QB Khalil Tate leads Arizona past Colorado 35-30

Nobody would have flinched had Khalil Tate knelt and kissed the grass at Folsom Field.

“Colorado holds a special place in my heart,” Arizona’s senior quarterback said after throwing for 404 yards and three touchdowns Saturday in the Wildcats’ 35-30 win over the Buffaloes.

It was in Boulder two years ago that Tate burst through tackles and onto the football scene by rushing for 327 yards, an FBS record for a QB, in leading Arizona to a 45-42 win in relief of injured starter Brandon Dawkins.

This time, he beat the Buffaloes with his arm, just like he did last year in Tucson when he threw for five TDs in another shootout survival by the ’Cats.

“I love playing Colorado,” said Arizona linebacker Tony Fields. “It’s always an intense game. It always goes down to the wire.”

This one featured nine lead changes, back-to-back touchdown throws on drives that took all of nine and 10 seconds, a razzle-dazzle touchdown and, finally, two fourth-quarter defensive stands by Arizona, one at the goal line and the other a fourth-down game-stopper at midfield.

Tate completed 31 of 41 passes and only ran four times, including a 7-yard scamper on 3rd-and-6 from midfield at the end that allowed Arizona (4-1, 2-0) to run out the clock and leave Folsom Field as the Pac-12 South’s last unbeaten team.

The Buffaloes (3-2, 1-1) sorely missed star receiver Laviska Shenault (core muscle injury), cornerback Chris Miller (knee) and defensive end Mustafa Johnson (ankle). By game’s end, they were joined on the sideline by safety Mikial Onu (torso), receiver K.D. Nixon (unspecified), and nose tackle Jalen Sami (knee).

Onu had a first-half interception and Nixon a first-half touchdown throw.

“Next man up is not a cliche, it’s what’s required,” Colorado head coach Mel Tucker...