One Struggle That Cost Colorado the Most Against Arizona State

It was a different opponent but a similar issue when it came to the Colorado Buffaloes as they faced Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium. In a matchup where points were difficult to come by and costly decisions made by the officials made an already tough matchup that much more strenuous.

Colorado fell 20-10 to Arizona State. An early touchdown was taken off of the scoreboard as well as a costly holding penalty that prevented an important potential promising drive for the Buffaloes. Between those two and plenty in between, Colorado dealt with a solid amount of adversity against the Sun Devils.

Colorado Buffaloes Football Arizona State Sun Devils Penalties Officiating Calls Xavier Payne Mountain America Stadium — Nov 7, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Jaquail Smith (23) runs against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ineligible Receiver Penalty Takes Away Colorado’s Early Touchdown

One of Colorado most costly penalties of the night came in the first quarter when the Buffaloes appeared to have found the end zone on a deep touchdown pass to Colorado wide receiver Ernest Campbell.

Initially, the play gave Colorado an opportunity to put points on the board early, but the celebration did not last long. The Buffaloes ended up getting flagged by officials for an ineligible-man-downfield, removing the touchdown and bringing the ball back.

Colorado could have taken an early lead and put immediate pressure on Arizona State. Instead, Colorado was forced to continue its possession with significantly more work ahead. Things only worsened when Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson was sacked and the Buffaloes failing at scoring any points throughout the drive.

Fourth-Down Measurement Leaves Colorado Short Before Halftime

With less than two minutes left in the first half, the Buffaloes faced a fourth-and-1 opportunity.

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Colorado chose to go for it with Wilson attempting to pick up the necessary yardage on a run. The initial spot was close, leading officials to stop the game and measure for a first down. After the measurement, Wilson was ruled short of the line to gain, which was followed by another turnover on downs.

The decision was specifically important taking into consideration the timing and circumstances. Colorado had an opportunity to create some momentum throughout the offense and enter scoring territory before halftime.

Instead, Arizona State ended up taking over possession. Even though the Sun Devils were unable to capitalize on the short field, the decision still cost the Buffaloes a valuable opportunity.

With less than two minutes remaining in the half, converting the fourth down may have allowed Colorado to put together a late scoring drive. Adding to the sting of the loss was Colorado losing by such a small margin while their team so desperately needed a breakthrough moment of relief.

Xavier Payne’s Holiday Penalty Forces Colorado to Settle for a Field Goal

Possibly the most significant penalty of the night came late in the third quarter when Colorado appeared to be putting together one of its more promising possessions on offense.

The Buffaloes managed to move the football into Arizona State territory which created an chance to get some points on the board. Just as this opportunity was presented, a holding penalty on Colorado tackle Xavier Payne was called on second down. This resulted in a 10-yard loss and put the entire offense behind schedule as Colorado was searching for a way to generate consistent production on offense heading into the fourth quarter.

The penalty disrupted the drive and made it incredibly difficult for the Buffaloes to reach the end zone. Colorado ultimately had to settle for a field goal with Colorado kicker Elliott Arnold successfully making the score 17-3.

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