BOULDER — It’s been a continuing problem — and counting. Once again, Colorado showed Saturday night it simply lacks the offensive firepower to keep up against explosive Big 12 teams.
And it doesn’t figure to get any easier beginning next season in the soon-to-be-named Pac-12 and against the pass-happy systems of teams in that conference. Colorado has averaged about 25 points per game during five years under coach Dan Hawkins, and the Buffs hit that number on the button this time.
Not good enough. Baylor scored 31.
“When you play good Big 12 schools, when they have a quarterback on the sideline like they do (Robert Griffin accounted for 371 yards of offense), you know when you get into the red zone, you have to come up with points every time,” CU junior utility back Matt Bahr said. “We really want to come up with seven points. We were this close to being ahead in the game.”
Colorado ought to be kicking itself for leaving points on the turf.
• CU drove to the Baylor 34-yard line in the first quarter, but Tyler Hansen threw an interception.
• Playing in his first college game as a running back, CU sophomore Will Jefferson took a handoff in the third quarter and busted free up the middle from the Bears’ 24. But Jefferson lost his balance at about the 4 and fumbled as he was hit at the 1. Baylor recovered in the end zone for a touchback. To make matters worse, the Bears raced 80 yards in five plays for a touchdown.
• Trailing 21-15, a fumble recovery by Colorado senior cornerback Jalil Brown gave the Buffs the ball at the Baylor 21 late in the third quarter. But Colorado could move just 13 yards in seven plays and was forced to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Aric Goodman.
“There’s definitely not a problem for us getting up and down the field on the offensive side,” CU senior tight end Luke Walters said. “But there are critical points in the game when we have to make sure we hold on to the ball, get to the line of scrimmage, just making smart plays.
“If it’s (a two-minute drive) and the ball is coming your way over the middle and you don’t have a timeout, you don’t catch that ball if you can’t make the first down. We get taught those things in practice. It’s just a matter of playing with your head as much as physically.”
Field goals don’t win many games in a wide-open leagues such as the Big 12 and Pac-10. Teams trying to keep up can’t squander scoring opportunities.
“Just a couple of plays and that game is winnable,” Hansen said.
Baylor outscored Colorado 21-10 after halftime.
“We were hot enough offensively and ran the ball well enough that we were able to sustain drives and control the football,” Baylor coach Art Briles said of the second half.
That consistency and firepower continue to be lacking on the CU side.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
