The Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3, 6-2) scored 14 points via special teams and an interception to upend the Colorado Buffaloes (3-9, 2-6) 28 - 20 in the Buffs' last game of the 2009 season. On a beautiful day in Boulder, the Buffs played well at times and in other situations, they continued to be their own worst enemy, something that has become a staple for the Buffs in Dan Hawkins' four years at Colorado.

The Colorado defense only allowed 14 points and held the Cornhuskers' offense to just 217 yards, only 73 of which came through the air. Cha'pelle Brown played wonderfully in his final game as a Buff including a sack of Husker QB Zac Lee. The senior cornerback was also awarded this season's Buffalo Heart Award, presented annually to a Buffs player by fans. Colorado's defense has played relatively well since the West Virginia game but were never helped by its offensive and special teams counterparts for most of the season.

OG Ryan Miller and the offensive line did very well on DT Ndamukong Suh, even though the announcers kept making it out to be that Suh had 50 tackles and 20 sacks while being blocked by 19 players. Suh was the benefactor of a sack on a poor intentional grounding flag thrown in the third quarter that was clearly a tipped pass to Rodney Stewart. The penalty pushed the ball back to the 34 yard line and resulted in a missed field goal. That one phantom sack by Suh was the only sack given up today, a major improvement. QB Tyler Hansen still had to do some scrambling but the Buffs never were in 3rd and 20's because of a Husker sack.

Buff WR Markques Simas caught six balls for 107 yards. Although he was not featured enough tonight, he finished the month of November with 462 yards and 31 receptions. A very impressive last month for the sophomore receiver and will be a positive going into next season. Simas did not have a ball thrown his way until the 8 minute mark of the second quarter and had only one catch in the first half. Colorado forgot about him until half number two. Scotty McKnight, thanks to a 56 yard touchdown reception as time expired, also finished with over 100 yards, the second time the duo has accomplished that this year. McKnight had 7 catches for 114 yards and two scores. RB Rodney Stewart also went over the century mark with 110 yards on 21 carries as well.

Overall, the Buffs out gained Nebraska 403 to 217. They had 20 first downs to the Huskers' 14.

But, Colorado made enough mistakes to end up with their ninth loss of the season in a very winnable game.

more after the jump...

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I really am at  a loss for words. Part of me was somewhat satisfied that the Buffs were in the game, part of me is absolutely embarrassed to once again have a second half lead and blow the game. Colorado had a 21 - 10 advantage in the third quarter while forcing four turnovers (should have been more) but once again, let up the big play or missed the field goal or couldn't convert on offense or couldn't stop a third string quarterback.

I think my post from earlier today sums it up best. Use this post to voice your comments but I will let my earlier post do the talking tonight:

The Sad Truth: 2009 Will Go Down As the Year the Colorado Buffaloes Blew It - The Ralphie Report

Once again, the Colorado Buffaloes failed to show up on the road. How many times have we used that line the last four years? But it is the best way to describe the team after yet again another poor performance and a performance that has become all too familiar.

The Buffs continue to shoot themselves in the foot when given the opportunity to excel. This team lacks a killer instinct and that starts at the top.

Whether it is getting 30 yards of penalties on first and goal from the nine yard line that resulted in zero points, kickoffs out of bounce late in the game, missing field goals or the Buffs failure to score on first and goal from the five yard line, this team continues to play poor in key situations.

Another way to gauge how well a team responds in key moments: play in the red zone and third down conversions. Today, the Buffs were 1 - 4 in the red zone, while the Iowa State Cyclones were 3 - 3. On third down, Colorado was 2 - 14. Those are absolutely pathetic numbers.

And don't forget turnovers and those mental breakdowns called penalties. Colorado turned the ball over three times today and had another turnover on downs in the red zone. In total, Colorado came up empty three times in the red zone. Add 11 penalties and 110 yards into the mix as well. Colorado ranked 117th in the nation coming into the game and that may get worse when it is all said and done. And today, the penalties were especially damaging. Two ruined a chance at points and two other ones kept Iowa State's first touchdown drive alive after the Buffs initially stopped Iowa State on third down.

Tyler Hansen finished the game 18 - 38 for 258 yards, one touchdown, one interception. Anyone who listened to the Buffs' broadcast heard the word "flushed" more than any other word spoken today. He was rushed all day and continued to get harassed as the offensive line continues to be a major disappointment in 2009. Rodney Stewart has had better days as well. He ran the ball 19 times for 85 yards but fumbled twice, once in the red zone. Markques Simas and Scotty McKnight both had over 100 yards receiving but the Buffs only attempted two passes to Markques Simas in the first half, something that had to be confusing to Colorado fans as he continues to be a big threat.

The Buffs have now lost 11 games straight on the road and are officially eliminated from postseason play for the third time in four years. Under Dan Hawkins, the Colorado Buffaloes have not beaten a Big 12 North team on the road. They are now 0 - 10. His team continues to make the mental mistakes that will prohibit them from ever excelling as a football team. They continue to show that they haven't progressed and have not shown that they can be counted on to play with any consistency.

Colorado will play at Oklahoma State next Thursday on a short week. I can hear the excuses now about the scheduling from Dan Hawkins. Instead I think we should hear from him that his team's play in key situations and his team's propensity to commit mental mistakes is inexcusable. His team has not executed for four years.

Bottom line, this team isn't getting better and they aren't fixing anything that continues to make them an unsuccessful squad.

Well, the Buffs win. Colorado outscored Texas A&M 25 to 13 in the second half to win after falling behind in the first half. The Buffaloes offense showed up against the 98th ranked defense, totaling 439 yards on offense while holding a top Texas A&M offense to under 400 yards.

Colorado had 12 minutes more of possession and was 50% on third down. It was a very solid offense performance if you take away the first quarter of play.

Tyler Hansen was effective going 21 - 32, 271 yards a touchdown and an interception outplaying Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson. The key today, though, was the emergence of WR Markques Simas. Simas had his best day as a Colorado Buffalo. He provided the big play threat that this offense had been missing, going for 7 catches and 135 yards, good for 19.3 yards a catch. He certainly filled that big play role that was missing from the offense the past four years.

It was a good win for the Buffs as they overcame another touchdown given up by the special teams. Certainly bittersweet as Buff fans are left in flux with this program. Colorado is now 3 - 6, 2 - 3 in the conference. Next week Colorado is at Iowa State.

Same story, different day. The Colorado Buffaloes lose to the Missouri Tigers 36 - 17 after falling behind 33 - 0 in the first half. The Buffs won't win many games falling behind 33 - 0, gaining only 176 yards on offense, going 3 - 13 on third down, rushing for -14 yards (Andre Simmons was the Buffs leading rusher 1 for 15 yards. Simmons now has 2 touches for 59 yards this year), turning the ball over four times, take a safety and finish 0 - 3 on fourth down.

The Buffs defense played well in the second half, only giving up three points and 94 total yards but in the first half, the defensive scheme failed to dictate the Missouri offense and never pressured the gimpy Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. The Tigers went on to score 33 points and gain 306 total yards in one half. The 33 first half points continued a dubious success streak that the Tigers have had on the Buffs the last three years. Colorado, before they kicked a field goal, had given up 136 consecutive points to Missouri since 2007. That is dominance.

In a game that was supposed to be one of revenge for the Buffs after being embarrassed the last two years, Colorado came out like they did a week ago against Kansas State; lethargic and soft. A major concern for many Buff fans has to be the coaching staff's inability to properly get these players to motivated to play. Two weeks in a row, Colorado had a winnable game that could have got them right in the middle of the Big 12 North race and once again, they failed to respond. Why is this team not ready to play and other teams, like Kansas State and Missouri, are?

The Buffs' offense failed to show any consistency and once again, the opposing defensive line destroyed the Buffs' o-line. Tyler Hansen was sacked numerous times and Colorado never got a running game going, something that has plagued the team all season. It was once again obvious that the Buffs have no ability to stretch the field on the opposition and make a big play. This offense is stagnant and uneventful.

The loss drops the Buffs to 2 - 6 making Dan Hawkins the first coach in Colorado history to not have a winning season in his first four years. Missouri Tigers moves to 5 - 3 with a good chance at getting back into the Big 12 North race. Nebraska won today 20 - 10 against Baylor. The 1 - 3 conference start puts Colorado in the basement of the North. They will have to win all four of their remaining games just to have a chance at a bowl game but that seems unlikely as Dan Hawkins has not won four games in a row at Colorado and has only won twice on the road since 2006.

I assume you will hear from Dan Hawkins and the coaching staff that they are proud of the way the players responded at halftime but once again, why do the players always have to respond, why can't they make other teams respond? Why can't the Buffs dictate what the other team does? Why can't Colorado play a full game? Missouri is younger than the Buffs and they came on the road and embarrassed Dan Hawkins' team at Folsom in front of many visiting recruits. Why do the Buffs come out flat to begin halves? Why is energy always an issue? Why can't this team get motivated to play for you?

What is the excuse this week?

The Colorado Buffaloes failed on the road again. They did exactly what they couldn't do. The Buffs turned the ball over four times, played horribly on special teams, flip flopped quarterbacks with no benefit and were frankly out coached by Bill Snyder. Once again the Colorado Buffaloes failed in a chance to excel and take charge of the Big 12 North. Kansas State is not a great football team but they know who they are. They don't turn the ball over, they run the ball and they capitalize on other team's mistakes, not make them.

As for playing on the road:

Said Rodney Stewart: "Our players, I don't think they like playing on the road as much. It's something with the fans, and we just don't get as much energy on the sidelines. There's a lot of things (going wrong) playing on the road, and we need to fix it."

How?

"I don't know."

But it is our fault for getting our hopes up, it was a last ditch effort to get excited after the Buffs beat a highly overrated Kansas team. The rest of the Big 12 North is horrible. Nebraska loses at home today to another first year coach in Paul Rhoads at Iowa State. The first time that has happened in some 32 years. Paul Rhoads at Iowa State now has tied Dan Hawkins for road games in his Big 12 tenure with two. Dan Hawkins has done it in 44 games, Rhoads in eight. Missouri will probably lose tonight against Texas and Oklahoma beat up the Kansas Jayhawks. Now Kansas State, under first year coach Bill Snyder, looks like they have the inside track to win the division while other first year coach Paul Rhodes is probably kicking himself as they should be 3 - 0 in the conference.

We should have known better. Colorado has only won consecutive games twice in Dan Hawkins' tenure and only twice on the road in 20 tries. Yes, 20 road games, two wins. We have a 10% chance on the road. The number gets increasingly embarrassing and is a real sign that the Colorado Buffaloes football program has not progressed in four years. They are still losing winnable games on the road against teams that are more prepared.

The Buffs failed to respond and we are left with the famous Dan Hawkins quote:

"We just weren't making a lot of plays," Hawkins said. "It was a combination of a lot of little things."

It's always a combination of a lot of LITTLE things, but never a concrete quote by Dan Hawkins. Why can't we get the little things fixed? When Bill Snyder, a coach who was victorious going 5 - 3 this year and one win away from being bowl eligible, was asked a question about his offense he said this:

"Bad," Snyder said. "Stinks."

That is a quote in a winning effort.

Yes, Kansas State stinks but they are pretty well coached and don't make a ton of mistakes. The Buffs are horrible, shame on me for drinking the kool-aid after the Kansas game. I shouldn't say that. The Buffs defense once again came to play. They held Kansas State's offense to 284 yards and 2 - 11 on third down. They played some bend but don't brake defense and were really only accountable for 10 points.

The Colorado Buffaloes average starting position today was on their own 17 yard line. Turnovers, penalties, poor special teams play, the inability to flip the field on offense all can be attributed to the Buffs' loss. It all was a problem today but four turnovers given up for ten Kansas State points and having to drive 83 yards for a touchdown every time will kill good teams, even more so for teams like the University of Colorado. Kansas State started on the 44 yard line on average. That is a huge difference between starting positions. 

On special teams, Colorado missed a field goal and muffed a punt that led to a Kansas State touchdown. Give the special teams a minus -8 today. The special teams unit also had a punt fake that was stopped well short of the first down in Buff territory. Just another bad effort that is a main reason why the Buffs struggle on the road: a failure to execute the LITTLE things.

On offense, Tyler Hansen was responsible for a fumble which led to three points for Kansas State. The Buffs also had two Cody Hawkins interceptions, one in the endzone, that did not help Colorado's cause. I still have not rationalized bringing in Cody Hawkins in any situation of the game. That will be a focus. The Buffs once again lacked playmakers, the wide receivers couldn't get open, the offense went away from the running game early, the offensive line was dominated up front when Colorado tried to run the ball and overall, the Buffs were outclassed by a mediocre Kansas State team. No disrespect to Kansas State, they will agree they are not a great football team but they did what they had to do.

One week after a win, some perspective has settled in again. I can't get this quote out of my head.

It's so funny, you go from your season is a disaster to holy smokes you're going to win the north. There is a lot of football to be played; there are a lot of games left to play. You have to play it out, you have to bury yourself down and get into that week-to-week grind and focus that way and let it all play out," Dan Hawkins said.

It's not funny. 10 wins, no excuses!

Well, well, well...that feels good. Good win today against a potent offense while the Buffs put up 34 points behind a solid effort from Tyler Hansen and Rodney Stewart. Hansen's ability to make plays with his feet and spread the ball around to multiple people definitely had an impact on the team today.

Celebrate Buff fans, it has been a long time coming but enjoy every minute of it!

After tonight, it is pretty clear that the Buffs have the talent needed at many positions. Hats off to the defense. You shut down the number one scoring offense all night. You played extremely well and deserve a lot of credit. If they keep this level of play up, there are many winnable games out there.

That being said, the special teams played well for the first half but to give up 14 points on blocked punt and a kickoff return in a close game is inexcusable. The offense, inexcusable as well. Yes, Colorado was 33 point underdogs but clearly showed that they have the talent to stick with the Longhorns.

Texas made a few more adjustments at halftime than the Buffs which is the story of our season. The Buffs were not able to challenge the Texas' defense down field and it caught up to them in the 3rd quarter. It worked, sort of, for a half but you could see that Texas was sitting on the Buffs' offense in the second half and Colorado couldn't get the ball up field in the passing game.

The turning point was the redzone interception for a Texas' defensive touchdown. As a quarterback, you have to know better than that. Plain and simple, you have to know the situation and effectively pre-snap read who will be covering the flat route. That was an inexcusable pass. I hate to criticize a student-athlete but that is the ball game. Colorado puts seven points up there and it is 21 - 17 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Even if the ball needs to be thrown away and Colorado settles for three points, it is a tie ball game at 17. Instead, Texas followed up the blocked point with an interception return to take a 24 - 14 lead.

Seven minutes later, Jordan Shipley returns a punt for a touchdown and the Buffs found themselves in a big hole. Until Fozzy Whittaker's 12 yard score with 6 minutes left in the game, the Colorado defense had given up only ten points to an offensive unit that averaged just under 50 points a contest. That is impressive. Even more impressive was the Colorado defense was able to force two turnovers deep inside Texas territory, giving the offense a great opportunity to be successful.

But the special teams gave up 14 points, throw on the 92 yard interception return for a touchdown and the Buffs allowed 21 non-offensive Texas points at crucial times in the game.

At first, I was excited that QB Tyler Hansen was in the game but thinking about it later, it was a waste. You inserted Tyler Hansen at a horrible time in the game. He most likely wasn't prepped during the week to be the starter and if he was, he should have been inserted at halftime. Instead, you make Tyler Hansen look bad because he has to play from behind late in the fourth quarter. It was a poor move by the staff. Tyler Hansen had better be the starting quarterback next week.

Again, great defensive effort. Like I said at the intermission:

Like I posted in the first half thread, love the opportunity, love the chance. Now is Dan Hawkins time to step up and be the motivator. Texas got some momentum back before half there but if Dan Hawkins wants to be our coach for the future, this halftime speech and his staffs' adjustments will dictate that. Mack Brown will make his adjustments, can Dan Hawkins match it? Can Dan Hawkins make his team believe at halftime that they can win this game like the Texas coaches will for their players? It is judgment time...30 minutes to prove yourself right now...answer the bell Hawkins and answer the bell Buffs!

The bell was not answered when it was there for the taking. No one can argue that. No moral victories, this game was winnable.