BOULDER - Colorado’s next test comes with some familiar faces and a perfect record attached.
The Buffaloes will host No. 11 Utah on Saturday night at Folsom Field in a Family Weekend “Rumble in the Rockies” matchup, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m.
MT on ESPN. Colorado is coming off its bye week looking to end a three-game slide after a 29-7 loss to Texas Tech on Oct. 3, while the Utes arrive in Boulder unbeaten at 5-0 and fresh off a 41-24 win over Kansas on Oct.
This one also carries plenty of history. It will be the 73rd meeting between the programs, which first played in 1903.
Utah holds a 36-33-3 edge in the series, though Colorado has the upper hand at home, leading 18-14-1 at Folsom Field. The teams split their last two meetings in lopsided fashion: Utah rolled to a 53-7 win in Salt Lake City last Oct. 25, while the Buffs hammered the Utes 49-24 in Boulder on Nov.
16, 2024.
Colorado’s defense is coming into the game with some real bite. Against Texas Tech, the Buffs posted a season-high 12.0 tackles for loss and have now logged at least seven in every game this season. They also still haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher, and the Red Raiders managed just 112 rushing yards through three quarters.
Santana Hopper was everywhere against Texas Tech. The defensive lineman finished with 10 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries, all career bests for Colorado.
According to PFF data, he became the first FBS player since at least 2020 with five or more tackles for loss and five or more hurries in a game, a stretch covering nearly 10,000 FBS games. Hopper’s 5.5 tackles for loss are 1.5 away from the school record, and he now leads CU with 9.5 tackles for loss, having recorded at least a share of one in every game.
On the other side, Joseph Williams keeps climbing the spotlight. He was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List after catching a touchdown pass in four straight games, putting up 30 catches for 431 yards and five scores in that span.
For the season, he leads Colorado with 32 receptions for 454 yards and five touchdowns, and all three numbers rank inside the top 20 nationally. Williams also joins teammates Kam Perry and Danny Scudero on the watch list.
His 11 catches at Baylor and 10 against Texas Tech made him the first Buff to catch 10 passes and complete a pass in back-to-back games.
Utah has looked every bit like a team that starts fast and keeps rolling. The Utes have outscored opponents 68-3 in the first quarter and have scored touchdowns on their opening drive in every game. They rank second in the Big 12 and ninth nationally in total offense at 502 yards per game.
Saturday also brings a bit of a reunion for Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson. He’ll be facing the program where he started seven games as a true freshman in 2024, including the game against Colorado at Folsom Field. In his first start against the Buffs, Wilson set career highs with 26 completions, 290 passing yards and 42 rushing yards.
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Colorado Heads Into Utah With One Problem The Bye Week Didnt Fix
Colorados bye week offered a pause, but it did not clear the Buffaloes injury report the way they had hoped. As the team turns to Utah in Week 7, Deion Sanders is still sorting through a lineup hit by a recent losing streak, with some players trending back toward availability while others are still working their way toward the field.
The biggest question remains on the offensive side, where there was initial hope the break would get Scudero back, but Sanders sounded less certain about that timeline. On the other side of the ball, Lester appears more likely to return, even as new issues for Ezeogu and Manuel have further thinned the defensive line depth the Buffaloes need to steady themselves in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Gets A Huge Chance To Change Everything Against Utah
Colorado is staring at a difficult but defining chance at home, with No. 11 Utah coming in as the kind of opponent that can either expose the Buffaloes or help them reset the tone of their season. Colorado needs to snap a three-game losing streak, and the pressure is squarely on quarterback Isaac Wilson and wide receiver Joseph Williams to help the offense find some rhythm against one of the tougher teams on the schedule.
Utah brings an unbeaten record and the confidence that comes with it, powered by an attack built around running back Wayshawn Parker and quarterback Devon Dampier. The matchup gives Colorado a clear measuring stick: if the Buffaloes can slow an offense that has been rolling and find answers on their own side of the ball, the result could change the mood around the program in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Tennis Built Real Regional Momentum On A Strong Friday
Colorados tennis group kept rolling through the second day of the 2026 ITA Mountain Regional Championships, turning Friday into a clean statement across the draw. The Buffaloes swept their doubles matches, with Heidi Crncan and Willow Gretsch pairing up for an 8-1 win and Pia Rebec and Louise Ternstroem following with an 8-3 result, giving Colorado a firm foothold before singles even got moving.
The momentum carried into the individual matches, where Ternstroem, Ema Bubalo and Crncan each picked up wins to move on to the Round of 32. For a program trying to build regional traction, a day like this matters because it shows depth as well as balance, and it leaves Colorado positioned with real momentum heading into the next round. [Read more 🡒]