TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – Shedeur Sanders threw for 250 yards and was responsible for three touchdowns, and Colorado’s defense shut down Arizona with a 34-7 victory on Saturday.

The Buffaloes (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) scored two early touchdowns and swarmed the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3) all afternoon to bounce back from last week’s 31-28 loss to Kansas State .

Sanders threw for two touchdowns with two interceptions on 23-of-33 passing and ran for another score. Colorado converted 8 of 11 third downs while building a 21-point halftime lead and its defense held the Wildcats to 245 total yards.

Arizona spent most of the afternoon chasing the Buffaloes.

The Wildcats had trouble protecting quarterback Noah Fifita, giving up seven sacks after allowing six in the first six games. Fifita spent most of the day scrambling, threw an interception, lost a fumble and couldn’t find preseason All-American Tetairoa McMillan, who had five catches for 38 yards.

Arizona coach Brent Brennan said the team’s woes are “100 percent my fault” and that the number of player injuries is “rare” for him, as reported by ABC15’s Matt Reynoldson on X.

One of those many accumulating injuries was junior linebacker Jacob Manu, who was sidelined in the second quarter with a non-contact injury.

The Wildcats’ problems started from the opening kickoff.

In an attempt to surprise the Buffaloes, Arizona attempted an onside kick that failed and spent most of the first half defending a short field.

Colorado started its opening drive at Arizona’s 46-yard and converted with Isaiah Augustave’s 1-yard touchdown run. Drelon Miller scored on a 1-yard kick pass from Sanders on the next drive, then Will Sheppard ran in a 16-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone – initially ruled incomplete before being overturned on review.

Sanders’ 6-yard touchdown run put Colorado up 28-7 at halftime.

Arizona had one sustained drive in the first half, capped by Fifita’s one-yard kick pass to Chris Hunter, and lost a fumble deep on its own turf — two plays after recovering a fumble.

Colorado’s offense faltered in the second half, but the way the defense played didn’t matter.

Linebacker Jack Luttrell was one of the few bright spots for the Wildcats in every phase of the game, with the freshman throwing two interceptions in his first career start.

THE TAKEAWAY

A week after a close loss to Kansas State, Colorado appears to be back on track with one of its best all-around games. Arizona is looking for answers on both sides of the ball after its third straight loss.

NEXT

Colorado: Hosts Cincinnati next Saturday.

Arizona: Hosts West Virginia next Saturday.