Aug 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass the ball in the first quarter against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports In the end, Colorado’s star power was too much for FBS powerhouse North Dakota State on Thursday, as the Buffaloes defeated the surprising Bison 31-26 in Boulder, Colorado, in the season opener for both teams.
Colorado quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns, while wide receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. were responsible for those four scores in a game in which North Dakota State led at halftime.
Bison quarterback Cam Miller threw for 277 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 81 yards and a touchdown in a game that wasn’t decided until its final play: Miller’s 49-yard Hail Mary that Tyler Terhark he caught four yards from the end zone with no time remaining.
Sanders completed 26 of his 34 passes and also threw an interception. Hunter caught seven balls for 132 yards and three scores, while Horn Jr. had seven receptions, 198 yards and a touchdown.
NDSU scored first when Miller’s 48-yard pass to TK Marshall on the second play of the game led to Griffin Crosa’s 36-yard field goal less than three minutes into the game.
Colorado responded with Hunter’s first touchdown: a short pass from Sanders that he turned into a 41-yard score to cap a six-play, 75-yard drive to give Colorado a 7-3 lead.
Joe Stoffel’s 7-yard touchdown reception gave the Bison a 10-7 lead on the game’s next offensive series. The key play on that drive was Miller completing a 27-yard pass to Braylon Henderson that split Colorado’s secondary and took the ball to the 6-yard line.
Colorado only needed two plays and 44 seconds to regain the lead when Horn Jr. caught a quick pass from Sanders and broke free down the sideline for a 70-yard score and a 14-10 lead.
Again, the Bison responded, with Miller running for a 7-yard touchdown. The Buffaloes finally blinked, turned the ball over on fourth down and saw NDSU respond with Crosa’s 31-yard field goal with 4:33 left in the first half.
Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata kicked a 21-yard field goal on the final play of the half to cut NDSU’s lead to 20-17.
After Sanders was intercepted by Nick Kubitz in the end zone for a touchback on the first drive of the second half, the Buffaloes forced a punt and then took a lead they would not relinquish.
Hunter scored his second touchdown of the game on a 13-yard reception with 7:45 left in the third quarter, then scored on a 3-yard pass to cap a 17-play, 80-yard drive with 7:57 left in the game for give Colorado a 31-20 lead.
Miller scored on a 20-yard run with 2:19 left in the fourth quarter for what turned out to be the final score of the game.
Colorado had lost six straight games to end last season.
–Field level media