# 2019 Colorado Buffaloes football team

The 2019 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the Pac-12 Conference during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Mel Tucker, the Buffaloes played their home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder and finished at 5–7 (3–6 in Pac-12, fifth in the South Division).
Previously the defensive coordinator at Georgia, Tucker left after just one season at CU for Michigan State of the Big Ten Conference.

## Preseason
### Pac-12 media days
#### Pac-12 media poll

In the 2019 Pac-12 preseason media poll, Colorado was voted to finish in last place in the South Division.
Media poll (South Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Utah | 206 (33) |
| 2 | USC | 167 (2) |
| 3 | Arizona State | 118 |
| 3 | UCLA | 118 |
| 5 | Arizona | 85 |
| 6 | Colorado | 46 |

## Coaching staff

| Name | Title |
| Mel Tucker | Head coach |
| Darrin Chiaverini | Assistant head coach/wide receivers coach |
| Jay Johnson | Offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach |
| Tyson Summers | Defensive coordinator/safeties coach |
| Jimmy Brumbaugh | Defensive line coach |
| Ross Els | Inside linebackers/special teams Coach |
| Darian Hagan | Running backs coach |
| Chris Kapilovic | Offensive line coach/Run Game Coordinator |
| Brian Michalowski | Outside linebackers coach |
| Al Pupunu | Tight ends coach |
| Travares Tillman | Defensive backs coach |

## Schedule

Colorado's 2019 schedule began on Friday, August 30 with a non-conference neutral site game against in-state rival Colorado State in Denver. The Buffaloes will then play two more non-conference games at home, first against traditional Big Eight Conference rival Nebraska, now a member of the Big Ten Conference, and then against in-state foe Air Force, a member of the Mountain West Conference along with Colorado State. In Pac-12 Conference play, Colorado will play the other members of the South Division and draws Oregon, Stanford, Washington, and Washington State from the North Division. They will not play California or Oregon State as part of the regular season.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. Colorado State* | Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO (Rocky Mountain Showdown) | ESPN | W 52–31 | 66,997 |
| September 7 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 25 Nebraska* | Folsom FieldBoulder, CO (rivalry) | FOX | W 34–31 $^{OT}$ | 52,829 |
| September 14 | 11:00 a.m. | Air Force* | Folsom FieldBoulder, CO | P12N | L 23–30 $^{OT}$ | 49,282 |
| September 21 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 24 Arizona State | Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ | P12N | W 34–31 | 45,786 |
| October 5 | 2:30 p.m. | Arizona | Folsom FieldBoulder, CO | P12N | L 30–35 | 52,569 |
| October 11 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 13 Oregon | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | FS1 | L 3–45 | 50,521 |
| October 19 | 5:00 p.m. | at Washington State | Martin StadiumPullman, WA | ESPNU | L 10–41 | 28,514 |
| October 25 | 7:00 p.m. | USC | Folsom FieldBoulder, CO | ESPN2 | L 31–35 | 48,913 |
| November 2 | 7:00 p.m. | at UCLA | Rose BowlPasadena, CA | P12N | L 14–31 | 47,118 |
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | Stanford | Folsom FieldBoulder, CO | P12N | W 16–13 | 49,224 |
| November 23 | 8:00 p.m. | Washington | Folsom FieldBoulder, CO | ESPN | W 20–14 | 44,618 |
| November 30 | 5:30 p.m. | at No. 6 Utah | Rice–Eccles StadiumSalt Lake City, UT (Rumble in the Rockies) | ABC | L 15–45 | 46,879 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 5 released prior to gameAll times are in Mountain time |||||||
    Source:

## Game summaries
### Vs. Colorado State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| Buffaloes | 7 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 52 |

### Nebraska

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 25 Cornhuskers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| Buffaloes | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 3 | 34 |

### Air Force

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Falcons | 6 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
| Buffaloes | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 23 |

### At Arizona State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buffaloes | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| No. 24 Sun Devils | 0 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 31 |

### Arizona

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| Buffaloes | 3 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 30 |

### At Oregon

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buffaloes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 13 Ducks | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Colorado | Oregon |
| 1 | 11:37 | 9 | 75 | 3:23 | Oregon | Jacob Breeland 7-yard touchdown reception from Justin Herbert, Camden Lewis kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 2:46 | 13 | 72 | 4:47 | Colorado | 27-yard field goal by James Stefanou | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | 14:10 | 11 | 62 | 3:36 | Oregon | 32-yard field goal by Camden Lewis | 3 | 10 |
| 2 | 7:39 | 7 | 69 | 2:42 | Oregon | Cyrus Habibi-Likio 1-yard touchdown run, Camden Lewis kick good | 3 | 17 |
| 2 | 0:20 | 8 | 80 | 1:07 | Oregon | Jaylon Redd 3-yard touchdown run, Camden Lewis kick good | 3 | 24 |
| 3 | 12:54 | 5 | 40 | 1:23 | Oregon | Jaylon Redd 13-yard touchdown reception from Justin Herbert, Camden Lewis kick good | 3 | 31 |
| 3 | 10:40 | 1 | 7 | 0:04 | Oregon | Cyrus Habibi-Likio 3-yard touchdown run, Camden Lewis kick good | 3 | 38 |
| 4 | 14:36 | 6 | 85 | 2:17 | Oregon | Cyrus Habibi-Likio 1-yard touchdown run, Camden Lewis kick good | 3 | 45 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 3 | 45 |

### At Washington State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buffaloes | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Cougars | 21 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 41 |

### USC

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Buffaloes | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado
* Date: October 25, 2019
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. MST
* Game attendance: 48,913
* TV: ESPN2
Game information :
First quarter
USC (14:01) – #8 Amon-Ra St. Brown 37 yard run TD (#40 Chase McGrath kick) – USC 7–0
COL (9:04) – #48 James Stefanou 22 yard Field Goal – USC 7–3
Second quarter
COL (14:55) – #12 Steven Montez to #3 K.D. Nixon 7 yard pass TD (#48 James Stefanou kick) – COL 10–7
COL (5:52) – #12 Steven Montez to #3 K.D. Nixon 7 yard pass TD (#48 James Stefanou kick) – COL 17–7
USC (2:48) – #9 Kedon Slovis to #23 Kenan Christon 3 yard pass TD (#40 Chase McGrath kick) – COL 17–14
Third quarter
COL (14:15) – #12 Steven Montez to #2 Laviska Shenault Jr. 71 yard pass TD (#48 James Stefanou kick) – COL 24–14
USC (12:15) – #9 Kedon Slovis to #21 Tyler Vaughns 21 yard pass TD (#40 Chase McGrath kick) – COL 24–21
COL (9:16) – #12 Steven Montez 17 yard run TD (#48 James Stefanou kick) – COL 31–21
Fourth quarter
USC (11:25) – #9 Kedon Slovis to #6 Michael Pittman Jr. 44 yard pass TD (#40 Chase McGrath kick) – COL 31–28
USC (2:15) – #9 Kedon Slovis to #6 Michael Pittman Jr. 37 yard pass TD (#40 Chase McGrath kick) – USC 35–31
Passing
USC – #9 Kedon Slovis – 30/44 406 Yds – 4 TD 1 int
COL – #12 Steven Montez – 27/43 324 Yds – 3 TD
Rushing
USC – #23 Kenan Christon – 14 Runs 76 Yds
COL – #8 Alex Fontenot – 16 Runs 57 Yds
Receiving
USC – #6 Michael Pittman Jr. – 7 Rec 156 Yds – 2 TD
COL – #2 Laviska Shenault – 9 Rec 172 Yds – 1 TD :

### At UCLA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buffaloes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Bruins | 17 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 31 |

### Stanford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Buffaloes | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |

### Washington

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Buffaloes | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Folsom Field • Boulder, CO
* Date: November 23, 2019
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. PST
* Game attendance: 44,618
* TV: FOX

### At Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buffaloes | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
| No. 6 Utes | 0 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 45 |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 2 | 42 | Laviska Shenault | WR | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 3 | 103 | Davion Taylor | OLB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 7 | 226 | Arlington Hambright | OT | Chicago Bears |