The Colorado Buffaloes nearly pulled off a major upset against the No. 11 Utah Utes on Saturday, battling back from a 13-0 halftime deficit before falling 27-24 at Folsom Field.
Despite being shut out in the first half, Colorado battled back in the second half. Early in the second half, quarterback Isaac Wilson threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to running back JaQuail Smith, who also had 71 rushing yards. Dekalon Taylor's rushing touchdown later in the third gave Colorado a 14-13 lead, and a field goal added to it.
Utah answered with another touchdown before the end of the third quarter to regain a 20-17 lead, and then scored again late in the fourth. Colorado's Wilson found DeAndre Moore Jr. in the end zone to make it 27-24 Utah late, and the Buffaloes still had a chance at a win when they got the ball back with 56 seconds remaining.
Unfortunately, a costly illegal forward pass penalty set them back on their final drive, and Wilson's desperation heave to the end zone was batted down, ending Colorado's chances at the upset win.
"I did something I never do after a loss. I stood up there on that podium and told those kids I'm really proud of y'all, man. Because they fought, they didn’t give up," Colorado's Deion Sanders told reporters after the loss.
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Sanders' statement was surprising, especially after a loss. Earlier this season, Sanders was shown in a video shouting at his players with a passionate message after a win to hammer home the expectations and mindset they needed to have to keep winning.
Unfortunately, the Buffaloes have not continued winning. Despite a season-opening win over Georgia Tech and a 52-21 win over Weber State, they've lost four straight games, with quarterback woes plaguing the team. Those struggles included previous starter Julian Lewis being replaced by current starter Isaac Wilson.
A 41-7 blowout loss to Northwestern was followed by double-digit conference losses to Baylor and Texas Tech. A win over Utah seemed close for Sanders's team, and he admired the fight and passion he saw in that effort.
Wilson finished Saturday's game with 256 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also had seven carries for 41 yards in the losing effort.
It was nearly the sort of upset that might have made Sanders much prouder, amid a season where this losing streak won't cool down any conversations about his coaching hot seat.
Colorado fell to 0-3 in the conference and 2-4 overall after losing to the No. 11 Utes, but Sanders's comments suggested he saw something encouraging from his players with their determination to fight back despite seeming out of the game against a nationally ranked conference opponent.
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