The Cougars scored 13 unanswered points, behind forcing the Buffs to punt the ball 3 consecutive times before generating any offense in the game. In the first quarter, the Buffs had 45 total offensive yards, 42 passing, and 3 rushing. The Buffs’ starting quarterback, Ryan Staub, had a rough time settling into the offense and found themselves playing from behind. The Buffs’ defense initially stopped the Cougars’ offense after they were penalized for offensive pass interference that was later overturned, and the Buffs were penalized. The Cougars took advantage of a fresh new set of downs and scored on a Dean Conners rushing touchdown. ,
Buffs quarterback Ryan Staub was able to get the offense moving behind his scrambling ability, gaining positive rushing yards after being flushed out of the pocket. The Cougars’ defensive front overplayed their gap containment, allowing Buffs running back Simeon Rice to score on a 38-yard rushing touchdown to cut the Cougars’ lead in half. The Buffs’ defense understood how important the next offensive possession was for the Cougars, and they held them to a field goal, allowing their offense to score before the first half of the game came to a close.
MORE: Fort Valley State vs Clark Atlanta: Thrilling Football Showdown
The Buffs quarterback Staub used his legs when flushed out of the pocket, scrambled for a 19-yard gain before fumbling the ball at the goal line, which was recovered by Buffs Zach Atkins for a touchdown, cutting the Cougars’ lead to 16-14. The Buffs have to make the necessary adjustments during halftime to continue building off their offensive momentum. The Cougars will receive the ball to start the 3rd quarter of the game.