One down, two to go for Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes. After getting another boffo performance from two-way star Travis Hunter, they moved one step closer to the Big 12 championship game Saturday by beating Utah at home, 49-24.
Hunter, a cornerback-receiver, played every play before coming out of the game after a scoring on a 5-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth. He caught five passes for 55 yards on offense, made three tackles on defense and reeled in an interception to offset a touchdown he gave up in the third quarter – his first allowed touchdown of the year.
“Travis is the epitome,” coach Deion Sanders told Fox Sports after the game.
There are now two games left in their regular season. If the Buffaloes (8-2) win both, they will play for the Big 12 title in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 7. If they win that, they will get a berth in the new 12-team College Football Playoff and might even earn a first-round bye as one of the four highest ranked conference champions.
All of it looked like a distinct possibility Saturday, when they controlled Utah for the most part for occasional letdowns. They led 21-9 at halftime and survived two lost fumbles and an interception, thrown on the first play of the game by Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders, Colorado’s quarterback, completed 30 of 41 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns.
The Buffaloes entered the game ranking 17th in the playoff rankings and alone in second place in the Big 12 behind first-place BYU. They finish the regular season with games next week at Kansas and then at home against Oklahoma State on Nov. 29.
Deion Sanders, Colorado’s coach, is now 12-10 in two seasons after finishing 4-8 in his first season in Boulder. The Buffs were 1-11 the season before he arrived and hadn’t won this many games in a season since 2016, when they finished in the Alamo Bowl with a 10-4 record. Saturday’s win also was their first against Utah since that season. They were 0-7 against the Utes after that until they turned the tables in front of a sold-out crowd at Folsom Field (54,646).
If this keeps up, the Buffs could add a Heisman Trophy to their Big 12 title run on Dec. 14, when the award winner is announced in New York. Hunter struck the Heisman pose again Saturday after entering the game as the favorite to win it, according to BetMGM.
“He’s the best player in the country,” Shedeur Sanders told Fox Sports after the game.
Here’s how Saturday’s game unfolded:
Travis Hunter scores on rushing TD: Colorado 49, Utah 24
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter struck the Heisman Trophy pose Saturday against Utah and now has another big play to add to his campaign. This time he took a reverse handoff in the fourth quarter on first down and goal from the Utah 5-yard line. He raced it in for the score, helping Colorado push its lead to 49-24 with 2:22 left.
Hunter has five catches for 55 yards and a rushing touchdown on offense, along with an interception on defense. He played ever snap on both sides of the ball before coming out after the touchdown.
Charlie Offerdahl scores first career TD: Buffaloes up 42-24
Former walk-on running back Charlie Offerdahl scored his first career touchdown with 5:25 left in the game, bursting into the end zone on a 4-yard run to help the Colorado Buffaloes stretch their lead to 42-24.
Offerdahl, a junior who hails from Littleton, Colorado, was awarded a scholarship before the season by head coach Deion Sanders. His touchdown capped a 63-yard drive and practically put the game out of reach for the Utes.
It was the only carry so far for Offerdahl, who has drawn raves for Sanders for his work ethic in practice.
Utah cuts Colorado’s lead to 35-24
Utah is back in the game after a touchdown and two-point conversion with 8:34 left. Freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson led the Utes on an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive ending with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Caleb Lohner on the left side of the end zone.
Wilson then set up for the two-point play, rolled right and threw backward to offensive tackle Spencer Fano, who rumbled in for the score to cut Colorado’s lead to 35-24.
The Utes have scored touchdowns on two of their last three possessions.
Colorado stretches lead to 35-16
Facing third down and 12 yards to go at the Utah 47-yard line, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders found freshman receiver Drelon Miller near the 25-yard line, where he caught it and carried it in for a 47-yard touchdown catch. Miller high-stepped it into the end zone with 13:58 left in the fourth quarter as the Buffaloes extended their lead to 35-16.
Sanders has completed 24 of 35 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on the game’s first play.
End of third quarter: Colorado 28, Utah 16
Utah enters the fourth quarter needing to do something it hasn’t done all game – score at least two touchdowns against Colorado. The Buffaloes lead 28-16 after holding the Utes to three field goals and a rare 40-yard touchdown pass allowed by cornerback Travis Hunter.
Hunter has four catches for 55 yards on offense and an interception on defense to offset the only touchdown pass he has allowed all year.
Colorado has the ball in Utah territory to start the fourth quarter.
Travis Hunter allows first TD of season
Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter just allowed his first touchdown of the season, but it took a perfectly thrown pass to do it. After taking over at the Colorado 40-yard line on first down, Utah freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson threw a 40-yard touchdown pass down the left side of the field. Receiver Dorian Singer ran a step ahead of Hunter as the ball soared over his head, just enough for Singer to bring down the ball and score to help cut Colorado’s lead to 28-16 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
Colorado out to 28-9 lead early in third
Colorado is now rolling with a 28-9 lead after getting a 37-yard touchdown run from running back Isaiah Augustave with 11:43 left in the third quarter. The score came one play after Utah threw an interception on the opening drive of the second half – a pass from freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson that ended up in the hands of Colorado linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, a former player at Michigan.
Before the touchdown, the Buffaloes had minus-4 rushing yards. After the touchdown, they have 10 rushes for 33 yards.
Halftime: Colorado 21, Utah 9
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter added yet another play to his Heisman Trophy highlight reel. This time he came down with 28-yard catch on fourth down while being sandwiched by two Utah defenders. After jumping to get it, he came down at the Colorado 6-yard line, where quarterback Shedeur Sanders then found receiver Will Sheppard on the right side of the field for a 6-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
Shedeur Sanders completed 12 of 13 passes on that drive to help the Buffaloes take a 21-6 lead with 49 seconds left before halftime. But Utah answered with a 47-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to cut the Buffaloes’ lead to 21-9.
Hunter has three catches for 42 yards on offense and an interception on defense. Sanders has completed 18 of 25 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Utah’s only scores have come on field goals by Cole Becker, a transfer from Colorado. The first two came after Colorado turnovers – an interception by Sanders on the first play of the game and a fumbled snap by Sanders in the second quarter.
Utah will get the ball to open the second half.
Utah cuts lead to 14-6
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders couldn’t handle a low third-down snap from center as the ball bounced to the ground and into the grasp of Utah defensive lineman Junior Tafuna. Utah then took over at the Colorado 23-yard line and ran four plays before kicking a 34-yard field goal with 5:35 left before halftime.
The kick from Colorado transfer Cole Becker cuts Colorado’s lead to 14-6. Both Utah field goals have come after Colorado turnovers gave the Utes a short field. The other was an interception from Sanders on the first play of the game.
End of first quarter: Colorado 14, Utah 3
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter intercepted a tipped pass from Utah at the end of the first quarter with the Buffaloes holding a 14-3 lead. Hunter then returned it 22 yards to the Utes 47-yard line before getting flagged for excessive celebration.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has completed four of seven passes for 61 yards and one touchdown with one interception on the game’s first play
LaJohntay Wester punt return touchdown makes it 14-3 for Colorado
Colorado is now up 14-3 after Utah punted the ball into the hands of LaJohntay Wester, who then proceeded to turn on his jets and race 76 yards up the field for a touchdown. Wester, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, fielded the ball at his own 24-yard line and scored with 5:49 left in the first quarter.
Utah has had the ball twice, each time leading to scores – a field goal for the Utes and a punt return for a touchdown for Colorado.
Colorado goes ahead with long Shadeur Sanders TD pass
Colorado answered Utah’s opening score with a 40-yard touchdown pass on fourth down from Sanders. Utah jumped offsides on the play, but Sanders launched a bomb to the left side of the field, where Vanderbilt transfer Will Sheppard turned to reel it into the end zone for the score. The drive went five plays for 58 yards and gave the Buffaloes a 7-3 lead with 7:51 left in the first quarter.
Interception leads to 3-0 lead for Utah
On the first play of the game, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw an interception over the middle of the field to Utah linebacker Lander Barton, who returned it 17 yards to the Colorado 21-yard line. The Utes proceeded to run seven plays but had to settle for a 32-yard field goal after suffering a sack on third down. Utah leads, 3-0, with 10:08 left in the first quarter.
When is the Utah-Colorado game?
Kickoff is at noon ET Saturday, Nov. 16, from Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
How to watch Utah vs Colorado football
The game will be broadcast on Fox and also is available on Fubo. Former Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt will handle the broadcast for Fox, along with play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson and sideline reporter Jenny Taft.
Watch Colorado vs. Utah on FuboBirthday cake for Peggy Coppom
Colorado superfan Peggy Coppom was treated to a birthday cake on Fox’s pregame show Saturday a few days before she turns 100 years old. Her birthday is Tuesday. She and her late twin sister Betty have attended more than 2,500 CU games in different sports dating to around 1940, as estimated by the university. Coppom formed a special bond with Colorado coach Deion Sanders after his hiring in December 2022. He vowed before the season to get her to a postseason bowl. Now he wants more as his team eyes the Big 12 championship
What bowl game will Colorado go to?
The Buffaloes became bowl-eligible last month and now are playing for a playoff berth and premium bowl invitation. It all depends on how they finish. If they lose one or more of their final three regular-season games, they could fall out of playoff contention and end up in the Holiday or Alamo bowls on Dec. 27 and 28.
But if they win out and then win the Big 12 championship on Dec. 7, they would end up in the new 12-team playoff and quite possibly get a first-round bye as one of the four highest-ranked conference champions. In that case, they would play in a quarterfinal game on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1 in the Fiesta, Sugar, Rose or Peach bowls.
How many quarterbacks have been injured for Utah?
Three are out with injury, led by former starter Cam Rising, who missed the 2023 season with a knee injury and then suffered a leg injury last month that ended his season. Quarterback Brandon Rose started last week’s 22-21 loss against BYU but suffered a foot injury that ended his season, too. Before that, coach Kyle Whittingham revealed that backup QB Sam Huard had surgery and also would not be available for the rest of the season.
That leaves freshman Isaac Wilson to start today vs. Colorado if he is feeling well enough after suffering from an illness this week. He is the brother of NFL quarterback Zach Wilson and has started five games for the Utes, completing 98 of 177 passes for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. His backup will be senior Luke Bottari, who has not played this year.
If this all seems familiar, it’s because a similar injury wave led Bottari, the fifth-string quarterback, to start last year’s game against Colorado. The Utes won that one anyway, 23-17.
But they’ll still be challenged to keep their quarterbacks from feeling more pain today. Colorado leads the Big 12 in quarterback sacks with 29.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
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