Record TV Viewership Watches Cougars Win 36-14 in Top 25 Tilt
BYU running back and Offensive MVP LJ Martin rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns while the Cougars’ defense stymied Colorado’s offense by forcing two interceptions and allowing just two rushing yards while picking up four sacks in their 36-14 win over Colorado.
A Valero Alamo Bowl record 8.0 million viewers tuned into the game on ABC, a mark falling in-between two CFP first round playoff games as 6.4 million viewers watching Penn State vs. SMU and 8.6 million tuned into Texas vs. Clemson.
This year’s Valero Alamo Bowl viewership made it the most-viewed non-CFP/New Year’s Six game since the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl between #13 Alabama and #14 Michigan on January 1, 2020.
A capacity crowd of 64,261 also watched the game in person. It was the 12th sellout in the Valero Alamo Bowl’s 32 year history and pushed the average attendance up during the CFP era up to 60,530 (excluding the attendance restricted COVID year).
The 2024 attendance is the second-highest for a Valero Alamo Bowl that did not include a Texas team. The first out-of-state match-up that sold out was Oklahoma State and Ohio State in 2004.
The 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl is expected to be the most attended and most watched of the all the non-CFP bowl games.
GAME HIGHLIGHT AND NOTES
PLAYER AWARDS
OFFENSIVE MVP: #27 RB LJ Martin, BYU
DEFENSIVE MVP:#16 LB Isaiah Glasker, BYU
FRED JACOBY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: #7 Safety Cam’ron Silmon Craig, Colorado
FIRST BLOOD
BYU took an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter after a six play, 52-yard scoring drive that was punctuated with a one-yard rushing touchdown by LJ Martin. It was Martin’s sixth touchdown of the season and his first rushing touchdown since Oct. 26 versus UCF.
PUTTING THE LEG TO WORK
BYU kicker Will Ferrin wrote his name in the Alamo Bowl record books with a 54-yard field goal to send the Cougars into halftime with a 20-0 lead. It is the longest field goal in Alamo Bowl history and tied Ferrin’s career long set against Baylor on Sept. 28. He broke Texas K Cameron Dicker’s record set in 2020, a 53-yard field goal that also came against Colorado. Dicker now plays in the NFL for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ferrin showcased his range earlier in the game with a 51-yard field goal that strengthened the Cougars’ lead to 10-0 with 2:19 remaining in the first quarter. It’s tied for the third-longest kick in Alamo Bowl history with Nebraska’s Josh Brown in 2000 versus Northwestern.
EARLY STATEMENT
BYU’s defense shutout the Colorado offense in the first quarter, marking the team’s sixth first quarter shutout of the season. The Cougars won the previous five games after keeping their opponent off the board in the first quarter. The last time was against Utah on Nov. 9.
BUFFS TAKE THE BALL
Colorado’s defense showed an early nose for the football with a pair of first-half interceptions. The Buffaloes’ first pick came with five seconds remaining in the first quarter, as cornerback DJ McKinney reeled in a pass by BYU quarterback Gerry Bohanon on a trick play. It was the Texas native’s third interception of the season and Bohanon’s first game appearance since Sept. 21.
Seven minutes later, BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff attempted a shovel pass, but it went right into the hands of Colorado defensive tackle Anquin Barnes Jr. for his first career pick.
SPECIAL TEAMS MAKE SPECIAL PLAYS
With 5:32 left in the first half, wide receiver Parker Kingston returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown to give the Cougars a 17-0 lead. The score was the first punt return for a touchdown in an Alamo Bowl since 2017 when Desmon White (TCU) returned a punt 76 yards for a TD.
BANDS OF BROTHERS
CU has three sets of brothers on the team this season. Shedeur (QB) & Shilo (S) Sanders, LaJohntay (WR) & Jaylen (ILB) Wester, and Charlie (RB) & Chijoke (DT) Nwankwo. BYU’s family duos are Cole (WR) & Cody (OL) Hagen, twins Marcus (CB) & Dominique (WR) McKenzie, John (DT) & Jackson (OL) Nelson, Connor & Trevor Pay (OL), and cousins Ace & Malika Kafusi (LB).
QUIET HALF
For just the second time this season, the Buffaloes were held scoreless, 20-0, in the first half of the game.
The Cougars’ defense limited Colorado to 70 yards in the air and minus-9 yards on the ground, marking the Buffs’ largest point deficit of the season. They picked up just three first downs, compared to 11 by the Cougars, and averaged 2.8 yards per play. Colorado entered the matchup averaging 16.7 points per first half this season.
HEISMAN MOMENT
2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter hauled in a 43-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to get Colorado on the board. The touchdown was his 15th receiving touchdown of the season and Hunter’s final touchdown of his collegiate career. The touchdown reception put Hunter over 100 receiving yards for the eighth time this season. Hunter became the second Heisman winner to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl after winning the coveted award joining Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (2011). When Griffin set foot in the Alamodome, 65,256 fans saw his Baylor Bears set the bowl record for most points (67) and total yards (777) in a 67-56 win over Washington. The 123 combined points was an NCAA record for a regulation game, which 6,923,194 viewers saw on ESPN. In total, six Heisman winners have played in the Valero Alamo Bowl with Griffin and Hunter being alongside Charles Woodson (1997), Eric Crouch (2001), Marcus Mariota (2014), and Caleb Williams (2022).
BYU VS. HEISMAN
BYU has faced a Heisman winner three times in the year in which the player won the award and are 0-3 in those games: Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1982; Chris Weinke, Florida State, 2000; Matt Leinart, USC, 2004. This bowl game marks their fourth, however this turnout has changed the statistic with a win against 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, #12 Travis Hunter.
FORGET THE ALAMO BOWL
This marks Colorado’s fourth appearance at the Alamo Bowl as well as its fourth straight loss in the Alamodome. The Buffaloes first traveled to San Antonio on Dec. 28, 2002 against Wisconsin who defeated the Buffs in a thrilling 31-28 overtime affair. As for BYU, this was the Cougs’ first outing at the Alamo Bowl and 18th all-time bowl victory.
COUGARS CORRAL COLORADO
With the 9th Top 25 matchup in the last 11 years, the Valero Alamo Bowl was one of the most anticipated match-ups of bowl season. The two electric out-of-state fanbases packed the Alamodome with 64,261 people, breaking the 12th-highest attendance for the bowl. It was the highest bowl attendance since 2016 when TCU faced Oregon, and the second-highest for two out-of-state teams playing in the bowl.
This bowl game packed quite a lot of meaning for both teams, as Colorado wide receiver Will Sheppard described the desire for making it “like the Super Bowl for us,” as BYU was No. 2 and CU No. 4 in the final standings for the chance to make it to the Big 12 Championship game. Both teams promised to play a great game and they sure did deliver.
During the 3.5 hours, BYU scored first with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by LJ Martin, his sixth of the season, BYU kicker Will Ferrin tied for the third-longest field goal in bowl history at 51 yards then set an Alamo Bowl record with a 54-yard field goal. Parker Kingston’s 64-yard punt return for a touchdown extended BYU’s lead to 17-0. It was the first punt return touchdown in the Alamo Bowl since 2017. The Buffaloes were held scoreless in the first half (20-0) for only the second time this season.
Colorado managed just 70 passing yards, -9 rushing yards, and three first downs in the half.Colorado’s Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, scored a 43-yard touchdown in the third quarter, marking his 15th receiving touchdown of the season and his eighth 100+ yard game.
This marks the last game of the season for all of the seniors on both teams, but also many family pairings parting ways including Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and his son Shedeur, senior LaJohntay and his junior brother, Jaylen Wester, BYU O-Line brothers Connor & Trevor Pay, and many more. The seniors wish to leave a deeply rooted support system and legacy just as others did for them; As BYU DE #92 Tyler Batty said after their win during the post-game press conference, “we stand on the shoulders of giants before us.”
BACKGROUND
The 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl featured a Big 12 conference matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes and the BYU Cougars. The conference foes have previously met 12 times combining for a record of 8-3-1 in favor of the Buffaloes. The first meeting was on Oct. 7, 1923 when Colorado shutout the Cougars in a dominant 41-0 victory in Boulder under head coach Myron Witham who led the team to its most recent undefeated season. The Cougars recorded their first win 23 years later on Oct. 19, 1946 in Provo after defeating the Buffaloes 10-7.
BYU concluded its 2024 campaign with a 10-2 record including seven conference wins and two losses against Kansas and #21 Arizona State. Five Cougars were awarded with All-Big 12 honors with offensive lineman Caleb Etienne, place kicker Will Ferrin and defensive linemen Tyler Batty earning All- Big 12 first team. Kick returner/punt returner Keelan Marion and defensive back Jakob Robinson were named to the All-Big 12 second team.
For Colorado, the Buffaloes finished with a 9-3 record marking the teams first winning season since 2020 when the Buffs concluded with a 4-2 record in a year that was cut short. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, was named the Big 12’s offensive player of the year as he tallied a career high 3,926 passing yards and 35 touchdowns breaking both previous school records. Defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter became just the second two-way player to be named the Heisman winner since Charles Woodson won the award in 1997. Hunter also was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the year. Both Sanders and Hunter were selected for the All-Big 12 first team as well as fellow defensive back BJ Green II.
TOP RANKED MATCHUPS
The 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl was the 9th Top 25 matchup in the 11 years of the CFP:
- 2014: #14 UCLA 40 vs. #11 Kansas State 35
- 2015: #11 TCU 47 vs. #15 Oregon 41 (3OT)
- 2016: #12 Oklahoma State 38 vs. #10 Colorado 8
- 2017: #15 TCU 39 vs. #13 Stanford 37
- 2018: #14 Washington State 28 vs. #24 Iowa State 26
- 2021: #16 Oklahoma 47 vs. #14 Oregon 32
- 2022: #12 Washington 27 vs #20 Texas 20
- 2023: #14 Arizona 38 vs. #12 Oklahoma 24
- 2024: #17 BYU 36 vs. #23 Colorado 14