Colorado came up just short of the biggest win of the Coach Prime era, but the Buffaloes still gave then-No. 11 Utah everything it could handle in a 27-24 loss that went all the way to the final play. The night was a mixed bag, though, and the grades across the roster tell the story: a few units carried their weight, a few tilted the game, and one or two absolutely kept Colorado alive.
The offense’s most electric piece was JaQuail Smith, who turned the game with 141 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. His 68-yard receiving score flipped the momentum as the Buffaloes surged out of halftime, and he also helped kick-start a run game that had gone quiet over the previous three games. Without that play, Colorado’s receiving output would have sat at 188 yards, even after a last-minute march that featured almost nothing but passing as the Buffs pushed nearly the length of the field.
That said, the passing game never fully cleaned itself up. Joseph Williams and Quanell Farrakhan Jr. were not as impactful as they had been, and Colorado’s first interception came after tight end Charlie Williams couldn’t secure a ball that hit him in the chest.
Isaac Wilson’s turnovers were costly again, with the second one ultimately proving decisive. Still, he responded late, and he was sharp after halftime, leading an impressive final drive and showing real improvisation even while the mistakes loomed large.
Up front, Colorado’s offensive line turned in a spotless outing. The Buffs didn’t allow a sack to a Utah defense that has made a habit of getting after the quarterback, and the protection held even when plays broke down under heavy coverage. That gave Wilson the space to create, and it was a big reason the offense had any late-game life at all.
The defensive front delivered too. Colorado’s D-line was living in the backfield, disrupting Devon Dampier throughout the game.
It didn’t completely shut down Wayshawn Parker, but it consistently made Utah uncomfortable. The unit finished with a sack and 4.5 tackles for loss, and defensive tackle Dylan Manuel added an interception to the mix.
The linebackers might have been the steadiest group on the field. Even without Tyler Martinez, they piled up 24 tackles, two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.
Gideon ESPN Lampron and Liona Lefau kept building their NFL Draft cases with another active, disruptive performance, and they were solid against the pass as well as against the run. Gage Goldberg also continued to provide a welcome boost in Martinez’s place.
Colorado’s secondary, on the other hand, was a roller coaster. There were stretches where it smothered Utah’s routes and left Dampier with nowhere to go even after he escaped the pocket. But the lapses were loud, too: penalties, breakdowns and a late fade that helped Utah’s passing game surge in the fourth quarter and set up the winning score.
Special teams finally gave Colorado something to feel good about. The punt return game still hasn’t found much traction, but Quentin Gibson did provide a kick return that brought some modest production.
More importantly, the kickers were on point. Damon Greaves was sharp again, and Elliot Arnold converted every field goal and extra point he tried.
For a unit that has needed a lift, this was a step in the right direction.
In Other News...
Utah Just Made Colorados Biggest Late-Season Problem Impossible To Ignore
Colorados loss to Utah stretched the skid to four straight, and it did not exactly make the Buffaloes late-season math any easier. Even in a game where the defense finally showed some life, Colorado could not cash it in often enough, and the offense left plenty of points on the table. Jarek Broussard was underused, while JaQuail Smiths 68-yard touchdown reception provided one of the few explosive moments for a team that badly needed more of them.
The defensive effort should offer some encouragement after a rough run, especially against a Utah offense that had to work for much of the night. Still, the bigger issue remains the same: Colorado has narrowed its margin for error to almost nothing, and the path to bowl eligibility now runs through a very difficult finish. The Buffaloes have to get things turned quickly, because the clock on their season is no longer their friend. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Rebuild Faces An Early Reality Check In The Big 12
Alex Jensen is treating Utahs last-place projection in the Big 12 preseason poll as more fuel than insult. The new head coach has already spent plenty of time sizing up the realities of his first season, and he knows the league does not leave much room for a slow climb. In a conference this deep, even the smallest signs of progress have to come against a demanding backdrop.
The roster will look different this fall, with transfer Jackson Holcombe among the new faces trying to help accelerate the rebuild. Holcombe has already voiced confidence in Jensens leadership and the direction of the program, which matters for a team trying to establish some traction early. The larger question is whether that belief can translate into wins fast enough to matter in a Big 12 race that will test Utah from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Which Utah Icon Gets The GameDay Spotlight This Time
ESPNs College GameDay is coming back to the University of Utah, giving the Utes another turn in the national spotlight as one of college footballs most recognizable pregame shows sets up on campus. Rece Davis will lead the broadcast alongside Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit, and Utah fans know the drill by now: the signs, the noise and the kind of atmosphere that makes the show feel like part tailgate, part stage production.
The one piece everyone will watch closely is the guest picker, the weekend celebrity tasked with making winner selections during the shows signature segments. Utah has had some memorable names in that chair before, from Ty Burrell and John Stockton to Frank Caliendo, Steve Smith and Alex Smith, and this time the conversation is centered on a pair of possible Utes-connected choices who would each bring a different kind of buzz to campus. [Read more 🡒]