The Colorado Buffaloes, led by Deion Sanders, will host the Oklahoma State Cowboys for their final home game of the 2024 season at Folsom Field in Boulder. The Buffs (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) are coming off a disappointing 37-21 loss to Kansas, a defeat that significantly damaged their hopes for the Big 12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
However, with a chance to secure their ninth win and the possibility of reaching double-digit victories with a bowl game win, there is still much at stake for Coach Prime and his squad. Meanwhile, the Cowboys (3-8, 0-8 Big 12) enter this matchup enduring their worst season under Mike Gundy, missing a bowl game for the first time since 2005 and risking their first winless conference season since 1994.
Shedeur Sanders, a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, and Travis Hunter, a top Heisman Trophy contender, remain the cornerstones of Colorado’s campaign. Sanders has amassed 3,488 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and added four rushing scores. His dynamic presence has been the engine for Colorado’s high-octane offense. On the other side of the ball—and sometimes on the same side—Hunter continues to dazzle as one of the most electrifying players in the nation. With 82 receptions for 1,036 yards and 12 total touchdowns, alongside his stellar defensive stats (30 tackles, nine pass breakups, three interceptions, and a forced fumble), Hunter is on the verge of making history as the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson in 1997.
Two Colorado standouts could rewrite NFL history next year
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Oklahoma State, reeling from a tumultuous season, enters as 16.5-point underdogs. The Cowboys have struggled mightily, with running back Ollie Gordon II being a lone bright spot despite a drop in production compared to his breakout 2023 campaign. Gordon has rushed for 870 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, but his efforts haven’t been enough to offset the Cowboys’ struggles in all phases of the game. Their last encounter with Colorado was a decisive 38-8 victory in the 2016 Alamo Bowl, but this year’s circumstances paint a drastically different picture.
NFL GM visits Colorado’s practice reportedly eyeing Shedeur Sanders
For the Buffs, this game represents an opportunity to bounce back from adversity and finish the season strong. A win would not only secure momentum heading into recruiting season but also strengthen their case as a program on the rise under Sanders’ leadership. While their CFP hopes are faint, a commanding performance from stars like Sanders and Hunter could leave a lasting impression, both for postseason awards and as a statement of the Buffs’ bright future in college football.
NORMAN, Okla. — Derrion Reed scored 22 points, Xzayvier Brown finished with 18, and Oklahoma set the program’s single-game record for field-goal percentage on Monday night as the Sooners beat Stetson 107-54 on Monday night.
Oklahoma shot 67.8% (40 of 59) from the field and had its highest-scoring game since a 107-86 win over Arkansan-Pine Bluff on Nov. 30, 2023. The previous record was 66.1% (39 of 59) against Baylor on Feb. 26, 2005.
The Sooners made 12 of 24 from 3-point range, outrebounded Stetson 39-24, and outscored the Hatters 54-18 in the paint.
Mohamed Wague had 15 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma and Tae Davis added 12 points and six assists. Kuol Atak and Nijel Pack each scored 11 points.
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Ethan Copeland, the only Stetson (4-9) player who scored in double figures, had 14 points.
Oklahoma (9-3) used runs of 15-3 and 10-2, the latter of which culminated with a Jadon Jones three-point play that gave the Sooners a 26-11 lead a little more than eight minutes into the game.
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Stetson plays at North Alabama in the ASUN Conference opener for both teams on New Year’s Day.
Oklahoma hosts Mississippi Valley State next Monday.
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Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Another offensive lineman from Oklahoma’s heralded 2024 group of freshman has decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Third-year sophomore tackle Isaiah Autry-Dent announced Monday on social media that he’ll be entering the portal when it opens on Jan. 2.
“I’m truly grateful for the incredible, life-changing experience I’ve had at the University of Oklahoma,” he wrote. “The dedication of the staff, the camaraderie with my teammates, and the unwavering support from the fans have made this journey unforgettable. I’ve learned lessons on and off the field that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and I’m thankful for every moment, every challenge and every triumph along the way.”
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Dent added that he’s “given it a great deal of thought and prayed for guidance” but intends to leave OU with 3-4 years of eligibility remaining and is “excited about exploring new opportunities to continue growing as a player and as a person.”
After much prayer and family talks, I’ll enter the transfer portal on January 2 with three years of eligibility left. Thank you #SoonerNationpic.twitter.com/AM15EMHlHV
Dent was one of five offensive linemen signed in the 2024 class, and he’s the third one to leave, joining Eugene Brooks and Josh Aisosa. After just two seasons, only Eddy Pierre-Louis and Daniel Akinkunmi remain.
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Dent was listed at 304 pounds as a true freshman but in July checked in at 317 pounds — the biggest overall weight gain of any offensive player, which was a reflection of his hard work and dedication as the OU offensive line made an offseason mandate to get bigger and stronger.
Last spring, senior center Troy Everett was asked to assess Dent’s progress following his freshman season.
“Isaiah works hard,” Everett said. “Isaiah’s going to be great. Isaiah, right now, he’s just got to get comfortable when he’s out there, but that goes for every young guy.”
Read More Transfer Portal News
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Dent played in just one game — against Maine — and logged just 26 snaps on offense and nine snaps on special teams during the 2024 season, then didn’t get on the field at all in 2025.
The former 3-star prospect from Fulton, MS, is a second cousin to former OU running back Marcus Dupree. His mother, Pashen Dent-Autry, was a two-time national champion basketball player for Tennessee legend Pat Summitt.
Autry was a consensus 3-star prospect coming out as a high school All-American at Itawamba Agricultural High School, where he was a 6-foot-7, 300-pound standout.
Autry picked the Sooners over Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Ole Miss, among others, and could have plenty of options.
The postseason is unique in that way, no matter the sport. It can have a cleansing effect, providing a clean slate.
Maybe that’s what is happening with Alabama. I stand by my column the weekend the College Football Playoff pairings were announced, that Notre Dame deserved a spot over the Crimson Tide, that how a team finishes should matter. Alabama hadn’t been very good to close the regular season. It nearly lost to mediocre SEC opponents South Carolina, LSU and Auburn, fell to Oklahoma and was crushed by Georgia in the SEC championship game.
