A 74-Yard Touchdown Erased and a 17-0 Hole: Colorado Falls 20-10 in Tempe Despite 18 Tackles From Lampron

By Cam Sutton, RF Sports Radio Colorado voice

Buffs Nation, last week's overtime win over Kansas State felt like a turning point. Saturday night in Tempe felt like a step back. Colorado fell behind 17-0 at halftime and lost 20-10 to Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium.

The facts

Per CU Athletics and the Associated Press, Colorado was held scoreless in the first half, with four punts and two failed fourth-down attempts, one of them a 24-yard sack of Isaac Wilson on fourth-and-6 from the ASU 34. The Buffs' biggest play, a 74-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Ernest Campbell, was wiped out by an ineligible-man-downfield penalty. Per the AP, Colorado managed 103 first-half yards, 62 of them in the final 45 seconds.

Arizona State got a 31-yard Carson Smith field goal, a fourth-and-goal trick play in which running back Cardae Mack took a direct snap and lobbed a 1-yard touchdown to quarterback Jake Fette, and a 34-yard Fette touchdown pass to Reed Harris. Fette became the first ASU quarterback since Jake Plummer in 1996 to throw and catch a touchdown in the same game.

Colorado held ASU to three second-half points. Elliott Arnold kicked a 39-yard field goal, and Wilson hit Joseph Williams for a 7-yard touchdown. Williams finished with seven catches for 121 yards. The comeback ended on a failed fourth-and-15 near midfield with 2:43 left. Gideon Lampron had a career-high 18 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Colorado is 3-6 and 1-5 in the Big 12, and CU Athletics noted it was the Buffs' ninth straight conference road loss.

"They made plays, and we didn't," Deion Sanders said. "We've just got to do better, and that starts with me." Williams put it plainly: "You'll never win games putting up 10 points."

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: the defense deserved better. Holding a Big 12 offense to three points in a half on the road is a winning performance, and Lampron is playing like one of the best linebackers in the league. His quote after the game, that he does not care about his numbers if Colorado is not winning, is exactly the right attitude.

The offense is the problem, and it is the same problem. Last week's 222 rushing yards did not travel. When the run game stalled early, Colorado had no answer until the last 45 seconds of the half. The penalty on the 74-yard touchdown was a killer, but a team that needs one big play to stay alive is a team that is not moving the ball.

Coach Prime said it starts with him. I agree. With three games left, the question is not bowl eligibility. It is which young players earn snaps for 2027.

Opinion: play Williams as the focal point every week. He was the one Buff who looked dangerous every time he touched it.

What to watch next

Watch the Houston kickoff time announcement, the depth chart at running back, and whether Colorado opens the offense up for Williams. For Saturday's Tempe preview, read our Nov. 7 Tempe preview, and follow the Buffs on our Colorado Football page.

Radio question: after 10 points in Tempe, is it time for Colorado to treat the final three games as an audition for 2027?

Sources: CU Athletics - Colorado falls in Tempe; ESPN / AP - Fette throws, catches a TD pass in Arizona State's 20-10 win; CU Athletics - Box score, Colorado at Arizona State; AP News - Arizona State beats Colorado 20-10.