Boulder, CU – Colorado on senior day looked to make Utah play all four quarters for a victory. The endzone floodgates opened right open with a 42-0 halftime lead.
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising completed 17-of-19 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Utes to a 42-0 halftime lead and sitting out the second half.
Ja’Quinden Jackson rushed 10 times for 117 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Maddox Kopp was able to throw one last touchdown on the season along with 123 yards. The Buffs were looking for offense all game, running back Anthony Hankerson rushed 46 yards and one touchdown.
“Just a really emotional locker room that I just left,” interim head coach Mike Sanford said.
The Buffs capped a miserable season with a 63-21 loss to No. 14 Utah. They closed the season at 1-11 and on a six-game losing streak.
Receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig snagged 2 passes for 26 yards to try help carry the weight of a rough season. Brady Russell was able to catch 4 passes for 39 yards to led the Buffs.
Four different Utah receivers caught touchdowns for Rising. Dalton Kincaid led the Utes with 5 catches for 102 total yards.
Nikko Reed gave a spark to the Buffs by intercepting a pass in 3rd quarter to give ball back to the offense.
“I think it’s closure, in terms of knowing that you did fight the fight until the end, that you ran the race until the end,” Sanford said. “The feeling that I got in that locker room after tonight’s game is that there’s nobody who’s glad the season’s over and that’s a testament to everybody that was inside of these walls, working their tails off.”
Now with this victory the Utes will travel to Las Vegas for a rematch or revenge match with #6 USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Championship.
