Weird things happen on Friday the 13th. The No. 14 Houston Cougars learned that the hard way.
The Colorado Buffaloes (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) defeated Houston (7-3, 4-3) 42-32, keeping their bowl eligibility hopes alive with their most complete performance of the season. With two games remaining, Colorado needs to win out to reach six wins and become bowl eligible.
The dub was also much needed for head coach Deion Sanders’ job security after a disappointing loss to Arizona State last week.
Colorado’s offense accumulated 466 total yards, with 249 on the ground, the most rushing yards in Sanders’ tenure.
Buffaloes’ running back Richard Young had an impressive game, rushing for 99 yards and scoring twice. He also averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Isaac Wilson completed 68% of his passes for 217 yards, including a touchdown pass to wide receiver Joseph Williams.
After falling behind by two scores early, the Buffaloes shut down the Coogs’ offense and put up 28 unanswered points.
“They were resilient,” Sanders said postgame. “There’s no quit in them. That’s nowhere in the vicinity of this team.”
Colorado’s Go-Go offense came alive, scoring four touchdowns on plays of 32 yards or more. It averaged just 15 points against Power Four opponents coming into the game.
“Those plays are humongous. We’ve been waiting on that,” Sanders said. “We’ve been searching for explosiveness from the offense.”
Despite allowing 477 yards, the Buffaloes defense also won the turnover battle, forcing two in the second half. Randon Fontenette strip-sacked Houston’s Conner Weigman, while Boo Carter picked him off. The interception was just Weigman’s third of the year.
“It gave us a huge spark that we needed coming off that turnover,” Fontenette said. “Brought us some life back.”
To start, it wasn’t pretty.
After the first quarter, Colorado trailed by only a field goal but was out-possessed 10:32. To open the second quarter, Houston made it 10-0 with an 8-yard touchdown run by Makhi Hughes. He finished with 106 rushing yards.
After Carter had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Houston squibbed the kickoff, and Colorado set up shop at its own 6-yard line.
Colorado covered 94 yards in 10 plays. Wilson scrambled for two third-down conversions, connecting with receiver Ernest Campbell on a 24-yard strike to reach midfield. Young scored on his first carry of the night, racing 38 yards to paydirt.
“We preached all week that we just have to stay vertical and trust our O-line,” Young said. “We try to just trust our path, and those big runs are just going to open up eventually.
But the Cougars clawed back with 10 more points. On the ensuing drive, Houston marched 75 yards in six plays for a touchdown. After a Buffaloes’ three-and-out, the defense bent but didn’t break, forcing the Cougars to settle for a 52-yard field goal.
Down 20-7 with 2:36 left in the first half, things looked bleak for Colorado, until it didn’t.
After the two-minute timeout, Buffaloes running back DeKalon Taylor took a triple-option pitch 67 yards for a touchdown, igniting Folsom Field.
With momentum on its side, Colorado forced Houston’s first three-and-out of the night. DeAndre Moore Jr. set the Buffaloes up at midfield with 53 seconds remaining on a 34-yard punt return.
Wilson connected with Moore and Williams on consecutive plays, gaining 24 yards and storming into Houston territory. With 22 seconds remaining in the half, running back JaQuail Smith scored on a 32-yard draw play.
“I already knew it was going to happen,” Young said about Taylor’s and Smith’s touchdowns. “Like we always preach, when one person eats, we all eat.”
Within two minutes, Colorado seized a 21-20 lead going into halftime.
On Colorado’s second play of the second half, Wilson’s pass was deflected and picked off by Houston’s Javion White four seconds in. The Buffaloes responded with Fontenette’s strip-sack on the next play.
Two plays later, Williams broke a tackle on a slant and dashed 53 yards for a touchdown. He finished with 80 yards on five receptions.
“When I caught it I knew I was going to break the tackle because they aren’t super physical guys,” Williams said. “I knew if I could get past him I was going to score.”
After Wilson briefly exited with an injury, backup quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne added another rushing touchdown, pulling an option for 14 yards and pushing Colorado’s advantage up to 15.
Houston wouldn’t go away quietly, however.
Despite Carter’s interception, the Cougars scored on their next drive but failed to convert the two-point attempt. With an 11-point lead and 10 minutes remaining, Colorado ran down the clock on its next drive, converting twice on third-and-long.
The second conversion put the Buffaloes two yards from the end zone, and Young punched it in for his second touchdown of the night, putting the nail in Houston’s coffin.
The Coogs added a late touchdown but missed the two-point conversion that would have made it an eight-point game.
Colorado recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock, forcing Houston to use its remaining timeouts in desperation.
Wilson kneeled the ball in victory formation to seal the upset, as fans stormed the field.
Colorado travels to face the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-5, 2-5) in its penultimate game of the season. Kickoff from Nippert Stadium is set for 10 a.m. MT (ESPN+).
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