After finally getting their first Big 12 win last week, the Colorado Buffaloes came crashing back to Earth in a 20-10 loss to Arizona State, which effectively eliminated their slim chance of making a bowl game.
Both offenses started slowly in the first quarter, with the Sun Devils scoring only a field goal. But Arizona State got things going in the second quarter with two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Colorado went scoreless in the first half. So the Sun Devils took a 17-0 lead into halftime. The Buffaloes' defense held Arizona State to just three points in the second half. However, Colorado's offense still couldn't get anything going, scoring only a touchdown after a roughing-the-kicker call on the Sun Devils extended their drive.
Here is the report
card from the Buffaloes' fifth Big 12 loss of the season:
Quarterback
Grade: C-
Perhaps the worst metric of the game is Isaac Wilson's 26.5 quarterback rating. It is hard to win football games when your quarterback performs like that. His worst play of the night came on fourth and six from Arizona State's 34-yard line. Instead of giving one of his receivers a chance once protection broke down, or even throwing the ball away, Wilson kept backing up and finally got caught for a 24-yard loss, giving the Sun Devils the ball in their territory. It was a rough night for Wilson.
Running Backs
Grade: B-
Colorado's offense lives and dies by its run game, and the Buffaloes couldn't run the ball. This wasn't entirely on the running backs, since Arizona State got solid penetration. But Richard Young only had 47 rushing yards and was also the Buffaloes' top rusher. Only one running back, JaQuail Smith, had a run over 10 yards, and no one scored a rushing touchdown. It was not a great game for the backs and contributed to Colorado's poor offensive performance.
Receivers and Tight Ends
Grade: B+
I don't have many complaints about the receivers or tight ends. Charlie Williams should have had a touchdown, but Wilson threw it away. Joseph Williams fought for his touchdown after it looked like he'd be a few yards short. He also had a great night, logging over 100 receiving yards for the fourth time this season. Ernest Campbell had a 74-yard touchdown nullified by a penalty on Williams, the only real blemish of the night for Colorado's receivers and tight ends; it was also a major momentum killer.
Offensive Line
Grade: D
They were ineffective in the run game and against the pass rush. Wilson was sacked four times, though the aforementioned sack for a 24-yard loss was partly on him. Colorado averaged just 1.9 yards per carry, tied for their worst average of the season. The Buffaloes' offense was largely to blame for the loss, and their offensive line played a big part.
Defense
Grade: A
Colorado's defense struggled with ASU's running back, Cardae Mack, and top receiver Reed Harris. Still, the defense kept this game manageable, holding the Sun Devils to just 20 points, including just three points in the second half. Gideon Lampron was all over the place with Colorado's only two sacks of the night and 18 total tackles. Honestly, the only disappointing thing about their defense in this game is that they did not get a takeaway. That has been a problem all season.
Special Teams
Grade: B
Punter Damon Greaves played well, punting four times for an average of 47 yards; his longest punt was 52 yards. Colorado did not do much well on special teams. Kicker Elliott Arnold missed a short field goal, but it did not count because of a roughing-the-kicker penalty, after which he left injured. They had no kick returns. Their sole punt return was for -1 yards. On the bright side, kicker Daniel Gerlach made the extra point after Arnold's injury.
Coaching
Grade: F
Throughout this entire game, I was incredibly frustrated with the playcalling. One frustrating decision was running the ball on third-and-long. If Colorado's run game had been as efficient as last week, I might not have had as much of a problem with this. However, given how terrible their run game was, it did not make sense to run the ball on third-and-long. The coaching was playing to lose this game instead of helping the Buffaloes win. They need to make some coaching changes in the offseason.
Overall
Grade: C-
Overall, this was a frustrating game to watch. The offense could do little, even though the defense held up relatively well. Their playcalling was not helping anything. They have played sloppier games, but this was not a good performance for the Buffaloes.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado report card, grades from 10-point loss to Arizona State
