The College Football Playoff was changing how fans, players and coaches viewed bowl season even before it expanded to 12 teams.
There have been dips in ratings. Last season, an Alamo Bowl featuring Arizona and Oklahoma averaged 3.93 million viewers — an 18% decline from the 4.78 million who watched Washington and Texas in the same bowl game a year earlier.
But don’t tell Kalani Sitake and Deion Sanders that the non-Playoff bowl games are meaningless.
Not after the Buffaloes and Cougars were picked to finish 11th and 13th, respectively, in the Big 12 Conference.
“We were supposed to be in the crib right now, focused on recruiting, improving our rosters. Nevertheless, we’re here,” Sanders told reporters this week. “We’re taking it serious because we were predicted not to be here by some of you wonderful folks.”
The man they call Coach Prime added: “Do you know how many people wish they could be in our situations? We’re going to take full advantage of it. All our kids are playing. We’re going to play our toughest, our hardest. This is a game, not just routine. This is a game that both of us wants to win.”
In the end, only the Cougars could claim victory.
They kept Shedeur Sanders in check.
They limited Travis Hunter’s highlights.
And they earned a 36-14 Alamo Bowl victory for their efforts.
BYU had 331 total yards and 180 on the ground.
Quarterback Jake Retzlaff ended his night 12-for-21 with 151 yards and two interceptions.
Running LJ Martin went for 88 yards and two touchdowns. His last score, a 9-yard scamper where he dragged multiple defenders, gave BYU a 33-7 lead and sent Colorado fans heading for the Alamodome’s exits.
Updates from the 2024 Alamo Bowl
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) is hit by BYU linebackers Harrison Taggart, left, and Isaiah Glasker, right, during the first half of the Alamo Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Sanders gets his second TD
Shedeur Sanders just scared his future NFL team when he grabbed the back of his leg after being tackled.
But the Colorado QB stayed in the game and led his team’s second touchdown drive of the game.
But with time running out, it will be too little too late.
LJ Martin’s big night
The running back has his second score of the game. He’s up to 88 yards on 16 carries.
And the Cougars lead 33-7 after a failed two-point conversion.
Buffs on the board
You can’t keep Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter down all game.
The QB just found his star teammate for a 43-yard touchdown.
It’s 27-7 with 6:14 to play in the third.
BYU’s lead grows
The Cougars opened the second half by picking off Shedeur Sanders.
Then they ran through the Buffs' defense.
Sione I Moa’s 13-yard score has BYU on top 26-0 midway through the third period.
Chase Roberts out with injury
The wide receiver will not return after sustaining what appeared to be an arm injury in the second quarter.
BYU will get wideout Darius Lassiter back in the second half, though. He missed the first half while serving a suspension for an unsportsmanlike penalty in the regular season finale.
(BYU Athletics) Cougar running back LJ Martin scores a touchdown in the first quarter of the 2024 Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, 2024.
Halftime
Will Ferrin’s second field goal of the game has given the Cougars a 20-0 lead over Colorado at halftime.
BYU has sacked quarterback Shedeur Sanders three times and limited him to just 70 yards passing.
The Cougars have rushed for 66 yards to the Buffs' negative-9 yards.
One thing to monitor for BYU: Wide receiver Chase Roberts appeared to leave the field with an arm injury in the second quarter.
Make that 17-0
Parker Kingston would not be denied his touchdown.
The receiver and returner just ran back his second touchdown of the season.
Trick, but no treat
The Cougars have been aggressive in this one.
So what do they do after a first-quarter field goal? Try an onside kick, of course.
BYU recovered at midfield, but saw their drive cut short because of another trick play.
BYU 10, Colorado 0
Will Ferrin just snuck a 51-yard field goal inside the right upright to extend BYU’s lead.
The advantage could’ve been even bigger though.
On a trick play, wide receiver Parker Kingston threw a perfect pass to a wide open Mata’ava Ta’ase — but the tight end dropped it without a defender around him.
BYU scores first
LJ Martin is making his mark early.
On BYU’s second drive of the game, the running back had three key plays:
- First, he picked up a crucial first down on third-and-long, taking a read-option pitch for 7 yards.
- Next, Martin took a short pass and broke it for 28 yards down the sideline.
- Finally, it was Martin who punched in the touchdown from the 1-yard line.
The score, by the way, was set up by a nice run from backup quarterback Gerry Bohanon.
It’s 7-0 in favor of the Cougars early on.
Coach Prime gets emotional
Deion Sanders knows this will be the last game he gets to coach his sons Shilo and Shedeur — and it showed during a brief pregame interview.
How to watch
No. 17 BYU vs. No. 23 Colorado
Venue: The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
Kickoff: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MT
TV: ABC
Opting in, opting out
(BYU Athletics) BYU wide receiver Chase Roberts signs an autograph for a young fan ahead of the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, 2024.
The biggest stars are set to play.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who might be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter both have insurance policies in case they get injured in tonight’s game.
For BYU, starters including quarterback Jake Retzlaff and wide receiver Chase Roberts will be on the field.
But because of the inconveniently timed transfer portal window, there will be a handful of players who are not with their teams. Here’s a list from the Covers opt-out tracker:
BYU
Colorado
The Cougars also have a pair of injuries to be aware of.
Pregame reading
(BYU Athletics) The BYU football team participates in a rally in San Antonio, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, ahead of the Alamo Bowl against Colorado on Saturday.
BYU QUARTERBACK JAKE RETZLAFF surely riled up some Sun Devil and Cyclone fans when he gave this game his own nickname. “I think it’s the people’s Big 12 championship,” he said.
COUGARS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR TOM HOLMOE says the year he spent with Deion Sanders changed the trajectory of Holmoe’s career.
(Joseph R. Villarin | AP) Deion Sanders walks out of the San Francisco 49ers' practice facility on Sept. 15, 1994. The free-agent defensive back signed a one-year $1.1 million contract with the 49ers, where he first met future BYU athletics director Tom Holmoe.
COLORADO QB SHEDEUR SANDERS gave his take on BYU’s defense.
HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER TRAVIS HUNTER is motivating the Cougars. Here’s how.
HE WAS SELLING PLASMA and sleeping in his van. Now, this BYU lineman is playing in the Alamo Bowl.