games on the road against Pac-12 opponents.
For the season, the Buffs have been inside the opponent’s red zone 18 times, but have come away with only eight touchdowns, to go with seven field goals and three outright whiffs.
“We’re going to keep moving, we’re going to keep working forward and we’re going to get ready for our next one,” said Mike MacIntyre. “Our kids will bounce back but I was really proud of the way they fought and really proud of the way they played. Had a couple plays here or there that could have gone either way, that was the difference in the game, that’s just the way it goes sometimes.”
It is just the way it goes sometimes.
Sometimes teams bounce back.
Sometimes teams can’t get over the hump (see: Colorado, 2015).
Sometimes teams don’t recover (see: Oregon, 2016).
“The kids just battled extremely hard and we’re getting better and better and better,” said MacIntyre. “We’re going to get a bunch of wins before it’s over.”
Buff fans can only hope that will prove true, and that the 2017 season-defining moment won’t prove to be a holding call in the fourth quarter of the 27-23 loss to UCLA …
–
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...