Utah Utes vs Colorado Buffaloes Final — October 17, 2026
UTAHOffense2026 regular season to dateCOLO
UTAHDefenseCOLOUTAHRecent formCOLOUTAHHome and roadseason to dateCOLOUTAHLast 10 gamesCOLORest & travelrest and travel
UTAHRest & travelCOLOAbout these numbers
2026 regular season to date, captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (138 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.
Last five results this season, oldest to newest. Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Against-the-spread (ATS) and over–under records use the consensus closing line.
Margin of each of the last 5 games this season, oldest to newest (gold = won). Hover a bar for the score margin.
Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.
The pre-game matchup
Utah (4-0) visited Colorado (1-3) on Saturday, October 17 at 10:15 PM ET.
Utah has the 12th-ranked offense by EPA per play (expected points added per snap) and the 6th-ranked defense (ranks among the 138 teams with play-by-play data). Meanwhile, Colorado has the 131st-ranked offense and the 30th-ranked defense. When Utah has the ball, a 12th-ranked offense (+0.276 EPA per play) meets a 30th-ranked defense (−0.056 allowed); when Colorado has it, a 131st-ranked offense (−0.174) meets a 6th-ranked defense (−0.169 allowed).
By success rate (the share of plays that gain expected points), the Utah offense is at 56.2% (5th) and the Colorado offense at 45.8% (83rd). Utah scores 37.0 points per game (16th) and allows 12.8 (5th); Colorado scores 10.2 (134th) and allows 26.5 (73rd).
Utah is 5-0 and 5-0 against the spread; its last game was a 41-24 win over Kansas. Colorado is 2-3; its last game was a 29-7 loss to Texas Tech.
Utah closed as a 15.5-point road favorite, with Colorado getting the points at home. The spread opened at Utah -15. The total closed at 49.5, down from 50.5 at the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Utah -800, Colorado +550) prices Utah at 85% and Colorado at 15%.
Written from the numbers available before kickoff.
Result
Final score and result vs the closing line
Utah Utes 27, Colorado Buffaloes 24
Utah Utes won by 3.
- Against the closing spread (Colorado Buffaloes +15.5): Colorado Buffaloes covered.
- Combined score 51 vs the closing total of 49.5: Over.
- Utah Utes closed at -800 on the moneyline (a 85% no-vig market-implied chance).
Market
Closing line and line movement
Utah -15 (-110)
Utah -15.5 (-110)
Colorado +500 16%
Colorado +550 15%
Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.
Members
G&W Line
G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics
Matchup
Players to watch
- Attempts131
- Completion %71.8%13th
- Passing yards1,134113th
- Yards per attempt8.747th
- TD–INT12–2
- Rushing yards49930th
- Season line66 carries, 499 yds, 7 TD
- Receiving yards33691st
- Season line24 catches, 336 yds, 4 TD
- Tackles32253rd
- Attempts62
- Completion %51.6%
- Passing yards393
- Yards per attempt6.3
- TD–INT2–2
- Rushing yards218209th
- Season line44 carries, 218 yds, 2 TD
- Receiving yards45423rd
- Season line32 catches, 454 yds, 5 TD
- Tackles4286th
Season passing totals from public box scores, captured before kickoff. Ranks among the 259 quarterbacks with at least 60 attempts. Rushing, receiving and tackle leaders: season totals captured October 14, 5:34 a.m. ET; ranks among FBS players.
Success by situation
| Situation | Utah | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Early-down success rateUtah offense vs Colorado defense | 51.6%4th | 40.4%36th |
| Early-down success rateColorado offense vs Utah defense | 30.3%2nd | 46.9%29th |
| 3rd-down conversion rateUtah offense vs Colorado defense | 52.6%9th | 36.7%50th |
| 3rd-down conversion rateColorado offense vs Utah defense | 31.1%12th | 35.2%99th |
| Explosive play rateUtah offense vs Colorado defense | 8.8%22nd | 8.4%116th |
| Explosive play rateColorado offense vs Utah defense | 6.4%59th | 5.1%111th |
| Pass rateshare of plays that are passes or sacks | 50.2%76th-highest | 51.6%62nd-highest |
On 3rd down Utah converts 52.6% (9th) against a Colorado defense allowing 36.7% (50th).
On 3rd down Colorado converts 35.2% (99th) against a Utah defense allowing 31.1% (12th).
2026 regular season before kickoff, from play-by-play with garbage time removed; ranks among the 138 teams in the play-by-play data (defense: 1st = allows the least). Success = a play that gains expected points.
Coaching staff
| Staff | Utah | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Morgan Scalley | Deion Sanders |
| Tenureat this school | 1st season | 4th season |
| Record at schoolthis season included, as of the date below | 6–0 | 18–24 |
| Career recordas an FBS head coach | 6–0 | 18–24 |
| Offensive coordinator | Kevin McGiven | Brennan Marion |
| Defensive coordinator | Colton Swan | Chris Marve |
Staff list as of October 13, 6:50 a.m. ET.
Head-to-head
The teams have met 5 times since 2021: Utah won 4 and Colorado 1.
| Date | Score | Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2025 | Colorado 7, Utah 53 Utah won | ||
| Nov 16, 2024 | Utah 24, Colorado 49 Colorado won | ||
| Nov 25, 2023 | Colorado 17, Utah 23 Utah won | ||
| Nov 26, 2022 | Utah 63, Colorado 21 Utah won | ||
| Nov 26, 2021 | Colorado 13, Utah 28 Utah won |
Meetings since 2021, most recent first. Line and total are the consensus closing numbers where line history is available.
Teams
Utah Utes
- Utah Utes team stats
- Utah Utes at Cincinnati Bearcats (Oct 31)
- Houston Cougars 13, Utah Utes 21 (Oct 24)
- Kansas Jayhawks 24, Utah Utes 41 (Oct 10)
Colorado Buffaloes
More NCAAF games on October 17, 2026
- Florida Atlantic Owls 24, Army Black Knights 56 (Oct 17)
- Pittsburgh Panthers 21, Boston College Eagles 27 (Oct 17)
- Ball State Cardinals 32, Bowling Green Falcons 31 (Oct 17)
- Charleston Southern Buccaneers 0, Clemson Tigers 37 (Oct 17)
- Ohio State Buckeyes 19, Indiana Hoosiers 15 (Oct 17)
- Georgia State Panthers 22, James Madison Dukes 49 (Oct 17)
- Kansas Jayhawks 24, Kansas State Wildcats 35 (Oct 17)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs 0, LSU Tigers 31 (Oct 17)
- Northwestern Wildcats 24, Michigan State Spartans 21 (Oct 17)
- Virginia Cavaliers 13, SMU Mustangs 23 (Oct 17)
- Florida Gators 27, Texas Longhorns 24 (Oct 17)
- Cincinnati Bearcats 42, West Virginia Mountaineers 45 (Oct 17)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights 37, Maryland Terrapins 30 (Oct 17)
- UMass Minutemen 18, Buffalo Bulls 25 (Oct 17)
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