Shreveport, La. — Colorado’s first bowl game in the Dan Hawkins era didn’t go as the coach would have scripted Sunday night — but the ending came close.
Overmatched early, the Buffaloes fell behind Alabama by 27 points in the first half of the Independence Bowl. Colorado made a game of it, but wasted opportunities in the second half and fell 30-24 to the Southeastern Conference team before 47,043 in Independence Stadium.
After getting two touchdown passes from Cody Hawkins late in the second quarter, Colorado moved into Alabama territory three times in the third quarter but managed just three points.
Despite showing marked improvement over last season’s 2-10 record, Colorado (6-7) couldn’t avoid consecutive losing records for the first time since a six-year run of futility in 1979-84.
With 20 points in the first quarter, Alabama (7-6) tied its bowl best for scoring in a quarter. That’s saying something, considering this is a program making its 55th bowl appearance.
It also was the most points allowed by CU in one quarter of a bowl game, besting the former mark of 14 points on three occasions.
“We came out right away and couldn’t do anything,” CU senior tight end Tyson DeVree said.
Alabama junior John Parker Wilson entered the game with a 12-13 record as a starting quarterback, but he might as well have been Joe Namath on Sunday. His three TD passes in the first half tied an Independence Bowl record.
Colorado finally gave its fans something to cheer about when Cody Hawkins threw two touchdown passes during the final 2:05 of the second quarter. The first, a 4-yard toss to DeVree, was set up by an interception by safety Ryan Walters, who returned the pick 35 yards to the Alabama 43-yard line.
After an Alabama punt, the Buffs took over at the CU 45 with 1:11 to go. Hawkins worked the clock to perfection with sideline passes. Then, on third-and-9, he hit senior Dusty Sprague on the 1-yard line, and he dived into the end zone just 4.4 seconds before halftime.
Hawkins threw another touchdown pass to DeVree, this one a 14-yarder, with 3:51 left in the game to cut the Buffs’ deficit to 30-24. But CU got the ball back for the final time with one second left, and a completion and series of lateral passes couldn’t result in a miracle touchdown as the game ended.
