Boulder – There is never a bad time for a team like New Mexico State to hit town.
Under a new head coach, the Aggies may be better in a year or two, but Saturday they were shut out 39-0 at Folsom Field by a Colorado team needing to fix some issues. It is CU’s first shutout since it beat Baylor 34-0 in 2002.
CU’s agenda: Curb penalties. Become more consistent in the pass rush. Continue to make strides in the running game. Continue to solidify the pass defense.
And stay healthy.
CU accomplished nearly everything on its list.
“In almost every phase I felt we were focused,” CU coach Gary Barnett said. “Overall, it was a great win.”
Penalties were reduced from the nine the Buffs had against Colorado State to seven against New Mexico State. CU had just three in the first half.
CU put pressure on Aggies quarterback Royal Gill all night. Gill was hurried and harassed, sacked and forced into numerous incompletions.
CU’s defense got New Mexico State off the field so quickly, it didn’t have to face the heat of the Aggies’ much-hyped passing attack. New Mexico State, which ran 88 plays in its opener against Texas-El Paso, had just 53 on Saturday and totaled just 181 yards, 5 on the ground.
“I’m extremely pleased defensively that we were able to shut down a team that does a lot of things to you,” Barnett said.
Meanwhile, CU’s offense moved the ball with relative ease, and the running game spearheaded the Buffs’ effort.
After New Mexico State punted on its first drive, Colorado took its opening drive 42 yards and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by Lawrence Vickers. Tailback Hugh Charles was the star of that drive, rushing four times for 28 yards, which included two 11-yard runs. He also had one catch for 4 yards. Charles finished with 105 yards on 21 carries.
Vickers provided punch in both halves, and CU felt so comfortable with the way it was able to move the ball on the ground that quarterback Joel Klatt was allowed to run the option on a play in the third quarter. Klatt had his running legs all night, rushing six times for 33 yards. Through the air, Klatt finished 18-of-25 for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
The Buffs hit a bit of a lull after their first drive that lasted into the second quarter. Drives stalled and Mason Crosby booted two field goals, the second of which made it 13-0 in the second quarter.
After a safety made the score 15-0, the CU offense got back on track and marched 63 yards in four plays to score a touchdown with 46 seconds left in the second quarter to make the margin 22-0. Two touchdown drives of 59 and 89 yards in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
Vickers was a force for the Buffs, running and receiving. He ran and caught a touchdown pass in the first half and worked his way into being a featured player in the offense during the second half. His 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave CU a 36-0 lead. He finished with 77 all-purpose yards (45 rushing, 32 receiving) and three touchdowns.
“That’s a record for me, three touchdowns,” Vickers said. “It feels real good. I have to send all of the (credit) to the offensive line.”
Sixth-year senior tight end Quinn Sypniewski even got into the act. He caught his first touchdown pass in the third quarter on an acrobatic play in which he reached over a defender in the back of the end zone to make the grab.
CU’s ability to chew up big chunks of time helped keep the Buffs’ defense off the field and kept the game moving. CU’s 14 first downs in the third quarter set a school record. It also limited the Aggies’ ability to get into a flow. New Mexico State had 19:46 in time of possession and converted on just 2-of-14 third-down opportunities.
“We wanted to be better than last week,” Vickers said. “If we want to be up there with the elite teams, we have to take it to the next level. That’s what we did.”
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
