2007 Colorado Buffaloes football team The 2007 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The team was coached by Dan Hawkins in his second season at Colorado and played their home games at Folsom Field . Colorado finished 6 – 7 after losing in the Independence Bowl to Alabama . 2007 was Colorado ' s first consecutive losing season in 22 years , but represented a vast improvement over the team ' s 2 – 10 mark in 2006 . Pre - season . Spring practice . Prior to spring practice , there were two position changes planned : Cha ’ pelle Brown will move from cornerback to wide receiver , and Joe Sanders will switch back to tight end from outside linebacker . Sanders started his career at tight end but two weeks into his first spring practice moved to inside linebacker ( he missed the fall of his freshman year after undergoing shoulder surgery ) . Nine players will not return from the 2006 squad : Paul Backowski ( OL ) , Quinton Borders ( OL ) , Dominique Brooks ( S ) , Clayton Cammon ( WR , walkon ) , Steve Fendry ( TE ) , Isaac Garden ( P / PK , walkon , graduated ) , Tom Grubin ( C , walkon ) , Jeremy Hauck ( OL ) and Reggie Joseph ( WR ) . The annual spring game occurred on April 14 . The game consisted of a mix between live scrimmages and 7 - on - 7 drills due to the shortage of healthy and eligible offensive linemen . The offense was remarked as having made improvements compared to last season ' s spring game . Bernard Jackson , the starting quarterback from last season saw limited time at the position during spring practice and was used as a wide receiver , running back , punt and kick returner . Cody Hawkins ( Red shirt Freshman ) and Nick Nelson ( JC transfer Junior ) competed for the quarterback position . Hawkins completed 12 - of - 20 passes for 119 yards an interception and a touchdown in live action . In 7 - on - 7 drills , he completed 15 - of - 23 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns . Nelson completed 3 - of - 10 passes for 30 yards and an interception and also had two rushes for 20 yards during live action . In 7 - on - 7 drills , he completed 21 - of - 28 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns and an interception . Infraction . In June 2007 , the Buffaloes were placed under probation for two years and fined US $ 100 , 000 for undercharging 133 student - athletes for meals over a six - year span ( 2000 – 01 to 2005 – 06 ) resulting in the major infraction . The football program , with 86 of the 133 student - athletes involved , also lost one scholarship for the next three seasons . Recruiting . National Signing Day was on February 7 , 2007 and Colorado signed high school athletes from around the country . Colorado ' s overall team ranking was 35th by Scout . com and 31st by Rivals . com . Colorado had 31 scholarships available . " Official CU Signing Day Central " Uniform changes . On June 2 , 2007 , Colorado announced changes to their uniforms . Most notable is the incorporation of silver into the uniform combining the two school colors , silver and gold , for the first time . The " COLORADO " across the chest and player names on the back are now smaller , and will be gold instead of white ( the only color it has ever been ) . The numbers will now be silver . The pants now have trim on the sides ; silver on the gold pants and gold on the black pants . The white pants have now been eliminated . In addition to the design change , the new uniforms designed by Nike also improve technical parts of the uniform including innovative fit , weight reduction , increased ventilation and improved moisture management . Schedule . The schedule was ranked as the No . 10 toughest home schedule . Roster . Michael Sipili was charged with assault for being suspected for fighting with Taj Kaynor , defensive tackle , also involving Chris Perri , sophomore defensive tackle on June 22 , 2007 . Sipili and Perri were suspended for the first three games and Kaynor was suspended for the first game . Sipili was later suspended from campus on September 21 , 2007 for the fall semester over the incident forcing him to miss the entire season . As a true sophomore , he will likely use this season as a redshirt and have 3 years remaining of eligibility . Starting running back Hugh Charles suffered a pulled hamstring on the first series of the Colorado State game , forcing him to miss the rest of that game and the Arizona State game the following week . Game notes . Colorado State . The 2007 Qwest Rocky Mountain Showdown was back in Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver , CO with the kickoff at 10 : 10 am MDT . Both the Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams were coming off losing seasons . Colorado State won last season ' s game and the series was tied at 4 – 4 over the last 8 games coming into the game . Colorado State returned running back Kyle Bell who missed last season due to an injury . Colorado started quarterback Cody Hawkins , head coach Dan Hawkins ' son and a redshirt freshman in his first start at the college level . Colorado had been favored entering the game . This was Colorado ' s 200th game against current members of the Mountain West Conference , with a 137 – 55 – 7 record . Colorado was 73 – 39 – 5 in their 117 season openers and had won five of its last eight season openers entering the game . Colorado was 8 – 5 , prior to the game , against intrastate rival Colorado State when the Rams have been the opposition in the season opener . The game was not sold out , with the low sales possibly due to the losing records of both teams last season . There were about 9 , 000 tickets still available a week before the game . Invesco Field has a capacity of 76 , 125 . A crowd of 68 , 133 ultimately attended the game . Colorado made a come from behind victory to force overtime and then win the game . The game started with the first three series scoring touchdowns . Cody Hawkins completed 18 of 31 passes for 201 yards , two touchdowns and one interception . Colorado State ' s Kyle Bell rushed for a career - high 40 times for 135 yards and a touchdown . Colorado State ' s quarterback , Hanie went 20 - of - 27 and threw three touchdown passes to tight end Kory Sperry and one interception , in overtime . Colorado State won the coin toss in overtime and elected to go first . Terrence Wheatley made an interception to end the Rams ' OT side . Kevin Eberhart , senior place kicker , had a good game going 3 for 4 with a career long 38 - yard field goal before halftime , a 22 - yard field goal with 13 seconds left to send the game into overtime and the game winning 35 - yard kick in overtime . Colorado lost their starting running back , Hugh Charles early in the first quarter with a pulled hamstring . The backup , Demetrius Sumler rushed 16 times for 85 - yards . External link : http : / / www . qwestrockymountainshowdown . com Arizona State . Colorado lost last season to Arizona State ( 21 – 3 ) , the only time the teams have previously played each other . The game was scheduled to start at 8 : 28 p . m . Mountain Time . Entering the game , Colorado had a 9 – 2 record in the state of Arizona , including 8 – 0 against the Arizona Wildcats and 1 – 2 in the Fiesta Bowl . A sellout crowd larger than 71 , 000 was expected to be in attendance . Colorado had won their last two road games against Pacific - 10 Conference opponents before this game ; Washington State Cougars in 2004 and UCLA Bruins in 2003 . Arizona State entered the game 1 – 0 , with a win the previous week over the San Jose State Spartans . Head coach Dennis Erickson was going for his 150th win in his 215th game . Coming into the game , Arizona State was 3 – 2 all time against the Big 12 Conference . The Buffaloes scored two touchdowns in the first quarter including an interception return for a touchdown by Terrence Wheatley , while holding the Sun Devils scoreless . ASU responded with three touchowns in the second quarter , but they missed their second extra point ( wide left ) and their attempt at a two - point conversion after their third touchdown , so they took a 19 – 14 lead into halftime . Colorado did not score for the rest of the game . Arizona added two more touchdowns in the third quarter . The actual crowd attendance was 58 , 417 . Florida State . Colorado welcomed Florida State ( 1 – 1 ) for their home opener . Florida State won the only previous game between the two schools on September 20 , 2003 . Florida State came into the game with a win the previous week over the UAB Blazers and a loss in the season opener against the Clemson Tigers . The game was scheduled to start at 8 : 10 p . m . Mountain Time and aired on ESPN . There were approximately 3 , 000 tickets remaining 3 days before the game . Florida State was 15 – 11 all - time against Big 12 Conference teams coming into the game . Colorado was 7 – 5 all - time against Atlantic Coast Conference teams and 0 – 4 when playing on September 15 before the game . There were only 4 current Colorado players that dressed for the previous match - up in 2003 : Eberhart , Wheatley , Robinson and Sanders . Colorado students and fans were planning to " black out " the stadium by wearing black clothing . Actual attendance was 52 , 951 . Colorado ' s Eberhart missed two field goals of 37 and 46 yards . Colorado scored a touchdown with 3 : 36 left in the game to keep their record scoring streak alive ; the latest score in a game to keep the streak alive . Colorado has not been shutout in a football game since November 12 , 1988 when they played the Nebraska Cornhuskers . They have not been shutout at home since November 15 , 1986 by the Oklahoma Sooners . Terrence Wheatley left the game with a knee injury during the 4th quarter , with his future status undetermined . In the week after the game , Matt DiLallo was named to the Ray Guy Award watchlist . Miami University . Colorado beat the Miami University RedHawks by a score of 42 – 0 . It was first time the RedHawks were shut out since a 1993 loss to Ball State . In sophomore quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh ’ s first start of the season for Miami , he completed 11 of 32 passes for only 95 yards . The Colorado defense was never able to sack Raudabaugh , but they did not allow him time to set his feet for passes . Colorado out gained Miami 634 – 139 in total yardage . The Buffaloes ’ offense rushed for 359 after only running for 134 total yards in three previous games . Oklahoma . Oklahoma was first to score by capitalizing on a D . J . Wolfe interception returned to the Colorado 11 . Sam Bradford connected with Juaquin Iglesias for the 13 yard touchdown . The Buffalo ' s scored next by driving the ball 70 yards capped off by a 25 yard touchdown rush by Hugh Charles . The Sooners responded 49 seconds later thanks to a 34 yard touchdown run by Allen Patrick . The Sooners added 3 more as a result of a 28 yard Hartley field goal to return to the locker rooms at halftime with a 17 – 7 lead . Iowa State . Colorado seemed to have this game under control with a 21 — 0 lead at halftime . However , Iowa State rallied back in the second half for the victory . Coach Hawkins made a controversial call going for a first down on 4th and 1 on Colorado ' s own 43 — yard line after Iowa State refused a 10 - yard holding penalty in the third quarter . The Buffaloes fell short of making the first down when Demetrius Sumler was stopped by Jesse Smith . Iowa State would score their first points of the game three plays later . Bret Culbertson of Iowa State kicked a 24 — yard field goal with 12 : 21 left in the game to put the Cyclones up 31 — 21 . Kevin Eberhart of Colorado had earlier missed a 43 — yard field goal . Colorado then fought back and Scotty McKnight scored a 9 — yard touchdown pass from Cody Hawkins with 2 : 40 left in the game . The defensed forced a 3 and out after the kickoff to get the ball back with 46 seconds left in the game on their own 28 yard line . In 5 passing plays , 4 complete , they moved the ball 34 yards to the Iowa State 33 yard line . With no timeouts , they rushed the field goal unit on to the field and Eberhart made a 50 — yard field goal with 1 second left on the clock . However , Colorado was penalized 5 yards for snapping the ball before it was whistled ready for play ( officially " Offensive Delay of Game " ) which nullified the field goal . With 1 second left on the clock , Eberhart again made the 55 — yard field goal try , but the officials ruled the ball had not been snapped before time expired . The field goal was again nullified and the game was over . Alabama . Colorado earned a bowl bid to the Independence Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide on December 2 , 2007 . This was third football game ever between the two schools , with the teams having split the previous two games . They were also both bowl games , the 1969 Liberty Bowl , where Colorado won 47 – 33 , and the 1991 Blockbuster Bowl where Alabama won 30 – 25 . Alabama scored on their opening drive off of a Leigh Tiffin field goal to lead 3 – 0 . Colorado ' s first offensive play of the game resulted in an interception by Rolando McClain . Once again , Alabama relied on another field goal from Tiffin to push their lead to 6 – 0 . Later in the quarter , Alabama ' s John Parker Wilson would throw a touchdown to Keith Brown and Matt Caddell to push the Crimson Tide to a 20 – 0 lead after one quarter . Early in the second quarter , Wilson would connect to Nikita Stover on a 31 – yard touchdown pass and the Crimson Tide lead 27 – 0 after just under 20 minutes played in the game . The Buffaloes would control the majority of the second quarter after Wilson threw an interception . Buffaloes freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins threw touchdown passes to Tyson DeVree and Dusty Sprague to close the gap , as the Crimson Tide lead 27 – 14 at halftime . The only score in the third quarter would come from Kevin Eberhart on a Colorado field goal . Leigh Tiffin kicked a field goal as the Crimson Tide lead 30 – 17 , though Cody Hawkins and Tyson DeVree would connect on another passing touchdown . In a desperation attempt with 0 : 01 left in the fourth quarter , Colorado would attempt several laterals but would fall short of midfield . Alabama ' s victory sent them to a 7 – 6 overall record as they avoided a second consecutive losing season . Colorado had its second consecutive losing season for the first time in 22 years . Statistics . Colorado does not include bowl game statistics as part of their season total statistics . The statistics below therefore are for the 12 game regular season and do not include any statistics recorded during the bowl game against Alabama . Source for all statistics below : http : / / www . cubuffs . com / pdf3 / 100956 . pdf ? ATCLID = 1207369 & SPSID = 3844 & SPID = 255 & DB _ OEM _ ID = 600