BOULDER — If there was one thing Colorado fans figured their football team would do well this season, it had to be in the passing game with junior Nelson Spruce and Shay Fields.
They were prolific last year. Surely they would be even better this year.
So it had to be alarming when the passing game sputtered and Liufau went 8-for-11 for 61 yards in the first half at Hawaii in a season opening loss last Thursday.
“I (stunk) at the beginning of the game,” Liufau said Tuesday. “I couldn’t hit a pass. The receivers ran good routes. I should be able to get the ball to playmakers.”
Liufau squandered a big opportunity early in the second quarter after a Chidobe Awuzie interception gave the Buffs the ball on the Hawaii 33-yard line. Liufau was intercepted on the Hawaii 12-yard line.
The Buffs played better in the second half and had a chance to force overtime in the game’s waning moments but fell 28-20.
“We had a terrible first half as a team all around, and it’s frustrating, but in the second half we played really well,” Liufau said. “Outplayed them, I believe, in every facet. We just came up short at the end.”
The setback was Colorado’s ninth consecutive loss.
“We made bonehead mistakes that cost us the football game,” CU coach Mike MacIntyre said. “We outplayed that team, we out-physicalled that team, we outrushed that team, we outgained that team. We just made bonehead mistakes — that we’ve got to coach better to not have happen — or we would have won that game by a few touchdowns. Very frustrating.”
MacIntyre did see some fight in the Buffs. Trailing by eight points, the Buffs drove 55 yards on eight plays on their last possession and were on the Hawaii 12 when time ran out.
“The one thing I will say, the other night and about the team last year, they never ever ever ever ever ever ever give up,” MacIntyre said. “If you keep doing that, eventually you’re going to get those. You’re going to start winning those games. But it’s extremely frustrating for the players, for the coaches and for the fans right now.”
Liufau conceded the team might have played tight.
“We have to believe in ourselves and play loose,” Liufau said. “Not necessarily cocky, but with a sort of confidence or a sort of swagger. We know we’re good, but I think that we’re just putting too much pressure on ourselves to go out there and perform. If you’re in a close game, which will be a lot of times this year, you have to be able to perform in those type situations.”
Colorado opens its home schedule Saturday against Massachusetts. The Buffs won at UMass last year, 41-38. Massachusetts and Hawaii were Colorado’s only wins last season.
“We didn’t play up to our standards against Hawaii,” Liufau said. “It’s frustrating to come out the way we did. We want to come out and play well this week, especially at home. We want to defend our home turf and put on a good show. Not even for the fans. Obviously you want to put on a good show for them, but just for ourselves, to show us we can actually play and be able to transfer it from the practice field over to the game field.”
John Meyer: jmeyer@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnmeyer
