BOULDER, Colo. — The turnaround continues in Boulder.
The No. 21 University of Colorado football team beat UCLA, 20-10, at Folsom Field on Thursday night, securing the Buffaloes’ first winning season 2005.
Isaiah Oliver returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown with 5:27 to play to secure the win that saw the Buffaloes commit eight personal-foul penalties.
“You’re going to have a game like that every once in a while,” coach Mike MacIntyre said. “But not with the selfish penalties we had. We’ll fix that.”
The game featured a combined 25 accepted penalties for 224 yards, five turnovers and two blocked kicks. CU was called for roughing the passer, unsportsmanlike conduct, taunting and targeting. Linebacker Jimmie Gilbert was ejected in the first quarter.
“If you want to be Pac-12 championship team you can’t be doing that stuff,” senior quarterback Sefo Liufau said. “As a group, as a team, we can’t let other people get under our skin. Ultimately, we’ll end up hurting ourselves and hurting our chances.”
The win kept the Buffaloes (7-2) in first place in the Pac-12 South Division. In its first five years of being in the Pac-12, CU went 5-40 in conference. It is 5-1 in conference this season.
CU plays at Arizona on Nov. 12 before returning home Nov. 19 against Washington State.