In the end, Colorado’s star power was too much for FBS power North Dakota State on Thursday, as the Buffaloes held off the upset-minded Bison 31-26 in Boulder, Colo., in the season opener for both teams.
Colorado quarterback and Heisman Trophy hopeful Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns, while wide receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. accounted for all four of those scores in a game North Dakota State actually lead at halftime.
Bison quarterback Cam Miller threw for 277 yards and a score and ran for another 81 yards and a touchdown in a game that was not decided until its final play — a 49-yard Hail Mary from Miller that Tyler Terhark caught four yards short of the end zone with no time left.
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 catches, 198 yards and one 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 catch gave the Bison a 10-7 lead on the game’s next drive. The key play in that one was Miller’s for a 27-yard completion to Braylon Henderson that split the Colorado secondary and took the ball to the 6-yard line.
Colorado needed only two plays and 44 seconds to regain the lead as Horn Jr. caught a quick Sanders pass and broke free down the sideline for a 70-yard score and 14-10 lead.
Again, the Bison answered, with Miller running it in for a 7-yard score. The Buffaloes then finally blinked, turning the ball over on downs and watching NDSU answer with Crosa’s 31-yard field goal with 4:33 left in the first half.
Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata converted a 21-yard field goal on the final play of the half to cut the NDSU lead to 20-17.
After Sanders was intercepted by Nick Kubitz in the end zone for a touchback in the first drive of the second half, the Buffaloes forced a punt then took a lead they would not relinquish.
Hunter scored his second touchdown of the game on a 13-yard catch 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 to 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 game’s final score.
Colorado had lost six straight to end last season.
