Sanata Hopper gave Colorado exactly the kind of defensive jolt the Buffaloes needed against No. 12 Texas Tech.
The Buffs spent most of Saturday making life difficult for a Red Raiders offense that came in averaging 36.2 points per game, holding Texas Tech to 12 points through the first three quarters and staying within reach until the final period. Colorado’s defense ultimately gave way late in a 29-7 loss, but the performance was a clear step forward from the team’s previous games against Northwestern and Baylor.
Hopper was the centerpiece. The defensive lineman piled up 10 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries, all career highs.
That production put him in rare company: he became the first player in CU history to record at least five tackles for loss and quarterback hurries in the same game. According to PFF, he was also the first defensive lineman in the last seven seasons of FBS football dating back to 2020 - a span of almost 10,000 games - to post those numbers.
“It’s like a chain reaction,” Hopper said about the defense's mentality. “You see one person doing something good, you want to do something good, so it makes me feel good to go out there and make a play.”
Colorado’s pass defense was especially sharp. Texas Tech managed just 134 passing yards, its lowest total of the season, while the Buffaloes limited the Red Raiders to 12 total tackles for loss on defense, with Hopper involved in half of them.
The Buffaloes also kept Texas Tech out of the end zone for the first 30 minutes and carried a 12-7 game into the end of the third quarter. The Red Raiders finally created separation in the fourth quarter with two late touchdowns.
“I liked many aspects of [the defense]," Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said. “We still broke at the end. And a good defense, a great defense, doesn't break.”
Now Colorado heads into its bye week with Hopper focused on getting healthier and moving on quickly.
“My mentality is to flush this loss,” he said. “I did have a decent game today, but I just want to flush it, you know.
It doesn't matter when you lose. So, I want to flush this.
I want to get this out of the way. We've got people banged up.
We want people to get back and be a little more healthy, and just get ready for Utah.”
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