Travis Hunter — the “epitome of a football player” — has Heisman-worthy showing in win

Colorado is one step closer to playing for a Big 12 championship – and potentially earning a spot in the College Football Playoff – after a resounding 49-24 win over Utah on Saturday at Folsom Field.

The Utes had won the last seven straight games in this series vs. the Buffaloes, but entered this week with a disadvantage. Coach Kyle Whittingham has lost three quarterbacks to injuries this season, most notably Cam Rising, who was poised for a big year after dealing with injuries much of his career. Last week, Whittingham played third-string QB Brandon Rose vs. BYU, but he suffered a season-ending leg injury. This week, true freshman Isaac Wilson, the brother of former BYU great and Denver Broncos backup QB Zach Wilson, got the nod. But the youngster struggled most of the day against a physical Buffs defense, going 21-of-40 for 236 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who is widely projected to be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, fared better, going 30-of-41 for 340 yards with three touchdowns and one interception against the Big 12’s top-ranked defense.

Utah’s offense struggled most of the day, but nearly made things interesting in the fourth quarter when they came within 11 points. But then Colorado scored on its last two drives to put the game away.

Here are takeaways from the game:

Early difference

The game started with Sanders throwing an interception on the very first play, but Colorado quickly responded and never let up. 

On that initial play, Sanders was hit in the pocket and Utah linebacker Lander Barton stepped into the passing lane to pick him off. The turnover, which was Colorado’s first in two games, gave the Utes a short field. But they failed to take advantage as the Buffs held them to a field goal.

On Colorado’s next possession, Sanders found LaJohntay Wester for 18 yards on third-and-long, and then on fourth-and-5, hit Will Sheppard in the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown bomb to take a 7-3 lead. 

The rest of the first half included several dramatic plays by Colorado, while a lackluster Utah team struggled to get anything going. First, there was Wester’s 76-yard punt return for a touchdown, in which he showed off his wheels and was barely touched on his way to the end zone.

Then it became the Travis Hunter show. For a moment in the first quarter, it looked like the Utes might be driving, but Wilson was put under pressure and threw the ball up the left sideline where Colton Hood knocked it away and into the hands of Hunter, giving the two-way star his third interception of the season. Hunter promptly struck the Heisman pose – he’s been vocal about his candidacy for the award this season – and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. Later, Hunter made one of the more jaw-dropping catches of the season to set up another Colorado touchdown before halftime.

Play of the game

About that previously-mentioned Hunter catch. … It was fourth-and-8 when Sanders threw the ball up toward Hunter in double coverage. He jumped higher than everyone around him to grab the 28-yard pass and set Colorado up at the 6-yard line. 

Sanders found Sheppard for a touchdown on the next play, capping a quality 14-play, 85-yard drive to give the Buffs a 21-9 lead heading into halftime.

Then, late in the fourth quarter, Hunter took a handoff on a reverse, ran backwards to avoid a defender, and then turned on the jets for a jaw-dropping touchdown run up the middle. The two-way superstar celebrated once again with the Heisman pose. 

“Travis is the epitome of a football player,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said after the game.

Hunter, who played nearly every snap in the game, did give up one touchdown in the third quarter. And given his competitive nature, he will probably be stewing about that more than anything else.

Key stat

Before the game started, Coach Prime was asked about Utah’s physicality, given the Utes had the best defense in the Big 12 entering this showdown.

“What about our physicality?” Sanders asked. “We the one with the sacks, right?” 

Sanders was referring to the fact that Colorado had totaled 29 sacks this season, which was tied for ninth in the country.

Utah’s defense made Sanders work for it in this game, sacking him three times and forcing three turnovers. But Colorado made up for it with four sacks of its own, three of which came in the fourth quarter, plus three interceptions and five passes broken up.

What’s next for Colorado?

Colorado is now 8-2 and has two regular-season games left vs. Kansas and Oklahoma State. Win both, and the Buffs are in the Big 12 title game. 

Colorado – No. 17 in the latest CFP ranking – is improving every week. But the Buffs can still be inconsistent at times. While the buzz and excitement of Hunter will grab headlines, and rightfully so, there were times when both the offense and defense looked sloppy. Shedeur Sanders was up and down early on, and Colorado had three turnovers. The Buffs showed they can respond in a big way after making mistakes, but if they are going to win the Big 12 and make a CFP run, they have to clean things up.

What’s next for Utah?

The Utes move to 4-6 after suffering their sixth-straight loss. In order to become bowl eligible and finish the regular season at .500, they will need to win their last two games against Iowa State and UCF. 

Unfortunately, this team has endured too many injuries to key players this season. But a positive is that Wilson has been getting valuable experience, and showed grit and toughness against Colorado’s intense front seven.

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

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