Four scores and 50 for CU
Shenault’s quartet of touchdowns keep 21stranked Buffaloes unbeaten
BOULDER» In the closing moments of the fourth quarter Saturday, as the Colorado Buffaloes put the finishing touches on another victory, receiver Laviska Shenault shuffled up and down the sideline, raising his arms to get the crowd going.
“I was just in the moment,” the stellar sophomore said.
The largest crowd at Folsom Field in eight years — 52,681 — didn’t need Shenault to get cranked up in that moment, however. The fans were already pumped after watching Shenault score four touchdowns and the defense rise up in the second half to knock off Arizona State 2821.
The No. 21ranked Buffaloes (50, 20 Pac12) are off to their best start since 1998 and have already matched their win total from last year, when they went 57 and missed a bowl game for the ninth time in 10 years.
Now, the Buffs are just one win from bowl eligibility and remained the only undefeated team in the Pac12.
“Our mindset is different from last year,” Shenault said. “We have a better mindset, a winning mindset, and a dog mindset.”
Having Shenault on their side certainly helps the Buffs develop a winning mindset.
A true sophomore from De Soto, Texas, Shenault came into the game as the nation’s leading receiver, and against the Sun Devils he caught 13 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He also lined up in the wildcat formation several times, finishing with five carries for 13 yards and two more touchdowns.
“That’s insane,” quarterback Steven Montez said. “He had an absolutely
monster game today.”
Montez was spectacular again, too, completing 24of33 passes for 328 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
While the Montez and Shenault show continued to roll along, the Buffs won this game in the end by flexing their muscles — mentally and physically.
“We are more mentally and physically tough as a whole team than we were last year, there’s no doubt,” coach Mike Macintyre said. “We didn’t win those type of games last year. We wouldn’t have put them away like we did. We wouldn’t have kept battling.”
CU’S toughness took the spotlight with 7 minutes, 10 seconds left.
Leading 2821, the Buffs’ defense had just forced a threeandout by the Arizona State offense — CU’S fifth consecutive stop — and the offense took over at its own 24yard line.
Arizona State never got the ball back, as CU marched down the field with 13 timemelting plays: eight runs up the middle, two thirddown throws to Shenault and three kneeldowns to run out the clock.
Trayvon Mcmillian finished with 136 yards on 30 carries, getting 31 of those yards on that possession.
“No better feeling than running the ball down their throat for the win,” left guard Brett Tonz said.
Even better to do it against Arizona State (33, 12), which is the best team CU has played this year and a force in the Pac12 South.
Arizona State had three separate sevenpoint leads, but each time, the Buffs responded with a touchdown to pull even.
Late in the third quarter, the Buffs finally got the advantage, on Shenault’s second touchdown run of the day.
“It’s important and it feels good and everyone is super happy about it right now, but we still have so much work to do,” Montez said. “The season doesn’t end today. We have to come back, regroup and get back to work just like we always have every week.”