CU Buffs beat Utah, move one step closer to Big 12 championship game

BOULDER – Analysis from CU’s 49-24 blowout win over Utah in Big 12 action Saturday at Folsom Field.

No. 2’s rough start. On the first play of the game, quarterback Shedeur Sanders dropped back and immediately threw a pick. Sanders never saw Utah linebacker Lander Barton, who dropped into coverage and easily put the pass intended for Will Sheppard on a crossing route to set Utah up at the Buffs’ 21-yard line. That led to a field goal that put the Utes up 3-0 after 10 minutes of the opening quarter. That was the only lead that Utah enjoyed for the rest of the game.

Momentum swing. Deion Sanders took advantage of a free play on a defensive offside with a 42-yard TD pass to Will Sheppard, tying an NCAA record with his 46th straight game with a TD pass. Then the Utes went three-and-out and LaJohntay Wester ran a punt return 76 yards to the house, untouched. It marked CU’s first punt return touchdown since 2022 and gave them 14 points in 2:02 of the first quarter clock.

Hunter gets down to business. Travis Hunter had his third interception of the season in the waning seconds of the first half on a pass that was deflected by Colton Hood. Hunter ran the ball back 22 yards into Utes territory, and after he was tackled, sprinted further down the field and struck a Heisman pose for the cameras. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which was met with a loud chorus of boos from CU fans. It wasn’t the only time he posed in the afternoon.

Breathing space before half time. After Utah turned a fumble on a dropped snap by Sanders into a field goal, CU responded with an impressive 85-yard drive. On fourth-and-8, Shedeur Sanders threw it up to Travis Hunter, who made an incredible catch by tipping the ball high over a pair of Utes in double coverage. The next play, Sanders threw a perfectly placed pass for a 6-yard TD to Will Sheppard. That helped CU to a 21-9 halftime lead.

The route is underway. Utah got the ball to open the second half and could have gotten back into the game with a scoring drive. But it went the other way. Linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green picked off a telegraphed pass by Utes QB Isaac Wilson and ran it back to the visitors’ 37-yard line. The next play, Isaiah Augustave ripped off a gut-wrenching run aided by some impressive blocks to give CU a 28-9 advantage.

Rare crack in amour. Midway through the third, Dorian Singer did what no receiver has done in 2024: He burned Travis Hunter for a TD. Singer ran a go route down the left sideline and Isaac Wilson — the younger brother of Broncos backup quarterback Zach Wilson — tossed a dime over Hunter’s outstretched arms. It was the most impressive throw all day by Wilson amid a string of foul shots.

Freshman impresses. True freshman wideout Drelon Miller had the fourth-largest Folsom Field crowd of 54,646 roar with his 47-yard TD catch early in the fourth quarter. Miller ran a trip down the seam and Sanders hit him in the crotch. Miller proceeded to tackle Utah safety Tao Johnson to the ground and run out of his jersey grip before making another defender miss at the goal line.

McKinney calls games. After a Will Sheppard fumble turned the ball over to Utah near midcourt in an 11-point game with seven minutes left, the Utes suddenly had life and a window to climb back into the game. But Wilson’s ill-advised throw off an extended scramble four plays later resulted in an easy interception by CU cornerback DJ McKinney and effectively sealed the Buffs’ win.