Winners and Losers From Colorado Buffaloes' Saturday Night Takedown of Wyoming Cowboys

BOULDER — Led by quarterback Kaidon Salter and a strong defensive showing in the first half, the Colorado Buffaloes returned to their winning ways on Saturday night with a 37-20 victory over border rival Wyoming.

Colorado showed plenty of good in its final nonconference game, but certain questions remain on both sides of the ball. Coach Deion Sanders, Salter and other leaders were still far from satisfied with the win after a shaky second half.

With the Buffs now 2-2 entering the bulk of Big 12 Conference play, below are a few winners and losers from Saturday night against Wyoming:

Winner: Kaidon Salter

Winners Losers Colorado Buffaloes Saturday Night Wyoming Cowboys Kaidon Salter Omarion Miller Injuries Depth Makari Vickers — Sep 20, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) carries the ball for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Arguably the biggest winner of the night, Salter may have solidified the starting quarterback job with his performance against Wyoming. After briefly losing his starting job to Ryan Staub, the veteran transfer from Liberty threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns while also using his legs to the tune of 86 yards and one score.

"It's been rough not playing last week, but I stayed straight, talking to family, talking to God, and just making sure that the next opportunity that I got, I took full advantage of it," Salter said. "It's my last year, so I just want to go out there and be the best version of me for the team and for everybody else in this program."

Salter spread the wealth as well with wide receivers Dre'lon Miller, Terrell Timmons Jr., Hykeem Williams and Omarion Miller each recording multiple catches.

Loser: Second Cornerback Spot

If opposing quarterbacks continue to avoid DJ McKinney's side of the field, Colorado needs to find some consistency from its No. 2 cornerback. With RJ Johnson out due to injury, Makari Vickers got beat on a 41-yard touchdown, and neither Teon Parks nor Ivan Yates showed enough to garner trust.

Colorado's early struggles at the second cornerback spot have put additional pressure on nickelback Preston Hodge and the two safeties, making it a must to get corrected.

Winner: Depth In The Trenches

Colorado's depth on both the offensive and defensive lines was tested on Saturday night. After entering the game without defensive linemen Brandon Davis-Swain, Tawfiq Thomas and Gavriel Lightfoot the Buffs lost offensive linemen Jordan Seaton and Zy Crisler to injury and defensive tackle Anquin Barnes Jr. to a third-quarter targeting call.

Offensively, Yahya Attia and Kareem Harden were serviceable in place of Seaton and Crisler, who aren't expected to miss additional time. Defensive tackles Tavian Coleman and Taurean Carter II also took advantage with three solo tackles.

"Thank God for the depth," Sanders said. "It's paying oﬀ really well. Think about a season ago, losing a couple of linemen, what it would have been like. I mean, hell. Pure hell. Defensively, we lost a couple of guys tonight, and one with a targeting, and I think Tawfiq Thomas got hurt on Friday. So, that was tough. That was tough to lose those two gentlemen. But next man up."

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Loser: Second Half Drop-Off

More so on defense, Colorado's intensity dropped off in the second half. Wyoming's offense totaled 233 yards and two touchdowns in the second half after managing just a field goal in the game's first 30 minutes.

"When you lose intensity and lose focus, those things happen," Sanders said. "It's not like that other team is losing because they're down; they're trying to get back in the game and want an opportunity. They're on national television, so that's on us, man. I just let our team know how I felt about that second half."