BOULDER, Colo. – The Colorado Buffaloes showed something Thursday that had gone completely missing during the final half of Deion Sanders’ first year as head coach – the killer instinct to finish a game and win it.

Barely.

This time they survived, beating North Dakota State in their season opener, 31-26.

Otherwise the Buffs showed many of the same problems as last year, at least in the first half – a porous defense, sometimes poor blocking up front and almost no running game. But they prevailed after losing five games last year by seven points or fewer.

Credit quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who completed 26 of 34 passes for 445 yards and four touchdowns.

Also credit two-way star Travis Hunter, who caught three of those touchdowns.

North Dakota State led 20-17 at halftime after scoring on each of its first four possessions. But the Colorado defense mostly held after halftime in front an announced crowd of 49,438 at Folsom Field, the first time under Sanders that Colorado did not sell out a home game.

The Buffs next play at Nebraska on Sept. 7.

Colorado vs. North Dakota State highlights

Travis Hunter stats

Travis Hunter, playing both sides of the ball, shined on offense, with seven catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Incredibly he was not actually Colorado's leading receiver — Jimmy Horn Jr. also caught seven passes for 198 yards, with one touchdown.

Shedeur Sanders stats

Shedeur Sanders completed 26 of 34 passes for 445 yards and four touchdowns. He had one interception (on a bizarre play). He had 17 rushing yards on six carries.

Colorado vs. North Dakota State final score

Colorado holds on to win 31-26.

Shedeur Sanders’ ability to extend the play was on display on third-and-8 with 1:52 to go. Sanders scrambled away from pressure and fired downfield toward LaJohntay Wester. North Dakota State’s Sam Jung was flagged for pass interference – it was well deserved – and Colorado got a fresh set of downs. Despite some questionable clock management on Colorado’s part (the Buffs threw incomplete on first down) by the time NDSU got the ball back just 31 seconds remained. The Bison’s last-gasp heave was not enough.

North Dakota State cuts into lead

The Bison went 75 yards in 11 plays, QB Cam Miller scoring a 20-yard rushing touchdown, to cut their deficit against the Buffaloes to 31-26. But NDSU was unable to get the two-point conversion so it's a five-point game with 2:19 to go.

Can Colorado hold on?

Travis Hunter's incredible touchdown catch gives Colorado some breathing room

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter did it again. He caught his third touchdown pass of the game – a 3-yarder this time that helped put the Buffs up 31-20 with 7:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The catch came in the front right corner of the end zone with a defender right on top of him, capping a 17-play, 80-yard drive led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Hunter has played offense and defense in this game against North Dakota State but has made a particular difference on offense, where he has seven catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. If the Buffs’ defense can hold, this game might soon be over.

Colorado vs. North Dakota State score: End of third quarter

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado entered the fourth quarter with a 24-20 lead and possession of the ball against North Dakota State. If the Buffs can score on this drive, their defense finally might be up to the task to hold the lead. Colorado has forced the Bison to punt on their last three possessions, including two in the second half.

Colorado back in front

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado marched right back downfield after the interception in the end zone on a freak play on its previous possession. This time, Shedeur Sanders drove the Buffs 72 yards in five plays, including a 41-yard pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. on first down. Travis Hunter capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone to help the Buffs retake the lead 24-20 in the third quarter.

Hunter has five catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

North Dakota State gets interception in end zone on wild play

Colorado was marching down the field after halftime and looked to be on the verge of tying the game at minimum ... until North Dakota State came away with one of the wildest interceptions you'll ever see.

Colorado still rallied in response after the freak play, forcing NDSU to go three-and-out after a sack on third down from defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo, a transfer from Houston. The Bison then punted, with Colorado set to try again from its own 28-yard line.

Colorado vs. North Dakota State score: Halftime

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders led the Buffaloes on an 89-yard scoring drive to end the first half, the team forced to settle for a 27-yard field goal as time expired. Colorado trails North Dakota State 20-17 at the break.

Sanders completed 12 of his 15 passes in the first half for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Yet it still wasn’t enough against the Bison, who scored on their first four possessions with two field goals and two touchdowns. The Bison also ran 40 plays — compared to 23 for Colorado —  and used its power running attack to possess the ball for 21:48 of the game’s first 30 minutes.

“We’ve just got to score each and every drive,” Sanders told ESPN at halftime.

North Dakota State takes lead again, then finally gets stop

BOULDER, Colo. – The North Dakota State Bison did something wholly unique in this game so far against Colorado: They made a stop on defense.

It happened for the first time in the second quarter when Colorado tried to convert a fourth down at its own 34-yard line. Colorado running back Dallan Hayden, a transfer from Ohio State, rushed up the middle for no gain, stuffed by Bison defensive lineman Eli Mostaert.

Before the stop, each team had scored on every possession to open the game.

The turnover on downs gave the Bison — up 17-14 after they answered the Buffs' quick score with a 10-play, 77-yard TD drive — the ball on Colorado’s 34. The Bison took advantage of the field position by kicking a 31-yard field goal for a 20-14 lead with 4:33 left in the first half.

Colorado vs. North Dakota State score: End of first quarter

BOULDER, Colo. – The first quarter has ended with Colorado on top 14-10 and there's no defense in sight after both teams combined for 308 yards of offense — 158 for North Dakota State and 150 for Colorado. The Buffs only have run eight plays, compared to 20 for the Bison, who still had the ball when time expired in the opening quarter.

The team that wins might be the one that can get at least one stop.

Shedeur Sanders, Jimmy Horn Jr. connect on long TD to give Colorado lead

BOULDER, Colo. – And here we go with another Colorado touchdown to put the Buffs up 14-10 with 3:15 left in the first quarter. This time Shedeur Sanders launched a pass amid crumbling protection to find wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr., who raced in for a 69-yard touchdown.

That makes two possessions and two touchdowns for Colorado, along with two scores in two possessions for NDSU.

Sanders is 5-for-5 passing for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

North Dakota State scores to take lead

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado’s defense has allowed North Dakota State to score on its first two drives, this time with a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Miller to tight end Joe Stoffel in the right corner of the end zone.

The Bison went 75 yards in 10 plays this time, retaking the lead at 10-7 with 3:59 left in the first quarter. All three possessions in this game so far have ended in scores.

Miller has completed six of his seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Travis Hunter TD catches LeBron James' attention

King James is tuned in to the Colorado-North Dakota State game and was impressed by the Buffaloes' opening score.

"Shedeur to Hunter for 6! Going to be seeing and hearing that a lot this season I bet!" James wrote on X.

Travis Hunter scores for Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. – Colorado answered North Dakota State’s opening field goal with a big splash of Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes’ two-way star at receiver and cornerback. He helped give the Buffs a 7-3 lead with a 41-yard touchdown reception after lining up wide on the ride side of the field and catching a pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders in a one-on-one situation with his defender. Hunter then raced into the end zone for the score.

Colorado’s opening drive went 75 yards in six plays.

North Dakota State strikes first

BOULDER, Colo. – North Dakota State scored on the opening possession, taking a 3-0 lead on a 36-yard field goal with 12:12 left in the first quarter. The Bison marched into Colorado territory on their second play from scrimmage, gaining 48 yards on a wide-open pass play from quarterback Cam Miller to running back TK Marshall. Colorado then stopped the Bison on third down before the field goal.

When is Colorado-North Dakota State game? 

• Kickoff is Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Colorado-North Dakota State game 

• The game will be on ESPN and can be steamed on ESPN+ and Fubo.

Colorado Buffaloes unveil new uniforms

Long known for his keen sense of fashion, Deion Sanders once again has overseen a reimagination of the Colorado uniforms, much like he did last year in his first season as coach. This time the Buffs are wearing all-black uniforms at home for the season-opener, with a few new touches – gold numbers, with trim on the shoulders and pants that portray Boulder’s iconic flatirons.

Colorado’s traditional home uniforms before Sanders featured black jerseys with white numbers, gold pants and gold helmets.

Goldberg makes first game as a Colorado dad

BOULDER, Colo. — Famed wrestler Goldberg roamed the sidelines before the game Thursday wearing a black Colorado football hat as fans in the stands started chanting his name. The WWE Hall of Famer is not new to the celebrity scene here because he’s known coach Deion Sanders for decades as a friend. But he is new to the scene as the father of a son on the Colorado team. Gage Goldberg is listed as a non-scholarship freshman linebacker out of Boerne, Texas.

The Buffaloes run in the family. Although Gage’s father played at Georgia, Gage's cousin David Goldberg lettered at Colorado from 2009-11.

Colorado's opener not quite sold out

BOULDER, Colo. — Thursday’s season opener for coach Deion Sanders and Colorado wasn’t sold out, as of Thursday afternoon, even though the Buffs sold out every home game in Sanders’ first season last year, when the Buffs finished 4-8. But Folsom Field still is expected to be nearly full after classes started this week on campus.

As of Thursday afternoon, Colorado said it still had about 2,300 tickets available for the game against North Dakota State. The capacity at Folsom Field is listed at 50,183.

Colorado announced in May that it had sold out of season tickets for the second straight year, but single-game tickets still were available for some games.

Will Deion Sanders' second roster flip at Colorado work this time?

BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders has doubled down on his big bet with the Buffaloes.

Last year in his first season as Colorado’s football coach, he cleaned house to shake up the program, overhauling the roster by bringing in 68 new scholarship players, including 47 who transferred in from other four-year colleges. This year, he flipped the roster again – with 50 new scholarship players, including 39 new transfers.

But will his second team overhaul strategy work better this time after finishing with a 4-8 record last season?

Deion Sanders reacts to Paul Finebaum remarks

As the Colorado Buffaloes gear up for their season opener, coach Deion Sanders once again finds himself at the center of a media storm.

This time, Sanders clashed with ESPN pundit Paul Finebaum when he was asked by Grete Griffin, Robert Griffin III’s wife and co-host of their podcast "Outta Pocket with RGIII," to respond to Finebaum’s previous comments that Colorado football "is nothing" and "irrelevant in the big picture of college football." — Carrie McDonald

What are Thursday night's college football games?

(All times Eastern)

• Howard at Rutgers, 6 p.m. (Big Ten Network)

• Western Carolina at NC State, 7 p.m. (ACC Network)

• North Carolina A&T at Wake Forest, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

• New Hampshire at UCF, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Jackson State at UL Monroe, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Lafayette at Buffalo, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Fordham at Bowling Green, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Central Connecticut at Central Michigan, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Arkansas Pine Bluff at Arkansas, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

• Duquesne at Toledo, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Murray State at Missouri, 8 p.m. (SEC Network)

• Lindenwood at Kansas, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)

• North Carolina at Minnesota, 8 p.m. (FOX)

• North Dakota State at Colorado, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

• Coastal Carolina at Jacksonville State, 8 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)

• Alcorn State at UAB, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)

• SE Louisiana at Tulane, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Northwestern State at Tulsa, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Southern Utah at Utah, 9 p.m. (ESPN+)

• Eastern Illinois at Illinois, 9 p.m. (Big Ten Network)

• Sacramento State at San Jose State, 10 p.m. (truTV/Max)

Which teams win Week 1's biggest showdowns?

Week 1 in college football is at hand, and that means your humble correspondents here at USA TODAY Sports will once again attempt to pick the weekly winners among the teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. And what could be better than starting Week 1 of the college football season with games with early playoff implications?

Here’s how our staffers see the games involving Top 25 teams unfolding.

College football season predictions

As we enter an era of change with an expanded College Football Playoff and conference realignment, there's a palpable feeling of uncertainty as nobody can be sure about how it all will play out.

So how does it all shake out? That's where the experts at USA TODAY Sports come in. We're here to offer our predictions for the season ahead, including which 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff. Who wins the national championship?

• Scooby Axson: Ohio State

• Jordan Mendoza: Oregon

• Paul Myerberg: Georgia

• Erick Smith: Georgia

• Eddie Timanus: Ohio State

• Dan Wolken: Ohio State

15 games that will decide the College Football Playoff field

This year's journey to reaching the College Football Playoff will have many ups and downs. Given the expanded postseason field, there are going to be several opportunities for teams to win their way into — or potentially fall out of — the field.

So which games are going to be the ones that matter the most when all is said and done? — Paul Myerberg

Podcast: College football picks for Week 1 and what to make of Florida State

The official start of the college football season is here with Week 1 kicking off on Thursday and running through Labor Day weekend.

But before we talk about those games, we have to talk about Florida State's disastrous trip to Ireland that saw the 10th-ranked Seminoles falls to ACC rival Georgia Tech. What does that loss mean for the Seminoles as they try to reach the College Football Playoff after missing out last season?

Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports make their picks for these games and discuss other issues in college football entering the season in this week's version of the College Football Fix.

Complete college football television schedule for 2024 season

The times are changing in college football with expansion of the playoff system allowing 12 teams to play for a national title and conference realignment seeing the loss of Pac-12 football as the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten all absorbed teams and holdovers Oregon State and Washington State playing mostly a schedule against the Mountain West.

The regular season kicks off with Week 0 games on Aug. 24 and will run through the conference championship weekend on Dec. 7. The College Football Playoff starts in mid-December with games on campus and running through the national championship game on Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta.

Most Saturday games on ABC, CBS, FOX, FS1, NBC and ESPN's networks post-Week 3 are announced between two weeks and six days in advance, so game times and TV information will be added throughout the season.

➤ Complete 2024 college football TV schedule

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado vs North Dakota State final score: Highlights