Boulder, CO- The late-night game watched by over 16 million viewers live on ESPN and a sold-out crowd at Folsom ended up in a double overtime 43-35 win for Colorado.
Despite being out played on both sides of the ball for most of the game, Colorado still came back from a 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
The first two drives for both teams ended poorly for their offenses. The Rams first drive ended with a third and out after two penalties, resulting in -17 yards in total offense. Colorado didn’t fare much better with -1 yard in total offense and an interception from Shadeur Sanders, his first interception this season.
Colorado State’s next drive went for 10 plays and 54 yards and three first downs. First, Colorado State kicked a field goal, however, a penalty by Colorado gave their drive life with a first and 15.
Two plays later defensive back Shilo Sanders intercepted redshirt freshman Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi’s pass for an 80-yard pick six. An extra point put Colorado up 7-0.
The Rams next drive ended in three plays thanks to a 46-yard pass deep to the left. A thirty yard pass off a backwards pass to Tory Horton who threw it to Dallin Holker for the Rams touchdown.
The Rams then secured their lead after a 10-yard pass to Travis Hunter, who caught the pass and ran into a group of Rams and fumbled the ball. The Rams turned the fumble into a score and returned it back for a touchdown.
The Rams were now up by 14-7.
With two drives ending with turnovers, the team marched down for their first offensive touchdown to tie the game, ending in a 24-yard strike off a post route from Shadeur Sanders to Xavier Weaver.
The Rams scored the next touchdown off a 15-yard pass from Brayden to Louis Brown IV, who caught it off a post between two Colorado defenders.
The Rams were now up 21-14.
In the first half the Rams outplayed Colorado in almost every category. The Rams had 168 more total yards, more passing and rushing yards, a higher average per completion yards, 21 more total offensive plays and twice as much possession time.
“Played like Garbage in the first half,” coach Sander said in the post-game press conference. “Tried to get it together in the second half.”
However, the Rams had 11 penalties in the first half to Colorado’s four, resulting in 133 in lost yards.
The Buffs also lost their star cornerback and receiver Travis Hunter to an unknown injury; he was sent to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The Buffs first drive followed the same rhythm as their last couple with another three and out. And another Rams drive took them to Colorado territory, down to Colorado’s 14. Again, another turnover stopped the Rams drive — this time a fumble — and gave Colorado the ball.
This led to another Colorado punt.
But a blocked Rams field goal gave Colorado life again.
After a couple of first downs, the Colorado offense was finally in CSU territory again, the first time since their touchdown drive in the first quarter. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the drive ended in a blocked field goal by the Rams.
Penalties plagued the Rams on their next drive, leading to a first & 21. Another interception, this time by defensive back Craig Silmon, gave the Buffaloes great field position on CSU’s 45.
This was the Ram’s third Turnover, and the second to lead to points. This time the Buffs scored three on a 20-yard field goal, scoring only 10 points off three Rams turnover.
The Rams then extended their lead to 28-17 on their next drive, a seven play 76-yard drive that took 2:56 off the time clock.
Colorado followed it up with a 41-yard field goal by kicker Alejandro Mata, 28-20.
After the field goal, CSU punted with 2:06 left in the match.
With 98 yards to go, Colorado drove down the field, using only 1:30 on the clock. Sanders went through all his reads until he found tight end Michael Harrison wide open in the corner, who ran it in for a 45-yard touchdown, tying the game 28-28.
“All I was thinking was Brady mode. If he could do it, I can do it,” Shadeur Sanders said after the game. “We just alike.”
A two-point conversion tied everything, placing the game into overtime.
In over-time the excitement didn’t end. Colorado won the coin toss and selected to start on offense. They scored after four plays thanks to a second touchdown from Sanders to Harrison.
Colorado State replied with a touchdown pass in four plays.
Another touchdown from Sanders to Harrison on a post led to Colorado scoring six again in sudden death. This time the team chose to go for two, to force Colorado State to also go for two.
And it paid off as Sanders fought off pressure from two CSU lineman and found a receiver alone at the back of the end zone.
CSU’s next drive came down to one play. After a couple of penalties and incompletions, they were faced with 4 & goal from the 23rd. And it ended with an interception from defensive back Trevor Woods, giving Colorado the win, 43-35.
Before the game, there was a full media day in Boulder with ESPN’s “College GameDay” and Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” both in town Saturday for the Rocky Mountain Showdown.
The interstate rivalry showdown began in 1893; there have been 91 total meetings and the last one occurred in 2019. Colorado now leads the showdown 68-22-2, and currently sits at a five-game win streak.
Colorado is now 3-0 as CSU falls to 0-2.
