Tucson, AZ (Sports Network) - Ka'Deem Carey ran for a career-high 366 yards
and scored five touchdowns as the Arizona Wildcats crushed the Colorado
Buffaloes, 56-31, in Pac-12 Conference action at Arizona Stadium.
Carey, who ran for a total of just 425 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns
all of last season, carried the ball 25 times for the Wildcats (6-4, 3-4
Pac-12) as he set a new Pac-12, single-game rushing record and tied the school
record for most rushing touchdowns in a single game. Also having a solid
outing for the hosts was quarterback B.J. Denker who converted all but two of
his 14 pass attempts for 135 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
The Buffaloes (1-9, 1-6) were paced by Christian Powell who generated a team-
best 137 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries after entering the meeting
averaging just 62.3 ypg on the ground. The quarterback tandem of Nick
Hirschman and Connor Wood combined to convert 16-of-20 passes for 213 yards
and a score.
Colorado, which has now lost six in a row, actually scored the first points of
the day when Powell ran into the end zone from seven yards out after being
given a short field.
Less than three minutes later the hosts responded with a 10-yard TD run by
Carey to knot the score at 7-7.
The Buffaloes then took their next possession and ate up more than eight
minutes of the clock, moving the ball 69 yards on 15 plays, but still had to
settle for an 18-yard field goal by Will Oliver.
Trailing by three points heading into the second frame, Arizona and Carey
responded with a pair of touchdowns, the back posting scoring runs of 13 and
30 yards to give the home team a 21-10 edge.
Another long drive for the Buffaloes came up on the ensuing possession, the
team using almost eight minutes once more, covering 75 yards, but this time
they were able to get the ball into the end zone on a one-yard TD run by
Powell.
Barely a minute later, the Wildcats struck quickly with a 21-yard TD pass from
Denker to Buckner to give the hosts a 28-17 edge at the break.
The third quarter belonged to Arizona as the squad rattled off three
unanswered touchdowns, beginning with a nine-yard scoring reception by Buckner
and continuing with an eight-yard TD run by Carey and a 10-yard score by
Denker to push the lead to 49-17.
The Buffs chipped away a bit in the fourth period with a 10-yard scoring run
by Donta Abron and a 71-yard TD pass between Wood and Scott Fernandez, but
still the team trailed by double figures.
With more than 10 minutes left in the contest, Arizona had plenty of time to
add to the lead, which it did with a three-yard TD run by Carey.
Colorado's run defense ranked last in the conference and 101st in the country
entering the week as the team gave up 204.2 ypg. This week the Buffaloes
permitted a hefty 438 yards and six touchdowns on 38 attempts.
GAME NOTES:
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