Colorado struggled to handle the physicality of No. 23 UCLA in their recent match-up. In the first half at the Rose Bowl, Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes managed to force four turnovers and went into halftime trailing by just one point, 7-6. However, the second half brought a different story.
UCLA relentlessly pressured Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, dominating the CU front with a well-balanced offensive attack. The end result was a 28-16 victory for the Bruins, further dampening Colorado’s chances of reaching a bowl game in Sanders’ inaugural season as head coach.
The Bruins displayed a dominant performance, but the four first-half turnovers caused by the Colorado defense kept the game competitive. The Buffs even held a 6-0 lead thanks to two field goals, one of which was set up by a brilliant interception by two-way star Travis Hunter.
UCLA took the lead, 7-6, in the first minute of the second quarter with a touchdown reception by Carson Steele from Ethan Garbers. From there, the Bruins had multiple opportunities to extend their lead, but two fumbles by Steele, another exceptional interception by Hunter, and a missed 24-yard field goal prevented them from scoring.
On the other side, Shedeur Sanders faced relentless pressure and had no time to execute his plays. With one of the best front sevens in the country, UCLA outclassed Colorado’s offensive line. Sanders was left bruised and limping by halftime, and the situation only worsened in the second half.
UCLA wasted no time in the second half, scoring on their first drive with just two plays. Garbers connected with Logan Loya for a 49-yard gain and then found tight end Moliki Matavao for a 26-yard touchdown. Although the Buffs added another field goal to make it 14-9, the Bruins tightened their grip on the game with their next two scoring drives.
The first one was a 13-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by TJ Harden. After forcing a Colorado punt, the Bruins marched 75 yards in 11 plays to score again, this time with backup QB Collin Schlee running it in from 7 yards out. These two drives consumed over 11 minutes of game time, extending UCLA’s lead to 28-9 with 6:34 left to play.
Colorado managed to find the end zone in the final minutes with a touchdown pass from Sanders to Jimmy Horn. However, it was too little, too late.
By the end of the game, Colorado mustered just 255 yards and averaged a mere 3.7 yards per play. Sanders, who endured seven sacks and six additional hits, finished the day with 217 passing yards, one of his lowest outputs of the season.
With this victory, UCLA’s overall record improved to 6-2, with a 3-2 record in Pac-12 play. The Bruins are battling to keep up with the fierce competition in the Pac-12, but they have no margin for error as they trail behind undefeated Washington and three one-loss teams.
On the other hand, Colorado now stands at a 4-4 overall record, with a 1-4 conference record. After starting the season 3-0, the Buffs face an arduous path to a bowl game. Their next two games will be at home against No. 11 Oregon State and Arizona before wrapping up the year with away games against Washington State and Utah.
Last year, Colorado only won a single game, so Sanders has already made significant strides in elevating the program. Nevertheless, games like this highlight how far he still has to go.
