Shedeur Sanders threw for 250 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and Colorado’s defense shut down Arizona in a 34-7 win on Saturday.
The Buffaloes (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) scored two early touchdowns and swarmed the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3) all afternoon to bounce back from last week’s 31-28 loss to Kansas State.
Sanders threw for two touchdowns with two interceptions on 23-of-33 passing and ran for another score. Colorado converted 8 of 11 third downs while building a 21-point halftime lead and its defense held the Wildcats to 245 total yards.
Arizona spent most of the afternoon chasing the Buffaloes.
The Wildcats had trouble protecting quarterback Noah Fifita, giving up seven sacks after allowing six combined the first six games. Scrambling most of the day, Fifita threw an interception, lost a fumble and couldn’t find preseason All-American Tetairoa McMillan, who had five catches for 38 yards.
The Wildcats’ problems started from the opening kick.
Trying to surprise the Buffaloes, Arizona tried an onside kick that failed and spent most of the first half defending a short field.
Colorado started its opening drive at Arizona’s 46-yard and converted with Isaiah Augustave’s 1-yard touchdown run. Drelon Miller scored on a 1-yard shovel pass from Sanders on the next drive, then Will Sheppard hauled in a 16-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone — initially ruled incomplete before being overturned on review.
Sanders’ 6-yard touchdown run put Colorado up 28-7 at halftime.
Arizona had one sustained drive in the first half, capped by Fifita’s 1-yard shovel pass to Chris Hunter, and lost a fumble deep in its own end — two plays after recovering a fumble.
Colorado’s offense stalled in the second half, but it didn’t matter the way its defense played.
THE TAKEAWAY
A week after a close loss to Kansas State, Colorado appears to be back on track with one of its best all-around games. Arizona is searching for answers on both sides of the ball following its third straight loss.
UP NEXT
Colorado: hosts Cincinnati next Saturday.
Arizona: hosts West Virginia next Saturday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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