Colorado hosted Texas Tech needing a win to keep Big 12 title hopes and college football playoff hopes alive.
As has been a theme in a lot of their conference games, the Buffaloes opening drive stalled ending in a missed 53 yard field goal.
With a defense that has struggled much of the year, giving teams good starting field position after a stalled drive is not a great start. The Colorado defense did hold a little bit forcing the Red Raiders to a field goal of their own and it was 3-0.
On its second drive Colorado figured things out. Sanders and company marched down the field for a scoring drive capped off by a 12-yard reception by Smalls taking a lead.
This game would be all Colorado for a bit. The defense held but the offense again stalled out on 3 straight positions in scoring territory taking just a 16-3 lead after an interception set them up with a short field.
The story of much of the day however the defense stepped up again stopping Texas Tech in the red zone on forcing a field goal keeping a 2 possession lead .
With a chance to break the game open a bit up 10 with the ball Sanders found Smalls on a key 3rd and 14 for a big play followed a couple plays later by a 28-yard touchdown pass to Wester to put Colorado up 23-13.
A few plays later a pick 6 set Colorado up 30-13 trying to mount a comeback the Red Raiders turned it over again but held tough on defense making Colorado punt it back, and at the start of the 4th Texas Tech scored and got the 2 to cut the lead to 16.
A cant happen miscommunication play moments later where Hunter sat down in a zone when Sanders expected him to keep going led to a pick and a score and now a 30-6 lead was all of a sudden a one score game.
With 3 minutes left one of many plays that felt like sealed a win for Colorado where Sanders hit Wester for a 71 yard touchdown making it again a 2 score game. Texas Tech wasted no time coming back scoring on a jet sweep on its first play.
With a 9 point lead and a chance to seal the game Sanders found Hunter for a 79-yard touchdown putting Colorado up 44-28.
Texas Tech was able to add another score but on a 2 point conversion couldn't stay in bounds to make the ensuing onside kick less heart pounding as Colorado sealed it.
The win puts some wind back in the sails for Colorado's hopes to make the playoff. A big game against Utah waiting.
HOME
Discord