What we learned from Colorado’s loss to CSU in Fort Collins

Last season, the Rocky Mountain Showdown was a close game, but not this year. The Colorado Buffaloes physically beat Colorado State on both sides of the ball on Saturday night, sending Rams fans home early with a 28-9 victory. CU needed this win after the Buffs were similarly crushed by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 2.

CU also extended its winning streak against the Rams to seven in a row, and the streak is expected to continue in 2029. At the start of Big 12 play, the Buffs are 2-1 and it looks like the team is slowly coming together.

Here are five takeaways from the Buffs’ dominant win over CSU:

Travis Hunter remains unreal

Travis Hunter had another mediocre night. He caught 13 balls for 100 yards and had two touchdowns on offense, five tackles, one pass defensed and one interception on defense. Hunter is a legitimate Heisman Award candidate and by far the most talented player in college football.

Take a bow, Offensive Line

CU changed its offensive line and the results were great. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was rarely pressured and was able to throw in a clean pocket, gaining 310 yards on 36 of 49 passes and four touchdowns. The Buffs also did well in the running game, gaining 109 yards on 19 carries.

Welcome to college football, Micah Welch

True freshman running back Micah Welch got the first runs of his college career and made the most of them, gaining 65 yards on nine carries. Welch showed incredible vision and is a real force at 5’10” and 200 pounds. He should be a key part of the rotation going forward.

Colorado’s defense was incredible all night

This was the best defensive performance we’ve seen during the Deion Sanders era. CU held the Rams to just nine points and 340 yards of offense. CSU struggled on third down all night, converting just 4 of 15 opportunities and failing to be consistent on the run or pass. The Rams ran for 131 yards but gave the ball away 31 times, gaining 62 yards on one run. QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was under constant pressure, completing just 22 of 39 attempts for 209 yards.

It only took one turnover to open the floodgates

CU’s defense had its first turnover of the season, an interception of Preston Hodge on the Rams’ opening drive of the second half, and then forced three consecutive turnovers. On the night, the Buffs had four turnovers – two interceptions and two fumbles – to cap off their impressive defensive performance.

This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: What we learned from Colorado’s loss to CSU in Fort Collins