ORLANDO — In their most anticipated home game since joining the Big 12 Conference, the UCF Knights suffered a 48-21 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes Saturday at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando.
The loss dropped UCF to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play this year. The Buffs improved to 4-1 and 2-0. They hold a share of first place.
Deion Sanders' club never trailed after Travis Hunter caught a 23-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders for the first touchdown of the game in the first quarter. It led 27-14 at halftime and outscored Gus Malzahn's Knights 21-7 in the second half.
UCF outgained the Buffs 461-418 but turned the ball over four times, producing 14 Colorado points.
UCF's Offense Stalls in the Second Half
The Knights lose their first Big 12 home game of the season.
After they turn it over on downs, Colorado salts the final 1:46 off the clock with three run plays.
UCF falls to 3-1. Colorado improves to 4-1.
Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig put the finishing touches on Colorado's dominant win over UCF, returning a KJ Jefferson fumble for a 95-yard touchdown with 5:05 left in regulation.
The Buffaloes are up 48-21. UCF has scored only twice on five red-zone possessions.
Colorado held UCF out of the end zone on a 14-play, 45-yard drive that ate nearly five minutes off the clock, and maintains a 41-21 lead with 8:30 left in regulation.
The Knights converted twice on fourth down, but KJ Jefferson was ruled down on fourth down at the 9-yard line.
Colorado's defense has produced nine tackles for loss in the game while holding the Knights to a season-low 162 rushing yards.
Colorado's Offense Keeps Rolling
Colorado quickly went back up by three scores as Shedeur Sanders shoveled a 10-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester, putting the Buffaloes up 41-21.
Sanders has completed 28 of 34 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. Colorado has gained 409 yards of total offense, averaging 7.4 per play.
Isaiah Augustave rushed twice for 40 yards, breaking a handful of tackles along the way, to set up the Wester score.
Well, it's not over yet.
UCF chipped away at Colorado's three-score lead as KJ Jefferson polished off a 92-yard scoring drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Townsend. The Knights trail Colorado 34-21 with 3:58 left in the third quarter.
Trent Whittemore injected life into the Knights' offense with a 54-yard catch-and-run. Kobe Hudson added a 23-yard gain on a slant.
Jefferson is 11 of 19 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions on the day.
The Travis Hunter Show
Colorado's superstars have lived up to the billing in the Bounce House.
Travis Hunter jumped in front of KJ Jefferson's short sideline throw for Evan Morris for a highlight-reel interception. The Heisman candidate also has a team-high nine receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown as Colorado leads UCF 34-14 with 5:18 left in the third quarter.
UCF will need to recover from a three-score deficit for the second game in a row.
Micah Welch punched in a 1-yard run after Will Sheppard gained 32 on a busted coverage. Colorado leads the Knights 34-14 with 9:11 left in the third quarter.
Shedeur Sanders is 24 of 29 for 270 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
UCF failed to score on its first drive of the second half as Colton Boomer missed a 55-yard field goal wide left.
KJ Jefferson produced the longest play on drive with a 21-yard zone keeper. Preston Hodge broke up a Jefferson pass intended for Kobe Hudson to force the long kick attempt.
Colorado Controls the Pace
Alejandro Mata split the uprights with a 46-yard field goal as time expired to send Colorado into the locker rooms with a 27-14 over UCF at halftime.
UCF gifted the Buffaloes an extra possession by going three-and-out with 37 seconds left. Randy Pittman hauled in a five-yard reception and went out of bounds, RJ Harvey dropped a short throw over the middle and Colorado's Taje McCoy sacked KJ Jefferson, allowing Deion Sanders to call his final timeout.
Colorado has a 295-176 advantage in total offense, including a stunning edge in the rushing department (70-43). UCF entered the day as the nation's No. 1 rushing offense at 375.7 yards per game.
Shedeur Sanders is 22 of 27 for 225 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and Travis Hunter has seven catches for 81 yards and a score.
For UCF, Harvey has nine carries for 36 yards, and he caught a 75-yard touchdown. Jefferson went 7 of 13 for 133 yards with one touchdown and one pick.
Alejandro Mata kicked a 36-yard field goal, restoring Colorado's two-score lead in the final minute of the first half. The Buffaloes are up 24-14 with 42 seconds until the intermission.
Shedeur Sanders escaped pressure and hit Travis Hunter for a 29-yard gain on the drive's key play, plus a 15-yard facemask penalty. Sanders is 21 of 26 for 218 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
UCF is back within a score after KJ Jefferson bulldozed Colorado defensive back DJ McKinney at the goal line for a 7-yard touchdown run.
Jefferson heated up through the air on the drive, hitting Xavier Townsend for gains of 9 and 22 yards, and firing a 16-yard slant to Kobe Hudson to set up first-and-goal.
Colorado leads UCF 21-14 with 8:41 left in the second quarter.
Colorado Takes Control
Dallan Hayden squeezed through a hole on the left side of Colorado's line for a 14-yard touchdown, extending the Buffaloes' lead over UCF to 21-7 with 12:21 left in the second quarter.
Colorado is outrushing UCF 59-22. The Knights began the day as the No. 1 rushing offense in the country at 375.7 yards per game.
The Buffaloes have scored on three straight possessions since Deshawn Pace picked off Deshawn Pace early in the first quarter.
Shedeur Sanders hit Will Sheppard for a 47-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-15 to put Colorado back in front, 14-7.
Sheppard reached out in front of Antione Jackson and made a diving grab in the end zone for the score. Sanders is 12 of 15 for 119 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Travis Hunter is the leading receiver for the Buffaloes with five catches for 48 yards.
UCF needed one play to answer Colorado's touchdown drive as KJ Jefferson hit RJ Harvey in stride for a 75-yard touchdown pass on a wheel route.
The Knights and Buffaloes are tied 7-7 with 3:38 left in the first quarter.
The Sanders Connection Strikes First
Colorado's big stars connected for the game's first score.
Shedeur Sanders fired a 23-yard skinny post to Travis Hunter for a touchdown, putting Colorado ahead of UCF 7-0. The Buffaloes ran the ball effectively on their 11-play, 80-yard drive, with Micah Welch gaining 15 and 12 on the ground to set up the Hunter catch.
UCF could not capitalize on its defensive takeaway, coming up empty as Preston Hodge picked off KJ Jefferson on third-and-goal from the 6-yard line.
Hodge stuck with Trent Whittemore and made a leaping grab on an underthrown corner route toward the back left pylon.
RJ Harvey gained 16 yards on four carries on UCF's first drive of the day.
Following two negative plays, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw an interception on a late throw over the middle. Linebacker Deshawn Pace read Sanders the whole way for his second pick of the season.
UCF takes over on Colorado's 29-yard line.
Lightning Delays the Start
According to UCF's fan experience account on social media, the game will start no sooner than 4:05 p.m.
Pre-game activities will resume when there is no lightning within 8 miles of the Bounce House.
Warmups are yet to begin for UCF and Colorado due to a lightning delay in the area near FBC Mortgage Stadium.
The scheduled 3:30 p.m. kickoff time has not been officially delayed to this point.
Pre-game activities will resume when there is no lightning within 8 miles of the Bounce House.
As of 2:25 p.m., it's raining at the Bounce House. And that might continue.
UCF vs. Colorado: Game Preview
Sweltering conditions and a high probability of rainfall is in the forecast for UCF's showdown with Colorado.
The National Weather Service calls for a high of 91 degrees in Orlando on Saturday, with heat index values as high as 102. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, with between a quarter and half an inch of rainfall possible.
UCF opened the week as an 11½-point favorite over Colorado, and the betting line continued to grow.
UCF Injury Report
UCF
Defensive tackle John Walker remains unavailable with a knee injury he suffered during fall camp last month. He has yet to make his 2024 debut.
However, quarterback KJ Jefferson and cornerback Brandon Adams will play against Colorado. Jefferson persevered through pain as the Knights rallied from 21 points down to defeat TCU on Sept. 14. Adams exited that contest in the fourth quarter with he called "just a lil cramp" on X (formerly Twitter).
"Everybody that played in the last game has practiced," UCF head coach Gus Malzahn said. "It was a good week to heal up (during the bye)."
Colorado Injury Report
Colorado
Starting defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo and running back Dallan Hayden will play against the Knights. Nwankwo missed the last two games with an AC joint injury. Hayden skipped the last two weeks with a high ankle sprain.
Safety Shilo Sanders might return to the field this week, too. The Buffaloes' leading tackler from a year ago underwent surgery on his right forearm after a Week 2 loss to Nebraska.
"Shilo is on pace to be back," Sanders' dad and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said. "I'm not going to count out this week (vs. UCF). I'm not going to count that out, but if he holds off this week, that'll give him two more weeks which is pretty smart."
- Big 12 game; # in Arlington, Texas
