WATCH: Harrison Simeon breaks down the final game of the Colorado Buffaloes' 2023 season.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah– As the sun set on Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday evening, the sun also set on the whirlwind that was the 2023 Colorado Buffaloes football season.
The 4-8 campaign closed with a 23-17 loss to the Utah Utes. The Buffs ended the first year of the Coach Prime era with eight losses in nine games after winning their first three.
This game also ended Colorado’s time in the Pac-12 conference, as the program is set to move to the Big 12 conference next season. The team finished Pac-12 play with an all-time record of 28-84. 2016 and the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season were the only years that the black and gold finished with a winning record.
Despite the season-ending loss, which was the fifth of the Buffs’ season by one possession, there were plenty of positive takeaways.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders did not play Saturday due to injury, as backup Ryan Staub made his first collegiate start behind center. He surprised many by playing with poise and confidence, overcoming a fumble on CU’s opening drive to finish 17-for-24, with 195 yards, one touchdown pass, and a 152.8 passer rating.
“Honestly I was nervous, [but] I was excited,” said Staub after the game. “Credit to my coaches. I put a lot of work into the film and practice.”
Staub’s favorite target was, predictably, Travis Hunter. He finished with eight catches, 107 yards, and one touchdown on the day. He also had not one, but two potential touchdown catches negated by official rulings late in the second quarter. Even without his trusty companion in Sanders, Staub consistently found the phenom in great positions to make plays.
“He’s the best player in college football right now,” said Staub regarding his connection with Hunter. “He’s a safety net and a weapon at the same time. He played great.”
Colorado’s other offensive score came via some trickery, as Staub threw a screen to wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr., who then passed the ball to a wide-open Dylan Edwards from 30 yards out.
Staub’s performance definitely seemed to turn heads in the college football world. After struggling when pushed into action last against Washington State, the freshman was decisive and accurate, playing well both within and without structure. He extended plays, particularly on a critical fourth down in the final quarter where he eventually found Michael Harrison to set up a touchdown to cut the lead to one score.
What unfortunately killed the chances of a CU victory on Saturday was Utah’s unstoppable running game. Senior walk-on quarterback Luke Bottari made his first start at the FBS level, but he only had to throw the ball 10 times. The Utes used their dominant running game to compile 268 yards on the ground. This allowed them to control the clock as well, as they dominated time of possession (over 60% for the game).
"Anybody with a football mind knows, they're gonna try to run the durn ball," said Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders after the loss. "They're a physical, tough, hard-nosed team that runs right at you and that's what they did."
The Utes got the ball back with 7:25 to play after a Colorado touchdown cut the lead to six, promptly running the ball and picking up first downs until the clock hit zero.
CU struggled to fit into gaps and complete tackles all afternoon, stopping the run on occasion but giving up chunk plays that allowed Utah to eat away at the clock and the Buffs’ chances. On a positive note, they did make two crucial stops inside the 10-yard line that forced the Utes to settle for field goals and kept Colorado in the contest.
It was yet another tough loss in a season that ended somberly despite endless optimism and media hype through its first three weeks. However, the Buffs have shown true growth following their 42-6 blowout loss to Oregon back on Sept. 23.
“We established some things that are foundational for the new young men that come in here,” added Coach Prime. “The guys that are here understand this is how it is and this is how it’s going to be.”
The defense, once thought to be Colorado’s glaring weakness, has improved dramatically to keep them in games against several of the Pac-12’s elite, such as UCLA, Oregon State, and Arizona. The offensive line showed growth both today against Utah and against Arizona, with just five sacks given up between the two games.
In its final season, the Pac-12 became the premier conference in college football, with nine of its 12 teams being ranked in the Associated Press top 25 at some point in the season. Arizona State, California, and Stanford were the only teams to not be ranked but still had quality wins within the conference. This season unfortunately had to coincide with a virtually all-new Colorado team, and it showed through this brutal stretch of games against a similarly brutal schedule.
Now, the Buffs switch gears to the Big 12, where their opposition may end up more favorable.
“I can’t wait to get to where we are going,” said Coach Prime when questioned about the conference realignment.
With a wild season full of some of the highest highs in the history of Colorado football coming to a close, it sets the stage for what will be an extremely important off-season for the CU program, yet one full of hope. If nothing else, the 2023 Colorado Buffaloes have proven that they will never be hard to find.
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