Utah Utes at Colorado Buffaloes
· NCAA - Football
Shedeur Sanders shrugs off shaky start, throws 3 TD passes to lead No. 18 Colorado past Utah 49-24
Winners of four straight, the Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 17 CFP ) remain in the driver's seat for an appearance in the conference title game and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Sanders threw an interception on his first pass of the game and later lost a fumble. But he settled down and finished 30 of 41 for 340 yards. He connected twice on TD passes with Will Sheppard. Sanders has thrown 27 TD passes, one away from matching the single-season school record set by Sefo Liufau in 2014.
Leading 35-16 early in the fourth quarter, the Buffaloes saw the Utes stage a late rally to make things interesting down the stretch. The comeback was thwarted by D.J. McKinney's interception and then a sack from Shilo Sanders that resulted in a fumble that Colorado recovered.
Two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter stood out in his glittery gold cleats — and with an incredible 28-yard catch between two Utah defenders on fourth-and-8. He also had a 5-yard score with 2:22 remaining on a reverse to seal the win.
On defense, Hunter picked off a pass but also was beaten by receiver Dorian Singer for a 40-yard score. It's the first TD pass caught on Hunter this season.
The Utes (4-6, 1-6) dropped their sixth straight game behind an offense that sputtered early. They were limited to three field goals by Cole Becker before Isaac Wilson connected with Singer. Wilson later hit Caleb Lohner — and converted a two-point conversion — to make it 35-24 with 8:34 remaining.
Colorado: The ground game found some traction. Isaiah Augustave had a 37-yard TD run, the longest rush for a score by a Colorado player since 2018.
Colorado: At Kansas next Saturday.
How To Watch
How can I watch Utah Utes vs. Colorado Buffaloes?
- TV Channel: Utes at Buffaloes 2021 College Football, week 12, is broadcasted on FOX.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
FG | 1st Period 10:08 | Cole Becker 32 Yd Field Goal |
 |
TD | 1st Period 7:51 | Will Sheppard 40 Yd pass from Shedeur Sanders (Alejandro Mata Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 5:49 | LaJohntay Wester 76 Yd Punt Return (Alejandro Mata Kick) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 5:35 | Cole Becker 34 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 2nd Period 0:49 | Will Sheppard 6 Yd pass from Shedeur Sanders (Alejandro Mata Kick) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 0:00 | Cole Becker 47 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 3rd Period 11:43 | Isaiah Augustave 37 Yd Run (Alejandro Mata Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 6:10 | Dorian Singer 40 Yd pass from Isaac Wilson (Cole Becker Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 13:58 | Drelon Miller 47 Yd pass from Shedeur Sanders (Alejandro Mata Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 8:34 | Caleb Lohner 3 Yd pass from Isaac Wilson (Spencer Fano Run for Two-Point Conversion) |
|
TD | 4th Period 4:32 | Charlie Offerdahl 4 Yd Run (Alejandro Mata Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 2:22 | Travis Hunter 5 Yd Run (Alejandro Mata Kick) |
Statistics
 UTAH |
 COLO |
|
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1st Downs | 17 |
| 7-17 | 3rd down efficiency | 3-11 |
| 0-1 | 4th down efficiency | 2-2 |
| 272 | Total Yards | 405 |
| 241 | Passing | 340 |
| 22/41 | Comp/Att | 30/41 |
| 5.9 | Yards per pass | 8.3 |
| 31 | Rushing | 65 |
| 30 | Rushing Attempts | 20 |
| 1.0 | Yards per rush | 3.3 |
| 3-25 | Penalties | 5-49 |
| 4 | Turnovers | 3 |
| 1 | Fumbles lost | 2 |
| 3 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
| 35:38 | Possession | 24:22 |
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