ORLANDO – The Colorado Buffaloes (4-1, Big 12 2-0) defeated the Central Florida Knights (3-1, Big 12 1-1) in a 48-21 victory for the Buffs on the road.
Projected by most sportsbooks to be at least a 12-point underdog, the gold, white and black-draped Buffaloes stomped on the Knights.
Despite the final score, the game did not start as smoothly as the Buffaloes would have liked. The first drive was a complete disaster. A net gain of negative 10 yards on the first two plays and an amateur interception on third down from Shedeur Sanders set the Knights up with perfect field positioning, starting at the Buffs’ 30-yard line. With the aforementioned odds not in their favor on the road, it looked like the Buffs were on their way to proving the doubters right.
Colorado’s defense was a point of contention all of last season, but even with their notable improvement under new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, keeping the Knights out of the end zone was a tall task.
Cornerback Preston Hodge, however, stood up to the challenge. After nine plays, the Knights had only gotten 25 yards and had two third down conversions. On third-and-goal from the five, quarterback KJ Jefferson threw up a 50-50 ball to his receiver to try and get an early touchdown. Hodge executed perfect coverage, attacked the ball at the catch point and took it away.
The Buffs followed up the turnover with an 80-yard touchdown drive capped off by a Travis Hunter touchdown and it looked like the Buffs had the momentum going their way. But on just the first play of the Knights’ next drive, they responded with a bang.
Jefferson took the snap on first down and faked a tuck-and-run QB blast. Dropping back out of the fake, he lobbed it to a wide-open RJ Harvey who took it 75 yards to the house. Colorado needed to come up with a blow after trading punches, but its follow-up drive didn’t instill much hope. Opening with a delay of game penalty before the first snap, CU eventually got it to the 47-yard line on third-and-long. With hope thinning out for the drive, Sanders stepped up and launched a moon-ball down the middle of the field.
Despite many in the press box at FBC Mortgage stadium immediately believing it was destined to be an interception, Buffs receiver Will Sheppard laid out, launching from the five-yard line and going completely horizontal to the field snatching it from the reach of the defender. Yet again, Sanders and one of his WRs somehow pulled off a work of magic to get the Buffs an explosive play. Taking a 14-7 lead in that manner, the Buffs had a new fire under their step.
After running back Dallan Hayden, who returned from injury this game, rushed for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 21-7, UCF never touched the ball again with the opportunity to tie. Playing from behind and forced to air it out, the Knights' offense could never generate consistent plays and the game was never again in close reach.
Hunter continued to demonstrate that he is indisputably one of, if not the best player in college football. A diving interception halfway through the third quarter was another one of his highlight reel plays. He finished with 89 yards, losing his 100-yard game streak, but tallying on two tackles, a pass breakup and the aforementioned interception.
The Buffs, once again, played a much more well-balanced game offensively. With a sack-adjusted yards-per-carry of 5.2 and 128 total rushing yards, the burden of production was not set exclusively on Sanders and the highly touted receiving corps. But when the group was called upon, they made their plays.
Sheppard led the team in receiving yards, tallying 99 alongside his SportsCenter Top 10-deserving touchdown. After dropping what likely would’ve been the game-saving touchdown versus Baylor, which eventually went to La’Johntay Wester, Sheppard was excited to get back to prove himself.
“I tried not to get too down on myself after that and just know who I am and why I’m here and why I came here,” Sheppard said after Saturday’s game. “I think today proved that.”
Defensively, the Buffs played strongly, continuing their trend of improvement this season. Holding UCF to just 6-for-18 on third down and forcing four turnovers, the Knights had no choice but to rely on big chunk plays to get the ball moving. Those were few and far between. Given an opportunity to speak on the continued defensive progress, safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, who finished with five tackles and a fumble recovered for a touchdown, took the time to praise Livingston.
“When (Livingston) came in, he came in with no playbook,” Silmon-Craig said. “He said, ‘What do y’all do well?’”
The stands were cleared out by the middle of the fourth quarter and the Knights had abandoned any sense of their original gameplan.
“One of the first times that we came out and played a collective game,” said Colorado head coach Deion Sanders postgame. “Offensively, defensively, special teams.”
Despite the odds set against them, the Buffaloes opened their return to the Big 12 with a 2-0 conference record. After winning only one conference game in 2023, the Buffaloes have already topped that total. This was expected to be one of, if not the toughest game on CU’s schedule. With this one in the mirror as a victory, and a large one at that, Colorado has generated a large chunk of momentum which may be enough to earn some Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll consideration.
Only time will tell how legitimate this team is, and with a bye week following their cross-country trip to Orlando, it will be 14 days until Colorado is back on the field vs. No. 23 Kansas State (4-1, Big 12 1-1).
Kickoff time is still TBA, but Colorado hopes to continue their undefeated home and conference season on Oct. 12.
Cover photo by Roberto Patrick Gerra/Sko Buffs Sports
Editor's note (Oliver Hayes): what a picture.
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