The Colorado Buffaloes left Mountain America Stadium with another disappointing loss this season after falling 20-10 to the Arizona State Sun Devils. Colorado had opportunities to make this a competitive game especially when there were a few strong defensive stops, but the offense struggled too much to generate consistency.

Arizona State took control in the first half as they scored 17 unanswered points before Colorado found the end zone in the fourth quarter. The Buffaloes showed some fight after halftime, but interceptions once again stood as an issue for the team. A third-quarter interception and multiple stalled drives are what made a comeback difficult to achieve.

Winners

Gideon Lampron

Even throughout a frustrating night for Colorado’s defense, Colorado linebacker Gideon Lampron continued to be a ray of light.

Lampron was active from the opening quarter as he recorded a pair of tackles including a sack. He continued making plays in the second quarter where he added a tackle for loss as the Buffaloes attempted to slow down Arizona State’s offense.

Lampron finished the night with 14 total tackles, including nine solo stops, and three tackles for loss. The ability that he has to consistently get around the football and completely disrupt plays made him one of the most productive defenders on the field.

The linebacker has been building an impressive stretch of performances and stood as a reminder of how important he has become to this Buffaloes team. His production has been particularly valuable during this season where Colorado has suffered immense struggles and has provided hope for the team.

Joseph Williams

One of the greatest offensive highlights from the matchup against the Sun Devils came from Colorado wide receiver Joseph Williams.

The wide receiver made a 48-yard reception in the fourth quarter to move the Buffaloes into scoring position. He then finished the drive with an impressive touchdown catch made through multiple defenders.

The score finally put Colorado on the board and cut Arizona State’s lead. Despite the touchdown coming too late to change the actual momentum of the game, Williams demonstrated exactly what Colorado needs from its passing attack.

Williams’ performance was one of the few offensive positives in a game where the Buffaloes struggled to simply sustain drives.

Losers

Colorado Defense

An evident negative throughout this game were the difficulties shown from the Colorado defense especially in the first half.

The Buffaloes surrendered 17 unanswered points before halftime which put their offense in a difficult position. Arizona State took advantage of several opportunities including an unexpected trick play. It resulted in a touchdown pass from Sun Devils standout running back Cardae Mack to quarterback Jake Fette.

Arizona State then added another major play in the second quarter when Fette connected with Sun Devils wide receiver Reed Harris for a 34-yard touchdown. Colorado had the opportunity to disrupt the possession but the secondary allowed Harris to get behind the defense.

Following halftime, there were some encouraging moments. Colorado produced a few important stops and came through with a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter forcing Arizona State to settle for a field goal. However, these positive moments were not enough to save their team or their own specific mistakes throughout the matchup.

Colorado’s Offensive Consistency

Colorado’s inability to sustain offensive drives as a whole was a major reason why the Buffaloes exited Tempe, Arizona with a loss.

The team went scoreless in the first half, making it difficult to keep pace with Arizona State. While teams are expected to come back with improvements following halftime, Colorado’s struggles continued. Buffaloes quarterback Isaac Wilson threw an interception to the Sun Devils defensive back Ashton Stamps in the third quarter. This very turnover prevented the opportunity for Colorado to build momentum and put any additional pressure on the defense.

The Buffaloes also failed to convert multiple fourth-down opportunities which limited their chances to extend drives and truly land themselves back in the contest.

While Williams’ fourth-quarter touchdown provided a much-needed spark, Colorado really needed that type of production much earlier. A 10-point performance is rarely enough to win on the road especially when the defense is forced to spend extended stretches trying to contain an already dominant opponent.

Ultimately, Colorado’s loss was the result of problems on both sides of the ball. While Lampron and Williams’ performances are to be praised, the team’s performance as a whole was disappointing. Moving forward, consistency will continue to be their biggest goal for on-field production.