It was the story of the second half of Colorado’s season: Close, but not quite.
The Buffs, with about two and a half minutes remaining and 81 yards away from the end zone, eventually fumbled away their chances at an upset, falling to the No. 23 Utes, 20-14, in Salt Lake City on Saturday.
What the win means for Utah: The Utes finish the season 9-3, and avoided a loss to Colorado, which would’ve left the Utes with a three-game losing skid to end the season. The Utes will wait to figure out what bowl they will be selected to and they’ll spend the next few weeks getting healthy. Utah hopes to get receiver Kenneth Scott -- who left the game in the third quarter on crutches -- back and the Utes will be crossing their fingers for a speedy recovery from running back Devontae Booker.
What the loss means for Colorado: The situation went from bad to worse after Cade Apsay, who had out-thrown Utah QB Travis Wilson during most of the first half, left the game with an injury and third-string quarterback Jordan Gehrke entered. The Buffs had been able to keep it close, but weren’t able to keep it tight in the second half. Colorado now enters a long offseason after winning just one Pac-12 game. If there’s any silver lining to a four-win season, it’s that the Buffs played Utah, USC, UCLA and Arizona remarkably close. This team -- though the record doesn’t show it -- is making strides in the South.
Player of the game: Utah running back Joe Williams. In Booker’s absence, Williams has done a nice job establishing the run game. Against the Buffs he tallied 187 rushing yards on 34 carries, while Wilson struggled in the pass game. Williams' rushing touchdown came on the first drive of the third quarter, which helped establish the momentum that carried the Utes through much of the second half.
Play of the game: Colorado tailback Phillip Lindsay’s touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. The sophomore was tackled from behind by Utah’s Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, but came down at a strange angle and never actually was down, instead he rolled over Tu'ikolovatu. Many players stopped playing, but Lindsay rushed toward the end zone, knowing he wasn’t actually down. His touchdown (and the ensuing extra point) pulled the Buffs within six.