Colorado had a tale of two halves in a frustrating loss.
Buffaloes’ fast start fades in 24-21 loss to No. 25 BYU in Boulder originally appeared on The Sporting News
Colorado started fast but couldn’t sustain it. The Buffaloes built an early 14-point lead before stalling offensively, as No. 25 BYU rallied with 17 unanswered points in the second half to hand CU a 24-21 loss on Saturday night.
Kaidon Salter guided Colorado to an opening touchdown with a sharp 11-play, 75-yard drive, capped by his 3-yard scoring run. The Buffs doubled their advantage minutes later when receiver Dre’lon Miller took consecutive direct snaps out of the wildcat, finishing a 5-yard touchdown run that put CU ahead 14-0 with just over five minutes left in the first quarter.
Colorado’s defense forced two early stops, but BYU responded with a 28-yard field goal late in the first quarter and its first touchdown drive just before halftime. True freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier engineered a 94-yard march, capitalizing on two Colorado penalties before hitting Chase Roberts for a 5-yard score.
The Cougars entered the locker room trailing just 14-10.
After the break, Colorado’s offense sputtered. The Buffs opened the third quarter with a three-and-out, while BYU surged ahead 17-14 behind Bachmeier’s legs and a fourth-down touchdown pass. Salter briefly restored Colorado’s lead with a six-play, 75-yard drive, connecting with Miller on a 19-yard touchdown reception to make it 21-17.
But BYU answered again early in the fourth quarter, dialing up a triple reverse that went for a 32-yard touchdown. Bachmeier, who finished with 98 rushing yards, repeatedly eluded CU defenders.
Colorado's late-game mistakes increased. A holding penalty wiped out a 45-yard Salter run, and a disastrous 22-yard loss on third down killed a promising drive. Salter later misfired on key throws, including an interception in the final minute that sealed the loss.
Salter completed 3-of-3 passes on the opening drive but was inconsistent the rest of the night, finishing with a touchdown and one interception. Miller scored twice, once on the ground and once through the air, but Colorado managed just one score in its final nine possessions.
BYU controlled much of the game with balance and efficiency. The Cougars outgained Colorado 387–291 in total yards, fueled by a 208-yard rushing effort that wore down the Buffaloes’ defense. BYU also dominated first downs, 27–17, and held the ball for more than 33 minutes compared to Colorado’s 26.
While both teams were perfect in the red zone (3-for-3), Colorado’s lone turnover and a costly penalty disparity (67 yards to BYU’s 34) proved pivotal.
The Buffs showed explosiveness at times, averaging 6.1 yards per rush after sack adjustments, but struggled to sustain drives, converting just 3 of 10 third downs and failing on their lone fourth-down try. BYU, meanwhile, capitalized on key moments, going 2-for-3 on fourth down
and keeping drives alive with quarterback Bear Bachmeier’s legs.
Despite the setback, Colorado showed signs of what can become an explosive offense when in rhythm and a defense capable of timely stops. Cleaning up mistakes and finding consistency will
be the next step, and if the Buffs can build on their fast starts, they still have a chance to make noise the rest of the season.
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