Colorado vs. North Dakota State live updates: Score, highlights from season opener

BOULDER, Colo. — |A| Another offseason of high |B| drama and big rosters |C| moves has finally led |D| to this for coach |E| Deion Sanders and the |F| Colorado Buffaloes – an |G| actual football game, this |H| time vs. North Dakota |J| State to open Sanders |K| second season as head |L| coach.

And it likely |M| wont be easy for |O| Coach Prime and the |P| Buffs.

North Dakota State |Q| has won Football Championship |R| Subdivision titles nine times |S| in 11 years from |U| 2011-2021. Its power running |V| attack ranked fourth nationally |Y| last year at the |Z| FCS level in rushing |A| yards per game with |B| 237.5 and will test |C| a defensive front for |D| Colorado that has added |E| several new transfers, including |F| defensive end BJ Green |G| from Arizona State and |H| Chidozie Nwankwo from Houston. |J| Both will try to |K| chase down veteran senior |L| quarterback Cam Miller, a |M| fifth-year player who has |O| started 38 straight games |P| and ranked second nationally |Q| in completion percentage (72%).

|R| dir="ltr">The Buffs finished with |S| a 4-8 record in |U| Sanders first season last |V| year, when they also |Y| ranked dead-last in rushing |Z| yards per game. They |A| will try to revive |B| their running game Thursday |C| to at least help |D| relieve the burden for |E| star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, |F| Deions son.

USA TODAY |G| Sports will provide the |H| latest updates, highlights, wild |J| plays, analysis and more |K| throughout the game. Follow |L| along.

Colorado vs. North |M| Dakota State score: End |O| of third quarter

BOULDER, |P| Colo. – Colorado entered |Q| the fourth quarter with |R| a 24-20 lead and |S| possession of the ball |U| against North Dakota State. |V| If the Buffs can |Y| score on this drive, |Z| their defense finally might |A| be up to the |B| task to hold the |C| lead. Colorado has forced |D| the Bison to punt |E| on their last three |F| possessions, including two in |G| the second half. 

Colorado |H| back in front

BOULDER, |J| Colo. – Colorado marched |K| right back downfield after |L| the interception in the |M| end zone on a |O| freak play on its |P| previous possession. This time, |Q| Shedeur Sanders drove the |R| Buffs 72 yards in |S| five plays, including a |U| 41-yard pass to Jimmy |V| Horn Jr. on first |Y| down. Travis Hunter capped |Z| the drive with a |A| 13-yard touchdown catch in |B| the back of the |C| end zone to help |D| the Buffs retake the |E| lead 24-20 in the |F| third quarter.

North Dakota |G| State gets interception in |H| end zone on wild |J| play

Colorado was marching |K| down the field after |L| halftime and looked to |M| be on the verge |O| of tying the game |P| at minimum ... until |Q| North Dakota State came |R| away with one of |S| the wildest interceptions youll |U| ever see.

Colorado still |V| rallied in response after |Y| the freak play, forcing |Z| NDSU to go three-and-out |A| after a sack on |B| third down from defensive |C| lineman Chidozie Nwankwo, a |D| transfer from Houston. The |E| Bison then punted, with |F| Colorado set to try |G| again from its own |H| 28-yard line.

Colorado vs. |J| North Dakota State score: |K| Halftime

BOULDER, Colo. – |L| Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders |M| led the Buffaloes on |O| an 89-yard scoring drive |P| to end the first |Q| half, the team forced |R| to settle for a |S| 27-yard field goal as |U| time expired. Colorado trails |V| North Dakota State 20-17 |Y| at the break.

Sanders |Z| completed 12 of his |A| 15 passes in the |B| first half for 254 |C| yards and two touchdowns. |D| Yet it still wasnt |E| enough against the Bison, |F| who scored on their |G| first four possessions with |H| two field goals and |J| two touchdowns. The Bison |K| also ran 40 plays |L| — compared to 23 |M| for Colorado —  and |O| used its power running |P| attack to possess the |Q| ball for 21:48 of |R| the games first 30 |S| minutes.

“Weve just got |U| to score each and |V| every drive,” Sanders told |Y| ESPN at halftime. 

North |Z| Dakota State takes lead |A| again, then finally gets |B| stop

BOULDER, Colo. – |C| The North Dakota State |D| Bison did something wholly |E| unique in this game |F| so far against Colorado: |G| They made a stop |H| on defense.

It happened |J| for the first time |K| in the second quarter |L| when Colorado tried to |M| convert a fourth down |O| at its own 34-yard |P| line. Colorado running back |Q| Dallan Hayden, a transfer |R| from Ohio State, rushed |S| up the middle for |U| no gain, stuffed by |V| Bison defensive lineman Eli |Y| Mostaert.

Before the stop, |Z| each team had scored |A| on every possession to |B| open the game.

The |C| turnover on downs gave |D| the Bison — up |E| 17-14 after they answered |F| the Buffs quick score |G| with a 10-play, 77-yard |H| TD drive — the |J| ball on Colorados 34. |K| The Bison took advantage |L| of the field position |M| by kicking a 31-yard |O| field goal for a |P| 20-14 lead with 4:33 |Q| left in the first |R| half.

Colorado vs. North |S| Dakota State score: End |U| of first quarter

BOULDER, |V| Colo. – The first |Y| quarter has ended with |Z| Colorado on top 14-10 |A| and theres no defense |B| in sight after both |C| teams combined for 308 |D| yards of offense — |E| 158 for North Dakota |F| State and 150 for |G| Colorado. The Buffs only |H| have run eight plays, |J| compared to 20 for |K| the Bison, who still |L| had the ball when |M| time expired in the |O| opening quarter.

The team |P| that wins might be |Q| the one that can |R| get at least one |S| stop.

Shedeur Sanders, Jimmy |U| Horn Jr. connect on |V| long TD to give |Y| Colorado lead

BOULDER, Colo. |Z| – And here we |A| go with another Colorado |B| touchdown to put the |C| Buffs up 14-10 with |D| 3:15 left in the |E| first quarter. This time |F| Shedeur Sanders launched a |G| pass amid crumbling protection |H| to find wide receiver |J| Jimmy Horn Jr., who |K| raced in for a |L| 69-yard touchdown.

That makes |M| two possessions and two |O| touchdowns for Colorado, along |P| with two scores in |Q| two possessions for NDSU.

|R| dir="ltr">Sanders is 5-for-5 passing |S| for 134 yards and |U| two touchdowns.

North Dakota |V| State scores to take |Y| lead

BOULDER, Colo. – |Z| Colorados defense has allowed |A| North Dakota State to |B| score on its first |C| two drives, this time |D| with a 7-yard touchdown |E| pass from quarterback Cam |F| Miller to tight end |G| Joe Stoffel in the |H| right corner of the |J| end zone.

The Bison |K| went 75 yards in |L| 10 plays this time, |M| retaking the lead at |O| 10-7 with 3:59 left |P| in the first quarter. |Q| All three possessions in |R| this game so far |S| have ended in scores.

|U| dir="ltr">Miller has completed six |V| of his seven passes |Y| for 117 yards and |Z| a touchdown.

Travis Hunter |A| TD catches LeBron James |B| attention

King James is |C| tuned in to the |D| Colorado-North Dakota State game |E| and was impressed by |F| the Buffaloes opening score.

|G| dir="ltr">"Shedeur to Hunter for |H| 6! Going to be |J| seeing and hearing that |K| a lot this season |L| I bet!" James wrote |M| on X.

Travis Hunter |O| scores for Colorado

BOULDER, |P| Colo. – Colorado answered |Q| North Dakota States opening |R| field goal with a |S| big splash of Travis |U| Hunter, the Buffaloes two-way |V| star at receiver and |Y| cornerback. He helped give |Z| the Buffs a 7-3 |A| lead with a 41-yard |B| touchdown reception after lining |C| up wide on the |D| ride side of the |E| field and catching a |F| pass from quarterback Shedeur |G| Sanders in a one-on-one |H| situation with his defender. |J| Hunter then raced into |K| the end zone for |L| the score.

Colorados opening |M| drive went 75 yards |O| in six plays. 

North |P| Dakota State strikes first

|Q| dir="ltr">BOULDER, Colo. – North |R| Dakota State scored on |S| the opening possession, taking |U| a 3-0 lead on |V| a 36-yard field goal |Y| with 12:12 left in |Z| the first quarter. The |A| Bison marched into Colorado |B| territory on their second |C| play from scrimmage, gaining |D| 48 yards on a |E| wide-open pass play from |F| quarterback Cam Miller to |G| running back TK Marshall. |H| Colorado then stopped the |J| Bison on third down |K| before the field goal.

|L| dir="ltr">When is Colorado-North Dakota |M| State game? 

• Kickoff |O| is Thursday, Aug. 29 |P| at 8 p.m. ET.

|Q| dir="ltr">How to watch Colorado-North |R| Dakota State game 

• |S| dir="ltr">The game will be |U| on ESPN and can |V| be steamed on ESPN+ |Y| and Fubo.

Colorado Buffaloes |Z| unveil new uniforms

Long |A| known for his keen |B| sense of fashion, Deion |C| Sanders once again has |D| overseen a reimagination of |E| the Colorado uniforms, much |F| like he did last |G| year in his first |H| season as coach. This |J| time the Buffs are |K| wearing all-black uniforms at |L| home for the season-opener, |M| with a few new |O| touches – gold numbers, |P| with trim on the |Q| shoulders and pants that |R| portray Boulders iconic flatirons.

|S| dir="ltr">Colorados traditional home uniforms |U| before Sanders featured black |V| jerseys with white numbers, |Y| gold pants and gold |Z| helmets.

Goldberg makes first |A| game as a Colorado |B| dad

BOULDER, Colo. — |C| Famed wrestler Goldberg roamed |D| the sidelines before the |E| game Thursday wearing a |F| black Colorado football hat |G| as fans in the |H| stands started chanting his |J| name. The WWE Hall |K| of Famer is not |L| new to the celebrity |M| scene here because hes |O| known coach Deion Sanders |P| for decades as a |Q| friend. But he is |R| new to the scene |S| as the father of |U| a son on the |V| Colorado team. Gage Goldberg |Y| is listed as a |Z| non-scholarship freshman linebacker out |A| of Boerne, Texas.

The |B| Buffaloes run in the |C| family. Although Gages father |D| played at Georgia, Gages |E| cousin David Goldberg lettered |F| at Colorado from 2009-11.

|G| dir="ltr">Colorados opener not quite |H| sold out

BOULDER, Colo. |J| — Thursdays season opener |K| for coach Deion Sanders |L| and Colorado wasnt sold |M| out, as of Thursday |O| afternoon, even though the |P| Buffs sold out every |Q| home game in Sanders |R| first season last year, |S| when the Buffs finished |U| 4-8. But Folsom Field |V| still is expected to |Y| be nearly full after |Z| classes started this week |A| on campus.

As of |B| Thursday afternoon, Colorado said |C| it still had about |D| 2,300 tickets available for |E| the game against North |F| Dakota State. The capacity |G| at Folsom Field is |H| listed at 50,183.

Colorado |J| announced in May that |K| it had sold out |L| of season tickets for |M| the second straight year, |O| but single-game tickets still |P| were available for some |Q| games. 

Will Deion Sanders |R| second roster flip at |S| Colorado work this time?

|U| dir="ltr">BOULDER, Colo. — Deion |V| Sanders has doubled down |Y| on his big bet |Z| with the Buffaloes.

Last |A| year in his first |B| season as Colorados football |C| coach, he cleaned house |D| to shake up the |E| program, overhauling the roster |F| by bringing in 68 |G| new scholarship players, including |H| 47 who transferred in |J| from other four-year colleges. |K| This year, he flipped |L| the roster again – |M| with 50 new scholarship |O| players, including 39 new |P| transfers.

But will his |Q| second team overhaul strategy |R| work better this time |S| after finishing with a |U| 4-8 record last season? |V|  

Deion Sanders reacts |Y| to Paul Finebaum remarks

|Z| dir="ltr">As the Colorado Buffaloes |A| gear up for their |B| season opener, coach Deion |C| Sanders once again finds |D| himself at the center |E| of a media storm. 

|F| dir="ltr">This time, Sanders clashed |G| with ESPN pundit Paul |H| Finebaum when he was |J| asked by Grete Griffin, |K| Robert Griffin IIIs wife |L| and co-host of their |M| podcast "Outta Pocket with |O| RGIII," to respond to |P| Finebaums previous comments that |Q| Colorado football "is nothing" |R| and "irrelevant in the |S| big picture of college |U| football." — Carrie McDonald

|V| dir="ltr">College football season predictions

|Y| dir="ltr">As we enter an |Z| era of change with |A| an expanded College Football |B| Playoff and conference realignment, |C| theres a palpable feeling |D| of uncertainty as nobody |E| can be sure about |F| how it all will |G| play out.

So how |H| does it all shake |J| out? Thats where the |K| experts at USA TODAY |L| Sports come in. Were |M| here to offer our |O| predictions for the season |P| ahead, including which 12 |Q| teams will make the |R| College Football Playoff. Who |S| wins the national championship? 

• |U| dir="ltr">

  Scooby Axson: Ohio |V| State 

• Jordan Mendoza: |Y| Oregon 

• Paul Myerberg: |Z| Georgia 

• Erick Smith: |A| Georgia 

• Eddie Timanus: |B| Ohio State 

• Dan |C| Wolken: Ohio State 

15 |D| games that will decide |E| the College Football Playoff |F| field

This years journey |G| to reaching the College |H| Football Playoff will have |J| many ups and downs. |K| Given the expanded postseason |L| field, there are going |M| to be several opportunities |O| for teams to win |P| their way into — |Q| or potentially fall out |R| of — the field.

|S| dir="ltr">So which games are |U| going to be the |V| ones that matter the |Y| most when all is |Z| said and done? — |A| Paul Myerberg

Podcast: College |B| football picks for Week |C| 1 and what to |D| make of Florida State

|E| dir="ltr">The official start of |F| the college football season |G| is here with Week |H| 1 kicking off on |J| Thursday and running through |K| Labor Day weekend.

But |L| before we talk about |M| those games, we have |O| to talk about Florida |P| States disastrous trip to |Q| Ireland that saw the |R| 10th-ranked Seminoles falls to |S| ACC rival Georgia Tech. |U| What does that loss |V| mean for the Seminoles |Y| as they try to |Z| reach the College Football |A| Playoff after missing out |B| last season?

Dan Wolken |C| and Paul Myerberg of |D| USA TODAY Sports make |E| their picks for these |F| games and discuss other |G| issues in college football |H| entering the season in |J| this weeks version of |K| the College Football Fix.

|L| dir="ltr">Complete college football television |M| schedule for 2024 season

|O| dir="ltr">The times are changing |P| in college football with |Q| expansion of the playoff |R| system allowing 12 teams |S| to play for a |U| national title and conference |V| realignment seeing the loss |Y| of Pac-12 football as |Z| the ACC, Big 12 |A| and Big Ten all |B| absorbed teams and holdovers |C| Oregon State and Washington |D| State playing mostly a |E| schedule against the Mountain |F| West.

The regular season |G| kicks off with Week |H| 0 games on Aug. |J| 24 and will run |K| through the conference championship |L| weekend on Dec. 7. |M| The College Football Playoff |O| starts in mid-December with |P| games on campus and |Q| running through the national |R| championship game on Jan. |S| 20, 2025, in Atlanta.

|U| dir="ltr">Most Saturday games on |V| ABC, CBS, FOX, FS1, |Y| NBC and ESPNs networks |Z| post-Week 3 are announced |A| between two weeks and |B| six days in advance, |C| so game times and |D| TV information will be |E| added throughout the season.

|F| dir="ltr">➤ Complete 2024 college |G| football TV schedule

We |H| occasionally recommend interesting products |J| and services. If you |K| make a purchase by |L| clicking one of the |M| links, we may earn |O| an affiliate fee. USA |P| TODAY Network newsrooms operate |Q| independently, and this doesnt |R| influence our coverage.

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