BYU beats Colorado 30-22 on the road in Big 12 opener to go 4-0

No. 25 BYU opened Big 12 play with a road victory, beating Colorado 30-22 Saturday night at Folsom Field in Boulder to move to 4-0 on the season. The Cougars used a physical rushing attack and a defense that has become the backbone of the team to withstand a late effort from the Buffaloes and secure an early conference win.

BYU arrived in Boulder riding momentum from a three-game start that featured a stout run game and steady play from true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier. The Cougars leaned on those strengths again, relying on their ground attack and timely defensive stops to control the clock and the flow of the contest. The result extended BYU’s string of victories over Colorado to three straight in the series and handed the Buffs a loss in front of a raucous home crowd aiming for revenge after last season’s 36-14 Alamo Bowl defeat.

The matchup was billed as a test of BYU’s front seven against a Colorado offense that has shuffled quarterbacks this season. The Buffaloes entered with a 2-2 mark and had rotated signal-callers, but coach Deion Sanders’ team showed enough life to make the final quarter competitive. Colorado’s Kaidon Salter had emerged as a likely starter in...