Three Takeaways from Colorado's loss to Utah

Buffaloes takes a losing streak into the off-season ahead of early signing day

Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado took a 23-17 loss against Utah to end the 2023 football season. It was a rollercoaster ride to say the least with the Buffs having three scores called back. Shedeur Sanders was out due to injury in the finale. He finishes the season a touchdown short of CU's single-season record.

Here are three takeaways from the Buffs sixth straight loss of the season.

Ryan Staub is legit

Colorado's backup quarterback stepped up and made a few incredible throws against the Utes. The 6-foot-1, 190 pound freshman from Stevenson Ranch, CA had a touchdown pass to Travis Hunter wrongfully called back, but it was a dime. He'll be a great option as an insurance policy to store behind Sanders for the next season. Staub finished the game completing 17-of-24 passes for 195 yard and a touchdown.

Travis Hunter was special in every way

Colorado two-way star is one of the best in college football. We established this fact early in the season, but his leadership was on full display Saturday afternoon. Hunter was dominating on both sides of the ball and kept his team in check when they needed it. With Sanders on the sideline, he stepped up to be a bigger target for Staub on every play. A major reason why Hunter is a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award and will likely take the hardware home.

The clock ran out on the Buffs

Colorado had the clock run out on them on the final possession for a second straight game. It was a fall apart on defense with Utah being able to walk down the field in the final seven minutes. Arizona did the same thing before nailing the game-winning field goal. Game management will need to be a point of emphasis going into next year for Sanders and the Buffs.