Amid growing speculation regarding his job security, Deion Sanders guided the Colorado Buffaloes to a major 42-32 upset victory over No. 14 Houston in Boulder on Friday night.
Ground Attack Powers the Buffaloes
Colorado secured the victory by racking up 249 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Richard Young spearheaded the offensive effort, recording 99 yards and two scores across 21 carries.
This triumph marked the program’s first victory against a top-15 opponent in the Associated Press poll since 2007. It also represented Colorado’s first win over any ranked team since defeating No. 22 Iowa State on October 11, 2025.
Following a difficult season, Sanders praised the resilience of his squad during his postgame press conference and noted that the performance did not surprise him. “These kids are resilient,” Sanders said. “They have not stopped. They have not quit. They have not given up as well as the coaching staff. I’m really a proud guy right now. … I still expect a lot more from us. We’ve been capable of this all season long, but we just hadn’t put it together.”
Addressing the recent questions about his job security that arose after a 20-10 loss to Arizona State, Sanders maintained that the criticism did not affect him. “I’ve been around noise all my life,” Sanders said. “This isn’t new.”
Game Flow and Momentum Shifts
Houston initially appeared poised to control the matchup, opening the game with two lengthy drives covering 28 plays and consuming nearly 13 minutes of game time. Makhi Hughes finished the second drive with a seven-yard touchdown run to put the visitors up 10-0.
The Buffaloes answered by finding the end zone on three of their four possessions in the second quarter, claiming a 21-20 advantage at halftime. Young ignited the scoring run with a 38-yard rushing touchdown.
DeKalon Taylor later recorded the longest play of the night, breaking away for a 67-yard touchdown run on a third-down option play before the break.
The third quarter commenced with mistakes from both sides as Isaac Wilson threw an interception on the opening play from scrimmage. However, Colorado immediately regained possession when Randon Fontenette forced a strip sack against Houston quarterback Conner Weigman.
Capitalizing on the turnover, Colorado capitalized with another touchdown and extended its lead to 35-20 later in the period following a 14-yard scoring run by Kaneal Sweetwyne. The Colorado defense dominated the third quarter, forcing two turnovers, a turnover on downs, and a punt to shut out the Cougars.
Houston attempted a fourth-quarter comeback, starting with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Weigman to Patrick Overmyer. However, the subsequent two-point conversion failed, keeping the deficit at a two-possession margin of 35-26.
Colorado responded immediately with a 75-yard touchdown drive that concluded with Young’s second touchdown of the evening, stretching the advantage back to 16 points.
The victory improves Colorado’s record to 4-6 overall with two games left on the schedule as they chase bowl eligibility, starting with an upcoming road game against Cincinnati next week. Meanwhile, Houston’s playoff aspirations suffered a severe blow, and head coach Willie Fritz will prepare his team to face West Virginia on November 21.
