The numbers do lie - Colorado falls to UCLA on final drive

Normally I put the stats at the end of a recap but today I think it's appropriate to list them first. There's plenty to discuss.

Matchup
1st Downs	34	16
3rd down efficiency	7-22	6-14
4th down efficiency	3-4	0-0
Total Yards	554	400
Passing	312	262
Comp-Att	37-58	19-33
Yards per pass	5.5	8.4
Interceptions thrown	2	0
Rushing	242	138
Rushing Attempts	56	26
Yards per rush	4.3	5.3
Penalties	7-68	10-101
Turnovers	2	2
Fumbles lost	0	2
Interceptions thrown	2	0
Possession	41:05	18:55

41 minutes of possession to 19 for UCLA. 114 plays run by the Buffs to 59 for the Bruins. 34 first downs to 16. Looking at those numbers, if you somehow hadn't watched the game or logged on to Twitter, then you would logically assume that Colorado had comfortably pulled off a gigantic upset that would alter the course of the program and speed up the rebuild.

Yet, it was not to be. A UCLA interception with under a minute to play allowed the Bruins to end the game with a 35-31 win. The Buffaloes' 114 plays were the most by an FBS team this season and fourth most in a game dating back to 2004.

Big plays by UCLA on offense, a Paul Perkins 82-yard touchdown run and a 51-yard pass from Josh Rosen to Jordan Payton, combined with a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ishmeal Adams when the Buffaloes were knocking on the doorstep gave the Bruins the points they needed to hold off Colorado.

After falling behind 21-3 the Buffaloes controlled large stretches of the game, including a period where UCLA had run only a single play for almost 16 minutes and led 31-28 early in the quarter, but once again it wasn't enough.

On a positive note from the game, Nelson Spruce broke former Arizona receiver Mike Thomas' Pac-12 career receptions record (259). He finished the game with 11 catches for 90 yards while Sefo finished 37-57 for 312 yards and 2 interceptions.

Close is nice, but unfortunately close doesn't count for a thing.