Saturday, October 4
Fort Worth, Texas
5:30 p.m.
Colorado
2-4 , 0-3
21
at
35
TCU
4-1 , 1-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Colorado
0
14
0
7
21
TCU
0
14
0
21
35
Photo by: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Turnovers Costly As TCU Rallies Over Colorado
October 04, 2025 | Football
FORT WORTH, Texas — TCU secured a 35-21 victory over Colorado at Amon G. Carter Stadium, with the Horned Frogs pulling away in the fourth quarter by scoring 21 unanswered points.
Colorado (2-4, 0-3) for a second straight week opened the game with a 14-0 lead and again was unable to make the plays down the stretch to pull out a win, highlighted by four turnovers. Much like a week ago, after losing the lead in the second half, answered with a touchdown drive to get back into the game this time tying the score at 21, but another turnover gave the Horned Frogs a short field to score to take the lead for good.
"Truly disappointed," head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said. "I addressed the team at the conclusion of the game in the locker room and challenged them on that moment. It's one thing to lose and its another thing to feel like you beat yourself. We were beaten in Houston, but these other games we had ample opportunity to win the games and for some strange reason we are not preparing these young men and equipping them enough to get over that hump because we get to the same situational football every week where as we could go win it or we can do what we are consistently doing."
Quarterback Kaidon Salter completed 18-of-29 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, but threw three first half interceptions. Omarion Miller led the team with six receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Dallan Hayden gave the offense a spark in his first extended action of the season carrying the ball nine times for 61 yards including a 25-yard rush at the end of the first half.
On the defensive side, Preston Hodge recorded six total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup from teh secondary. While Keaten Wade was tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble.
TCU (4-1, 1-1) was led by quarterback Josh Hoover who completed 23-of-33 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns in the air and added one more on the ground. He shared the ball with his two top receivers Eric McAlister who missed last week with an injury but came down with four receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Joseph Manjack IV led the Horned Frogs with five receptions for 65 yards and added a touchdown.
How It Happened
After a scoreless first quarter, the Buffaloes struck first with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Salter to O. Miller, capping a 13-play, 80-yard drive that took six minutes and 54 seconds off the clock, the longest drive of the season for the Buffs. On the ensuing possession Salter added a 10-yard touchdown run to put Colorado up 14-0. Salter became the first Colorado quarterback since John Hessler in 1997 to have a rushing touchdown in five straight games played by the player.
TCU responded with a pair of touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half. Josh Hoover scored on a one-yard rush. On Colorado's next possession, Bud Clark intercepted a Salter pass at the Buffaloes' 33-yard line. Hoover took advantage, finding McAlister for 23 yards to tie the score at 14-14 at the half.
Colorado blasted down the field with a big run from Hayden and and a long pass to O. Miller to get the ball inside the TCU five-yard line with seven seconds left in the first half, but Salter's pass was batted up in the air and was intercepted for the third time in the half as time expired.
The third quarter saw both teams struggle offensively with neither team scoring a point. This was the first time since at least 1996 that neither team scored in the first or third quarter of the game for Colorado.
In the fourth quarter, Colorado and TCU traded touchdowns in a tightly contested period, with TCU ultimately pulling away for a 35-21 victory. Salter connected with Miller on a 31-yard touchdown pass at 11:42 to tie the game at 21, but TCU responded with two touchdown passes from Josh Hoover, including an 18-yarder to Joseph Manjack IV and a 21-yard strike to Eric McAlister.
Up Next
Colorado returns home next week to take on Iowa State.
Colorado (2-4, 0-3) for a second straight week opened the game with a 14-0 lead and again was unable to make the plays down the stretch to pull out a win, highlighted by four turnovers. Much like a week ago, after losing the lead in the second half, answered with a touchdown drive to get back into the game this time tying the score at 21, but another turnover gave the Horned Frogs a short field to score to take the lead for good.
"Truly disappointed," head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said. "I addressed the team at the conclusion of the game in the locker room and challenged them on that moment. It's one thing to lose and its another thing to feel like you beat yourself. We were beaten in Houston, but these other games we had ample opportunity to win the games and for some strange reason we are not preparing these young men and equipping them enough to get over that hump because we get to the same situational football every week where as we could go win it or we can do what we are consistently doing."
Quarterback Kaidon Salter completed 18-of-29 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, but threw three first half interceptions. Omarion Miller led the team with six receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Dallan Hayden gave the offense a spark in his first extended action of the season carrying the ball nine times for 61 yards including a 25-yard rush at the end of the first half.
On the defensive side, Preston Hodge recorded six total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup from teh secondary. While Keaten Wade was tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble.
TCU (4-1, 1-1) was led by quarterback Josh Hoover who completed 23-of-33 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns in the air and added one more on the ground. He shared the ball with his two top receivers Eric McAlister who missed last week with an injury but came down with four receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Joseph Manjack IV led the Horned Frogs with five receptions for 65 yards and added a touchdown.
How It Happened
After a scoreless first quarter, the Buffaloes struck first with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Salter to O. Miller, capping a 13-play, 80-yard drive that took six minutes and 54 seconds off the clock, the longest drive of the season for the Buffs. On the ensuing possession Salter added a 10-yard touchdown run to put Colorado up 14-0. Salter became the first Colorado quarterback since John Hessler in 1997 to have a rushing touchdown in five straight games played by the player.
TCU responded with a pair of touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half. Josh Hoover scored on a one-yard rush. On Colorado's next possession, Bud Clark intercepted a Salter pass at the Buffaloes' 33-yard line. Hoover took advantage, finding McAlister for 23 yards to tie the score at 14-14 at the half.
Colorado blasted down the field with a big run from Hayden and and a long pass to O. Miller to get the ball inside the TCU five-yard line with seven seconds left in the first half, but Salter's pass was batted up in the air and was intercepted for the third time in the half as time expired.
The third quarter saw both teams struggle offensively with neither team scoring a point. This was the first time since at least 1996 that neither team scored in the first or third quarter of the game for Colorado.
In the fourth quarter, Colorado and TCU traded touchdowns in a tightly contested period, with TCU ultimately pulling away for a 35-21 victory. Salter connected with Miller on a 31-yard touchdown pass at 11:42 to tie the game at 21, but TCU responded with two touchdown passes from Josh Hoover, including an 18-yarder to Joseph Manjack IV and a 21-yard strike to Eric McAlister.
Up Next
Colorado returns home next week to take on Iowa State.
Team Stats
COL
TCU
Total Yards
343
369
Pass Yards
217
275
Rushing Yards
126
94
Penalty Yards
43
85
1st Downs
20
23
3rd Downs
9
7
4th Downs
1
2
TOP
31:32
28:28
2nd Quarter
COL 7, TCU 0
COL - Miller,Omarion 6 yd pass from Salter,Kaidon (Mata,Alejandro kick) 13 plays, 80 yards, TOP 06:54
COL 14, TCU 0
COL - Salter,Kaidon 10 yd run (Mata,Alejandro kick), 12 plays, 45 yards, TOP 05:19
COL 14, TCU 7
TCU - Hoover,Josh 1 yd run (McCashland,Nate kick), 10 plays, 76 yards, TOP 03:49
COL 14, TCU 14
TCU - McAlister,Eric 23 yd pass from Hoover,Josh (McCashland,Nate kick) 2 plays, 33 yards, TOP 00:21
4th Quarter
COL 14, TCU 21
TCU - Kaiuway,Lafayette 10 yd pass from Hoover,Josh (McCashland,Nate kick) 12 plays, 67 yards, TOP 05:25
COL 21, TCU 21
COL - Miller,Omarion 31 yd pass from Salter,Kaidon (Mata,Alejandro kick) 5 plays, 50 yards, TOP 02:22
COL 21, TCU 28
TCU - Manjack IV,Joseph 18 yd pass from Hoover,Josh (McCashland,Nate kick) 3 plays, 27 yards, TOP 01:12
COL 21, TCU 35
TCU - McAlister,Eric 21 yd pass from Hoover,Josh (McCashland,Nate kick) 7 plays, 59 yards, TOP 02:14
Game Leaders
CMP
18
TD
2
YDS
217
INT
3
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballQB
/ Football
DE
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