Two days after the learning that the college football playoff committee had ranked the Colorado Buffaloes No. 15 in their first rankings of the year, the Buffaloes took the field on a mission to back up their surprise status.
While some wondered if UCLA could prove to be a trap game, with all the excitement surrounding the Buffaloes program, Colorado delivered, albeit in not-so-pretty fashion.
The Buffs welcomed in the preseason favorites to win the PAC-12 South, the UCLA Bruins, and what followed was an ugly, turnover-filled game, where things looked to be lining up perfectly for a UCLA upset.
And after three quarters the game was tied 10-10.
Both defenses continued to step up in a big way, with key stops coming from both ends. Following a missed Bruins field goal, the Buffs drove the ball down the field, but were only able to convert the possession into a field goal, giving them a 13-10 lead.
That’s when Isaiah Oliver happened.
With 5:27 remaining in the game and the Buffs holding onto a three-point advantage, UCLA punted the ball to Oliver, who had been close to breaking a big one all night. He grabbed the ball, wiggled through a herd of defenders and was off … 68-yard touchdown return.
The return by Oliver was CU’s first punt return for a touchdown in 11 years, since Stephone Robinson did it in 2005.
Coach Mike MacIntyre knew it was the play of the game.
“Isaiah’s punt return was awesome, great protection and the gunners did a good job of not letting the guys get to him, and he took off running, and it was a great job,” MacIntyre said. “That was a huge play, of course.”
While the special teams — headlined by Oliver’s return and a blocked field goal — saved the day, the story of the game was turnovers. Between Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez, the Buffs’ quarterbacks committed four of them (three interceptions and one fumble).
That, coupled with a slew of crippling penalties, kept Colorado from really breaking the game open. In fact, it was as chippy of a game as the Buffaloes have ever played, as the team was flagged 12 times for 128 yards, with eight of those penalties coming as personal fouls.
On the sidelines, MacIntyre was visibly enraged by his team’s lack of discipline, and he was extremely succinct when discussing the issue postgame.
“We didn’t didn’t have them in the past,” MacIntyre said, “and we won’t in the future.”
It all led to an anemic performance from a Buffaloes offense that had previously been one of the most explosive in the nation. Starting quarterback Sefo Liufau put the blame on his shoulders.
“We definitely struggled on offense, and it starts with me,” Liufau said. “The QB has the ball every play, and for majority has a deciding factor on the outcome of [what] each play will be. As an offense, we will need to go back to look at film and see what we can do better as a whole.”
As with the penalties, though, Liufau vows the turnovers will not persist.
“We will not let this season be taken away from us from our own harm or misdoing,” Liufau said, “so we’ll fix it.”
The Buffaloes will get another chance, as they welcome in Arizona next Friday. For now they can enjoy being 7-2.