Colorado football coach Deion Sanders hasn’t had many games worse than this one.
“This is probably the worst beating I’ve ever had, except for when my mama whooped me,” he said after the University of Utah 53-7 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Buffaloes’ leader put the result on himself, saying he was out-coached by Utah’s Kyle Whittingham.
“He kicked my butt today,” Sanders said. “It was one-on-one with me and him and he won by a significant margin.”
The Utes’ coach, however, would give plenty of credit to his backup quarterback and his team’s dominant defensive performance.
Feshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin made his first career start on Saturday night. And it took him less than a minute to find pay dirt. On the second play from scrimmage, Ficklin kept the ball and broke off a 63-yard touchdown run to set the tone.
And that was just the start for the talented true freshman.
In Utah’s (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) win over Colorado (3-5, 1-4) on Saturday night, Ficklin finished with 140 passing yards, 151 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.
Ficklin finished the night with the most rushing yards from a Utah quarterback since at least 1996.
“It was mainly just a game-time decision,” Ficklin said postgame. “We both had been taking reps all week throughout practice, and it was just a game-time decision.
“I think I threw the ball pretty well. [There are] some things I wish I had back from the game, but I told everybody to leave it all on the field. And I feel like I left it all on the field.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes linebacker Trey Reynolds (37) celebrates with Utah Utes defensive tackle Aliki Vimahi (95) after a play during the game between the Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
So did nearly everyone wearing red.
Utah out-gained the Buffaloes 587-140.
The Utes got safety on a night filled with constant pressure from coordinator Morgan Scalley’s defense; Utah recorded seven sacks on the night and held the Buffaloes to 38 rushing yards on 38 carriers.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes linebacker Johnathan Hall (7) sacks Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) during the game between the Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
Then, following a field goal and a 58-yard score from sophomore running back Wayshawn Parker, Ficklin, the Muskogee, Okla., native passed to freshman tight end JJ Buchanan for a 22-yard touchdown with 12:50 left in the second quarter, his second score of the game.
Redshirt senior running back NaQuari Rodgers added to Utah’s lead with a 2-yard run with 3:42 remaining until halftime.
But Ficklin’s coming-out party continued a drive later. In two plays, the Utes scored again, this time on a 20-yard bullet from Ficklin to junior wide receiver Larry Simmons.
Utah capped off the half with a field goal, giving the Utes a more-than comfortable 43-0 lead, rendering the game almost all but over at intermission.
“Very few negative things at all,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said of Utah’s win. “Obviously jumped on them early. The first half was about as good of football as we’ve played here.
“Very proud of Byrd Ficklin. He’s a true freshman, and he seemed very poised. He wasn’t perfect, but he was very good. He ran the offense very well.”
Sophomore quarterback Isaac Wilson made his first appearance of the season in the fourth quarter. He attempted just one pass. Junior Nate Johnson, a one-time Utes quarterback himself, broke a 56-yard touchdown run in the final frame.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes running back Wayshawn Parker (1) runs the ball into the endzone during the game between the Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.