BOULDER — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards and 4 touchdowns and Travis Hunter hauled in three of these scores Thursday because the Buffaloes rallied within the second half for a 31-26 win over North Dakota State within the season opener at Folsom Subject.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Buffs trailed 20-17 on the half however rallied to attain 14 unanswered factors within the third and fourth quarter to take management down the stretch. QB Sanders threw TD passes of 13 and three yards to Hunter within the second half to present Colorado a 31-20 lead with 7:57 to play.
The three-yard rating wrapped up a punishing 17-play, 80-yard march that proved to be the decisive rating within the recreation.
Colorado’s protection additionally got here up massive after intermission. After giving up 20 factors within the first half, the Buffs saved the Bison off the board till NDSU lastly tallied a landing with simply 2:19 to play.
That also left time for some drama within the last minutes.
After the Bison’s 2-point conversion attempt failed, Colorado marched to midfield earlier than punting. NDSU then took over at its personal 8-yard line with 31 seconds left and managed to maneuver to midfield. On the sport’s last play, the Bison accomplished a 49-yard Hail Mary try — nevertheless it was 4 yards wanting the aim line, sending a sigh of aid by means of the introduced crowd of 49,438 and sending the Buffs into the locker room with a win.
Sanders accomplished 26 of 34 makes an attempt for 445 yards, 4 touchdowns and one interception. Hunter caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns and Jimmy Horn Jr. caught seven passes for 198 yards and a landing.
Colorado outgained the Bison 504-449. CU completed with simply 59 yards dashing but additionally gave up just one sack. Dallan Hayden led CU in dashing with 20 yards on 9 carries.
NDSU quarterback Cam Miller threw for 277 yards and a landing and likewise ran for 81 yards and two scores.
Whereas proud of the opening win — Colorado’s first victory since final October — Coach Prime was lower than jubilant.
“You ever felt like, you received however you did not win?” he requested. “Giving up the final landing on the run, that bothered me, as a result of we pleasure ourselves on going to get the quarterback, and we now have multitude of younger males that may go get the quarterback and we did not get that carried out. However I am grateful. I believe 31 NFL scouts have been readily available tonight and I believe they noticed what they got here to see. So let’s transfer on from there. I’ll attempt my greatest to carry again my anger, however we obtained the ‘W’ so I am completely happy.”
HOW IT HAPPENED: After the Bison opened the sport with a 57-yard drive and discipline aim, the Buffs went to work on offense and wanted simply 2:42 to regain the lead.
Sanders orchestrated a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive to present the Buffs a 7-3 lead with 9:30 nonetheless to play within the first quarter. Sanders accomplished 4 passes for 65 yards on the march, together with a 41-yard scoring toss to Hunter. CU’s two-way star gathered in a brief go, eluded one tackler and raced to the tip zone to present the Buffs the lead.
NDSU, although, did not flinch. The Bison answered with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive with Miller throwing a 7-yard scoring toss to tight finish Joe Stoffel to cap the march. That gave NDSU a 10-7 lead.
However Colorado answered once more, needing simply 44 seconds to regain the lead. After a Hayden 5-yard run on first down, Sanders lofted a 69-yard scoring strike to Horn to present the Buffs a 14-10 lead with 3:15 nonetheless remaining within the first interval.
The Buffs’ protection, although, continued to battle early as NDSU put collectively a 77-yard scoring drive. Miller scored from 7 yards out with 12:07 to play within the second quarter and Colorado trailed, 17-14.
Colorado then noticed of venture come up brief and virtually change into a really expensive one. The Buffs elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their very own 34-yard line and Hayden was stopped for no acquire to present the Bison the ball in CU territory.
“We obtained to get that,” Coach Prime mentioned. “We obtained to transform that. That is sort of placing your stamp on it. We obtained to be bodily.”
However the Buffs protection held, lastly forcing the Bison to accept a 31-yard discipline aim and 20-14 lead.
The 2 groups then traded punts, with CU lastly regaining possession at its personal 3-yard line and simply 56 seconds on the clock.
That was sufficient time for Sanders to direct an 89-yard drive. He accomplished 5 passes on the march — two below excessive strain — and a 31-yard toss to Horn put the Buffs in place for a 27-yard Alejandro Mata discipline aim as time expired.
CU thus entered the break trailing simply 20-17.
Colorado threatened to take the lead on its first possession of the second half, rapidly marching contained in the NDSU 10-yard line. However a freak interception that noticed the ball bounce off a Bison defender’s leg ultimately zone into linebacker Nick Kubitz’s arms ended the march.
However CU’s protection responded by forcing a fast 3-and-out and the Buffs did not let their subsequent alternative come up empty. Sanders accomplished three passes on a 72-yard scoring drive, together with a 41-yard toss to Horn and a 13-yard landing go to Hunter to present the Buffs a 24-20 lead with 7:45 remaining within the third quarter.
CU’s protection continued to look far more cohesive after some halftime changes. The Buffs held the Bison at midfield on their subsequent possession, forcing a punt that gave Colorado possession at its personal 20.
Then got here the sport’s decisive drive, as CU put collectively a 17-play, 80-yard drive to take full management.
Sanders accomplished six passes on the march as CU used 8:10 off the clock — virtually as a lot time because the Buffs held the ball for all the first half. Mixing in simply sufficient of a run recreation to maintain the drive and clock shifting, CU completed the drive with a 3-yard Sanders go to Hunter — his third landing catch of the sport — and Colorado had a 31-20 lead with simply 7:57 remaining.
The Bison did reply with a 75-yard scoring drive, getting a 20-yard landing run from Miller. However the 2-point conversion attempt failed and Colorado took possession with 2:19 remaining.
The Buffs then ran the clock all the way down to 31 seconds after punting from midfield. NDSU managed to drive again to midfield solely to see a Hail Mary try on the final play of the sport be accomplished however come up 4 yards wanting the aim line.
TURNING POINT: The Buffs took the lead for good halfway by means of the third quarter when a Sanders-to-Hunter landing go protecting 13 yards gave CU a 24-20 lead.
KEY STATISTICS: Sanders threw for 445 yards and 4 scores … Seven totally different Buffs had not less than one reception … Horn’s 198 yards receiving was a profession excessive … Hunter’s three TD catches have been a profession greatest.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs prevented an upset bid by an FCS workforce and now have a pair further days to arrange for his or her subsequent recreation.
NEXT UP: The Buffs head to Nebraska on Saturday, Sept. 7, for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with the Huskers in Lincoln (NBC). After that, it is a Sept. 14 recreation at Colorado State (CBS).