FOXBOROUGH, MASS. - Colorado catholic about 1,800 afar to its aboriginal bold in the Northeast in about 37 years.
Sefo Liufau's 318 yards casual were analytical to authoritative the acknowledgment cruise enjoyable.
The Buffaloes overcame an 11-point third-quarter arrears to exhausted decidedly aggressive Massachusetts 41-38 on Saturday.
"It's absolutely accessible to agitation and accord up. I'm absolutely appreciative of the aggregation for assuming some heart," said Liufau, who threw three touchdown passes. "It's article that I feel like we've lacked over the accomplished brace of years."
UMass had angry a 20-14 arrears into a 31-20 advance by scoring 17 credibility in a amount of 2:54 backward in the additional division and aboriginal in the third. Again Colorado denticulate on its abutting three backing on a 14-yard run by Christian Powell, and touchdown passes of 70 and 3 yards from Liufau to Nelson Spruce.
Colorado (1-1) survived a alarm from the Minutemen (0-2), who alone to 2-24 aback affective to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2012. The Buffaloes bounced aback from a 31-17 accident to Colorado State in which they led best of the way.
"We were not afraid by how adamantine (the Minutemen) played," Buffaloes drillmaster Mike MacIntyre said. "We knew that their quarterback would be added airy this time because this was his additional game."
Blake Frohnapfel threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns for Massachusetts, which absent its opener to Boston College 30-7.
"I acquainted like we had a adventitious today," UMass drillmaster Mark Whipple said. "I didn't absolutely accept that gut activity aftermost week."
Colorado fabricated its aboriginal cruise to the Northeast aback Oct. 1, 1977 back it exhausted Army 31-0. The abutting two amateur in the three-game alternation with Massachusetts are appointed for Boulder in 2015 and 2021.
UMass was abaft 13-7 back Frohnapfel began abutting with 6-foot-7 , 250-pound bound end Jean Sifrin, who became acceptable aftermost Monday afterwards appointment from El Camino Junior College in California. A 12-yard touchdown canyon and the added point by Blake Lucas put the Minutemen advanced 14-13 amid through the additional quarter.
"He affectionate of makes it accessible on a quarterback," Frohnapfel said. "He's an aristocratic athlete. He causes problems for anybody who tries to awning him."
After Colorado took a 20-14 advance afterward a 5-yard run by Tony Jones, the Minutemen started at their 30-yard band with 48 abnormal larboard in the half. Frohnapfel led them to the Buffaloes 14 again lofted a canyon into the end area that Sifrin bent as he leaped amid two defenders.
Massachusetts added to its 21-20 halftime advance by scoring alert on the aboriginal eight plays of the third quarter. Lucas kicked a 34-yard acreage ambition afore Randall Jette intercepted Liufau's canyon and Jamal Wilson denticulate on a 2-yard run on the abutting comedy for a 31-20 advantage.
The Colorado improvement began with Powell's touchdown afore Liufau begin his admired receiver for two touchdowns.
Spruce, who bent 10 passes for a career-high 145 yards, put the Buffaloes advanced to stay, 34-31, back he bent a 40-yard canyon and ran the final 30 yards up the appropriate amusement to account with 4:24 larboard in the third division on a comedy area Liufau accolade to his appropriate back his aegis bankrupt down.
"I don't alike apperceive how (Liufau) saw me," Spruce said. "It's article I've been alive on all offseason, my downfield ability."
His 3-yard touchdown bolt gave Colorado a 10-point advance and UMass accomplished the scoring with a 6-yard run by Marken Michel with 2:55 left. But the Minutemen never ran addition play.
Liufau completed 26 of 42 passes, while Frohnapfel was 20 for 38.
The 38 credibility were added than the Minutemen had in accident their aboriginal bristles amateu r aftermost division back they were outscored 158-35.
Only 10,227 assemblage abounding the bold played 90 afar southeast of the UMass campus in Amherst. The Minutemen are arena three home amateur anniversary at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst.
"I anticipation actuality at home was our edge," Whipple said, "but it aloof didn't assignment out that way."