Colorado head coach Deion Sanders during the game against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at Folsom Field. (Tyler Phillips/CU Independent)
Following the worst game of the Coach Prime era at the University of Colorado Boulder, fans expected to see a strengthened team that was desperate for a bounce-back win. Instead, on the third play of the game in their matchup with the University of Arizona on Saturday, the Buffs allowed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Arizona’s Tre Spivey. Colorado appeared to make zero adjustments after their 53-7 collapse against Utah, losing to Arizona 52-17.
While Colorado heard repetitive cheers in Utah, they got the other end of the stick at Folsom Field, with boos echoing over the stadium throughout the first half. After Arizona countered their 57-yard punch with a field goal drive to go up 10-0, Colorado’s senior quarterback Kaidon Salter fumbled while rolling out, to give Arizona the ball well into the red zone. It took the Wildcats one play for quarterback Noah Fifita to connect with wideout Kris Hutson to jump to a 17-0 lead in just eight minutes of game time.
Staring down another blowout, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur started pounding the run game and moving the ball. Salter extended plays with his legs, and junior running back Dallan Hayden collected 25 yards on the ground, resulting in Salter finding junior Omarion Miller to get the Buffs on the board. It was Salter’s 10th touchdown and Miller’s fifth of the year, and it was the best drive of the game from CU’s starters.
With the ensuing extra point attempt, senior kicker Alejandro Mata drilled his 103 consecutive point after touchdown, setting a new school record.
Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver, Joseph Williams, celebrating after a touchdown in the game against the University of Arizona at Folsom Field on Saturday, Nov. 1st, 2025. (Aspen Doust/CU Independent)
With a chance to get back in the contest, the Buffs’ defense might have had their worst play of the season to give the Wildcats momentum for the rest of the half. On an ordinary slant to Arizona’s freshman Gio Richardson, two Colorado defenders ran into each other while safety Tawfiq Byard took a bad angle to give Richardson a free 60-yard touchdown strike.
Arizona rattled off two more touchdown drives, thanks to a poor interception from Salter, his sixth of the year, as the Buffs went down 38-7 into halftime. Deion Sanders and his Buffaloes were passionately booed into the locker room, getting outscored 81-7 over their last two first halves.
While the alumni were out with the marching band for the university’s homecoming weekend, the student section and the greater part of the stadium cleared out, truly feeling like an all-time low of the Coach Prime era at CU.
Salter’s day was done after going 11-for-15 with 49 passing yards, giving the ball to sophomore quarterback Ryan Staub. Unfortunately, Staub sent home any fans who stayed through halftime, throwing a pick to Arizona on his first drop back, followed immediately with another interception for CU’s fourth turnover of the game.
Sanders elected to give five-star true freshman Julian Lewis the keys to the offense after Staub’s misfires, which gave the estimated 10,000 fans left in Folsom Field something to cheer about. On just his third play since entering the game, Lewis darted for a 15-yard first-down run, then took a successful shot downfield to Miller for a 59-yard touchdown completion. Miller got his second score of the game, and Lewis got his first passing touchdown of his collegiate career.
Colorado’s Omarion Miller scores a touchdown during the game against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at Folsom Field. (Tyler Phillips/CU Independent)
Lewis rallied one more field goal drive, but the Buffs chewed the rest of the clock with fourth-string quarterback Dominiq Ponder, losing the game 52-17.
After Colorado took an upset victory over No. 22 Iowa State into their bye week, traces of faith and hope refreshed the program. CU was 3-4 and had a shot at clinching a bowl game, but the last two weeks have seen a full narrative switch. The defense has given up 105 points over the last two weeks, CU’s starting quarterback hasn’t finished consecutive games and everything Coach Prime promised the university in December 2022 is absent.
“I have no idea, if I knew I wouldn’t have allowed that to happen,” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said about what happened, in a similarly confused response to the loss at Utah. “We’re not executing, we’re not getting it done, as from lack of preparation, I suppose, [and] that’s on me.”
Sanders didn’t allow any players or other coaches to talk to the media after the game, claiming full responsibility.
“Don’t attack the coordinators, come at me. Don’t attack the players, come at me,” Sanders said. “This is me, this has nothing to do with none of them, it has everything to do with me.”
The Buffs seek to not give up next week when traveling to West Virginia University (1-5, 1-3 Big 12), with kickoff at 10 a.m. MT. The game will stream on TNT.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Baylan Wysuph at baylan.wysuph@colorado.edu
