Five Telling Stats From Colorado Buffaloes' Lopsided Loss to Arizona

Numbers don't tell the whole story, but the statistics certainly didn't like the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday evening.

With the final score of 52-17 being the most notable number, Colorado put up some embarrassing totals in another blowout loss to the Arizona Wildcats. What was once viewed as a winnable game quickly got out of hand as Arizona's offense rattled off seven touchdowns, including four from quarterback Noah Fifita.

Below are five telling stats from Colorado's blowout loss to Arizona:

Time of Possession

Five Shocking Stats Colorado Buffaloes Lopsided Loss Arizona Wildcats Deion Sanders Julian Lewis Noah Fifita Omarion Miller — Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Ismail Mahdi (21) carries the ball in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Aided by six touchdown drives of four plays or less, Arizona's offense held possession for only 25 minutes and 51 seconds. The Wildcats held the ball for an average of 1:36 per drive and had a touchdown rate of 44 percent.

Meanwhile, Colorado's offense had only one drive that lasted over 3:06 — a 17-play stampede that ate up 7:40 and resulted in a touchdown — but still held possession for 34:09. Very rarely does a losing team win the time of possession battle by nine minutes.

Penalties Galore

What had been a strength quickly turned into a weakness for Colorado on Saturday night. Its offense committed 11 accepted penalties for 75 yards and the defense had three for 35, including a 15-yard targeting call on safety Tawfiq Byard that will keep him sidelined for the first half of next week's game at Arizona.

"It's probably a record since I've been here," Sanders said. "It don't make sense, especially when I think we've been rated in the top-25 or whatever in penalties this season. We've been doing good. Today was just horrible penalty-wise. No discipline."

Shaun Myers' Emergence

Looking at a major positive, linebacker Shaun Myers impressed with five solo tackles, including two for a loss, and a forced fumble. The North Alabama transfer may have himself some increased playing time moving forward alongside fellow inside backer Jeremiah Brown.

First Downs Gained

Colorado and Arizona each totaled 16 first downs, another indication of how many Wildcat drives ended after only a few plays. With Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis taking the majority of snaps under center, the Buffs went 7-for-18 on third downs and 1-for-3 on fourth down.

MORE: Freshman Cornerback Leaves Colorado Buffaloes Midway Through Season

MORE: Shedeur Sanders Makes Surprise Return to Boulder For Colorado Homecoming Game

MORE: Biggest Winners And Losers From Colorado’s Embarrassing Loss To Arizona

Average Yards Per Completion

The Wildcats averaged an impressive 19.4 yards per completion, highlighted by big receptions from Tre Spivey (57 yards), Gio Richardson (60) and Javin Whatley (34). All three catches resulted in a touchdown.

“You see more guys making plays now, which is exciting," Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. "I think any time we can be that explosive in the pass game, we become incredibly hard to defend. You also saw some great runs. Tonight, I think in a lot of ways, we were firing on all cylinders in terms of our run and pass game.”

Arizona improved to 5-3 (2-3 Big 12) while Colorado fell to 3-6 (1-5 Big 12).