Senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders makes a touchdown during the game against Baylor University at Folsom Field on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
On Saturday, the University of Colorado Boulder defeated the Baylor University Bears 38-31 at Folsom Field. The game saw a dramatic finish for the Buffaloes, who improved to 3-1 overall and got their first Big 12 win since returning to the conference.
With the Buffs down by 31-24, quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester in the final seconds of regulation to force the game into overtime. Then, after a touchdown by the Sanders, Travis Hunter forced a fumble at the goal line to help the Buffs defeat the Bears.
Baylor’s Dominic Richardson fumbles the ball during overtime at Folsom Field on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
The offensive line was steady, but uninspiring, with an average rush of four yards. The Buffs’ defense got off to a strong start, with Cam’Ron Silman-Craig making a big play on third down, forcing Baylor to settle for a field goal. Sanders later scored the first touchdown of the game for Colorado on a read-option play. At the end of the first quarter, the Buffs led the Bears 7-3.
Mid second quarter, Baylor’s Jamaal Bell had a spectacular touchdown, returning a kickoff by sprinting 100 yards to score Baylor’s first touchdown of the game. Thanks to Bell, Baylor led 17-10 with 6:43 remaining in the first half. Following that, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson ran the ball 45 yards for a touchdown. Baylor led 24-10.
With 1:48 left in the second quarter, Sanders avoided a sure sack, found Omarion Miller downfield, and Miller broke a tackle to run 58 yards for a touchdown. B.J. Green stopped Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson on fourth and one, taking over midfield – a huge stop, especially after conceding a touchdown in a similar situation in the second quarter. Michael Welsh then scored another touchdown for Colorado, tying the game at 24-24.
As the fourth quarter began, the Buffs and Bears were tied, and the Colorado faithful finally felt some certainty that the game was in the Buffaloes’ hands. However, a completed pass from Robertson to Presley put Baylor ahead 31-24.
With just one second left in the game, Sanders threw the 43-yard pass caught by Wester that changed Colorado’s fate and brought the team to their overtime win. The play was reviewed, and the touchdown stood.
While the forced fumble was under review, thousands of CU fans, primarily from the student section, stormed the field. The pass was confirmed incomplete, but the rush has sparked conversations about acceptable behavior in college sports.
“I don’t like what transpired at the end of the game, but I love what transpired at the end of the game,” said Colorado Head Coach Deion Sanders.
In the midst of the celebration, coach Sanders couldn’t locate Baylor’s coach, Dave Aranda, on the field. He went to the Baylor locker room but did not encounter him and apologized for missing the handshake.
Wester’s Hail Mary catch and Hunter’s Heisman-like game has led fans and national media to call it an Instant Classic. Following this electrifying game, the CU Boulder Buffaloes head to Orlando to take on the UCF Knights this Saturday.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Charlotte Smith at charlotte.smith-1@colorado.edu.
