Utah’s sixth straight loss was expected, as the Utes were heavy underdogs against No. 17 Colorado.
But the Utes showed signs of effort and fight, though there were too many mistakes to overcome against a supremely talented Buffaloes team in a 49-24 Colorado win at Folsom Field.
That is the most points an opponent has scored against Utah since 2014, as Colorado snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Utes.
What stood out from the game?
Utah’s defense made plays, but couldn’t sustain its effort enough
For long stretches, Utah’s defense was able to contain a Colorado offense led by projected first-round NFL pick Shedeur Sanders.
The Utes also forced Colorado into three turnovers, including a Lander Barton interception on the first play of the game, which set up a Utah field goal.
Sanders and the Buffaloes, though, did an excellent job of taking advantage of opportunities when the Utes faltered.
For example:
- Colorado’s first touchdown — a 41-yard pass to Will Sheppard — came on a fourth-down attempt where the Buffaloes had a free play with Utah being flagged for offsides.
- In the second quarter, Travis Hunter made an incredible effort high-pointing a ball on a fourth and 8 pass that moved Colorado inside the Utah 5, and that set up a fade-throw touchdown to give the Buffaloes a 21-6 lead.
- In the third quarter, Colorado scored on a 37-yard Isaiah Augustave touchdown run one play after Isaac Wilson threw an interception to start the second half.
- The Buffaloes’ final two touchdowns, which came after Utah had a chance to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter, were set up by breakdowns from the Utes — the first came after the Utes allowed a 48-yard pass to Drelon Miller, and the second after Colorado’s defense came up with a fourth-down stop deep in Utah territory.
Colorado finished with 405 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns on three of its final four possessions, though in the first half, the Buffaloes went scoreless on four straight possessions to help Utah stick around.
Utah also forced three turnovers, including a fumble midway through the fourth that briefly gave the Utes hope they could muster a rally.
Sanders, though, made enough plays in a game where he completed 30 of 41 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns, to go with that first-play interception and a second-quarter fumble.
Isaac Wilson showed more growing pains … and some growth
Wilson had a rough, rough first half, completing 8 of 20 passes for 62 yards and an interception before the break — and that included a last-minute, 36-yard field-goal scoring drive that accounted for more than half of his passing yards in the opening two quarters.
Wilson then opened the second half with a second interception, as he didn’t see a defender and threw a pick across the middle.
Late in the third quarter and early in the fourth for a couple possessions, though, Wilson and the Utes got some things going offensively.
After a 17-yard punt return from Dorian Singer gave Utah good field position at the Colorado 40, Wilson threw an absolute dime to Singer for a 40-yard touchdown. That was Singer’s first touchdown as a Ute, and it was the first touchdown that the two-way star Hunter gave up in coverage this season.
Later, after Colorado built a 35-16 lead, Wilson led a 75-yard scoring drive that made it a 35-24 game in the fourth. Wilson was a perfect 7-for-7 for 72 passing yards on the possession, which included passes of 23, 25 and 9 yards to tight end Carsen Ryan, before he threw a 3-yard touchdown to Caleb Lohner.
Utah even showed some creativity in converting a two-point attempt to make it an 11-point game, as Wilson threw backward to tackle Spencer Fano, who ran in for the conversion.
The freshman Wilson, though, showed his inexperience later after Utah forced a turnover near midfield and had a chance to make it a one-score game. With the Utes driving, he scrambled to avoid the Colorado pass rush, then threw an ill-advised pass toward the sideline, where the Buffaloes’ D.J. McKinney came up with the interception.
That led to a Colorado touchdown, and Wilson’s final possession before giving way to Luke Bottari ended in a failed fourth down deep in Utah territory, which again led to a quick Buffaloes score.
Wilson completed 21 of 40 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions, as 189 of Utah’s 272 total yards came after halftime.
Wilson was also sacked four times, as the beleaguered quarterback took several big shots throughout the game.
Utah didn’t give up in this one, but it’s missing the complementary element to its game
It would be understandable if the Utes would have caved earlier in the game, before giving up two late touchdowns to balloon the score out.
Utah’s offense, yet again, was struggling to get anything going during the first half — the Utes had four three and outs in the first two quarters.
The Utes also struggled to get anything going in the run game — they had 31 rushing yards on 30 carries, for a 1.03 yards-per-carry average. That meant Wilson had to take on the weight of making the Utah offense move, without a complementary running game to take off some pressure.
In a season that’s turned sour, it’s become predictable that struggles would come.
The tough part about Saturday’s game was that there were opportunities to make it a tighter game.
Twice, Sanders turned the ball over deep in Colorado territory in the first half, but Utah only mustered field goals both times. Having an ineffective run game didn’t help.
The Utes also gave up a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter, at a time when Utah’s defense was doing a good job keeping the Colorado offense pinned down.
Again, complementary football eluded Utah on this day.
Then, in the fourth quarter, Drelon Miller caught a 48-yard pass when there was a breakdown in the Utah defensive backfield, and that play set up Colorado’s touchdown that put them ahead 42-24.
In a trying season, it’s unfair to bemoan these mistakes and become too focused on how little changes could have changed the result Saturday.
These were learning moments, and ones that — even in loss — may give some hope that Utah could snap its losing streak and make a run of bowl eligibility in its final two games.