Utes rally to curb Buffaloes’ hopes
Ty Jordan scored twice, including a game-sealing 66yard touchdown burst, and Utah’s revamped defense forced three turnovers to help the visiting Utes rally past No. 21 Colorado 38-21 on a snowy Saturday to thwart the Buffaloes’ Pac-12 title aspirations.
The soon-to-be-unseated Pac-12 South champion Utes found their footing on the frozen field in the second half, turning around a 2110 deficit by scoring 28 unanswered points.
Colorado freshman receiver/returner Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, showed off his speed by scoring twice — on an 81-yard punt return and on a 61-yard catch off a bubble screen.
But it wasn’t enough as the Buffaloes suffered their first loss under coach Karl Dorrell during the earliest kickoff (10:05 a.m. local time) in Folsom Field history.
The Buffaloes needed a win along with UCLA beating No. 15 USC on Saturday to capture the South.
There could be a modification by the league given the cancellation of Washington and Oregon because of COVID-19 cases in the Huskies’ program; the conference said Saturday that Washington will play in the conference title game.
Stanford 27, at Oregon State 24:
Jet Toner booted a tie-breaking field goal with 1:48 left in the game to spark the Cardinal past the Beavers.
Stanford quarterback Davis Mills passed for one touchdown and ran for two others. Mills completed 21 of 29 passes for 292 yards.
Oregon State quarterbacks Chance Nolan passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns.
Cal-Washington State canceled
California’s game at Washington State was canceled less than two hours before kickoff because of a case of COVID-19 on the Cal team, the Pac-12 said. Cal was not able to field enough scholarship players to meet the minimum threshold to play the game, the Pac-12 said.