BOULDER, Colo. — Following a fourth consecutive loss, Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders departed from his usual postgame habits Saturday night by commending his roster’s resilience instead of venting frustration.
The Buffaloes fell 27-24 to No. 11 Utah at Folsom Field after a final Hail Mary pass bounced away incomplete as time expired. Colorado dug out of a 13-0 halftime deficit to take a third-quarter lead before the undefeated Utes pulled away in the final minutes. Despite the outcome dropping Colorado to a 2-4 record on the season, Sanders took the microphone to praise his team’s effort.
“I did something I never do after a loss,” Sanders told reporters, as reported by USA Today Sports. “I stood up there on the podium and told those kids, ‘I’m really proud of y’all man.’ Because they fought. They didn’t give up. They had a chance.”
Second-half comeback falls short
Utah controlled the first half behind quarterback Devon Dampier, taking a 13-0 advantage into the locker room while dominating possession for over 22 minutes. Colorado, which entered the contest hampered by previous discipline issues, committed eight penalties before the break, according to USA Today Sports.
The Buffaloes reversed the momentum in the third period with 17 unanswered points. Running back DeKalon Taylor scored on an 18-yard dash to give Colorado its first lead, and kicker Elliott Arnold added a 32-yard field goal, Sports Illustrated reported. Arnold converted all three extra-point kicks during the contest, rebounding from two missed field goals against Texas Tech two weeks earlier.
Sanders expressed unwavering faith in his specialist, saying he anticipated Arnold would kick a game-tying attempt if the offense managed to advance into range during the final minute.
Mistakes linger in tight defeat
Despite the offensive surge, self-inflicted mistakes doomed Colorado down the stretch. Transfer quarterback Isaac Wilson, playing against his former program, completed 18 of 30 passes for 256 yards and two scores but threw two costly interceptions, according to game statistics reported by Bleacher Report.
Wilson’s second turnover set up a short drive that ended with Dampier connecting with receiver Braden Pegan for a six-yard touchdown, putting Utah up 27-17 with under four minutes remaining. Wilson rallied Colorado on an 83-yard drive to cut the margin to three points with 1:21 on the clock. However, a final attempt to reach scoring position stalled after an illegal forward lateral penalty erased a long scramble near midfield, USA Today Sports noted.
“I wanted this one really bad,” Wilson said, as reported by USA Today Sports. “We need a win. That starts with me. I had a bad, bad turnover in that second half that really caused a downfall.”
The Buffaloes closed the contest with 10 penalties totaling 93 yards. Colorado has now dropped 14 of its last 16 games against power conference opponents dating to late 2024, according to NBC Sports. Meanwhile, Utah stretched its winning streak to 12 games, the longest active streak in the country, improving to 6-0.
Colorado must now regroup before traveling to face No. 18 Oklahoma State on Saturday, Oct. 24, as Sanders seeks to halt the slide and preserve the program’s postseason bowl prospects.
