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Utah Routs Colorado 53-7 as Freshman Byrd Ficklin Breaks Out

Deion Sanders called it the worst beating of his career, vowing to evaluate everything after Colorado fell to 3-5.

Overview

  • Utah outgained Colorado 587-140 and led 43-0 at halftime, with the Buffaloes held to minus-18 total yards before the break.
  • True freshman Byrd Ficklin totaled 291 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, powering a Utah ground game that rolled up 422 rushing yards.
  • Colorado starter Kaidon Salter went 9-of-22 for 37 yards with an interception, took five sacks and was replaced late by Ryan Staub as the offense finished with 140 yards.
  • Utah's pressure and special teams swings defined the night, including seven sacks, 13 tackles for loss, a blocked punt, a successful fake punt and a safety on intentional grounding.
  • Sanders said the assessment "starts with me" and acknowledged being outcoached by Kyle Whittingham; at 3-5, Colorado needs three wins in its final four games to become bowl eligible as outside criticism escalates.