Arizona State had owned the series early, but the game that really changed the tone came on Oct. 15, 2016, in Boulder.
By then, Colorado was in the middle of the season that would end with its only Pac-12 South title as a member of the conference, and the Sun Devils arrived at Folsom Field with a 5-1 record. The Buffs had already put together a fast start of their own, beating CSU in Denver and Idaho State before a 45-28 loss at Michigan, then answering with a wild 41-38 win at Oregon and a 47-6 rout of Oregon State.
That had CU sitting at 4-1 and ranked 21st nationally for the first time since Nov. 7, 2005.
But a 21-17 loss at USC knocked the Buffs out of the top 25 and left them 2-1 in Pac-12 play.
So this one carried real weight. It was a chance to prove the USC loss was a detour, not a warning sign.
The night itself felt like a Boulder showcase, with 79 degrees, clear skies and a 6:07 p.m. kickoff. The first quarter was even at 7-7, though Colorado was already moving the ball with authority.
Kyle Evans punched in a 16-yard touchdown run, and ASU answered after recovering a fumbled punt and getting a short field. The teams traded field goals after that, leaving it tied 10-10 with 10:57 left in the half.
Then Colorado took over.
After Zane Gonzalez drilled a 51-yard field goal for Arizona State, Liufau immediately changed the game with one throw. On the first play after the kickoff sailed through the north end zone, he rolled left and hit Bryce Bobo wide open near midfield in front of the Colorado bench.
Bobo was finally brought down at the ASU 9 after a 66-yard gain, and three plays later Liufau scored from 3 yards out. Davis Price’s extra point put CU ahead 17-10, and the Buffs never gave it back.
Phillip Lindsay added a 13-yard touchdown on the next possession, though the PAT was missed, and Colorado went to halftime up 17-10. The numbers told the story: 305 yards for CU in the first half, just 114 for ASU, and a 14-4 edge in first downs. The Sun Devils did own the time of possession battle, 15:01 to 14:59, but that didn’t matter much once Colorado started landing punches.
The second half opened with a knockout shot. Colorado got the kickoff, held the ball for only 12 seconds, and Lindsay ripped off a 75-yard touchdown behind strong blocks from Gerrad Keogh and Alex Kelley. That made it 30-10, and Lindsay had already gone over 100 yards for the game with 143 at that point.
After another exchange of field goals - Chris Graham connected from 36 yards for Colorado, then Gonzalez answered with a 59-yarder after another fumbled punt - the Buffs led 33-16 after three quarters.
Lindsay finished the job in the fourth with a 4-yard touchdown run, handling the ball on all eight plays of the drive. He ended with 219 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries, and he was never tackled for a loss.
Liufau completed 23 of 31 passes for 265 yards, while Bobo caught six passes for 110 yards. On defense, Jimmie Gilbert led the way with seven tackles, including three for losses, two sacks, four third-down stops and a forced fumble.
Colorado finished with 580 total yards, its most in the series to that point and still the most to this day, along with 27 first downs and a season-high 315 rushing yards. Arizona State was held to seven first downs and 199 yards, including just 50 on the ground.
The win was part of a five-game league run that carried CU through Stanford, UCLA, Arizona, Washington State and Utah. That stretch pushed the Buffs to No. 9 in the nation and No. 8 in the CFP standings before losses to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game and Oklahoma State in the Valero Alamo Bowl left them 10-4 and ranked 17th in the final AP poll and 15th in the coaches poll, Colorado’s first final-poll appearance since 2002.
In Other News...
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The Buffs carried that edge into singles, where Crncan and Bubalo each added victories to keep the day moving in Colorados favor. For a team still trying to establish its rhythm early in the season, the mix of doubles sharpness and singles follow-through offered a useful first look, even if the bigger test in San Diego is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Recruiting Just Took Another Hit At A Crucial Time
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The latest movement only adds to the pressure on Colorados recruiting operation, especially at wide receiver, where the staff has made clear it wants to keep adding pieces. Rankings from On3, Rivals and 247Sports still place the Buffaloes in the national conversation, but the challenge now is holding the class together while continuing to target the spots that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Heads To Arizona State With A Road Problem Getting Worse
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The bigger concern for Colorado is how often promising starts have slipped away in league play. The Buffs have been in front in every Big 12 game this season, yet the results have not matched the early momentum, and the road slide has only made the margin for error thinner. Both teams have had turnover problems, so Colorados best path may be the simplest one: run the ball well, protect it, and avoid giving Arizona State extra chances. [Read more 🡒]