LUBBOCK, Texas — In a thrilling matchup, Shedeur Sanders connected on two touchdown passes and added a rushing touchdown, while two-way standout Travis Hunter caught nine passes for 99 yards and a score, leading No. 21 Colorado to a comeback victory over Texas Tech, finishing the game at 41-27 on Saturday.
Sanders completed 30 out of 43 passes for a total of 291 yards. Additionally, Shilo Sanders, coach Deion Sanders’ other son on the team, made a crucial play by recovering a fumble in the end zone with just 51 seconds remaining in the game.
With this win, Colorado improved their record to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12, solidifying their position at No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Buffaloes have now secured three consecutive victories and are in contention for the Big 12 Championship Game, which could lead them to a spot in the 12-team playoff.
Initially, Colorado faced a tough challenge as the Red Raiders took the lead, with Tech’s Behren Morton throwing his second touchdown pass to Jalin Conyers from 21 yards out with just over two minutes left in the game. Before that, Shedeur Sanders had delivered a 23-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester during the second quarter, a 5-yard completion to Will Sheppard in the third, and a 24-yard touchdown to Hunter shortly after.
Alejandro Mata contributed to the Buffaloes’ scoring with field goals of 25 and 33 yards. For Texas Tech, Morton also connected with Conyers on a 17-yard touchdown during the opening drive, finishing with a 24 of 40 completion record for 275 yards in total.
Gino Garcia added to the Red Raiders’ score with long field goals of 53 and 39 yards, giving Tech an early lead of 13-0.
A few key takeaways from the game include Colorado’s offensive resurgence. After a slow start, the Buffaloes gained only 26 yards in the first quarter but picked up the pace by amassing 178 yards in the first half and wrapping up with a total of 351 yards, slightly below their average.
Texas Tech saw Tahj Brooks shine on the field, rushing for 137 yards primarily in the fourth quarter, surpassing Byron Hanspard to become the school’s all-time leader with a career total of 4,236 rushing yards over five seasons. However, he was contained to just 35 yards in the first half on 17 attempts.
Concerning the rankings, it is anticipated that Colorado will climb in the upcoming AP poll on Sunday. Last season, the Buffaloes reached a peak ranking of No. 18 after their first three wins under Coach Sanders, marking their highest rank since they hit No. 9 in 2016.
Looking ahead, Colorado will play against Utah at home next Saturday, while Texas Tech is set to face Oklahoma State on November 23.