This week, the University of Colorado Buffaloes faced the Colorado State University Rams for the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado. CSU head coach Jay Horvell has not won a rivalry game on the Colorado Front Range. Travis Hunter is the college football player with the most starts this season, dominating both playbooks. Their first matchup was in 1893, in which Colorado won 70–6. This week, Colorado won sloppy but conveniently.
First Half: Rocky Start
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Colorado State was the first to carry the ball. Their first drive ended in a punt. Colorado’s defense has played well in the secondary, but the defensive line has struggled this season. When Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is comfortable and protected, he is one of the most accurate passers in college football. Last year, his first year as a Buffalo, he threw 430 passes and 298 completions (69.3%).
The Buffaloes were off to a rocky start. Shedeur threw some awkward incompletions on their first drive. They ended their first drive with a punt.
CSU receiver Tory Horton dealt with a groin strain from last week’s game. He expressed a fervent taste for revenge for their upsetting loss against the Buffs last year, in which they lost a tight 43–35 game. He returned from his injury this game but was not at total capacity and needed to sit out some plays.
During their second drive, CSU succeeded by exposing Colorado’s overreliance on man coverage. CSU struggled in the red zone. Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had to recover a bad snap that left them with third and goal at the 14-yard line. Fowler-Nicolosi tried to run in for a touchdown. The Rams settled for a field goal. CSU’s kicker, Jordan Noyes, from England, is the second oldest player in college football at 32.
Colorado could rely on convenient openings on the left flank of their offensive line. They ended their second drive with a missed field goal. Colorado linebacker LoVonta Bently excelled with stopping the run game again this week. Colorado State finished with 131 total rushing yards. Colorado State struggled to make exceptional plays in the second quarter. Colorado started the second quarter stuffed up on offense, struggling to move the chains. They got their first score in a passing touchdown late in the second quarter.
Unlike Nebraska against Colorado last week, Colorado State struggled to pressure Shedeur enough — his Achilles heel last week tanked his performance. Colorado’s offense found its rhythm ending the second quarter. Shedeur threw a 34-yard touchdown to LaJohntay Wester. Due to a bottom-half targeting penalty from defensive player Travis Hunter, the first half was extended. With CSU missing a field goal to end the first half, the score was 14–3.
Second Half: The Buffs Build Momentum Against The Self-Sabotaging Rams
Throughout the game, Colorado State struggled to sack Shedeur. While Colorado’s offense did well, multiple plays prevented them from excelling. They managed to prove they were the more competitive team against a team in the Mountain West division the SEC Texas Longhorns absolutely blew out earlier in the season.
Colorado State quarterback Fowler-Nicolosi folded under pressure throwing an interception from his endzone early in the third quarter. That failure led to an easy passing touchdown to Hunter for the Buffaloes starting the drive in the redzone. The Buffs finished with 310 passing yards and four passing touchdowns with zero interceptions. The Buffs did better at offensive variation this week, but they still did not run the ball much despite promises from Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders to do so. They filed 70 total rushing yards and not a single rushing touchdown.
CSU made a couple of 4th-down conversions late in the 3rd quarter. On the doorstep of a touchdown, Colorado’s Lavonte Bentley forced a fumble and a recovery in a single swipe. Last year, Colorado was one of the best at red zone recoveries. CSU was one of the worst teams at turning the ball over in the red zone. Subsequently, after a few plays for the Buffs, the Rams’ linebacker Juom Jock knocked the ball from runningback Isaiah Augustave and recovered a fumble. When the Rams got the ball back, Fowler-Nicolosi threw an interception to Travis Hunter.
In the fourth quarter, Shedeur threw an accurate touchdown pass to a perfectly-timed wide-open Travis Hunter. Colorado continued to play man-to-man coverage even well into the fourth quarter with a comfortable lead. CSU’s Avery Morrow exploded with an impressive 62-yard run out of the wildcat scheme. Justin Marshall carried the rock in the next play for a rushing touchdown. However, the Rams threw an incomplete pass rather than scoring the two-point conversion they needed.
CSU lost the game early when Fowler-Nicolosi dropped a snap that turned into another turnover. Even as the fourth quarter came to a close, CU continued to throw the ball. That decision made Deion Sanders look like he was trying to boost his quarterback stats in his NCAA football character road-to-the-heisman journey video game. Colorado finally ran the ball after the two-minute warning. However, Sheduer continued to throw the ball; risky, risky. Their final play ended in Sheduer taking a hit from a defensive tackle and throwing an incompletion for a turnover on downs.
Conclusion
Colorado State shot themselves in the foot with cringe-worthy turnovers and penalties, but Colorado’s defense did look sharper this week. Their offensive line also showed improvement. However, it’s difficult to tell if that is due to a lack of success from the Rams’ defensive line. The final score was 28–9. Next week, the Buffaloes will catch up to speed with the visiting Baylor University. The Rams will welcome UTEP to Fort Collins.
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