Bowl tied! CU Buffs defeat Cincinnati to win No. 6 – Boulder Daily Camera

Don't forget that it was after midnight.

When Peggy Coppom's phone rang and Colorado athletic director Rick George was on the line, the 99-year-old Buffaloes superfan answered.

“She answered the first bell, Peggy style, with a lot of energy and the drive that she has,” CU football head coach Deion Sanders said with a smile. “We told her she was going to a bowl.”

Not long after CU completed a 4-8 season in 2023 with a six-game losing streak, Sanders publicly stated that he wanted to take the popular Coppom to a bowl game in 2024.

On Saturday night, in front of a sellout crowd of 53,202 at Folsom Field, the Buffaloes accomplished that mission by defeating Cincinnati 34-23 to secure bowl eligibility for the third time in the last 17 seasons.

“It's big for us because it's big for the fans,” said senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was sensational again for the Buffs. “We look at every game we play as a possible win. We don't go into the season or look at the schedule and say, 'Oh, we're only going to win six games.' That's not what's happening.

“We haven’t even reached our peak yet; nowhere near. We still have a lot to clean up. … (Bowl eligibility), it's just a great thing. At the moment it’s just a big badge of honor, but we have bigger goals.”

Cincinnati linebacker Jonathan Thompson (right) tackles Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders after a short gain during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Boulder, Colorado. AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

With a month left to play, the Buffs (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) certainly have a chance to do more, but the No. 6 win was huge for a program that doesn't do it often. From 2008 to 2023, CU reached the six-win mark only once – in 2016 it was 10-4.

Bowl eligibility was “for sure” a topic in the locker room this week, kicker Alejandro Mata said.

“Obviously we still have a lot of work to do, but we are beyond blessed to be bowl eligible,” he said.

The Buffs achieved that goal with one of their most impressive wins in Coach Prime's two seasons in Boulder. Cincinnati (5-3, 3-2) arrived in Boulder tied with CU in the Big 12 standings and also playing for bowl eligibility status.

After the teams traded early touchdowns, CU pulled away, scoring 17 straight points in about 14 minutes midway through the game to take a 31-14 lead in the third quarter.

Shedeur Sanders completed 25 of 30 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown, getting off to a blistering start.

The Buffs scored on each of their four possessions in the first half. Shedeur hit Travis Hunter (nine catches for 153 yards) for touchdown passes of 3 and 34 yards.

“It gives the defense confidence, helps them play tirelessly, helps them just fly around and prevents anyone from ever getting nervous,” Shedeur said of the offense’s fast start. “Before we got here, the attitude and message was, 'Let's get it done sooner.' Let's do it. Let's not wait until halftime. Let's not set us down at any time. Let's stay focused. Let’s do it and keep going the whole game.”

They didn't quite succeed, as the offense sputtered for much of the second half. CU fumbled on three of its first four possessions of the second half and Cincinnati took advantage. The Bearcats scored a field goal and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to get within 31-23 with just 3:50 left.

“Great win,” said Coach Prime. “A little upset about the way we ended up. I would like to land a little cleaner and smoother. We had a really good game until the end, despite all the penalties. I don't like that. We’re better than this.”

Ah, but Shedeur and the offense didn't allow the Buffs to think things through. He marched down the field with the Buffs and set up Mata for a 47-yard field goal that sealed the game with 1:39 left.

“It was huge considering the situation,” said Mata, who was disappointed that he had hit a low shot that went just over the bar. “It kind of secured the win and made sure they had no chance of coming back. I apologize because it wasn’t my best ball and I’m well aware of that.”

However, it was something of a microcosm of the Buffs as a team. Like this kick, the buffs aren't perfect, but they get the job done. Coach Prime and Miss Peggy couldn't be happier.

“Now we want to make sure she goes to the best bowl she possibly can, and that means a lot to us,” Coach Prime said. “It really is, and she was so appreciative and appreciative. She means so much to this program, so we are pleased we were able to honor her in this space.

“Now we just have to take a private plane to make sure she feels comfortable on the way there. Yes, we're not putting Peggy on a regular plane, I can promise you that. But I’m grateful we were able to do this for them.”

Bowl tied! CU Buffs defeat Cincinnati to win No. 6 – Boulder Daily Camera

Similar Posts

John Korir takes the win – NBC Chicago

Movie review and movie summary for Terrifier 3 (2024)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Archives

Categories