Utah Dominates Colorado 53-7 in Humbling Defeat for Coach Sanders

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Colorado Buffaloes faced a harsh reality Saturday night as they suffered a 53-7 defeat to the Utah Utes, marking one of the lowest points in head coach Deion Sanders‘ tenure. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Colorado was overwhelmed from the outset.

Utah wasted no time, with freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin scoring on a 63-yard touchdown run just two plays into the game. The Utes quickly built a lead, scoring three more touchdowns and a field goal to end the first quarter 17-0.

In the second quarter, Colorado’s struggles escalated when quarterback Kaidon Salter was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone, giving Utah a safety. Ficklin added two more touchdowns before halftime, and by the break, Colorado trailed 43-0, recording -18 yards of total offense in the first half.

The Buffaloes found minimal improvement in the second half. Ryan Staub replaced Salter, who threw for only 37 yards and one interception but managed a 1-yard scoring run with 9 minutes remaining, making the score 46-7. Utah countered this with another touchdown from Nate Johnson, securing a definitive victory.

Looking ahead, Coach Sanders faces tough questions about his team’s preparation and performance, especially as they head into home games against Arizona. Colorado’s hopes for a bowl game seem dim, now needing to win three out of their last four games to qualify.