Tigers maul Hansen and Colorado, 36-17
Safety Benjamin Burney dodges Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert after intercepting his pass. Burney would score on the play. (INDenverTimes photo)
BOULDER — So much for coming out with emotion. Colorado had a disaster of a start, then couldn’t do nearly enough to come within striking distance of Missouri as they lost big Saturday afternoon, 36-17.
Tyler Hansen and the Buffaloes’ offensive line helped the Tigers nearly as much as their own players, giving up eight sacks, which reduced Colorado’s rushing total to minus 14 yards. The powerful Mizzou defense also recovered three fumbles from Hansen’s grip.
Two of those fumbles, along with a safety, came in the opening half. As a result, Missouri scored 33 points, 21 of them alone in the first quarter.
Colorado's first-half play was shockingly bad, even to the opposition. (INDenverTimes photo)
Mizzou quarterback Blaine Gabbert looked plenty healthy, throwing for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Battling a bad ankle for the past three weeks, Gabbert was even brave enough to try six rushing attempts, which resulted in 26 yards.
Gabbert got help setting up the spread with a 184-yard team rushing performance behind running backs Derrick Washington and De’Vion Moore. Washington also scored a touchdown, finishing off the Tigers’ opening drive.
CU’s offensive unit finally managed to get a field goal on its last possession before the break, but down 30 points, fans started to pour out of Folsom. Those who didn’t stick around for the third quarter missed the only touchdown drive by the Buffs. Cornerback Aurthur Jafee returned his first kickoff of the season to the Colorado 42, then Hansen led a 58-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard Rodney Stewart score.
Tyler Hansen gets sacked in his own end zone midway through the second quarter. (INDenverTimes photo)
Colorado’s next and last set of points came from its defense. Midway through the third, safety Benjamin Burney picked off a Gabbert pass and ran it back 78 yards nearly untouched. For a moment, it appeared the Buffs could climb back into the game, but Missouri clamped down. The Tigers stopped CU on fourth down three times in the final quarter and picked off a Hansen pass.
Faced with the second consecutive game that had little offense, along with chants from the stands calling for his head, Dan Hawkins still believes the season can be successful.
“You talk about your options every week, and the tangible is that you have to win out to go to a bowl game. The intangible is that people always talk about sports building your character, and I think that’s part of it. Having some resolve and battling it out counts for something. Regardless of what’s on the line, we need to show up and put our best foot forward and give it our best effort.”
Calling out specifics such as a bowl game is unusual for Hawkins, who has tried to talk about the program in broad, noncommittal terms since the “Ten wins and no excuses” fiasco of the spring. It’s a move that seems, well frankly, a little desperate. Hard to blame the guy after an afternoon like that.
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