Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What’s Next For UW Football

BOULDER, Colo., -- Arden Walker took the long way. Wade Keaten had a more direct route.

The result, though, was exactly the same.

Get our free mobile app

Quarterback Kaden Anderson was crunched between the two Colorado edge rushers, landing rudely on the turf around the 16-yard line. Up to that point, that unit had managed just nine yards of total offense.

That was all lost on that sack.

To add injury to insult, Wyoming's starting left tackle Nate Geiger, who was beat around the perimeter by Walker, was wiped out by Keaten. The sophomore from just down the street in Highlands Ranch, immediately reached for his surgically-repaired left knee before making the slow, tear-filled walk to the visiting sideline.

MORE UW FOOTBALL COVERAGE VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Where was Wyoming's Urgency in the Fourth Quarter?

* Rants and Raves: Colorado Edition

* LIVE FILE: Colorado 37, Wyoming 20

* Q&A With Wyoming's Gary Harrell, Prime's Former Top Assistant

* Gear Up For Game Day: Colorado Buffaloes

* 3 Keys to a Wyoming Victory over Colorado

* Cowboys Head South Saturday Night for Matchup With Colorado

* PODCAST: Are the Cowboys Ready for 'Prime Time?'

* Worried About the Cowboys' Offensive Production? They Aren't

* Colorado Notebook: Cowboys Set to Face 'Football Icon'

* Wyoming's Newest Nickelback Carrying on Turnover Tradition

* Cowboys Look to Get Ground Game Churning in Boulder

Already behind the sticks -- and trailing 7-0 on the Folsom Field scoreboard -- how would this much-maligned offense respond?

On the very next snap, freshman phenom Samuel Harris darted through a hole in the left side of the line and sprinted into Buffs' territory. It was a 50-yard dash for the rookie running back they call "Tote," sprung by block from Geiger's back-up, Jake Davies.

"That third series, this is when we start tripping," Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said postgame, referring to a lapse that has become commonplace over the first month of the season. "This is when we start acting stupid out here in the third series. Here we go. They bust one, they hit one for a big, big run. It seems like if we take away those explosions that we surrender, it normally is a great defensive day."

Anderson connected on throws of nine and 13 yards. A couple of short gains on the ground came, too. With the Cowboys camped out at the CU 8-yard line, yellow hankies flew. The culprit: tight end Isaac Schoenfeld. The charge: false start.

There was no recovering from that miscue. Erik Sandvik, though, would finally put Wyoming on the board, splitting the uprights from 28 yards out.

For the first time all night in front of this capacity crowd, there was life. It was short-lived.

On the fifth play of the Buffs' ensuing possession, quarterback Kaidon Salter rolled to his right and patiently waited for wideout Sincere Brown to get behind the linebackers before lofting a perfectly-placed ball into the speedster's hands. The senior took care of the rest, outracing the secondary to the end zone.

To make matters worse, that connection came on a 3rd-and-9.

"The timing was impeccable," Sanders said. "He made some big throws, some big runs, especially the run at the end. That's the guy that we wanted to see and that we're seeing. I'm glad you're getting the opportunity to see him at his best."

If momentum wasn't totally ripped away in that moment, Colorado added another touchdown drive on the following drive, extending its lead to 21-3 at the break. For good measure, just three plays -- and 1:05 -- into the third quarter, Salter dropped a beauty in the back of the end zone to Joseph Williams from 47 yards out.

Ball game.

Over the first three games of the season, Wyoming hadn't allowed a single play over 25 yards. Five of those happened Saturday night in Boulder, including four that turned into immediate points.

"We made too many mistakes at critical times during the game," Sawvel said. "You know, we knew that they had talent at skill positions. And, you know, in the secondary, we didn't play very well tonight.

"... As I told the team, Golden State loses when Steph Curry shoots 6-for-21. We had certain guys in our secondary tonight that played a 6-for-21 type game, right? Like that's what happened, and we got to get a lot better."

Colorado capped this one with 497 yards of total offense. More than 300 of those came through the air.

Colorado 37, Wyoming 20

UNSUNG HERO

Did anyone else notice the speed Chisolm Ifeanyi possesses?

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end was all over the field Saturday night, mainly with his sights set on Salter.

He got to CU's senior signal caller one time. Along with fellow edge rusher Brayden "Larry" Wilson, the two dumped Salter for a 14-yard loss early in the first quarter. Ifeanyi flushed, Wilson harnessed. That duo was credited with half-a-sack each.

Ifeanyi, a Florida Atlantic transfer, was also credited with three pressures. Twice he drove Salter into scramble mode.

That wasn't always a good thing, though. The newly reinstated starter rushed for a team-high 86 yards on just 11 carries. He put this game on ice with a 35-yard jaunt into the end zone late in regulation, too. Two other times Salter picked up a third-down with his legs.

QUOTABLE

"We knew that this would be difficult and we would get exposed in certain ways if we didn't play really well, OK? So, what we've learned is, we've got to get better. We leaked oil at different times in both of these two games and, you know, we've gotta fix some of that."

-- Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel referring to playing back-to-back games against Big XII opponents Utah and Colorado.

"It wasn't a (pass interference) to me. I feel like they had more grabbing than we did and I feel like that didn't get caught. That PI I saw from Markie, that wasn't a PI to me. Really we just need to keep them out (of the end zone), for real. Stuff happens. You can't dictate the call. You just have to keep playing."

-- Wyoming cornerback Dainsus Miller talking about a pass interference call in the end zone on a 4th-and-7 late in the second quarter. Colorado, two plays later, would punch it in to extend its lead to 21-3.

"We joined the Big XII for two weeks. We played some really great teams, and those games are, you know, going to do nothing but make you better. You know, as long as you're fighting and you're playing your ass off, I think there's some really good things you could take away from that tape going into conference play."

-- Wyoming's starting center Jack Walsh said of playing consecutive Power-4 programs.

"Hats off to the opposition. I mean, they did a wonderful job. Wyoming, getting back in that game and playing their butts off with a no-quit attitude, much love to their head coach. Much love to that coaching staff. Nothing but the utmost respect. They came here and played their butts off, and they did not give up. I wish we could have a little more killer instinct in us to really put teams away like we're capable of doing."

-- Colorado head coach Deion Sanders on Wyoming's fight Saturday night in Boulder.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Wyoming will head into its first bye week of the season with a 2-2 record in non-conference play. Now, as they say, it's for real. Front-running and unbeaten UNLV, who is also off next weekend, will pay a visit to War Memorial Stadium Oct. 4 to kickoff the Mountain West slate. That's scheduled for a 5 p.m. start and the annual homecoming game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. The Cowboys have a slim 14-12 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to 1978. The Rebels won the last meeting at home back in 2023 but haven't claimed a road victory on the high plains since 2003. That equates to six straight losses in Laramie, including a 53-17 rout in the last matchup back in 2019.