LOS ANGELES — With Saturday’s game out of reach, Colorado backup quarterback Jordan Gehrke saw his most extensive playing time of the season in the fourth quarter.
Gehrke is a third-year sophomore who redshirted last year after transferring from a junior college in Arizona. Taking over for starter Sefo Liufau, Gehrke completed 7-of-13 passes for 71 yards and no interceptions.
He also scored his first touchdown with a 9-yard keeper.
“I thought Jordan made some nice plays. He can do some good things for us,” CU coach Mike MacIntyre said. “I thought early on, he was a little bit nervous and rusty. Once he got settled in, he did a really good job.
“It came to a point in the game where we got some different guys in because (sometime) they’re going to have to play for us.”
Missing “Zim.” Longtime Colorado broadcaster Larry Zimmer missed his first CU football game in 21 seasons Saturday, but there are encouraging reports that his health is improving, according to school officials.
Zimmer, 78, has been at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood since taking a fall Oct. 5 at his home in the Lookout Mountain area. He continues to undergo tests to determine the cause.
His absence from the Colorado at Southern California matchup snapped his string of calling 251 consecutive Buffs games, either as the play-by-play voice or as an analyst.
Overall, Zimmer has called Colorado football for 41 seasons, all on KOA radio. He also called Broncos games for 19 years.
Footnotes. Only one CU injury reported: a rib contusion suffered by wide receiver Bryce Bobo that occurred on Liufau’s second interception. Bobo’s availability for Saturday’s homecoming game in Boulder against UCLA is listed as “day to day.” … Junior receiver Nelson Spruce has now caught a pass in 20 consecutive games. Spruce, from Westlake Village in suburban L.A., also completed a pass to Liufau in the second quarter. That made Spruce 3-for-3 in his career as a passer. … CU’s defense entered the game ranked sixth in the Pac-12 but had already yielded 304 yards by halftime. … Notable Coloradans who played college football for the Trojans include All-America offensive lineman Tony Boselli (Fairview), running back LenDale White (Denver South, Chatfield), offensive lineman Jeff Byers (Loveland) and two-way tackle Ward Bond (Denver East). Bond gained fame as an actor in the TV series “Wagon Train.”
