Football: Colorado buried by Minnesota

Sep. 17—MINNEAPOLIS — It keeps getting worse for the Colorado football team.

During back-to-back blowout losses to open the season, the Buffaloes were at least competitive for three quarters.

On Saturday, the Buffs were cooked by the end of the first quarter.

Minnesota cruised to an easy 49-7 victory at Huntington Bank Stadium, handing the Buffaloes their worst loss in head coach Karl Dorrell's three-year tenure.

For the first time in the 132-year history of the program, the Buffs (0-3) have opened a season with three consecutive losses by 25-plus points.

The Gophers (3-0) steamrolled the Buffs behind star running back Mohamed Ibrahim and sixth-year senior quarterback Tanner Morgan. Ibrahim rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns in just over two quarters of work. Morgan completed 11-of-16 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns.

Coming in as 28-point underdogs, the Buffs didn't put up much of a fight.

Minnesota opened the game with a nine-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Ibrahim's 5-yard touchdown run.

On CU's first offensive snap, quarterback JT Shrout was sacked and fumbled. The Gophers recovered at the Buffs' 11-yard line and Ibrahim scored two plays later to make it 14-0 just 6 minutes, 16 seconds into the game.

In the second quarter, Ibrahim had an 18-yard touchdown run and Morgan threw touchdown passes to Chris Autman-Bell and Dylan Wright. The Gophers went into halftime with a 35-0 lead and an advantage in total yards of 349-40.

Morgan added a third touchdown pass late in the third quarter and then third-string running back Bryce Williams scored to give the Gophers a 49-0 lead early in the fourth.

CU finally got on the board with 8:55 to play, when Shrout threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to backup tight end Austin Smith, who made a nice play to stretch the ball across the line. That capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive, but it about the only spark of the day for the Buffs, who now have only four offensive touchdowns in their last 22 quarters.

Throughout the game, Shrout and sophomore Brendon Lewis rotated series at quarterback, but neither had much success in moving the offense. They combined to complete 6-of-17 passes for 38 yards.