Colorado Buffaloes suffered a narrow 27-24 loss to No. 11 Utah on Saturday at Folsom Field, marking their fourth straight defeat. After the loss, Deion Sanders‘ team dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12. Utah improved to 6-0 and won its 12th game in a row this season. It is also the longest active streak in the nation after Notre Dame’s run ended at 16.
After the game, the devastated Colorado locker room was left in tears. Coach Prime welcomed the emotion and did something he does not usually do after a loss.
Deion Sanders praises Colorado’s fight after 27-24 loss to No. 11 Utah
Colorado collapsed last season, finishing with a 3-9 overall record and a 1-8 mark in the Big 12 after depth issues exposed the team following the NFL draft departures of Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. To rebuild, Deion Sanders heavily used the transfer portal to bring in new players, which raised expectations for the program. The strategy initially paid off during a hot 2-0 start.
However, dropping four of the next matchups has fans feeling like history is repeating itself. And it impacted the players, leaving the locker room in tears after the game. Sanders addressed the locker room situation with reporters during his postgame presser.
“I did something I never do after a loss,” Sanders said. He said he told his players he was proud of them. On the tears, he added, “I respect that because it means they want it. It was no give up whatsoever.”
Coach Prime: “It was some tears in there (locker room) today and I respect that because it means they want it.”
— Scott Procter (@ScottProcter_) October 18, 2026
Colorado’s effort on Saturday gave Sanders a reason to be proud despite the loss. Utah controlled the first half, taking a 13-0 lead while holding the Buffaloes to just 70 yards of offense. In fact, Colorado gave up more yards in penalties than they gained on the field before halftime.
However, the Buffaloes rallied in the third quarter, scoring 17 unanswered points to take a brief 17-13 lead. After Utah reclaimed a 20-17 lead, Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson threw a costly interception with five minutes left. He rebounded quickly, leading an 83-yard drive that cut Utah’s lead to 27-24 with 1:21 remaining on the clock.
Colorado got the ball back with 56 seconds left for one final drive. A long downfield gain looked promising, but a replay review showed that the intended lateral pass was actually an illegal forward throw. Utah’s defense then stopped Wilson’s Hail Mary attempt on the final play to secure the win.
The defeat ended a chaotic two weeks for Colorado. Before their bye week, the team lost 29-7 to Texas Tech on Oct. 3. That game drew extra attention after Texas Tech fans found a copy of Colorado’s play sheets at the Buffaloes’ team hotel. Sanders dismissed the incident at the time, saying, “Game’s over,” but the story kept the program under heavy media scrutiny during the off-week.
Following this latest loss, Sanders pushed back when reporters asked about the team’s negative public image. “You guys are responsible for narratives, not us,” Sanders said.
Despite his defiance, the historical data paints a grim picture. Colorado has managed a disappointing 2-14 record against Power Five opponents since the end of the 2024 season. Now deep into his fourth year leading the program, Coach Prime has managed only two victories over ranked opponents since taking over in 2023.
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