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November 24th – at California California 33, Colorado 21
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Colorado quarterback Steven Montez threw two interceptions for touchdowns in the first two minutes of the game, with the Buffs committing five turnovers overall in falling to California, 33-21. The five first half turnovers, including three interceptions by Montez and two fumbled punts by Ronnie Blackmon, led to 24 Bear points, and a deficit the Buffs were unable to overcome.
The Colorado defense held the California offense to 217 total yards, and one-of-17 conversions on third down, but the Buffs were only able to muster 318 total yards of their own. A three-yard touchdown pass from Montez to Juwann Winfree late in the third quarter made it a 27-21 game, but the Buffs would get no closer.
The game did produce a CU milestone, however, on the Buffs’ final scoring drive of the season. On successive plays, Travon McMillian went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season and Laviska Shenault went over 1,000 yards receiving for the season, marking the first time in school history in which the Buff offense produced a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver in the same season.
… Still to come … Game Notes and locker room quotes …
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Game Story … The Buff Nation spent Thanksgiving week wondering how the Buff players would respond to the firing of head coach Mike MacIntyre. Would the team come out inspired, with bowl eligibility still a possibility? Or would the Buff players come out unprepared, and fold early against the Cal Bears?
It took less than two minutes of game clock for the Buff Nation to get its answer.
On third-and-four on the first series of the game, Steven Montez threw a pick-six, with Elijah Hooks taking the interception back 34 yards for a Cal touchdown.
On third-and-11 on the second series of the game, Steven Montez threw a pick-six, with Ashtyn Davis taking the interception back 35 yards for a Cal touchdown.
With 13:04 left to play in the first quarter, the Cal offense had yet to see the field of play … yet the Bears were ahead, 14-0.
The Colorado offense didn’t get a first down on its third possession, either, but a three-and-out was actually an improvement. The Buffs successfully punted the ball away … after gaining two yards.
The Buff defense did its part on its first opportunity, forcing a three-and-out out of the Bear offense. The punt, however, was fumbled by Ronnie Blackmon, with Cal taking over at the Buff 29-yard line. Twice on the ensuing drive, the Buffs forced a fourth down. Twice, however, the Bear offense converting, with the second conversion coming on fourth-and-goal at the CU one-yard line. Chase Garbers connected with running back Patrick Laird for a one yard score, making it a 21-0 game with 4:41 still remaining in the first quarter.
The Cal stat line at the time was an odd one … 0-for-3 on third downs; one first down; 25 total yards … and a 21-0 lead.
The game turned more conventional over the next two drives, with the Buffs gaining 25 yards and two first downs before punting the ball away. The Bears posted one first down and 15 yards before punting the ball away.
On its fifth possession of the first half, the Colorado offense finally put together a drive. Sparked by a 29-yard completion from Montez to Kabion Ento, the Buffs pieced together a drive. A pair of runs – Steven Montez for eight yards; Travon McMillian for five – set the Buffs up at the Cal 27, where Montez hit Laviska Shenault for 22 yards to the five yard line. Two plays later, on third-and-goal from the one yard line, senior running back Kyle Evans finished off the drive with a short run to put the Buffs on the board early in the second quarter.
When the Buff defense forced a three-and-out from the Bear offense, there was a spark of hope for the Buffs.
Which landed as long as it took for the Cal punt to fall to the earth, where Ronnie Blackmon fumbled his second punt of the first half, giving the Bears the ball back at the CU 15-yard line.
In what could have been a “what the hell, if the rest of the team doesn’t care, why should we?” moment, the Buff defense again stiffened, with Israel Antwine and Javier Edwards teaming up for a sack. The Buffs forced a field goal, which was a moral victory for the defense. Still, Cal’s 24-yard field goal gave the Bears a three-score lead, at 24-7, with 8:14 to play in the second quarter.
It was 24-7, but the stats were still skewed … CU had more total yards (96-69), more first downs (5-to-2), and the Bears were 0-for-6 on third downs. Four turnovers were the difference, though, with the scoreboard showing the Buffs down 17 points.
A 14-yard run by Steven Montez on third-and-13 and a nine-yard completion to Laviska Shenault on third-and-eight helped the Buffs mount a drive on their next possession. For the second time in the half, it looked like the Buffs might make a game of it. Again, however, a turnover ended the hope. An interception thrown by Steven Montez – his third of the first half – gave the ball back to the Bears.
For the first time, however, the Bears were not able to convert a Buff turnover into points, punting the ball away.
Halftime score: California 24, Colorado 7
The Buff defense, which had allowed one touchdown drive in the first half (and that one going for all of 29 yards), continued its strong performance, forcing a three-and-out on Cal’s first possession of the second half.
Taking over at its own 40-yard line, the Buff offense set off on a nine-play scoring drive to make it a game again. The drive was kept alive with a nine-yard run by Kyle Evans on third-and-five at the Cal 44, with Steven Montez gaining seven yards on a third-and-six at the Cal 31. On the first play after the Montez first down run, Montez hit K.D. Nixon for a 24-yard touchdown.
Cal 24, Colorado 14, with 10:15 still remaining in the third quarter.
Yet another three-and-out later, aided by a sack by Mustafa Johnson, the Buffs had a chance to make a game of it.
Instead, the Buff offense went three-and-out as well, giving the ball back to the Bears at midfield. Aided by a personal foul call against Dante Wigley, the Bears were able to maneuver into field goal range. Cal kicker Greg Thomas hit his second field goal of the game, this one from 33 yards out, to give Cal a 27-14 advantage with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
On CU’s next drive, Buff history was made on successive plays.
On the first play of the drive, Travon McMillian went for 11 yards, giving him 50 yards for the game … and 1,001 yards rushing for the season.
On the second play of the drive, Steven Montez hit Laviska Shenault for 18 yards. The catch gave Shenault 54 yards for the game … and 1,000 yards receiving for the season.
The pair, with those two gains, became the first Buff players to team up for a 1,000-yard rushing season and a 1,000-yard receiving season in the same year in Colorado history.
But the Buff offense had other business to tend to.
Shenault’s catch put the ball at midfield, with a 24-yard completion from Montez to K.D. Nixon pushing the ball into scoring position. A seven-yard completion to Shenault on third-and-four kept the drive alive. Two plays later, on third-and-goal from the three, Montez hit Juwann Winfree for a three yard score.
Just like that, with less than a minute to go in the third quarter, it was a one score game: California 27, Colorado 21.
With the season – and a potential bowl bid – on the line, the Colorado defense, which had made stops all night, finally succumbed.
Cal put together an 11-play, 72-yard drive to retake a two-score lead, but the Buffs had their chances. After giving up a 30-yard completion on the first play of the drive, the Buffs forced a fourth down at the CU 36-yard line. Quarterback Chase Garbers, though, was able to convert on a four yard run, giving the Bears a fresh set of downs. A personal foul call against Drew Lewis kept the drive alive, with Garbers hitting Maurice Ways for a seven-yard touchdown, giving Cal a 33-21 lead (the two-point conversion attempt failed).
The Buff offense was not able to answer, punting the ball away after reaching midfield.
It appeared that the Buffs would have one last chance at a miracle comeback, forcing a punt with 4:36 remaining. On fourth down, however, the Buffs roughed the punter, giving the ball right back to the Cal offense. The Bears didn’t score, but did force Colorado to use up all of its time outs, and taking off five minutes of fourth quarter clock.
The Buffs were again able to take the ball out to midfield, but turned the ball over on downs to end CU’s final drive of the 2018 season.
Final score: California 33, Colorado 21
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Still to come … Locker room quotes and Game Notes … and, Sunday morning, my final game essay for the 2018 season …
Stuart
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November 24th – at California California 33, Colorado 21
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Colorado quarterback Steven Montez threw two interceptions for touchdowns in the first two minutes of the game, with the Buffs committing five turnovers overall in falling to California, 33-21. The five first half turnovers, including three interceptions by Montez and two fumbled punts by Ronnie Blackmon, led to 24 Bear points, and a deficit the Buffs were unable to overcome.
The Colorado defense held the California offense to 217 total yards, and one-of-17 conversions on third down, but the Buffs were only able to muster 318 total yards of their own. A three-yard touchdown pass from Montez to Juwann Winfree late in the third quarter made it a 27-21 game, but the Buffs would get no closer.
The game did produce a CU milestone, however, on the Buffs’ final scoring drive of the season. On successive plays, Travon McMillian went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season and Laviska Shenault went over 1,000 yards receiving for the season, marking the first time in school history in which the Buff offense produced a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver in the same season.
… Still to come … Game Notes and locker room quotes …
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Game Story … The Buff Nation spent Thanksgiving week wondering how the Buff players would respond to the firing of head coach Mike MacIntyre. Would the team come out inspired, with bowl eligibility still a possibility? Or would the Buff players come out unprepared, and fold early against the Cal Bears?
It took less than two minutes of game clock for the Buff Nation to get its answer.
On third-and-four on the first series of the game, Steven Montez threw a pick-six, with Elijah Hooks taking the interception back 34 yards for a Cal touchdown.
On third-and-11 on the second series of the game, Steven Montez threw a pick-six, with Ashtyn Davis taking the interception back 35 yards for a Cal touchdown.
With 13:04 left to play in the first quarter, the Cal offense had yet to see the field of play … yet the Bears were ahead, 14-0.
The Colorado offense didn’t get a first down on its third possession, either, but a three-and-out was actually an improvement. The Buffs successfully punted the ball away … after gaining two yards.
The Buff defense did its part on its first opportunity, forcing a three-and-out out of the Bear offense. The punt, however, was fumbled by Ronnie Blackmon, with Cal taking over at the Buff 29-yard line. Twice on the ensuing drive, the Buffs forced a fourth down. Twice, however, the Bear offense converting, with the second conversion coming on fourth-and-goal at the CU one-yard line. Chase Garbers connected with running back Patrick Laird for a one yard score, making it a 21-0 game with 4:41 still remaining in the first quarter.
The Cal stat line at the time was an odd one … 0-for-3 on third downs; one first down; 25 total yards … and a 21-0 lead.
The game turned more conventional over the next two drives, with the Buffs gaining 25 yards and two first downs before punting the ball away. The Bears posted one first down and 15 yards before punting the ball away.
On its fifth possession of the first half, the Colorado offense finally put together a drive. Sparked by a 29-yard completion from Montez to Kabion Ento, the Buffs pieced together a drive. A pair of runs – Steven Montez for eight yards; Travon McMillian for five – set the Buffs up at the Cal 27, where Montez hit Laviska Shenault for 22 yards to the five yard line. Two plays later, on third-and-goal from the one yard line, senior running back Kyle Evans finished off the drive with a short run to put the Buffs on the board early in the second quarter.
When the Buff defense forced a three-and-out from the Bear offense, there was a spark of hope for the Buffs.
Which landed as long as it took for the Cal punt to fall to the earth, where Ronnie Blackmon fumbled his second punt of the first half, giving the Bears the ball back at the CU 15-yard line.
In what could have been a “what the hell, if the rest of the team doesn’t care, why should we?” moment, the Buff defense again stiffened, with Israel Antwine and Javier Edwards teaming up for a sack. The Buffs forced a field goal, which was a moral victory for the defense. Still, Cal’s 24-yard field goal gave the Bears a three-score lead, at 24-7, with 8:14 to play in the second quarter.
It was 24-7, but the stats were still skewed … CU had more total yards (96-69), more first downs (5-to-2), and the Bears were 0-for-6 on third downs. Four turnovers were the difference, though, with the scoreboard showing the Buffs down 17 points.
A 14-yard run by Steven Montez on third-and-13 and a nine-yard completion to Laviska Shenault on third-and-eight helped the Buffs mount a drive on their next possession. For the second time in the half, it looked like the Buffs might make a game of it. Again, however, a turnover ended the hope. An interception thrown by Steven Montez – his third of the first half – gave the ball back to the Bears.
For the first time, however, the Bears were not able to convert a Buff turnover into points, punting the ball away.
Halftime score: California 24, Colorado 7
The Buff defense, which had allowed one touchdown drive in the first half (and that one going for all of 29 yards), continued its strong performance, forcing a three-and-out on Cal’s first possession of the second half.
Taking over at its own 40-yard line, the Buff offense set off on a nine-play scoring drive to make it a game again. The drive was kept alive with a nine-yard run by Kyle Evans on third-and-five at the Cal 44, with Steven Montez gaining seven yards on a third-and-six at the Cal 31. On the first play after the Montez first down run, Montez hit K.D. Nixon for a 24-yard touchdown.
Cal 24, Colorado 14, with 10:15 still remaining in the third quarter.
Yet another three-and-out later, aided by a sack by Mustafa Johnson, the Buffs had a chance to make a game of it.
Instead, the Buff offense went three-and-out as well, giving the ball back to the Bears at midfield. Aided by a personal foul call against Dante Wigley, the Bears were able to maneuver into field goal range. Cal kicker Greg Thomas hit his second field goal of the game, this one from 33 yards out, to give Cal a 27-14 advantage with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
On CU’s next drive, Buff history was made on successive plays.
On the first play of the drive, Travon McMillian went for 11 yards, giving him 50 yards for the game … and 1,001 yards rushing for the season.
On the second play of the drive, Steven Montez hit Laviska Shenault for 18 yards. The catch gave Shenault 54 yards for the game … and 1,000 yards receiving for the season.
The pair, with those two gains, became the first Buff players to team up for a 1,000-yard rushing season and a 1,000-yard receiving season in the same year in Colorado history.
But the Buff offense had other business to tend to.
Shenault’s catch put the ball at midfield, with a 24-yard completion from Montez to K.D. Nixon pushing the ball into scoring position. A seven-yard completion to Shenault on third-and-four kept the drive alive. Two plays later, on third-and-goal from the three, Montez hit Juwann Winfree for a three yard score.
Just like that, with less than a minute to go in the third quarter, it was a one score game: California 27, Colorado 21.
With the season – and a potential bowl bid – on the line, the Colorado defense, which had made stops all night, finally succumbed.
Cal put together an 11-play, 72-yard drive to retake a two-score lead, but the Buffs had their chances. After giving up a 30-yard completion on the first play of the drive, the Buffs forced a fourth down at the CU 36-yard line. Quarterback Chase Garbers, though, was able to convert on a four yard run, giving the Bears a fresh set of downs. A personal foul call against Drew Lewis kept the drive alive, with Garbers hitting Maurice Ways for a seven-yard touchdown, giving Cal a 33-21 lead (the two-point conversion attempt failed).
The Buff offense was not able to answer, punting the ball away after reaching midfield.
It appeared that the Buffs would have one last chance at a miracle comeback, forcing a punt with 4:36 remaining. On fourth down, however, the Buffs roughed the punter, giving the ball right back to the Cal offense. The Bears didn’t score, but did force Colorado to use up all of its time outs, and taking off five minutes of fourth quarter clock.
The Buffs were again able to take the ball out to midfield, but turned the ball over on downs to end CU’s final drive of the 2018 season.
Final score: California 33, Colorado 21
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Still to come … Locker room quotes and Game Notes … and, Sunday morning, my final game essay for the 2018 season …
Stuart
Continue reading...