Shedeur Sanders passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns and had a rushing score, and Shilo Sanders recovered a fumble for a touchdown as No. 20 Colorado rallied to beat Texas Tech 41-27 on Saturday afternoon in Lubbock, Texas.
After Texas Tech jumped out to a 13-0 first-quarter lead, Colorado’s defense took over. The Red Raiders had just 95 yards in the second and third quarters combined. The Buffaloes (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) racked up 10 tackles for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and a touchdown.
Colorado’s defense either forced a three-and-out or a turnover on five straight Red Raiders’ drives between the third and fourth quarters.
Travis Hunter had nine catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, LaJohntay Wester had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown and Will Sheppard had eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Texas Tech’s Behren Morton was 24-for-40 passing for 275 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Tahj Brooks led Texas Tech (6-4, 4-3) with 137 rushing yards and a touchdown. Josh Kelly had eight catches for 106 yards and Jalin Conyers addd two touchdown catches.
Late in the third, Texas Tech tried a fake punt but threw an incomplete pass. Colorado took possession and needed only four plays to score on a screen pass from Sanders to Hunter for a 31-20 lead.
Texas Tech tried to convert a 4th-and-9 from the Colorado 45-yard line but a sack led to a turnover on downs early in the fourth. After a Colorado punt, a Morton interception led to Mata’s 33-yard field goal and a 34-20 lead with 9:46 left in the fourth.
Following a turnover on its previous possession, the next Texas Tech drive ended with Colorado snuffing out a fourth-and-goal rushing attempt from the 1-yard line.
The Red Raiders scored on their first possession when Morton hit Conyers with a 17-yard pass for a 7-0 lead.
Gino Garcia drilled a 52-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. After a Colorado three-and-out, Garcia connected on a 39-yard field goal to put the Red Raiders ahead 13-0 in the opening quarter.
Colorado got on the board with 2:28 left in the first half, when Wester took a short pass 23 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 13-7.
The Buffaloes had to settle for a Mata 26-yard field goal to cap a 12-play drive and close within 13-10 just 30 seconds before halftime.
On its first second-half possession, Colorado took a 17-13 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Sanders.
Texas Tech answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Brooks and a 20-17 advantage.
On the Buffaloes’ next drive, Sheppard had back-to-back highlight plays. He took a Sanders screen-pass for a 17-yard gain as he zig-zagged through defenders to set up first and goal.
One play later, Sheppard was rewarded with a 5-yard touchdown pass on a fade route as the Buffaloes retook the lead at 24-20.
Conyers snagged his second touchdown catch of the game with 2:12 left to cut Colorado’s lead to 34-27.
But Shilo Sanders recovered a Morton fumble for a defensive touchdown with less than a minute left.
