Before the Alamo Bowl, Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders lived up to his prediction: he was emotional when walking down the sidelines with his two sons. Shedeur and Shilo Sanders were accompanied by their father for their final collective appearance in a CU uniform.
It was a letdown to forget for the Buffs, though.
Midway through the first quarter, BYU took advantage of its terrific field position after stopping Colorado in fourth down at midfield, which ended on a touchdown by LJ Martin.
After the Cougars capitalized on another solid field position that resulted in a 50-yard field goal, they executed a clever onside kick recovery, a move that caught the Buffs off guard and looked to expand their lead. However, before the end of the quarter, the Buffs weren't fooled by their tricks as DB DJ McKinney intercepted the flea flicker pass.
Less than a minute into the second quarter, Shedeur connected to Hunter, and the Heisman winner turned on the jets on a 60-yard catch-and-run on third and long. But the Buffs couldn't generate the points as Sanders was sacked on third down, and K Alejandro Mata missed a 45-yard field goal.
BYU marched down the field to Colorado territory, but the Buffs DL Anquin Barnes intercepted the pass from QB Jake Retzlaff. Sanders and the Buffs offense continued to regress on the ensuing possession, forcing to punt.
On the punt from P Mark Vassett, BYU Returner Parker Kingston returned 64 yards for the touchdown and a 17-0 lead late in the quarter.
After the Buffs couldn't muster any more offense on their following possession, BYU closed Midway through the first quarter; BYU seized an incredible opportunity after stopping Colorado on fourth down at midfield. They took full advantage with a touchdown from LJ Martin, establishing immediate control of the game.
Following this momentum, BYU extended its lead with a powerful 50-yard field goal. They executed a surprising onside kick recovery, aiming to widen the gap even further. However, Colorado's DJ McKinney intercepted a flea flicker pass before the quarter ended, preventing BYU from capitalizing on its strategy.
Just a minute into the second quarter, Shedeur connected with Hunter, who showcased his explosive speed with a remarkable 60-yard catch-and-run on third down. Despite this impressive play, the Buffs faltered, as Sanders was sacked on the next attempt, leading to a missed 45-yard field goal by Alejandro Mata.
BYU continued to dominate by driving deep into Colorado territory, but defensive lineman Anquin Barnes intercepted a pass from quarterback Jake Retzlaff, giving the Buffs a glimmer of hope. Yet, the Buffs' offense quickly fell flat again, leading to another punt.
On the ensuing punt by Mark Vassett, BYU returner Parker Kingston executed a stunning 64-yard return for a touchdown, solidifying their lead at 17-0 late in the quarter.
After the Buffs failed to mount any offensive response on their next possession, BYU closed out the half with a 54-yard field goal, bringing the score to 20-0 at halftime. Despite Hunter's 60 receiving yards, Colorado's offensive performance was abysmal, managing a mere three total yards over the first thirty minutes of play.
The Buffs received the ball to start the second half, but on the fourth play of the opening possession, Sanders threw a dart to Jimmy Horn Jr., but it bounced off the receiver and was intercepted. BYU drove 55 yards for another rushing touchdown to extend their lead to 27-0.
But the Buffs finally responded with a scoring drive on their own. It took four plays before Sanders connected to Hunter for the 43-yard major, the 15th of the season by the projected top pick in the forthcoming NFL Draft.
In the early stages of the fourth quarter, Colorado recorded its third takeaway of the game, courtesy of DB Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig, but like on the other two occasions, the Buffs' offense has been lacklustre in its response.
On the next offensive possession, just over ten minutes left, the Cougars put this game out of reach as Martin scored his second touchdown. Sav'ell Smalls caught Shedeur's final collegiate touchdown pass in official action to close out the action. 36-14 was the final score.
It was far from a perfect ending for Colorado. Coach Prime has never had a perfect ending as he moves to 0-3 in bowl games during his coaching career.