No. 25 BYU 24, Colorado 21

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September 27th – Boulder           No. 25 BYU 24, Colorado 21

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Colorado raced out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, but couldn’t make it hold up, with a BYU touchdown in the first minute of the fourth quarter giving the Cougars the lead for good in a 24-21 win in Boulder. The Buff defense fell victim to yet another mobile quarterback, with Bear Bachmeier completing 19-of-27 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 98 yards on 15 carries.

The Buffs were led by quarterback Kaidon Salter, who was also effective through the air and on the ground. Salter completed 11-of-16 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown, with 17 carries for 49 yards and another score. But it was Salter’s first interception of the season thrown with 50 seconds remaining, which ended any hope of a CU comeback.

“Tough fought game, I can’t say I’m highly upset,” head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders expressed. “I’m upset with a few things, but sometimes it seems like you have more talent, but you didn’t quite win the game. We had opportunities, a tremendous amount of opportunities, but nevertheless, we didn’t cash in on them. And sometimes it felt like the moment was just too big for some of our athletes, and they got to do something about that at halftime. We challenged certain positions to go out there and up their game, challenge their opponents. We didn’t get that. We got the same thing that we had in the first half. We got to do better as a staff, as a team, and I’ve got to do better.”

Both teams had 188 yards of total offense in the first half, as CU built a 14-10 lead. For the game, though, BYU finished with 396 yards of total offense, compared to only 291 for the Buffs.

“We’re just not doing our jobs”, Coach Prime said of his defense. “That’s it. We’re not doing our jobs. It’s not like it’s a surprise what they’re going to do. It’s not at all. We’re just not doing our jobs. We have to do a better job of preparing these young men to do their jobs in front of the multitudes.”

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Game Story … Colorado, which hadn’t scored on its opening possession since the first game of the season against Georgia Tech, marched smartly down the field to open the game against BYU. After an 11-yard completion from quarterback Kaidon Salter to wide receiver Joseph Williams on CU’s first play, two runs gained 11 yards and another first down near midfield.

A 19-yard completion from Salter to Omarion Miller, followed by two more runs – including an eight-yard run by Salter – gave the Buffs a first down at the BYU 24. Two plays later, Salter’s third eight-yard run of the drive gave CU a first-and-goal at the seven, with Salter taking it in himself for a three-yard touchdown to complete the 11-play, 75-yard drive.

BYU picked up its first first down of the game on a facemask penalty, and pushed the ball past midfield a few plays later. Facing a fourth-and-two at the CU 38, though, a Bear Bachmeier pass fell incomplete, giving the ball back to the Buffs.

On CU’s first play from scrimmage, running back Micah Welch broke tackles on his way to a 27-yard gain. A direct snap to Dre’lon Miller gained nine more, with a second Miller run for 16 giving the Buffs a first-and-goal. On the following play, Miller took the snap again, this time finishing the drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Colorado 14, BYU 0, with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter.

BYU’s offense then used chunk plays to push the ball deep into CU territory. The Cougars gained 28 yards on a pass from quarterback Bear Bachmeier to Carsen Ryan, followed by runs by Bachmeier of 12 and 11 yards. Two more plays gained 19 more yards before the Cougars stalled. A second-and-three at the CU five was a prime opportunity, but an incompletion, and a sack for no gain forced BYU to settle for a Will Ferrin 28-yard field goal in the final minute of the quarter.

The Buff offense maintained its momentum to start its third drive of the game. A six-yard run by Micah Welch … a seven-yard run by Dre’lon Miller … an eight-yard completion from Salter to Miller … and a six-yard run by Salter got the ball to midfield. A 13-yard run by Salter set the Buffs up at the BYU 30-yard line, but there the drive stalled. Two sacks of Salter pushed the ball out of field goal range, forcing a Damn Greaves punt.

A Bachmeier run of 11 yards got the Cougars out from underneath the shadow of their own goal line, but a holding penalty against BYU stymied the drive, with the Cougars punting the ball back to the Buffs three plays later.

A 13-yard completion on a wide receiver screen to Joseph Williams on third-and-seven allowed the CU offense to avoid a three-and-out to open CU’s next drive. The next three plays, though, gained only one yard, with Damon Greaves again called upon to pin the Cougars deep in their own territory, which Graves did with a punt inside the BYU 10-yard line.

Taking over at their own six-yard line, the Cougar offense was undeterred, setting off on a 10-play, 94-yard drive as BYU doubled its offensive output for the first half in a single drive. The Buff defense did its part with two penalties for 22 yards, including a pass interference penalty. With 46 seconds remaining in the half, Bachmeier hit wide receiver Chase Roberts for a five-yard touchdown.

Halftime score: Colorado 14, BYU 10

BYU took momentum into the locker room at halftime, but wasn’t able to sustain it to open the second half. After surrendering one first down, the Buff defense forced a punt from the Cougars from near midfield.

The Buff offense, though, held scoreless since its first two drives of the game, wasn’t able to take back the momentum, with three plays gaining nine yards.

After CU’s three-and-out, BYU took over at its own 26-yard line. Nine plays and 74 yards later, the Cougars had their first lead of the game. Another pass interference penalty against the Buff defense again aided the BYU cause, with a reverse run for 20 yards pushing the ball deep into CU territory. The Buffs did force a fourth down, but, on fourth-and-two at the CU four-yard line, quarterback Bear Bachmeier again connected with wide receiver, this time for a four-yard touchdown. BYU 17, Colorado 14, with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Down for the first time in the game, the Colorado offense finally had a response. Quarterback Kaidon Salter hit wide receiver Joseph Williams for a 26-yard gain to move the ball to midfield in one play. On the next play, Salter took off for a 19-yard gain on a designed quarterback run. Two plays later, on third-and-two, Dre’lon Miller took the snap and went for three yards and a first down. On the next play, Salter was back behind center, hitting Dre’lon Miller for a 19-yard touchdown. Colorado 21, BYU 17, with 2:42 to play in the third.

A 19-yard gain opened the Cougars’ next drive, but shortly thereafter, BYU faced a third-and-17. The Buffs were not able to take advantage, though, with a Bachmeier scramble for 16 yards and a four-yard run on fourth-and-one kept the drive alive. Three plays later, a 32-yard touchdown run on a reverse by wide receiver Cody Hagen gave the lead back to the Cougars, 24-21, in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

A 46-yard run by Kaidon Salter on a third-and-one would have given CU a first down at the BYU 20-yard line … but a holding call on wide receiver Dre’lon Miller set the Buffs back. On the next play, Salter was sacked back on CU’s ten yard line … a difference in two plays of 70 yards.

Taking over on CU’s side of the field, the Cougars moved in for the kill. After three runs, BYU was already down to the CU 26-yard line, facing a second-and-five. Needing a stop, the Buff defense came through. A loss of three on second down, then a fumbled snap on third, left the Cougars with a fourth down at the CU 37. BYU kicker Will Ferrin, who hadn’t missed a kick all season, missed this time, with his 55-yard attempt hooking left.

With a chance to take back the lead, the Colorado offense … went three-and-out, punting the ball back to BYU with 6:45 left to play.

The Buff defense needed a stop … but after forcing a third-and-seven, the Cougars connected for a 16-yard completion from Bachmeier to Chase Roberts. After a 16-yard run, BYU had a first down at the CU 35-yard line. There, however, the CU defense again made a stand. BYU’s next three plays netted only one yard. On fourth-and-nine at the CU 34, BYU elected to punt, pinning the ball back at the CU four yard line with 1:49 left to play.

The Buffs made it as far as its … 24 yard line … before Kaidon Salter threw his first interception of the season with 50 seconds remaining.

Final score: BYU 24, Colorado 21

“We had opportunities,” said Coach Prime, who saw his overall record at CU fall to 15-15 (1-8 v. ranked teams). “We just didn’t make it happen. If you slow down and watch the film, you’re going to see tremendous opportunities. We just didn’t make it happen. And that’s unfortunate, because you go over and over those same situations at practice all week, and you see it happening in the same defense. It’s not like you were tricked into anything. It was there. We just didn’t make it happen.”

Kaidon Salter, who had 119 yards passing and 49 yards rushing, understood his team’s shortcomings: “You know, we just have to be more disciplined. We have to take what they give me and take the easy throws. Just keep working on the scrum with drills and players break down and be able to complete those passes.”

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Game Notes … 

— The loss was the fourth straight for Colorado against BYU, with CU’s overall lead in the all-time series falling to 8-5-1;

— Attendance for the game, a “Gold Rush” game with a drone show at halftime, was a sellout. The announced attendance for the game, which kicked off at 8:20 p.m., MT, was 52,265;

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This post, about the BYU game, from the 2025 Season, is filed under Article.
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