BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Regardless of shutting down Shedeur Sanders, No. 16 Oregon State was trying ripe for one more upset Saturday evening at Colorado till Buffaloes new play-caller Pat Shurmur gave them a reprieve simply earlier than halftime.
As a substitute of working the ball from his personal 4 and heading into halftime down simply 7-3, Shurmur known as for a pair of passes, each of which fell incomplete, earlier than a run was stuffed on the line of scrimmage.
Three performs, no yards, 27 seconds.
“That was enormous in a variety of methods,” Beavers coach Jonathan Smith mentioned after Oregon State held on for a 26-19 win Saturday evening.
Anthony Gould returned the punt from Colorado’s finish zone 28 yards and one other 5 yards was tacked on for an unlawful formation flag on the Buffs, giving the Beavers the ball on the 20 with 22 seconds left.
On first down, DJ Uiagalelei hit working again Deshaun Fenwick for the landing that made it 14-3 on the break.
“We shouldn’t have been throwing there. We would have liked to run the ball,” Sanders advised ESPN as he walked to the locker room. “That’s on me,” Coach Prime added.
The Buffs went nowhere on the opening drive of the second half and Uiagalelei’s 1-yard keeper made it 20-3.
Shedeur Sanders got here into the sport because the nation’s second-leading passer with a 337-yard common. However he was restricted to 41 yards earlier than halftime and completed with 245 after two late landing drives following an in-game painkiller injection for the second straight week in his sore hip.
“Once I get mad, it’s only a completely different me,” Sanders mentioned of his pair of 75-yard landing drives after the Buffs’ first 10 possessions resulted in simply 78 yards of offense.
Beavers linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold mentioned the plan was “to punish him each single play it doesn’t matter what.”
The Beavers (7-2, 4-2) began slowly however picked up steam with a pair of landing drives spanning halftime, then tacked on discipline objectives on their subsequent two drives earlier than working out the clock on their closing possession.
With their fifth loss in six video games, the Buffs (4-5, 1-5 Pac-12) fell below .500 for the primary time all season.
After a painful loss at UCLA final week wherein his quarterback son was below fixed durress, Buffs coach Deion Sanders switched up play-calling duties, selling Shurmur from marketing consultant to co-offensive coordinator. He known as performs from the sales space right down to the sector the place authentic coordinator Sean Lewis relayed them.
“It’s not likely an enormous change,” Shedeur Sanders mentioned. “We’re all on this collectively.”
Deion Sanders mentioned the change was essential to attempt to shake the Buffs from their offensive doldrums, however ESPN commentator Brock Osweiler was crucial of Colorado for not including a decent finish or working again to the safety scheme and mainly leaving the 5 O-linemen on an island all evening. The Buffs don’t use their tight ends for blocking and routinely line up with 4 broad receivers.
The change to Shurmur didn’t present the spark the Buffaloes had hoped as they managed simply 52 yards of offense within the first half and mismanaged their closing possession, leaving the Beavers sufficient time to attain the landing that gave them the double-digit halftime lead.
Sanders promised a distinct Buffs staff within the second half, together with his QB, who was 11-for-19 for 41 yards at that time.
But, it was extra of the identical after the break till Shedeur Sanders hit Travis Hunter from 15 yards out to tug CU to 23-12 with 10:41 remaining. After an OSU discipline purpose, Sanders directed one other 75-yard drive, capping this one with an 11-yard cross to Anthony Hankerson, to tug Colorado to 26-19.
After stuffing Colorado on the opening drive after halftime, the Beavers went 85 yards with Ugiagelelei scoring on a 1-yard keeper. Atticus Sappington’s additional level made it 21-3 however the Buffaloes have been offside, and Smith determined to go for two as an alternative.
That call backfired when Uiagalelei fumbled the snap and cornerback Kendrick Breedlove scooped it up and ran it the opposite manner for Colorado’s first defensive return for a 2-point conversion since 1991 in opposition to Nebraska.
SILVER LINING
Shedeur Sanders isn’t moping concerning the Buffs’ robust stretch. Quite the opposite, he’s it was one thing that may pay dividends subsequent yr.
“Everytime you win on a regular basis you don’t ever actually undergo that grit, that ache, that struggling. So, typically it’s good to undergo this course of to be sure you don’t ever really feel like that once more,” he mentioned. “So, I’m high-quality with it.”
Among the many greater than a dozen potential recruits on the recreation was any individual who might assist maintain Sanders protected: five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton from Washington, D.C.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon State: After scoring simply as soon as of their first eight drives, the Beavers settled in properly with two TDs and two FGs on their subsequent 4 possessions.
Colorado: The Buffaloes discover themselves in want of two wins over their closing three video games to turn out to be bowl-eligible.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Beavers fell 5 spots final week after their 27-24 loss at Arizona, however successful in Boulder steadies them this week.
