BYU delivers Alamo Bowl blowout to Colorado in final game for Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders

On By Littum

SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 28: Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston (11) blocks the goal line after a punt return for a touchdown during first half action during the football game between the BYU Cougars and the Colorado Buffaloes on December 28, 2024, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Parker Kingston’s punt return TD gave BYU a three-score lead it would not relinquish in the Alamo Bowl against Colorado. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

BYU made the final game of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders’ Colorado career one to forget.

Cougars no. 17 blew out of no. 23 Buffaloes 36-14 in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night as Colorado was outmatched in nearly every facet of the game.

BYU (11-2) led 20-0 at halftime as many of the mistakes that had plagued Colorado through the first two years of Deion Sanders’ tenure reared their ugly heads. The Buffs (9-4) couldn’t get a running game going, and the offensive line also struggled in pass protection. After BYU led 10-0 in the first quarter, the Cougars extended their lead when Parker Kingston returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

The blowout came even as BYU QB Jake Retzlaff threw two interceptions and backup Gerry Bohanon threw one in his only pass attempt.

Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, got his highlight reel with a 43-yard TD in the third quarter on a nicely placed pass from Sanders. But that was about all that went right for the Buffaloes.

Both Hunter and Sanders played for Colorado despite being likely early first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Colorado took out insurance for Sanders, Hunter and others ahead of the game in case of injury.

Sanders even unveiled cleats with the New York Giants logo on them before the game — the Giants have the worst record in the NFL and are currently in the No. 1 in the draft – but took the field in the first quarter with black cleats on his feet.

The game was a matchup between the two Big 12 teams due to the Alamo Bowl selection process. The bowl has traditionally featured teams from the Big 12 and Pac-12 together, but the Pac-12 disbanded prior to the 2024 season with only Washington State and Oregon State remaining as members of the conference.

Before the season, the Alamo Bowl said it would select one team that was in the Pac-12 in 2023 and one team that was in the Big 12 in 2023. With Arizona State and Oregon in the College Football Playoff and other former Pac-12 teams, not having spectacular seasons, the bowl announced before the end of the 2024 season that it would pit either Arizona State and Colorado against either BYU or Iowa State based on the outcome of the Big 12 title game.

Although it was a matchup between current Big 12 teams, BYU and Colorado did not meet in the regular season. The two teams found themselves on the wrong end of a four-way tie for first with ASU and ISU, thus missing out on a chance to play for the conference title and a shot at the College Football Playoff.

The win gives BYU 11 wins for the first time since 2020 and the first time in a non-pandemic season since 2009. Colorado, meanwhile, took a five-win leap in 2024 and looks to maintain that success in 2025 despite Sanders’ loss. and Hunter. The Buffaloes have received commitments from five-star QB JuJu Lewis and also added former Liberty QB Kaidon Salter in the transfer portal.