Colorado-Texas Tech Notes - University of Colorado Athletics

Houston

Sep 12 (Fri)

5:30 PM

Here are five things to know from Colorado's 41-27 win at Texas Tech on November 9, 2024, with a bonus sixth one off the top! No. 20 (CFP, No. 21 AP and No. 24 Coaches) Colorado improves to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12 with the victory.

BONUS: IN CONTROL OF DESTINY: Colorado is now 5-1 in Big 12 play and will be no worse than sole possession of second place in the league standings with only BYU (5-0, 8:15 p.m. MT game with Utah Saturday) ahead or tied with the Buffs by the end of the days action. With Kansas defeating Iowa State, CU is now in control of its destiny with three games remaining in the regular season for an appearance in the Big 12 Championship game.
Travis Hunter had 9 receptions for 99 yards and 1 touchdown (his 9th of the season).
- Numbers will be official early next week, but he's believed to have surpassed the 160-play mark, setting a new CU record. Early returns have him playing 86-of-87 plays on defense, all 70 on offense and at least six on special teams, giving him 156 from scrimmage and at least 162 overall counting special teams. His school records are 149 plays from scrimmage and 160 overall plays against Stanford last season.
- Just one yard away from 100 receiving yards, he has five 100-yard games this season and seven with 90-plus yards, both tied for the CU record for a season. He also has nine receptions in five different games this season.
- He has 69 catches for 856 yards and 9 touchdowns this season.
- He had one interception negated by penalty and on plays not negated by penalty, early grading from PFF indicates he was targeted zero times in 46 passing plays. On the season, PFF has him targeted just 26 times in 269 defensive passing plays and giving up 16 receptions for 120 yards with no interceptions and just four first downs.
- With LaJohntay Wester grabbing his eighth touchdown of the season, the duo is the first in CU history to both have eight or more touchdown receptions in the same season. Each had a key downfield block on the other's touchdown reception, which were plays broken open down the sideline with the other's key block playing a factor.
Shedeur Sanders was 30-of-43 for 291 yards and three touchdowns passing with no interceptions and one rushing touchdown for four total scores.
- He is now 250-of-343 for 2,882 yards with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions with 29 total touchdowns. He leads CU with five rushing touchdowns on the season.
- He surpassed the 13,000-yard and 120-passing touchdown plateaus in his career and is now 1,164-of-1,674 for 13,101 yards with 121 TDs and 23 interceptions.
- He tied the CU record with 20 straight games with a passing touchdown, matching Sefo Liufau's record which is both overall and to start a CU career. He has passed for a touchdown in 45 straight games in his career.
THIRD QUARTER DOMINATION: The Buffs outscored Texas Tech 21-7 in the third quarter and have now outscored opponents 76-24 in the third quarter this season. Sanders was 12-of-14 passing for 120 yards and two touchdowns passing in the quarter.
ROAD WARRIORS: CU won its fourth-straight road game, the most since the 2001-02 season when the Buffs won the last two of the 2001 Big 12 Championship season and the first two of the 2002 season. It's the first time CU has won four straight road games in the same season since 1996 and the first time the Buffs have won four straight by at least 14 points each since the 1989 season when the Buffs won the Big Eight title and had a perfect 11-0 regular season.
BIG PLAY DEFENSE: CU's defense came up big with a season high 10 tackles for loss including six sacks and forced three turnovers, all in the fourth quarter, and added three fourth down stops. Despite giving up 180 yards in the fourth quarter, the Buffs surrendered just seven points with one interception and two fumble recoveries, the last of which Shilo Sanders picked up to score his second career defensive touchdown in the game's final minute to ice the game. CU also had two fourth down stops including one inside the 5-yard line in the fourth quarter. CU's six sacks are the second-highest total of the season, behind seven at Arizona, but also the second-most in a road game in the past 20 seasons since having eight at Washington State on Sept. 11, 2004.