For much of Deion Sanders’ first season at Colorado, it has been a tale of two halves for the Buffs. Friday proved that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Colorado (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) got off to a hot start, taking a 29-0 lead into halftime, but a comedy of errors after halftime allowed Stanford (2-4, 1-3 Pac-12) to get back into the game and eventually come out with a 46-43 win in double overtime.
For weeks, the new Buffs’ head coach had been trying to get his squad to come out of the gates with more urgency, and Friday night it felt like he finally had a breakthrough. The heightened sense of urgency was apparent from the start, as the CU defense got its first opening drive stop since Sept. 16 against Colorado State.
The offense swiftly followed suit, marching down the field with ease on an 8-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a Xavier Weaver touchdown. On the Buffs’ next series, two-way star Travis Hunter stamped his return with a wicked spin move and a 24-yard touchdown catch.
Weaver added two more scores before halftime, one through the air and one on the ground, and the Buffs were rolling, carrying a seemingly insurmountable 29-0 lead into the break.
The Buffs, however, got way too comfortable at the intermission, and completely fell apart in the second half. Stanford was finally able to get the offense going, finding a few explosive plays to quickly get them back in the game.
After a Bryce Farrell touchdown run cut the lead to 29-6, Ashton Daniels found Elic Ayomanor on a quick slant, and the Stanford wideout took it 97 yards to the house. After another stop, Ayomanor found the quick strike once again, reeling in a 60-yard touchdown to cut the Buffs’ lead to just 10.
The two teams traded scores at the start of the fourth, with Travis Hunter’s second touchdown of the night giving Colorado a 36-26 lead with just over 11 minutes to play, but the Cardinal weren’t done fighting just yet. Another touchdown drive, their fifth consecutive score to start the second half, cut the lead back to three.
Colorado got the ball back with just over five minutes to go and a chance to salt away a win that was much more complicated than it needed to be. However, after a few first downs, Sanders missed an open Hunter on third down, giving the Cardinal one more chance.
The red-hot Stanford offense didn’t hesitate to take advantage. Daniels quickly led the Cardinal down the field, and kicker Joshua Karty finished the drive with a 46-yard field goal as time expired to improbably force overtime.
In the first overtime, the teams traded scores, with Ayomanor tying the game with an acrobatic 30-yard touchdown over Hunter in the end zone.
In the second overtime, Sanders couldn’t keep the Buffs’ offense alive, as his desperation heave into the end zone on third down was intercepted, and the Cardinal set up Karty for a 31-yard field goal to win the game.
Ayomanor was the star of the night for the Cardinal, reeling in 13 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns, exceeding his receiving total from the first five games combined. Daniels finished his career day with an excellent statline as well: 27 for 45 with 396 yards passing and four touchdowns.
On the Buffs’ side, Sanders finished 33 for 48 with 400 yards passing, five touchdowns, and the critical interception in the second overtime. Hunter collected 13 catches for 140 yards and two scores, while Weaver hauled in seven balls for 124 yards and three total touchdowns.
Penalties doomed the Buffs in this one, as they were whistled for an incredible 17 penalties for 127 yards, many of them before or after the snap and a few of them to extend Cardinal drives.
The loss drops the Buffs to 4-3 with a brutal schedule ahead, with four of their final five games against ranked opponents. They’ll have a bye next week before getting back in action on Oct. 28 against UCLA.
1st Quarter
COLO TD, 10:25: Xavier Weaver 9-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders (Alejandro Mata kick), 7-0COLO TD, 3:36: Travis Hunter 24-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders (Alejandro Mata kick), 14-0
2nd Quarter
COLO TD, 8:42: Xavier Weaver 39-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders (Caleb Fauria run for two-point conversion), 22-0COLO TD, 2:57: Xavier Weaver 14-yard run (Alejandro Mata kick), 29-0
3rd Quarter
STAN TD, 9:01: Bryce Farrell 2-yard run (two-point conversion failed), 29-6STAN TD, 6:18: Elic Ayomanor 97-yard pass from Ashton Daniels (two-point conversion failed), 29-12STAN TD, 4:45: Elic Ayomanor 60-yard pass from Ashton Daniels (Joshua Karty kick), 29-19
4th Quarter
STAN TD, 12:50: Justin Lamson 1-yard run (Joshua Karty kick), 29-26COLO TD, 11:18: Travis Hunter 16-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders (Alejandro Mata kick), 36-26STAN TD: 5:06: Bryce Farrell 3-yard pass from Ashton Daniels (Joshua Karty kick), 36-33STAN FG, 0:00: Joshua Karty 46-yard field goal, 36-36
OT
COLO TD: Javon Antonio 4-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders (Alejandro Mata kick), 43-36STAN TD: Elic Ayomanor 30-yard pass from Ashton Daniels (Joshua Karty kick), 43-43
OT2
STAN FG: Joshua Karty 31-yard field goal, 46-43
Troy Finnegan, CUSportsReport.com
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