Three Things: Mike MacIntyre gets "signature victory"

It has been written after each of the four games that the Colorado Buffaloes have played this season, they’re different. Once again, it was easy to see that these Buffs are different. No time in the past ten years would they go on the road and beat a team like the Oregon Ducks. Well, they did so Saturday 41-38.

Signature

“I feel like this is a signature victory for us,” Colorado Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre said, as tears ran down his face. “Four years ago the score was like 50-0 at halftime. I’d like to thank these guys, I’d like to thank all the people at home believing in us.”

A question mark at kicker, minus a defense leader and playing your freshman second-string quarterback at the raucous Autzen Stadium? No problem for MacIntyre apparently.

It’s not the tough challenges CU faced this week that make this win impressive. However, it’s the fact that they won. They’ve come so very close for two years, time and time again. This time, they did it. They’re over the hump. MacIntyre proved he was worthy of a fourth year and of the job he currently holds.

MacIntyre showed the progress the program has made with something more substantial than anything else he had a obtained to this point. He nabbed a road win against one of the conference’s perineal powers.

It’s hard to say where the Buffs go from here but one thing that became almost certain is that the bowl drought will be ending this season.

In the future could Colorado fans look back on Sept. 24, 2016, as a day that changed the program for the better? Possibly. For now, what happens next is just as important.

Presently it’s clear that MacIntyre and crew mean business and their lofty goals are within reach.

The future in Montez is a bright one

Steven Montez was so good in his debut that he did something that had never been done before by any quarterback at Colorado. 300 yards through the air and 100 on the ground.

He finished with 448 yards of total offense spelling the injured Sefo Liufau, Montez was terrific. On 23-of-32 passing with three TDs and a rushing TD as well, the Texas gunslinger was fabled in his first start.

“Pretty much a legendary game for his first one,” MacIntyre said. “I knew he was good, but to set the record for Colorado history, I would say he exceeded my expectations.”

Indeed, Montez exceeded everyone’s expectations. Liufau was expected to get a shot in the game and possibly even start as late as 10 minutes before kickoff. When Montez was speculated to start, the betting line jumped five points in favor of Oregon.

It made sense that people feared the prospect of Montez playing following his lousy performance in Ann Arbor. He shut them up quick.

“I can understand how people were a little nervous about Sefo not playing,” Montez said.” Especially after the Michigan game, 0-for-7 is tough, but I wanted to come out here and show our fan base and show our team that they could believe in me and that I could get it done on the road.”

Liufau will likely get his job back next week, or at least as soon as he is healthy enough to go but what Montez showed was very meaningful. With Liufau set to graduate the Buffs will have a hole to fill at quarterback, with the potential Montez flashed in Eugene there is little question to who will fill that hole.

Clutch defense

Under Jim Leavitt Colorado’s defense has steadily improved with each passing game. However, they had faulted in crunch time. It looked as though that would happen again at Autzen as Oregon put up 21 unanswered points in the third quarter.

But when the fourth quarter came the Buffs’ D buckled down, holding Oregon scoreless. Even when it looked like the home Ducks were guaranteed at worst a field goal to tie the game CU came through. In the form of an Ahkello Witherspoon game-saving interception the defense showed their ice watered veins.

That pick also extended CU’s nations-best streak of forcing at least one turnover to 17 games.

Witherspoon’s efforts helped Colorado keep Oregon to the fewest points the Ducks has scored against the Buffs as a member of the Pac-12.