College football has a weird way of coming full circle. For years, the matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Texas Tech Red Raiders felt like a relic of the old Big 12—a nostalgic footnote from an era of leather helmets and wishbone offenses. Then Deion Sanders showed up in Boulder. Suddenly, every game became a spectacle, and the November 2024 showdown in Lubbock turned into one of the most chaotic, high-stakes environments in recent memory.
Honestly, if you weren't watching that night, you missed a masterclass in atmospheric insanity.
Lubbock is already a tough place to play. It's windy. It's loud. And yes, people really do throw tortillas. But when CU vs Texas Tech kicked off in 2024, the stakes weren't just about conference standings. They were about survival in the College Football Playoff race. Colorado walked into Jones AT&T Stadium as the No. 21 team in the country, and they left it having proved they weren't just a "flash in the pan" media hype machine.
The Night the Tortillas Flew
Most people think of Texas Tech fans and immediately picture the tortillas. It's a tradition, albeit a strange one. But during the 2024 game, things got a bit more... intense. By the fourth quarter, the referees were actually threatening Tech with 15-yard penalties because fans were hurlng more than just flour discs. We're talking water bottles and even vapes.
Coach Joey McGuire actually had to grab a microphone to tell his own fans to chill out.
Colorado didn't blink. They actually seemed to feed off the hostility. Shedeur Sanders, who spent the first quarter looking a bit rattled as the Buffs fell behind 13-0, eventually found his rhythm. He finished the night with 291 passing yards and three touchdowns. He even signed a tortilla after the game. Talk about leaning into the villain role.
Breaking Down the 41-27 Masterclass
If you look at the final score, it looks like a comfortable win for the Buffs. It wasn't. For the first fifteen minutes, Colorado looked like they’d forgotten how to play football. They had four punts to start the game. Texas Tech's Behren Morton was carving them up early, finding Jalin Conyers for a 17-yard score right out of the gate.
But then the "Prime Effect" or whatever you want to call it took over.
- The Defensive Pivot: Colorado’s defensive coordinator, Robert Livingston, made a massive adjustment. They started the game in man-to-man coverage and got burned. He switched to zone, and the Red Raiders' offense hit a brick wall.
- The Travis Hunter Show: The guy is basically a glitch in the Matrix. He played 162 snaps—a school record. Nine catches, 99 yards, and a touchdown. On defense? He wasn't targeted once in 46 pass plays. Teams are literally too scared to throw the ball near him.
- Tahj Brooks Makes History: Despite the loss, Texas Tech fans got to witness history. Tahj Brooks rushed for 137 yards, officially becoming the school's all-time leading rusher with 4,236 career yards. He broke Byron Hanspard's record, which had stood since the 90s.
It’s worth noting that Brooks did most of his damage late. In the first half, the Buffs' front seven held him to just 35 yards on 17 carries. That’s a massive testament to how much this CU defense has improved compared to the 2023 season where they couldn't stop a nosebleed.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
There’s a common narrative that CU is just "Shedeur and Travis." That's lazy.
Look at the unsung heroes from the 2024 CU vs Texas Tech clash. You had freshman walk-on center Cash Cleveland stepping in and holding the line together after the second series. You had Amari McNeill making his first start of the year and racking up nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.
And then there's Shilo Sanders. He’s often the "other" son in the media, but he sealed the game with a 6-yard fumble recovery in the end zone with 51 seconds left. It wasn't just a flashy offensive display; it was a gritty, defensive-led road win in one of the most hostile environments in the Big 12.
Historical Context: It's Always Been Competitive
Before the 2024 meeting, the series was historically tight. Texas Tech actually leads the all-time series 6-5.
- 1962: The first meeting. Tech won 21-12.
- 2006: Colorado's biggest win, a 30-6 blowout.
- 2010: The last time they met before Colorado left for the Pac-12. Tech won a 27-24 nail-biter.
The return of this matchup as a conference game is exactly what college football needed. The Big 12 is at its best when it feels like a high-scoring, slightly chaotic Western.
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The Turning Point in the Big 12 Race
Winning in Lubbock changed everything for Colorado's season. Before that game, people were still asking if they were "for real." By the time they boarded the plane back to Boulder, they were 7-2 and 5-1 in the conference.
Because Iowa State lost to Kansas that same day, Colorado suddenly found themselves in control of their own destiny for the Big 12 Championship. It's a wild turnaround for a program that went 4-8 just a year prior.
Deion Sanders summed it up best in the post-game: "We don't change with the stakes. You guys change with the stakes."
Actionable Insights for the Next Matchup
If you're planning on betting or just watching the next time these two meet, keep these factors in mind:
- The Lubbock Factor: Never underestimate the home-field advantage at Texas Tech. It’s one of the few places where the crowd truly affects the visiting quarterback's cadence.
- Red Zone Efficiency: In 2024, CU went 5-for-5 in the red zone. Tech went 3-for-5. In a game decided by two scores, that's the whole ballgame.
- The "Spy" Tactic: Tech struggled because they couldn't contain Shedeur when he decided to tuck and run. He’s not a dual-threat in the traditional sense, but his 7-yard TD run in the third quarter was a backbreaker for the Raiders' momentum.
For fans looking to stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the injury reports regarding the offensive line for both teams. In this specific rivalry, the game is won by whoever can protect their QB long enough for those deep Big 12 routes to develop. If Colorado continues to recruit high-level "Hogs" up front, the Red Raiders will have a tough time reclaiming the lead in this series.
To truly understand the trajectory of these programs, track the defensive sack leaders in the weeks leading up to their next meeting. Colorado led the Big 12 in sacks by mid-November 2024, and that aggressive pass rush was the silent killer for Texas Tech’s comeback hopes.