BYU Dominates Colorado in Alamo Bowl, Marking Final Game for Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders

 BYU turned the final game of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders’ Colorado careers into a night to forget.

The No. 17 Cougars dominated the No. 23 Buffaloes with a decisive 36-14 victory in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night, overwhelming Colorado in nearly every aspect of the game.

BYU (11-2) jumped to a commanding 20-0 lead by halftime, as the persistent issues that had plagued Colorado during Deion Sanders’ first two seasons resurfaced. The Buffs (9-4) struggled to establish a running game, and their offensive line faltered in pass protection. After taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, BYU effectively put the game out of reach when Parker Kingston returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

The blowout occurred despite BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff throwing two interceptions and backup Gerry Bohanon tossing one on his only pass attempt.

Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, provided a rare highlight for Colorado with a 43-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter on a well-placed pass from Shedeur Sanders. However, that was one of the few bright spots for the Buffaloes.

Both Hunter and Sanders played in the game despite being projected as first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Colorado secured insurance policies for them and other key players to protect against potential injuries.

Before the game, Sanders unveiled custom cleats featuring the New York Giants logo — a nod to the team currently holding the NFL’s worst record and in position for the No. 1 draft pick. However, he took the field in the first quarter wearing plain black cleats.

The Alamo Bowl matchup was an unusual one, featuring two current Big 12 teams due to the bowl’s selection process. Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl paired teams from the Big 12 and Pac-12, but the Pac-12 dissolved before the 2024 season, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State as members. To maintain its tradition, the bowl committee decided to select one team from each conference as they existed in 2023. With Arizona State and Oregon in the College Football Playoff and other former Pac-12 teams underperforming, the bowl opted for Colorado and BYU based on Big 12 title game outcomes.

Although both teams are now in the Big 12, they did not meet during the regular season. Each finished on the wrong side of a four-way tie for first place with Arizona State and Iowa State, missing out on a conference title game appearance and a potential College Football Playoff berth.

The victory gives BYU its first 11-win season since 2020 and its first in a non-pandemic year since 2009. Colorado, meanwhile, ends the season with a five-win improvement from 2023 and looks to build on that progress in 2025, despite losing Sanders and Hunter. The Buffaloes have already secured a commitment from five-star quarterback JuJu Lewis and added former Liberty QB Kaidon Salter via the transfer portal.