The Fumble, Tumble, Bumble in the Rockies - Utah vs. Colorado

[DrumNFeather]

Because every game deserves its own thread, even games that barely count.

Both teams come into this game 4-7 and have no hopes of going to the post season for the second (Utah) and third (CU) seasons in a row respectively. Colorado is breaking in a new coach this year, and beat Cal for its lone Pac 12 win. The Utes only Pac 12 win comically came against Stanford.

Does a win in this game for either team build any momentum towards next year? Probably not.

I would like to see as many young players that are not redshirtting get on the field for this game. Let's see what McClelen (sp?) has, let's see a little more Hatfield, let's see some of the young/back up TEs. I want to know whether these guys can play at all or if we'll see them somewhere on the scrap heap.

[LA Ute]

Love the thread title. Much more creative than "Toilet Bowl" even though that one fits perfectly too.

[DrumNFeather]

Love the thread title. Much more creative than "Toilet Bowl" even though that one fits perfectly too.


What can I say? I choose to not bury my talents. I wish the Utes would do the same - Hey-o!!!

[SoCalPat]

Because every game deserves its own thread, even games that barely count.

Both teams come into this game 4-7 and have no hopes of going to the post season for the second (Utah) and third (CU) seasons in a row respectively. Colorado is breaking in a new coach this year, and beat Cal for its lone Pac 12 win. The Utes only Pac 12 win comically came against Stanford.

Does a win in this game for either team build any momentum towards next year? Probably not.

I would like to see as many young players that are not redshirtting get on the field for this game. Let's see what McClelen (sp?) has, let's see a little more Hatfield, let's see some of the young/back up TEs. I want to know whether these guys can play at all or if we'll see them somewhere on the scrap heap.

You can bet the coaching staff isn't thinking along these lines, and I don't think this year's seniors deserve to be playing with experiments. Play to win the damn game already.

[DrumNFeather]

You can bet the coaching staff isn't thinking along these lines, and I don't think this year's seniors deserve to be playing with experiments. Play to win the damn game already.

Oh, I'm not saying we just treat it like a scrimage. I would just like to see some of the rotations loosened up a little bit. Like with Delshawn McClellen for instance, hey, why not throw him a pass or two. How about Greg Reese, no reason not to let him see a few snaps. I'd just like to see these guys with the bullets flying so we don't have to rely on well spun spring ball reports.

[DrumNFeather]

Utah opens as a 17 point favorite.

[LA Ute]

Utah opens as a 17 point favorite.

Yeah, but I've seen that movie before and really hated it. Our seniors have a point to make and I hope they're hell-bent on it this week.

[DrumNFeather]

Yeah, but I've seen that movie before and really hated it. Our seniors have a point to make and I hope they're hell-bent on it this week.


I'm just surprised that the line is more than a field goal at this point.

[UBlender]

I'm just surprised that the line is more than a field goal at this point.

Why?

[Sullyute]

Yeah, but I've seen that movie before and really hated it. Our seniors have a point to make and I hope they're hell-bent on it this week.

They have had chances to make a point all season and outside of a couple games we haven't seen it. I agree that kicking the crap out of Colorado would make everyone feel a little better, but it will not wash the bitter taste of a failed season out of our collective mouths.

PS. Go Utes!

[DrumNFeather]

Why?

Performance over the last five games. Don't get me wrong, I'm all-in on a lot of the excuses we've trotted out there for this season's poor performance. I just haven't seen anything that would make them a 17 point favorite over the Buffs at this point.

[LA Ute]

They have had chances to make a point all season and outside of a couple games we haven't seen it. I agree that kicking the crap out of Colorado would make everyone feel a little better, but it will not wash the bitter taste of a failed season out of our collective mouths.

PS. Go Utes!

I just don't want to sit through another pathetic performance. The last CU game in RES may have been the most disappointing belly-flop I've ever seen a Utah team perform. Please, never again!

[DrumNFeather]

I just don't want to sit through another pathetic performance. The last CU game in RES may have been the most disappointing belly-flop I've ever seen a Utah team perform. Please, never again!

I wonder though, how much having won that game and playing for the Pac 12 Title would've changed the narrative on KW the last two seasons, if at all.

[LA Ute]

I wonder though, how much having won that game and playing for the Pac 12 Title would've changed the narrative on KW the last two seasons, if at all.

Good question. My enduring memory of the game, sadly, is of sitting there in my seats, staring blankly at the goalposts after the missed last-second chip-shot FG attempt and thinking, "Did that really just happen?" Arghh.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

I wonder though, how much having won that game and playing for the Pac 12 Title would've changed the narrative on KW the last two seasons, if at all.

It's a curious question. I don't think that anyone would argue that we stood a chance against that Oregon team, but the extra win (CO) would have likely bumped us up a bowl, which I think would have then resulted in another loss. So I think a win against Colorado that year saved us against two more losses. Would that changed the needle on these last two seasons? I really don't see it. The only difference I see is having Kyle over remind us that things weren't as bad as they may seem since we had won the South Division (by default) in 2011.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Good question. My enduring memory of the game, sadly is of sitting there in my seats, staring blankly at the goalposts after the missed last-second chip-shot FG attempt and thinking, "Did that really just happen?" Arghh.

In fairness, it was a 48 yard attempt. But what started as 1st and 10 at the 22, quickly devolved into 3rd and 22 with Hays getting sacked twice...

[LA Ute]

In fairness, it was a 48 yard attempt. But what started as 1st and 10 at the 22, quickly devolved into 3rd and 22 with Hayes getting sacked twice...

My bad, you are right. The long-repressed memory has returned. Curse you!

[DrumNFeather]

From the Pac 12 Blog:

Colorado (4-7, 1-7) at Utah (4-7, 1-7) 2 p.m. Pac-12 Network: Colorado leads the series 31-25-3, and this is both teams’ longest series against any Pac-12 team. They played annually from 1903-62 with four exceptions, but then the rivalry went dormant for 49 years before it resumed in 2011 as Pac-12 members. Last season, Utah’s 42-35 win in Boulder was its first over the Buffs since 1962. That game was a back and forth affair that was iced by Utah's Reggie Dunn producing his fifth 100-yard kickoff return of his career (an NCAA record) for the winning TD. John White (http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/515807/john-white) rushed for 168 yards, and Utah’s four interceptions matched its season total entering the game. In this week’s NCAA rankings, Utah has the fifth-toughest schedule in the country (down from No. 2 a week ago). Utah’s schedule has been rated among the nation’s toughest all season. The combined FBS record of Utah’s opponents is 64-30 and all of its first 11 FBS opponents are bowl eligible.

[concerned]

I just don't want to sit through another pathetic performance. The last CU game in RES may have been the most disappointing belly-flop I've ever seen a Utah team perform. Please, never again!

I dunno; it has some pretty stiff competition--TCU 2010, ND 2010, USC this year, UA this year (funny how those four were two back to backs). Boise state, 2006 or 2007; UCLA 2006, UNLV 2007.

We have nothing to gain by a win, but we have everything to lose with a loss. We cannot afford to lose this game; we will lose a lot more in recruiting, etc. It will reinforce the perception that we are a bottom feeder, and erase the perception that we are oh so close, look at how we played OSU, ASU, and UCLA.

[SoCalPat]

My bad, you are right. The long-repressed memory has returned. Curse you!

No, you're partly right. Coleman missed a 26-yarder mid-fourth that would have tied the game at 17. That repressed chip-shot FG in your brain wasn't a figment of your imagination.

[SoCalPat]

I dunno; it has some pretty stiff competition--TCU 2010, ND 2010, USC this year, UA this year (funny how those four were two back to backs). Boise state, 2006 or 2007; UCLA 2006, UNLV 2007.

We have nothing to gain by a win, but we have everything to lose with a loss. We cannot afford to lose this game; we will lose a lot more in recruiting, etc. It will reinforce the perception that we are a bottom feeder, and erase the perception that we are oh so close, look at how we played OSU and UCLA.

Colorado stands alone on the belly-flop metric. From all available records, no Utah team has lost straight up when being favored by as much as Utah was that day, which I believe was 22 points.

I would not put the USC and Arizona games from this year in that category by a long shot. I would definitely include the other games in the topic of bad/ugly/horrific losses.

[SoCalPat]

The combined FBS record of Utah’s opponents is 64-30 and all of its first 11 FBS opponents are bowl eligible.

Colorado only wishes this were true.

[LA Ute]

I dunno; it has some pretty stiff competition--TCU 2010, ND 2010, USC this year, UA this year (funny how those four were two back to backs). Boise state, 2006 or 2007; UCLA 2006, UNLV 2007.

I thought about all those and am sticking with my nomination. TCU 2010 is probably in second place, but I think we were just outmanned in that game. The most humiliating beatdown in the Utes' second-most high-stakes, high-profile game ever. Gameday and the whole nine yards. Yowza.

But in the 2011 CU game we were one extremely winnable game away -- and the game was against a team that had won only 2 games up to that point, and only 1 in the PAC-12 -- from playing in the PAC-12 championship game in our first year in the conference.

Instead we once again came out flat in an important game (do I sense a pattern here?) and ended up watching UCLA -- a team we had destroyed -- play in the game.


We have nothing to gain by a win, but we have everything to lose with a loss. We cannot afford to lose this game; we will lose a lot more in recruiting, etc. It will reinforce the perception that we are a bottom feeder, and erase the perception that we are oh so close, look at how we played OSU, ASU, and UCLA.

It will be interesting to see if the team comes out flat this time. They should be out for blood.


No, you're partly right. Coleman missed a 26-yarder mid-fourth that would have tied the game at 17. That repressed chip-shot FG in your brain wasn't a figment of your imagination.

The nightmare returns in full. You guys are killing me by triggering my PTSD this way.

[concerned]

I thought about all those and am sticking with my nomination. TCU 2010 is probably in second place, but I think we were just outmanned in that game. The most humiliating beatdown in the Utes' second-most high-stakes, high-profile game ever. Gameday and the whole nine yards. Yowza.



As I mentioned a while ago, I still get pissed off more about UCLA 2006, ND 2010, and USC this year, b/c I am tired of showing up at away games when the team doesn't. Our offense was so inept against USC this year that I don't see how that cannot be right up there.

[LA Ute]

I dunno; it has some pretty stiff competition--TCU 2010, ND 2010, USC this year, UA this year (funny how those four were two back to backs). Boise state, 2006 or 2007; UCLA 2006, UNLV 2007.

We have nothing to gain by a win, but we have everything to lose with a loss. We cannot afford to lose this game; we will lose a lot more in recruiting, etc. It will reinforce the perception that we are a bottom feeder, and erase the perception that we are oh so close, look at how we played OSU, ASU, and UCLA.


No, you're partly right. Coleman missed a 26-yarder mid-fourth that would have tied the game at 17. That repressed chip-shot FG in your brain wasn't a figment of your imagination.


As I mentioned a while ago, I still get pissed off more about UCLA 2006, ND 2010, and USC this year, b/c I am tired of showing up at away games when the team doesn't. Our offense was so inept against USC this year that I don't see how that cannot be right up there.

In that category I agree. I attended all those games, and it sure would have been nice to walk out of the opponent's home stadium with a win.

[GarthUte]

I really only have two comments for this thread:

1. Go Utes!
2. It's better to finish 5-7 than 4-8. Not much better, but still better.

[LA Ute]

965

[LA Ute]

Two 50-yard line seats to tomorrow's game available, plus a Zone 1 parking pass. Free a Ute fan who promises to use them! PM me ASAP if interested.

[OrangeUte]

Fumble to start the game! Nice job defense!

[OrangeUte]

Not a lot of butts in the seats.

[OrangeUte]

3rd and 9. We need to get a first here.

[OrangeUte]

4th and 2. Going for it. Got it!

[OrangeUte]

Jake Murphy w 7!

We need to figure out Richardson. I have a bad feeling about him.

[OrangeUte]

Murphy is playing good. Limping off the field. Hopefully just a ding and he will be back.

[OrangeUte]

Dimmick causes a fumble! I love watching the big boys run with the ball.

[DrumNFeather]

CU's coach looks like Dan Hawkins 2.0

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[OrangeUte]

CU's coach looks like Dan Hawkins 2.0

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That's for sure. "It's division 1 football man. You've got to want it!"

[OrangeUte]

York w another 7!

[OrangeUte]

It's funny that fans want a bigger stadium but don't come out when the team is struggling. So many of us never missed a game in the 80s. I would love to be up there today.

[LA Ute]

Guess it's time for Adam to spot the other team 6 points.

[OrangeUte]

Schulz w a pick deep in utah territory. Hopefully we can hold them to 3 here.

[OrangeUte]

That was awesome!

[OrangeUte]

How do we replace Reilly?

[LA Ute]

Glad Reilly et al. were there to save Adam's
rear end. Not to react too emotionally, but I hope we never have to see Schulz on the field again after today's game.

[DrumNFeather]

How do we replace Reilly?

You ready for this? Brian Blechen (mind blown)

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[OrangeUte]

You ready for this? Brian Blechen (mind blown)

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I hope you're right. My faith in Blechen is limited.

[DrumNFeather]

I hope you're right. My faith in Blechen is limited.

I'm not sure how big he is though.

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[LA Ute]

The talk is that Blechen will be back at safety because our LBs are pretty set for 2014. Whatever. The guy is not dependable.

[OrangeUte]

Great catch and effort by Dres followed by a huge York run. Very nice!

[OrangeUte]

Ugh!

[LA Ute]

Hard to blame that one on anyone, but man...we seem in specialize in costly TOs.

[hostile]

Slide, dammit!!!

[OrangeUte]

It scared me half to death to see manning putting his helmet on with 10 minutes left in a meaningless game.

[DrumNFeather]

Schultz is trying hard to get carried out on a stretcher

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[LA Ute]

Wise decision not to pass from there. Now the D has to save the O. Again.

[LA Ute]

Don't blame the D. There's only so many times they can bail out the O.

[OrangeUte]

I want 7 here Kyle. Just because I do.

[LA Ute]

Unbelievable that we may give the ball back to them in these circumstances

[LA Ute]

A sack. Exactly what we needed to avoid in order to assure a win.

[LA Ute]

Isn't CU the worst defense in the PAC?

[OrangeUte]

We cannot pick up first downs in key situations.

[OrangeUte]

Reilly!!!

[LA Ute]

Fittingly Trevor saves the game on his last play as a Ute.

[Snowman]

Reilly!!!


Man, he deserves it, too. Couldn't think of a more delicious icing.

[DrumNFeather]

One game win streak heading into next year. #Grasping

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[OrangeUte]

Thank Heavens we didn't have to use manning. I never would have forgiven whittingham if he had done that and lost his red shirt year.

[LA Ute]

The 2013 season has been put out of its misery.

[GarthUte]

Congrats to the Utes for finishing with a win, but I'm happy this season is over. Ugh.

[jrj84105]

Thank Heavens we didn't have to use manning. I never would have forgiven whittingham if he had done that and lost his red shirt year.
The odds of Manning being our starting QB in 2017 are pretty low IMO. It will most likely be irrelevant.

[OrangeUte]

The odds of Manning being our starting QB in 2017 are pretty low IMO. It will most likely be irrelevant.

You must know something I don't to have odds on the kid already. You don't want to burn a kid's redshirt in a final meaningless game unless you have to. It's not fair to the kid, and if he has promise, you definitely don't want to lose an extra year if possible.

We don't know if Wilson is back. We don't know of the kid from Louisiana is signing. We don't know if manning can outperform Schultz. We want manning for as long as we can have him. Either as a starter or a backup.

[Snowman]

I think Whit would have had Kelvin York run a wildcat rather than burn that redshirt.

[OrangeUte]

I think Whit would have had Kelvin York run a wildcat rather than burn that redshirt.

Manning was almost in the game with his helmet on walking out to the field. After the game whit said they almost had to burn his red shirt if Schulz hadnt toughed it out. I would like to think that whit wouldn't have done it, but he says he was gonna.

[LA Ute]

Manning was almost in the game with his helmet on walking out to the field. After the game whit said they almost had to burn his red shirt if Schulz hadnt toughed it out. I would like to think that whit wouldn't have done it, but he says he was gonna.

I'm just glad it's over.

[LA Ute]

Am I the only one here who had a hard time finding much joy in yesterday's win, other than happiness for the seniors who got to end their careers with a victory? Even in winning this Ute team managed to showcase so many of their frustrating deficiencies. On to basketball, where at least we can expect that underperforming will be rare.

[justaute]

I'm pretty indifferent about Utah football right now. I'm basing on not only the wins and losses, but also on how certain parts of the team have performed in the past few years.


Am I the only one here who had a hard time finding much joy in yesterday's win, other than happiness for the seniors who got to end their careers with a victory? Even in winning this Ute team managed to showcase so many of their frustrating deficiencies. On to basketball, where at least we can expect that underperforming will be rare.

[DrumNFeather]

Am I the only one here who had a hard time finding much joy in yesterday's win, other than happiness for the seniors who got to end their careers with a victory? Even in winning this Ute team managed to showcase so many of their frustrating deficiencies. On to basketball, where at least we can expect that underperforming will be rare.

I think for me it was a reminder that we have to get better at playing to win vs. playing not to lose. We should not have been in this position given the leads we had vs. both AZ schools and Oregon St. We have to figure out how to tip those scales in our favor.

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[Devildog]

Am I the only one here who had a hard time finding much joy in yesterday's win, other than happiness for the seniors who got to end their careers with a victory? Even in winning this Ute team managed to showcase so many of their frustrating deficiencies. On to basketball, where at least we can expect that underperforming will be rare.

Yep.

If they raise my season ticket prices again this year, I'm gonna be even more pissed.

Spending several thousand dollars to watch our team lose home game after home game makes me angry. Yes... I know that I need to grow up, but it does... it just does.

Walking back to my truck after the Colorado game made me realize it is, after all, just a game... and I should enjoy the ride... but I hate the feeling of walking back to my truck after the Utes have just shit the bed.

[USS Utah]

See this post at UF.N

http://utefans.net/message.php?id=1576058

[sancho]

Am I the only one here who had a hard time finding much joy in yesterday's win, other than happiness for the seniors who got to end their careers with a victory? Even in winning this Ute team managed to showcase so many of their frustrating deficiencies. On to basketball, where at least we can expect that underperforming will be rare.

My lucky button and I had a great time at the game. It was only my second game in RES since 2000 (stanford this year being the first). I really enjoyed it. Our run defense was great. Reilly and Murphy were fantastic. Dres went over 1000 yards, right? We finally had a 100 yard rusher. And we won the game using Schulz. What's not to like? We had costly turnovers that made the game closer than it should have been, but we also had a 4 down, goal line stand followed by a 3 down goal line stand to hold them to a FG. We stuffed them 3-and-out after they grabbed a bit of momentum with an onside kick. We made some good decisions in running out the clock with a two score lead. The weather was great.

Not a great season, but it could have been worse. Enjoy the win streak, Ute fans.

[LA Ute]

My lucky button and I had a great time at the game. It was only my second game in RES since 2000 (stanford this year being the first). I really enjoyed it. Our run defense was great. Reilly and Murphy were fantastic. Dres went over 1000 yards, right? We finally had a 100 yard rusher. And we won the game using Schulz. What's not to like? We had costly turnovers that made the game closer than it should have been, but we also had a 4 down, goal line stand followed by a 3 down goal line stand to hold them to a FG. We stuffed them 3-and-out after they grabbed a bit of momentum with an onside kick. We made some good decisions in running out the clock with a two score lead. The weather was great.

Not a great season, but it could have been worse. Enjoy the win streak, Ute fans.

We really did have a great time, with great seats and a chance to attend the pre-game chalk talk. I'd never been to a game with all three of my kids at once, and we made a day of it. (We ate a lot too, and with great enthusiasm.) You're 100% right about the great individual performances. We enjoyed those.

Now, my glass half-empty reaction to the game: I was mainly annoyed that as we sat there in the waning moments of the contest, it was a real possibility that Utah could be upset at home by a terrible Colorado team. Once again we couldn't get a single first down to ice the victory. I guess I've become kind of a Grinch after the consistent underperforming this season. That's why we left feeling relief rather than the usually post-win euphoria. I have historically been very, very slow to be critical of a Utah program (I was a McBride diehard and a Majerus diehard for a very long time, until both guys really got to a point where there was little reason to think things would get better), so I am a little worried that even I am starting to wonder about KW.

But I'm optimistic about next year and hope Kyle can right the ship. Meanwhile, basketball should be interesting and fun to watch.

[Brian]

It was hard to get excited while watching the game on TV, and I tried to get excited for the seniors..... The crowd felt dead. My brother who was there, said the stadium seemed a little blah.

The 2nd half was a disappointment. They had them on the ropes, and they could not knock them out. Almost, perhaps, until the Murphy fumble.

[Solon]

We really did have a great time, with great seats and a chance to attend the pre-game chalk talk. I'd never been to a game with all three of my kids at once, and we made a day of it. (We ate a lot too, and with great enthusiasm.) You're 100% right about the great individual performances. We enjoyed those.

Now, my glass half-empty reaction to the game: I was mainly annoyed that as we sat there in the waning moments of the contest, it was a real possibility that Utah could be upset at home by a terrible Colorado team. Once again we couldn't get a single first down to ice the victory. I guess I've become kind of a Grinch after the consistent underperforming this season. That's why we left feeling relief rather than the usually post-win euphoria. I have historically been very, very slow to be critical of a Utah program (I was a McBride diehard and a Majerus diehard for a very long time, until both guys really got to a point where there was little reason to think things would get better), so I am a little worried that even I am starting to wonder about KW.

But I'm optimistic about next year and hope Kyle can right the ship. Meanwhile, basketball should be interesting and fun to watch.


For me, the problem isn't losing. Teams lose.
The problem is the lack of discernible improvement (on offense).

Everyone can be patient with incremental progress. People are much less patient with erratic ups and downs, and a feeling of overall regression. I think the defense made big strides this year. I can't say as much about the offense, even taking into account Wilson's injury/status.

Overall, the real shame of this year was that it ended up being pretty forgettable. Football seasons are precious. We should be able to savor & remember them. Other than beating Stanford and crapping the bed a couple of times (6 INTs vs UCLA?!), the only thing I'll remember about this season is Reilly throwing the ball into the stands after his INT.
(on the radio, I think it was Dolce who said that Reilly's was a throw that would make Uncle Rico jealous).

[sancho]

Everyone can be patient with incremental progress. People are much less patient with erratic ups and downs, and a feeling of overall regression. I think the defense made big strides this year. I can't say as much about the offense, even taking into account Wilson's injury/status.


But how do you take into account Wilson's injury? I was pretty happy with the offense up to the injury. We moved the ball and scored on 4 very strong defenses (USU, UCLA, Stanford, and BYU), and we put up a ton of points on a bad defense (OSU). Prior to the injury, I think we were seeing the incremental progress you talk about. Of course, the post injury offense was soooo bad that I once again am left without much optimism on that side of the ball.

[Solon]

But how do you take into account Wilson's injury? I was pretty happy with the offense up to the injury. We moved the ball and scored on 4 very strong defenses (USU, UCLA, Stanford, and BYU), and we put up a ton of points on a bad defense (OSU). Prior to the injury, I think we were seeing the incremental progress you talk about. Of course, the post injury offense was soooo bad that I once again am left without much optimism on that side of the ball.

I thought the Utes never really got the full-fledged running game going this season, which would have taken some pressure off of Schulz once he was pressed into service.
IMO, the struggles of the second half of the season were more about the running game than the throwing game. I think the Utes really missed WhiteIV.

[USS Utah]

I thought the Utes never really got the full-fledged running game going this season, which would have taken some pressure off of Schulz once he was pressed into service.
IMO, the struggles of the second half of the season were more about the running game than the throwing game. I think the Utes really missed WhiteIV.

Clearly not settling on a starting running back -- or none of the RBs doing enough to take the starting job -- was an issue. Still, York had a very good game against Colorado and Utah still struggled in the second half.

[U-Ute]

One of my kids was sick yesterday, and he loves the Utah football games, and I still had the Colorado game on my DVR, so we watched it last night. I noticed something interesting in the process.

In the play where Colorado scored on a pass to the TE running down the seam, it succeeded because Hale didn't get enough depth on his drop. The TE ran right by him and there wasn't anyone in front of Hale for him to cover. He should've dropped with the TE.

On the interception by Reilly, they ran roughly the same play (slot receiver down the seam). Reilly followed him down the field. We all know the rest.

A tale of two plays.