Colorado Football clinched bowl eligibility with a win over Cincinnati

Coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado football team are headed to a bowl game.

They made it possible by beating Cincinnati 34-23 at home on Saturday night, improving their record to 6-2 this season with four games remaining in the regular season.

That gives them the minimum number of wins to qualify for a postseason bowl game in Sanders' second season. That puts them in the hunt for the Big 12 Conference Championship after getting another big performance from quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter.

Sanders completed 25 of 30 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter caught nine of those passes for 153 yards and two of those touchdowns.

Cincinnati (5-3) cut Colorado's lead to 31-23 with 3:51 left after driving 81 yards in 11 plays, capped by a 6-yard touchdown catch by Joe Royer.

But the Bearcats missed the next two-point pass attempt. The Buffaloes then answered with a 47-yard field goal with 99 seconds left, building their lead to 34-23 in front of a sellout crowd of 53,202 at Folsom Field in Boulder.

It's just the second time since 2007 that Colorado has won at least six games. This comes just two years after the Buffaloes finished with a 1-11 record and fired their previous coach, paving the way for the arrival of “Coach Prime.” A bowl game in the postseason will also be their third since 2007, including the 2020 postseason, when the Buffs went 4-2 going into the Alamo Bowl.

By winning six games, Sanders earned a $150,000 bonus from Colorado and will earn $100,000 for each additional regular-season win thereafter, according to his contract. His contract also calls for a bonus of at least $150,000 for being invited to a bowl game. His regular guaranteed compensation this year is $5.7 million.

His team is 4-1 in Big 12 play and has an off weekend next week before returning to play Nov. 9 at Texas Tech.

Was Shedur Sanders injured?

Sanders, the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, apparently suffered a hip or leg injury while running 4 yards for a first down at the Cincinnati 7-yard line in the third quarter. He went up after the Buffaloes scored on a 7-yard touchdown run one play to help extend Colorado's lead to 31-14 but crumpled while making the tackle and looked uncomfortable.

He then received treatment on the sideline and returned to the game on Colorado's next possession. But he only attempted one pass on that drive and instead handed the ball off on the running play as the Buffs tried to run down the clock. The extent of the injury wasn't clear, but it wasn't enough to immediately pull him from the game.

After the injury, he attempted just five passes and completed four. Colorado still stalled somewhat with two punts and a field goal on their next three possessions.

Big first half for Travis Hunter, Shadeur Sanders

The Buffs led 24-14 at halftime with two touchdown catches from two-way star Travis Hunter. His quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, completed his first 15 passes and led the offense in scoring on four possessions in the first half – three touchdowns and a field goal, including Sanders' 4-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.

Cincinnati tried to tie the game at 14-14 after an interception was overturned by Colorado defensive back Preston Hodge. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw a deep pass that Hodge caught and returned to midfield, but the play was called again when Hodge was flagged for pass interference on the play after grabbing Cincinnati receiver Tony Johnson's groin.

The ball was then held at the Colorado 13-yard line and the Bearcats scored a touchdown on one play, helping to tie the game with 9:31 left before halftime.

But that was their best in the first half. The Colorado defense stopped Cincinnati on the Bearcats' next possession, stuffing them on fourth-and-1 at the Colorado 46-yard line. With 33 seconds left in the first half, Sanders capped the ensuing drive with a 34-yard touchdown throw to Hunter, who was wide open on the right side of the field.

Hunter finished the first half with seven catches for 113 yards after sitting out halftime of his previous two games with a shoulder injury.