No. 17 Colorado didn’t have much of a problem with Utah on Saturday.

The Buffaloes are one step closer to a spot in the Big 12 title game and a potential berth in the College Football Playoff after a 49-24 home win over the Utes.

The match started badly. Shedeur Sanders was intercepted on the first pass of the game. But Utah’s moribund offense could only get a field goal and Colorado took over from there.

After leading by 12 at halftime, Colorado put the game away in the third quarter. Nikhai Hill-Green intercepted Isaac Wilson on the first possession of the half and returned the ball to the Utes’ 37-yard line. One play later, Isaiah Augustave made a rare big play in the run game for the Buffs with a 37-yard TD run to make it a three-possession game.

That play was the longest TD by a Colorado player since 2018 and one of several big plays Colorado made on Saturday.

The Buffaloes scored four touchdowns for 35 yards. Colorado’s first TD came on a 40-yard TD by Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester added another just over two minutes later on a 76-yard punt return. In the fourth quarter, Sanders hit Drelon Miller for a 47-yard touchdown.

Travis Hunter adds to his Heisman case

The Colorado defensive back and wide receiver entered the weekend as the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy. And it will be a big weekend before someone else takes over.

Hunter had his third interception of the season in the second quarter when he caught a deflected pass and returned it 21 yards.

The Buffs offense couldn’t do anything with the ball after the pick, but Hunter set up an offensive TD later in the second quarter with a fantastic 28-yard grab on fourth down as a wide receiver.

Hunter then closed the game with a TD run on an end-around after changing directions and heading back to the middle of the field. If and when he wins the Heisman in a month or so, you’ll see a lot of highlights from this game, even if it happened when the game was out of reach.

Colorado needs two more wins

The path to the Big 12 championship game is simple for Colorado: the Buffs just need to keep winning. Colorado has a road game at Kansas and a home game against Oklahoma State during the final two weeks of the regular season. Wins in each of these games guarantee the Buffaloes a spot in Arlington on December 7.

Utah, meanwhile, is simply hoping to make a bowl game after opening the season as the favorites to win the Big 12. The Utes (4-6) have been decimated by injuries as QB Cameron Rising, TE Brant Kuithe and WR Money Parks, among others, are out for the season. Wilson is just one of two healthy quarterbacks after Brandon Rose suffered a season-ending foot injury in the team’s loss to BYU in Week 11.

Utah hosts Iowa State in Week 13 before a road trip to UCF on Black Friday to close out the season. The Utes must win both games to reach a bowl.