On Friday night, Stanford football defeated Colorado 46-43 on the road in double overtime. Colorado led 29-0 at halftime, making it the largest comeback in Stanford history and the 4th largest comeback in Pac-12 history. Stanford improves to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-12 while Colorado falls to 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-12.
BOX SCORE: Stanford at Colorado-Friday, October 13th
“I mean, I'm really happy for our guys, they've been through a lot,” Stanford head coach Troy Taylor said after the game. “Early in the year, we had a couple of tough games and we had a couple of losses where we could have won easily. I was really worried about how demoralized it gets so I spent a lot of time meeting and talking with them, but after about three or four weeks, I realized that these guys are never going to quit. They're never going to stop preparing and competing. You know, we talked about how close we were to win in games.
“So I think to answer your question, yeah, it's a big win however, we're mindful of moving on to the next game. We'll enjoy this one, they're all big games, but, it's a special game for these guys to be down 29-0 against a really good football team and to just not quit and continue to make plays. Colorado went right down and scored when we closed it and we came back and scored, the overtime periods easily, easily guys could have kind of given up a little bit, but they have never done that since I've been here and just really proud. I tell them they inspire me. This is an inspiring group-young men that had never been around this quality of a group of men that just give everything they got regardless of what they're going against.”
Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels went 27-45 for 396 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions while wide receiver Elic Ayomanor set the Stanford single-game receiving yards record with 13 receptions for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. On defense, Stanford linebacker Gaethan Bernadel led the Cardinal with 9 total tackles (7 solo).
Colorado quarterback Sheduer Sanders went 33-48 for 400 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception while two-way player Travis Hunter had 13 receptions for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns while also having 5 total tackles (5 solo) on defense. Colorado wide receiver Xavier Weaver had 7 receptions for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns.
This game really was a tale of two halves if there ever was one. Colorado utterly dominated the first half as the entire stadium was rocking while the commentators gushed over Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, even going so far as to compliment him for his choice of headset.
In the 1st quarter, Sheduer Sanders found Xavier Weaver for a nine yard touchdown reception to make it a 7-0 lead with 10:25 to go in the quarter and later on found Travis Hunter for a 24 yard touchdown reception to make it a 14-0 lead with 3:36 to go in the quarter. Stanford tried to get things going offensively, but they just weren’t able to click well enough to get any good drives going.
In the 2nd quarter, with it still being a 14-0 lead for Colorado, it looked like Stanford might finally get on the scoreboard. On 4th and goal from the Colorado 19 yard line, Stanford brought out Josh Karty to make a 31 yard field goal, but he kicked it wide left as he was kicking from the hash mark. Nothing was going Stanford’s way.
In contrast, Colorado was vibing and flowing. Sanders would immediately scramble up the field for a 15 yard gain and later on in the drive connect with Weaver for a 39 yard touchdown pass as Weaver waltzed into the end zone. Colorado then went for the 2-point conversion out of their extra point formation and converted. Up 22-0 with 8:36 to go in the 2nd quarter, Colorado looked like they were going to steamroll Stanford.
Stanford would not score on their next drive as they had a turnover on downs at the Colorado 34 yard line. Daniels scrambled for the first down, but wasn’t able to get close to the sticks. With 4:44 to go until halftime, Colorado was eager to score one more time before entering the tunnel.
Colorado quickly scored on their next drive as Hunter had a 21 yard reception, Dylan Edwards rushed for 11 yards, and Jimmy Horn had a 10 yard reception plus a foul committed against Stanford to give them a half the distance to the goal. Weaver then had a 14 yard rush into the end zone where he was able to walk in with nobody home. 29-0 lead for Colorado. A lead the would take into halftime.
At the break, it really looked like Colorado was going to cruise to victory. The only question was whether or not Stanford could at least show some fight and make the final score not look as bad.
“I think we knew that we were right there,” Daniels said of what the message was at halftime. “We were driving the ball. We just couldn’t finish in the end zone. And we knew that we weren’t putting points on the board like we should be. And then, coming out, we just knew that we had to stick to what we know and do. And it’ll end up falling our way. A couple of guys, you know, gave some speeches in the locker room and fired us up. And I think we came out with a lot of energy. I’d like to see us play like that from the jump, but I’m extremely proud of how resilient we were in how came out firing away, and we never stopped fighting until the very end.”
Colorado got the ball to start the 3rd quarter after a touchback. They moved the chains early on in the drive as Hunter had a nine yard reception, setting up an easy first down, which Colorado would convert. Later on in the drive on 3rd and 2 from the Colorado 44, Alton McCaskill rushed for three yards to get the first down and keep the drive going.
The drive then stalled a bit as Sanders threw back-to-back incomplete passes. But then, on 3rd and 10, Weaver had an eight yard reception to set up 4th and 2. Colorado went for it, but Shedeur Sanders was sacked by Lance Keneley for a loss of 12 yards and a turnover on downs. This gave Stanford the ball across midfield on the Colorado 43 yard line with 12:09 to go in the quarter.
Stanford was finally able to get things going on this drive. On 2nd and 10, they got a bit of a gift from Colorado as a holding call gave them a fresh set of downs and 10 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Colorado 27 yard line, Daniels found Ayomanor for an 18 yard reception, advancing the ball to the Colorado 9 yard line.
Later on in the drive, Colorado gave Stanford another gift. On 3rd and goal from the 4 yard line, Colorado was called for an illegal substitution as they had 12 men on the field. Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly was steaming on the sidelines, looking like he was about to blow a gasket.
“You have so many different packages that you run and so many different personnel, but you got to understand, or basing our change of personnel on what they're changing,” Sanders said of the illegal substitutions. “That kind of happens when they have different personnel groups in which the referee is holding the game up so we get a chance to substitute as well. What was happening is one guy was coming off the field appropriately, and he saw something and he stopped. So that gives us 12. It was things like that that were transpiring which we can't even wrap our head around because we practice this stuff repeatedly.”
Stanford would make Colorado pay for their error as Bryce Farrell found the end zone on a sweep. Stanford then went for two, but wasn’t able to convert as Carter Stoutmire was credited with forcing Benjamin Yurosek out of bounds before crossing the goal line. Yurosek would be done for the night as he injured his arm on the play. He was seen wearing a sling afterwards. It was now a 29-6 lead for Colorado with 9:01 to go in the 3rd quarter.
The next Colorado drive ultimately set up a 4th and 13 from the Colorado 40 yard line. This resulted in Colorado punter Mark Vassett delivering a phenomenal 57 yard punt that was downed at the Stanford 3 yard line. With 6:33 to go in the 3rd, Stanford had 97 yards to go.
On the first play of the drive, Daniels hooked up with Ayomanor for a 97 yard touchdown pass as Ayomanor found a gap in the Colorado defense, made a guy miss, and then took it to the house. Stanford went for two again, but once again failed to convert as Daniels looked for Ayomanor once more. It was now a 29-12 lead for Colorado with 6:18 to go in the 3rd.
The next Colorado drive ended in Vassett having to punt on 4th and 1 from the Colorado 34 yard line. Vassett’s punt was not good as it only carried 26 yards out of bounds to the Stanford 40 yard line. Stanford now had the ball back with 5:06 to go in the 3rd quarter.
After Daniels threw a pass to Ayomanor that was broken up, he went right back to Ayomanor again. This time Ayomanor delivered a 60 yard touchdown that was caught at the Colorado 40 yard line. Ayomanor was on fire and Colorado was not able to put out the flames. This time Stanford went for the extra point, which was good. It was now a 29-19 lead for Colorado with 4:45 to go in the 3rd quarter. It was now a game.
The next Colorado drive ended with a turnover on downs as Sanders was pressured by Mitch Leigber and called for intentional grounding. This resulted in a loss of down and a loss of 21 yards, giving Stanford the ball back on the Colorado 33 yard with 1:24 to go in the 3rd.
Stanford’s drive opened up with a E.J. Smith getting a nice four yard reception after which Ayomanor had a 10 yard reception up the middle to move the chains. Smith then had a three yard gain on the ground, making it 2nd and 7 from the Colorado 16 yard line. That would be the final play of the quarter.
On 3rd and 7 from the Colorado 16 yard line, running back Casey Filkins was called for an illegal block, pushing back the Cardinal 15 yards. This made it 3rd and 22. Daniels would get stopped for no gain, setting up 4th and 22. However, after the play, Travis Hunter was called for unnecessary roughness as he pushed his hands up against Mudia Rueben’s facemask. Rueben pointed down at the flag, as it was near his feet, letting Hunter know he had made a mistake.
Bryce Farrell then had a two yard gain after which Tiger Bachmeier had a 15 yard reception to make it 1st and goal from the Colorado 1 yard line. After another illegal substitution penalty against Colorado, Stanford’s other quarterback Justin Lamson rushed up the middle for a one yard touchdown. Josh Karty then made the extra point, though he did so the dramatic way as the ball ricocheted off the left goal post and in. 29-26 lead for Colorado with 12:29 to go in the 4th quarter.
Colorado quickly responded on the next drive as Sanders would find Hunter for a 16 yard touchdown pass that was set up by a 48 yard reception from Weaver. It was now a 36-26 lead for Colorado with 11:18 to go in the 4th quarter.
The next drive started at the Stanford 20 yard line as Colorado’s kickoff went out of bounds while Jaxson Moi was called for roughing Colorado’s long snapper on the extra point. Stanford immediately went to Ayomanor after Smith got backed up for a loss of one yard. Ayomanor had an 11 yard reception to move the chains and then had a 13 yard reception. Colorado knew what was coming, but they couldn’t stop it.
On 2nd and 10 from the Stanford 43 yard line, Casey Filkins had a 12 yard run to pick up the first down. Daniels then found Ayomanor for a 29 yard reception, but Bachmeier was called for a hold. Rather than letting that kill the drive, Stanford went back to work as Daniels found Ayomanor for a 12 yard reception. He then found Ayomanor again for a five yard reception before then going back to Bachmeier for a 13 yard reception.
Colorado had a chance to make Stanford settle for a field goal as it was 3rd and goal from the 6 yard line. Daniels’ pass intended for Ayomanor was incomplete, but Colorado would be called for an illegal substitution again for having 12 men on the field. Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly was beside himself, once again looking like he was on the verge of exploding. Stanford would capitalize as Daniels found Farrell in the back of the end zone on a nice little fade for a 3 yard touchdown pass. It was now a 36-33 lead for Colorado as Karty drilled the extra point. 5:06 to go in the 4th quarter.
Colorado would not score on the next drive, but a punt by Vassett of 45 yards would bounce out at the Stanford 1 yard line. With 2:55 to go, Stanford would have 99 yards to go for the end zone, though they only needed a field goal to force overtime.
Stanford once again went to Ayomanor for a nine yard reception out of the gates. Daniels then scrambled for the first down. On 2nd and 10 on the Stanford 13 yard line, Colorado was called for a 15 yard pass interference penalty, giving Stanford a first down. Daniels then found Sam Roush for a 15 yard reception, moving the ball to the Stanford 43 yard line.
Later on in the drive on 2nd and 10 from the Colorado 45 yard line, Farrell had a huge 16 yard reception from Daniels to get to the Colorado 29 yard line. From there, Stanford would set up a 46 yard field goal attempt from Karty on 4th and 9. Karty drilled the kick, making it tied up at 36-36 at the end of the 4th quarter. This game was heading to overtime.
Colorado won the coin toss and elected to get the ball first. Colorado would score a touchdown and convert the extra point on their opening drive to make it 43-36. Getting the ball on the Stanford 25 yard line to start, Travis Hunter got a nine yard reception after which Anthony Hankerson rushed up the middle for a seven yard gain. This made it 1st and goal from the Stanford 9 yard line. On 2nd and 9, Sanders found Hunter for a five yard reception. On 3rd and 4, Sanders found Javon Antonio for a touchdown. Stanford now needed to answer.
Stanford would get called for a false start on their opening play of their possession, backing them up five yards. But then, Daniels connected with Ayomanor for the highlight of the night. Running down the sideline, Daniels threw it to Ayomanor who then proceeded to secure the ball using Hunter’s helmet before wrapping it around his helmet and securing the reception in the end zone. The extra point would be good. 43-43.
“I think truthfully you’re not thinking about it now,” Ayomanor said of making difficult catches. “I think you're making plays like that you're really in the zone. The only thing you can think of is the second that you're in, and then when you get to the next second, you think about that second, and I don't think I was ever thinking about anything else that was the moment that I was in at that time.”
“From the jump one out to Coach Taylor’s principles is just at the quarterback position, if we give our receivers a chance, they’re going to go up and make plays,” Daniels added. “We have extremely talented guys that, no matter how crazy the catch is, I trust him and that they're going to go up and make the plays. I saw Elic on one of the boundary, and I knew the safety when getting over the top. So I just thought, why not like we just give him a chance, and he went up and made probably the craziest play I've seen or been a part of.”
Colorado then had the ball again, looking to answer. Hankerson would rush up the middle for eight yards after which Sanders rushed for six yards. This made it 1st and 10 from the Stanford 11 yard line. On 2nd and 10 from the 11, Stanford got away with a pass interference as it looked like linebacker Tristan Sinclair grabbed the shoulder pads of Colorado tight end Michael Harrison, who was the intended target. However, on 3rd and 11, Stanford got called for pass interference as cornerback Jshawn Frausto-Ramos was trying to defend Travis Hunter after a wounded duck pass was thrown due to some pressure. This set up 1st and goal from the Stanford 2 yard line.
Hankerson then rushed for a gain of one yard as Leigber got the stop. Bernadel then tackled Hankerson for a loss of one yard, setting up 3rd and 2. Sanders then got pressured and threw an interception to Alaka’i Gilman. This gave Stanford the ball back with it tied 43-43. Stanford now had a chance to win.
On three straight runs, Daniels would gain 12 yards, giving Stanford 1st and 10 from the Colorado 13 yard line. Rather than playing with fire, Stanford brought out Josh Karty to win the game. Karty would split the uprights, drilling a game winning 31 yard field goal. 46-43 was the final score in double overtime.
The entire Colorado team was in shock as was the crowd. They had a 29-0 lead at halftime and lost. While it’s the greatest comeback in the history of Stanford, it’s also an epic collapse by Colorado. The entire night the commentators were singing the praises of Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and yet in the end, his team ended up folding like a cheap tent, leaving one of the fans in uncontrollable tears.
“The opposition came back and played a heck of a game in the in the second quarter,” Sanders said after the game. “They went on to get the victory. I'm truly upset, I'm truly disturbed. I'm gonna try my best to stay composed and do the best of my ability to handle this press conference because you deserve my best.
“We started out the game wonderfully and finally put it together in the first half like I desired, like we desired, like our players desired, and the fans. Wonderful first half. I believe the score was 29-0, am I correct? You surrender 3 touchdowns unanswered or close to it, which I can't fathom right now. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Then this thing just kept going. At halftime I talked to them about the old cliche people say about how it's 0-0 but that's not true, it's 29-0.
“I felt complacency going into the second half because we stalled offensively. We came back out and here comes the complacency I can't stand how in the world that happens to us but it did. We didn't turn it back on until late in the fourth quarter when we were able to go down and get a score. Then they tied it up and we got to go to overtime, and you don't want to go in overtime because they have nothing to lose. I was surprised they went for the field goal the first time. I thought they were just gonna go for two and try their best to get it over with. But they were resilient. Big win by them, horrible loss by us.”
This isn’t to say Sanders isn’t a good coach or anything like that. I think what he’s doing in Colorado is really cool. He’s injected a lot of life into that program and has people talking about Colorado football in a way they haven’t been before. They’re a lot better than they were last year and he deserves all the credit for that.
At the same time, his team has been very up and down this entire season and yet the media has continued to hype up his team like they’re the greatest team in the nation. Gushing over a double overtime home victory over Colorado State is a bit much. And then in this game for the entire first half, it was just a non-stop love fest for Coach Prime while there was no mention of the talented recruiting class that Troy Taylor and his staff have assembled for 2024. I’m all for giving Coach Prime credit for what he’s doing, but everyone needs to pump the brakes a bit.
“Well, if you're going to point the finger point it at me,” Sanders said. “If I'm allowing it, it should be on me not him. We go over this stuff and there are times where you know what group is in but you have a lapse of understanding in those crucial moments. Right now we're not built for the moment. We're not built for the moment. Some of our players aren't built for the moment where they have to make a play. We're not built for the moment right now.”
As for Stanford, just wow. They could have given up at halftime and thrown in the towel. They could have looked at all that Coach Prime swag and energetic crowd and thought this just isn’t their night. Instead, they dug deep and kept believing in themselves. This was truly a team effort as the offense, defense, and special teams came together to pull off the greatest comeback in school history.
Of course, Elic Ayomanor stole the show. The redshirt freshman from Medicine Hat, Alberta went nuts. He was a force of nature in this game. Stanford kept going to him and he kept on delivering the goods. Setting a single-game school record for most receiving yards is pretty special. Especially to do it in a game on the road against a team that came in with so much hype.
“He’s always had a lot of ability,” Taylor said of Ayomanor. “He just overcame a late injury that he lost last season but we saw him in the summer and he continued to get better. Once the knee brace came off, he continued to play faster and made some good plays during the year. You just really saw his confidence come alive after that first touchdown. The thing that people aren't going to remember is that he had a 70 yarder in his hands and a lot of people could go into the tank and that would be it. But he didn't do that. We had a brief conversation afterwards and he responded. I could see it in his eyes that he was totally engaged and ready to continue to compete. He put together a really epic performance.”
“I was never thinking about the past stats or what the future stats would be,” Ayomanor said of his record performance. “I think I was just trying to take a play by play. And I think I realized I need to get in a lot better shape as the game goes on. I'm really like huffing and puffing. I'm on the oxygen, really trying to like I had to really push through it and just like to think about how Travis Hunter plays both sides of the ball like I really like can see like I have so much respect for him to see that he does every game.”
Looking at this big picture-wise, Stanford needed this win. It’s been a rough season and most of the country has counted them out. This is a game that should get everyone believing in Troy Taylor and his staff. While there has been a lot of “Do you believe now?” talk about Coach Prime, it’s time some of that talk shift over to Troy Taylor, who very quietly has shied away from the spotlight, instead choosing to quietly get to work and improve his team.
“Yeah, I mean, you know, when you put so much into it, everybody wants to win, right?” Taylor said. “I think it's great for everybody we're very connected with the university and Stanford in terms of the alumni and all those things and the people involved. They care so much about Stanford athletics and Stanford football. So, absolutely, it's a great win for Stanford University and our alumni because we have a great alumni and we want to make them proud and, you know, we're going to get it done here. There's no question. I think we've got a chance to see a little bit of what we can do here. We have a long way to go, there's no question about that. The things that are really important: the resolve, that tenacity, the courage, the willingness, and the need to be great at something we have, we have all that now. We just have to continue to improve and get better.”
Up next for Stanford is their homecoming game on Saturday, October 21st against UCLA. That will begin at 7:30 PM PT on ESPN and KNBR 1050 AM radio.
CardinalSportsReport.com on Facebook & X (Twitter): @StanfordRivals
Ben Parker on Facebook, Instagram, & X (Twitter): @slamdunk406
Email: slamdunk406@yahoo.com
