Colorado stampedes its way to win over UMass

With record-setting wide receiver Nelson Spruce and on-pace-to-be-record-setting quarterback Sefo Liufau, the Buffaloes figured to be more pass-oriented than run-heavy in 2015. But you wouldn’t think as much if you watched the Buffs pound the ground to the tune of 390 rushing yards in a 48-14 thumping of UMass Saturday afternoon in Boulder.

Colorado, which passed on 55 percent of its offensive snaps in 2014, rushed on 33 of its 45 plays in the first half against the Minutemen when the game was very much up for grabs. Colorado ran 71 percent of the time for the whole 60 minutes.

The Buffs showed a greater commitment to the run game to start the season in the opener against Hawai’i, running on 53 of its 93 plays from scrimmage (57 percent), but didn’t put up eye-popping numbers as they rushed for 215 yards on 4.1 yards per carry. On Saturday, Colorado rushers averaged 6.6 yards per touch, a number that dropped when Colorado rushed for seven yards on six carries on its last two drives with its backups in the game and the contest well out of reach.

Michael Adkins again led the way, backing up a 90-yard, two-touchdown outing against Hawai'i by posting 119 yards and a score on 19 carries as the Buffs’ feature back, as his impressive 21-yard touchdown run put the Buffs up for good in the second quarter. Christian Powell also provided a good bit of explosiveness with his 105 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries, while Phillip Lindsay chipped in with 73 yards on 10 attempts.

Heck, even Liufau got in on the fun again. One game after being the Buffs’ second-leading rusher with 81 yards on 18 carries against the Rainbow Warriors, Liufau produced his first collegiate rushing touchdown on a seven-yard scamper to give the Buffs a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.