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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michelle R. Martinelli

Arizona inexplicably opened its Colorado game with an onside kick… that failed miserably

Arizona (Organization) Colorado (Organization) Football Buffaloes Wildcats

There are bold ways to open a college football game, and then there’s whatever Arizona’s logic was when it opened its Week 8 matchup against Colorado with an onside kick — and one that failed miserably and gave the Buffaloes an early lead.

Yes, you read that right.

Usually reserved for the end of a game when a team desperately needs to get the ball back, the Wildcats, after winning the coin toss and deferring, inexplicably opted to start with an onside kick rather than a traditional kickoff to start the game. Arizona senior kicker Tyler Loop kicked the ball 11 yards to the Wildcats own 46-yard line.

The problem with the execution of this opening play was that Colorado recovered the ball. And just five plays later, the Buffaloes found the end zone with a one-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Augustave.

The only way this could have gone worse for Arizona is if Colorado returned the ball for a touchdown. Not great.

Obviously, college football fans were totally baffled by the rare choice to start the game with an onside kick.

How college football Twitter reacted to Arizona opening its Colorado game with an onside kick

More NCAAF

Steve Sarkisian, and then Kirby Smart, absolutely lost it over chaotic Texas-Georgia penalty sequence

Texas fans seemingly bullied refs into reversing a pivotal pass interference call by throwing bottles

Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham apologizes for calling for kicking tryouts after Cincinnati loss

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