Coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado football team sent a strong message to the Big 12 Conference with a decisive 34-7 victory over Arizona at Arizona Stadium on Saturday. The win signifies their ability to compete at a high level, especially on the road, showcasing their growing prowess.
While star player Travis Hunter made a brief return from his shoulder injury during the first half, contributing two catches for 17 yards, he did not play in the second half after Colorado established a comfortable 28-7 lead at halftime. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders played a key role in the victory, completing 23 of 33 passes for a total of 250 yards, along with two touchdowns, despite throwing two interceptions. The Colorado defense proved formidable, racking up seven sacks and limiting Arizona’s scoring after their initial touchdown in the first quarter.
This win improves Colorado’s record to 3-1 in the Big 12 and 5-2 overall, marking a significant improvement from last year under Sanders’ leadership. With five regular-season games remaining, Colorado is just one win away from bowl game eligibility. They will face Cincinnati at home next Saturday.
Arizona, playing before a crowd of 50,724, fell to a 3-4 record. Their standout receiver, Tetairoa McMillan, who had entered the game ranked third in the nation for receiving yards, was limited to five catches for just 38 yards. On defense, linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green led with eight tackles and a sack.
As the game progressed, Colorado maintained dominance. After an interception that set them up at the Arizona 23-yard line, backup quarterback Ryan Staub helped extend the lead to 34-7 with a field goal by Alejandro Mata in the final moments of the game.
The Buffaloes took control from early on, leading 14-0 after two quick touchdowns by Sanders. Despite a brief response from Arizona that brought the score to 14-7, Colorado quickly reasserted itself by scoring on subsequent drives.
In the grand context of the game, Colorado’s efficient offense and aggressive defense were too much for Arizona, marking another step forward for Coach Sanders and the Buffaloes’ promising season.