BOULER, Colo. (AP) — Noah Fifita threw four first-half touchdown passes and the Arizona Wildcats forced five turnovers in rebounding from two closes losses with a 52-17 rout of the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday night.
“This is a huge win coming off two heartbreaking losses,” said coach Brent Brennan, whose Wildcats had lost in double-overtime to BYU and by a field goal at Houston. “We're gonna enjoy the plane ride home.”
The Wildcats (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) raced to a 38-7 halftime lead by scoring on six of their first seven drives, and the Buffaloes (3-6, 1-5) trudged into the locker room with more penalties (nine) than points.
For the first time in his three-year tenure in Boulder, Colorado, coach Deion “Prime” Sanders didn't allow any of his players to talk post-game. He said that was because he was solely to blame for the bedraggled Buffs' second straight blowout loss.
“Don't attack the coordinators. Come at me. Don't attack the players. Come at me," Sanders said.
Sanders had no answers as to why the Buffs played so poorly again, insisting good practices had given no inkling another rout was forthcoming. He bristled when asked if his team had checked out: “I know a quitter when I see one. I haven't seen that."
Sanders added that he's confident he can coach Colorado back into winning ways, saying, "I don't doubt me. Let's get that straight: I. Don't. Doubt. Me.”
Buffaloes QB Kaidon Salter was benched late in the first half for Ryan Staub, who was also benched after both of his passes were intercepted in the third quarter. Freshman Ju-Ju Lewis came on and threw a 59-yard touchdown strike — the first of his career — to Omarion Miller. The pass also was 10 yards longer than the 49 yards passing that Salter managed while completing 11 of 15.
Lewis left the game in the final minute with an injury to his throwing hand.
Colorado's two most damaging first-half flags wiped out a 75-yard touchdown catch and an interception.
Fifita got the rout started just three snaps into the game when he threw a short pass to Tre Spivey, who eluded six tacklers and outraced two others to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown — his seventh TD in just a dozen touches this season.
After a field goal made it 10-0, linebacker Chase Kennedy strip-sacked Salter and defensive tackle Leroy Palu recovered at the Colorado 12. On the next snap, Fifita found Kris Hutson for the score and a 17-0 lead.
“A very big win,” Arizona defender Jay'vion Cole said, “especially on the road, on the road in the Big 12 at a challenging place like this.”
The Buffaloes finally got on the board with Salter's 8-yard strike to Miller that capped a 17-play, 75-yard drive which took nearly eight minutes and prompted returning alum Shedeur Sanders, now a backup QB for the Cleveland Browns, to pull up a folding chair at midfield along the Buffs' sideline.
The takeaway
Arizona: Fifita directed the 'Cats on eight scoring drives in 10 possessions before giving way to backup Braedyn Locke. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 213 yards. The Wildcats got touchdowns from seven different players. Their 18 takeaways are two more than they had all of last season.
Colorado: The Buffaloes were still hung over from their 53-7 bashing at Utah a week earlier. Over their last two games, the Buffs have been outscored by halftime 81-7. They racked up 14 penalties against Arizona.
Up Next
Arizona: Hosts the University of Kansas on Saturday.
Colorado: Visits West Virginia on Saturday.
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