Noyer, Buffaloes edge Stanford, 35-32

Sam Noyer threw for 255 yards with two touchdowns and ran for another two scores as the Colorado Buffaloes held on to beat the Stanford Cardinal, 35-32. CU remains perfect after two close games.

The Buffaloes (2-0) made the best of coach Karl Dorrell’s debut last week vs. UCLA and kept the momentum going for their first road win of the season. After holding the Cardinal (0-2) to a 48-yard field goal from Jet Toner on the opening drive, Noyer and the Buffs responded with a 55-yard strike to Dimitri Stanley to take a 7-3 lead with 3:20 left in the first quarter.

Stanford used their next drive to bring CU’s lead back down to one point. A 33-yard field goal from Toner set up by a 15-yard facemask penalty by CU’s Jamar Montgomery, along with a first down runs by Davis Mills and Austin Jones.

Noyer ran in his first score on the following drive to give the Buffs a 14-6 lead at the 9:36 mark of the second quarter. Toner would add a 28-yard field goal to knock CU’s lead down to 14-9 with 4:38 left in the half.

The Buffs took that five-point lead into halftime and didn’t look back.

Colorado received the second half kickoff and put together a 9-play, 75-yard drive with Noyer dashing into the end zone for his second touchdown on the ground from 10 yards out. The Buffs defense forced the Cardinal into a quick three and out on their next series and capitalized once again. A 34-yard touchdown pass from Noyer to Brenden Rice put CU up by 19 points, 28-9, midway through the third quarter.

Mills answered for Stanford on the next drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown to bring Colorado’s lead to 28-16. The former five-star starting QB for the Cardinal returned after a round of false-positive COVID-19 tests last week. He went 30-of-55 for 333 yards and two total touchdowns.

Jaren Mangham got his second touchdown of the season on the subsequent series for the Buffs. A 2-yard score gave CU a 35-16 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Stanford tried to stage a comeback in the final 15 minutes. They scored back-to-back touchdowns and converted both two-point conversions. After cutting the deficit to 35-24, they marched down to the Colorado 3-yard line and added another eight points — six of those on a pass from Mills to Scotter Harrington with 2:34 remaining.

The ensuing onside kick by Stanford was recovered by CU’s La’Vontae Shenault. The Buffs then ran down the clock to 0:18 left before a failed last play with a fumble from the Cardinal to end the game.

Colorado extended their current winning streak over Stanford to three straight games. The Buffs haven’t lost at The Farm since their inaugural Pac-12 season in 2011. They’ve now gone 2-0 for a fifth-straight season and the third time in league play (2016, 2018). Karl Dorrell moves to 5-1 all-time vs. Stanford.

JAREK’s BIG DAY (AGAIN)

Jarek Broussard didn’t find the end zone, but did accumulate a second-straight 100-yard game. The defending Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week ended his day against Stanford with 27 carries for 121 yards and an average of 4.5 yards per carry.

A PRODUCTIVE TWO GAMES FOR STANLEY

With no K.D. Nixon available for the Buffs, Dimitri Stanley has become a go-to option for QB Sam Noyer. The Aurora, Colorado native put together a career day with six receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. Stanley is averaging 16 yards per catch so far this season.

KEY INJURY

Brady Russell left early in the first quarter with a right leg injury. The Buffs tight end went into the medical tent and came back out on the sideline, but did not return to the game.

UP NEXT

Colorado returns home to face Arizona State on Nov. 21. ASU’s game vs. Cal was canceled due a mass COVID-19 outbreak on campus in Tempe. No word yet on the status of next week’s game. Stanford stays in Palo Alto to welcome in Washington State next Saturday.