Colorado’s game-day atmosphere is never short on chaos, but this time, the spotlight wasn’t on head coach Deion Sanders or his players. What was supposed to be a routine moment involving the Buffaloes’ mascot quickly turned into an unexpected scare, as cameras caught Ralphie’s handlers losing their footing when the bison got a little too carried away. The bizarre moment didn’t take long to grab attention.
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The Buffs hosted Houston on their home turf Friday night. As part of their beloved game-day tradition, their American bison mascot, Ralphie VII, also known as Brandy, took her customary lap around the field. However, one of her four handlers, who runs beside her to keep her in control, lost the leash, and she became faster.
Barstool Colorado posted the video of Brady outrunning her handlers during her signature sprint across Folsom Field on X with the caption: “Ralphie loses one of its handlers; she is too fast.”
It was only the start of a night Colorado fans weren’t prepared for. Both teams desperately needed a win going into Friday night’s game, but they were fighting for two very different goals. Colorado’s season was on the line in a different way. A loss would have all but ended its bowl hopes, while Houston, at 7-2, was trying to protect its playoff chances.
Houston controlled the first quarter, outgaining Colorado 143 yards to 13 and running for 57 yards, and Colorado trailed when the quarter ended. Given Colorado’s record, the Cougars looked like the likely winner.
Colorado came alive in the second quarter. The momentum shifted dramatically, the offense found its rhythm, and the Buffaloes scored three touchdowns to take a 21-20 lead into halftime. They carried that momentum into the second half and eventually outscored a top-15 team 42-32.
A season-high 249 rushing yards showed the offense had finally found itself against Houston. Even in the first half, when Colorado had the ball for less than 10 minutes, the Buffaloes went into the break ahead because all of their touchdowns came on plays of more than 30 yards.
One of the shining moments was seeing Richard Young as the answer to Colorado fans’ prayers.
Richard Young might just be the answer for all the Colorado fans, as he has established himself as Colorado’s most effective running back. After Colorado’s wins against Kansas State and Houston, Young has shown why he deserves a bigger role. On Friday night, he ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
Win may ease pressure on Deion Sanders
Questions about Sanders’ job security got a brief pause with this win over a Power Four opponent. Colorado entered the fourth quarter with a 35-20 lead. Had it somehow lost after holding such a comfortable advantage, fans and critics would likely have picked apart Sanders’ ability to manage games and protect leads.
“I still expect a lot more from us,” Sanders told the reporters post-game. “We’ve been capable of this all season long, but we just hadn’t put it together. The offense showed up, and the defense showed up. Special teams showed up. Everybody showed up together.”
He added: “We want to keep evolving, being innovative, and trying to do things we hadn’t shown.”
Houston was a highly ranked opponent, which made this an impressive result for a Colorado team that had struggled throughout the season. Not since 2007, when Colorado beat No. 3 Oklahoma, had the Buffaloes won against a team ranked this high. Houston’s ranking made the result a significant one, though Sanders downplayed it.
“We want to win, period. I don’t spend one minute, period, saying, ‘This is a top 15 team.’ I don’t really care about that,” Sanders asserted. “I want to win.”
The victory kept Colorado in contention for bowl eligibility. At 4-6, the Buffaloes must win their final two regular-season games, against Cincinnati and UCF, to reach six wins and keep their bowl hopes alive.