Junior kicker Alejandro Mata, left, and head coach Deion Sanders embrace During the game against the University of Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado Buffaloes entered Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday afternoon riding a four-game win streak and with realistic hopes of making the College Football Playoff.
But those dreams slowly faded away as the Buffs fell to the University of Kansas, 37-21, with a lackluster defensive performance to blame. Colorado surrendered 520 total yards and failed to force a single punt. It was a disappointing collapse for a defense that had seemed to improve each week.
Kansas set the tone early, jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first half. The Jayhawks exploited CU’s defensive weaknesses throughout the game, with junior quarterback Jalon Daniels completing just 14 passes but still leading Kansas to 37 points.
Jayhawks senior running back Devin Neal had a career game, rushing for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes kept feeding Neal, who finished with 37 touches. Daniels added nearly 75 rushing yards of his own, giving the Jayhawks a total of 331 rushing yards on just four carries.
Kansas controlled the pace of the game, holding the ball for more than two-thirds of the clock. By the end of the game, the Jayhawks had run 36 more plays from scrimmage and had extended drives lasting eight and seven minutes, respectively.
“We’ve got to do our job and score every drive,” said quarterback Shedeur Sanders. “There were a lot of games where they (the defense) came and saved us, and this was our game to help them out.”
Junior athlete Travis Hunter poses after making a touchdown during the game against the University of Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
On the bright side, wide receiver Travis Hunter is making a strong case for the Heisman Trophy. The favorite heading into the game, Hunter delivered another outstanding performance, scoring two touchdowns and setting a Colorado record with his sixth game over 100 receiving yards.
The offense wasn’t all bad, either. Freshman Drelon Miller continued to impress in place of Jimmy Horn Jr., who was a late scratch. Miller had an impressive touchdown catch in the second quarter, leaping over a defender to bring in his second score of the season.
University of Colorado Boulder wide receiver Drelon Miller catches the ball over Kansas University linebacker JB Brown for a touchdown in the first half of the football game at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Linus Loughry/CU Independent)Ka
Kansas also managed to limit Colorado’s screen game, which has become a staple of offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s play calling. While the Buffs had perfected the screen play throughout the season, it only connected once for a 51-yard touchdown to Hunter in the second quarter. Outside of that, the offense struggled to hit its signature big plays.
“We got intoxicated by success,” Coach Deion Sanders said. “We assumed we were this or that, but we didn’t play CU football.”
The loss snapped the Buffaloes’ four-game win streak, dropping their record to 8-3 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 play. Colorado had previously controlled its own destiny, needing only to win out to secure a spot in the Big 12 Championship. Now, they will need to rely on a series of tiebreakers, which are still possible but not in their favor.
The Buffaloes get a short break before facing Oklahoma State this Friday at 10 a.m. A loss in that game would all but end their championship hopes and is likely the final home game for Sanders and Hunter at Folsom Field. It will be one last game in what has been one of the most memorable seasons in Colorado football history.
