Colorado had itself a weekend that felt a lot more like football season should.
It started Thursday night with Colorado taking care of Georgia Tech in a season opener that carried plenty of baggage from last year. The Buffs were the ones left with the loss to open the 2023 season, and that stumble helped send them into a year where they never got above .500.
This time, they flipped the script and did it in the kind of game they’ve had trouble finishing before. Coach Deion Sanders put it plainly afterward: “You have no idea how wonderful this is when you’ve been on the other side of these things.”
The finishing touch came from Boo Carter, who blocked a kick to help preserve a one-point win, then led the team in a celebratory sprint down the field as the game ended. For Colorado, it was the kind of late-game moment fans have been waiting to see.
Saturday morning brought a different kind of statement from Air Force, and it came at the expense of Duquesne. The Falcons rolled to a shutout, scoring in every quarter and controlling the game from start to finish.
Their defense held Duquesne to just over 100 total yards, while Air Force piled up 431 yards on the ground alone. Two Falcons runners topped 70 rushing yards, and the quarterback added two rushing touchdowns of his own.
By late afternoon, Colorado State added its own chapter to the state’s opening-week surge. In the first season in a long time without the Rams and Wyoming in the same conference, the Border War still opened the year in familiar fashion. Colorado State jumped out fast, let the Cowboys hang around, and then shut the door in the second half to put the game away.
The Rams also got something else in the process: a national TV spotlight alongside Colorado’s Thursday night game, a chance to show up on a bigger stage and start faster than most people outside the fan base probably expected.
Northern Colorado nearly made it a clean sweep for the state. The Bears opened against Weber State and came up just short, despite a strong fourth-quarter push that made the finish tense.
It may be too early to start talking College Football Playoffs for any of these teams. But the early signs are hard to ignore.
Colorado picked up a few votes in the national top 25. Colorado State sits at the top of its new conference, at least for now.
And Air Force looks like a team that can wear down opponents with that run game once the schedule tightens.
For Colorado football fans, that’s enough to make the weekend feel different. After a few seasons that left plenty to be desired, the state’s teams came out looking sharp, and the early returns gave Saturday - and Thursday - a much better kind of energy. Halle-football-lujah.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Week 2 Depth Chart Gives Buffs Fans Something To Debate
Colorados updated depth chart arrived ahead of Week 2 against Weber State, and as expected with a Deion Sanders team, it gave Buffs fans plenty to dissect before kickoff at Folsom Field. The release laid out the official starters and depth pieces on both offense and defense, offering the clearest look yet at how the staff is sorting out roles after the opener.
For a program still trying to settle into its early-season identity, even a routine depth chart turns into a talking point when Sanders is involved. The names at the top may not settle every debate, but they do give Colorado a fresh snapshot of where things stand as the Buffs head into their first home test of the year. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Is Making Sure Dominiq Ponders Legacy Lives Far Beyond Football
The legacy of Dominiq Ponder is continuing to take shape well beyond the football field, as his parents have launched the Dominiq Ponder 7/22 Foundation to support students with scholarships and education centered on responsible decision-making. The effort is meant to honor the late Colorado quarterback while also pushing awareness around the dangers of driving under the influence, giving his name a lasting purpose tied to both opportunity and prevention.
Colorado has remained closely connected to Ponders family, showing that support in visible ways with a jersey patch and a dedication of the 2026 season in his honor. The foundation adds another layer to that tribute, turning remembrance into something practical for students and keeping his influence present in the program in a way that reaches beyond Saturdays in the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Is Chasing A Rising DB Before Fans Even See Him Up Close
Colorado is using its home opener against Weber State as more than just a chance to start the season in front of its own crowd. The Buffaloes have also turned the weekend into a recruiting stop, extending an invitation to 2028 defensive back Tanner Hardy of Brookhaven High School, a young prospect whose name is already surfacing in the programs early evaluation work.
Hardy acknowledged the offer on social media, but there is still no word yet on whether hell make the trip or eventually join Colorados class. He is part of a broader group of prospects being brought around the game, a reminder that the Buffaloes are already working to build future relationships while fans are still waiting to see the current team up close. [Read more 🡒]