Travis Hunter — the "epitome of a football player" — has Heisman-worthy showing in win

Colorado is one step closer to playing for a Big 12 championship – and potentially earning a spot in the College Football Playoff – after a resounding 49-24 win over Utah on Saturday at Folsom Field.

The Utes had won the last seven straight games in this series vs. the Buffaloes, but entered this week with a disadvantage. Coach Kyle Whittingham has lost three quarterbacks to injuries this season, most notably Cam Rising, who was poised for a big year after dealing with injuries much of his career. Last week, Whittingham played third-string QB Brandon Rose vs. BYU, but he suffered a season-ending leg injury. This week, true freshman Isaac Wilson, the brother of former BYU great and Denver Broncos backup QB Zach Wilson, got the nod. But the youngster struggled most of the day against a physical Buffs defense, going 21-of-40 for 236 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who is widely projected to be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, fared better, going 30-of-41 for 340 yards with three touchdowns and one interception against the Big 12's top-ranked defense.

Utah's offense struggled most of the day, but nearly made things interesting in the fourth quarter when they came within 11 points. But then Colorado scored on its last two drives to put the game away.

Here are takeaways from the game:

Early difference

The game started with Sanders throwing an interception on the very first play, but Colorado quickly responded and never let up. 

On that initial play, Sanders was hit in the pocket and Utah linebacker Lander Barton stepped into the passing lane to pick him off. The turnover, which was Colorado's first in two games, gave the Utes a short field. But they failed