It wasn't exactly a satisfying victory for Colorado football fans, but the Buffaloes got the job done in their season opener against North Dakota State on Thursday evening. As head coach Deion Sanders reminded the Folsom Field faithful after the 31-26 victory, CU is one step closer to reaching a bowl game.

Colorado wide receivers Jimmy Horn Jr. and Travis Hunter were simply too much for North Dakota State's defense to handle. The two speedy pass-catchers were responsible for 330 of quarterback Shedeur Sanders' 445 passing yards and all four Colorado touchdowns.

Defensively, the Buffs' defense struggled early but came up with several key stops in the second half.

Below are five takeaways from Colorado's Week 1 win over North Dakota State:

Improved showing from the offensive line

Compared to last year, Colorado's offensive line was undeniably better. Although Shedeur Sanders was frequently hurried, he was sacked only once and North Dakota State's D-line finished with just one TFL. It would be nice to see the Buffs' O-line get some more push in the run game, however.

Despite mixed results, Colorado at least attempted to run the rock

The run game wasn't dominant (35 combined yards on 14 carries from Dallan Hayden and Charlie Offerdahl), but it was encouraging to see Colorado at least attempt to formulate a rushing attack. At the same time, it would've been silly for offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and quarterback Shedeur Sanders to leave the passing game.

D-line enjoyed strong moments

Besides the wide receivers, Colorado's defensive line may have impressed me the most. Dayon Hayes, Chidozie Nwankwo and BJ Green II accounted for three of the Buffs' seven tackles for loss.

North Dakota State lead running backs CharMar Brown and Barika Kpeenu combined for 65 yards.

Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders improved their Heisman cases

Both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter improved their Heisman Trophy stock on Thursday night with athletic plays and absurd stats. However, as we saw last season, they'll each have to stay healthy while maintaining their ridiculous production.

Savion Riley stepped up for Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig

In a true next-man-up situation, safety Savion Riley played well after Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig suffered an injury during the first half. Riley, a former Vanderbilt defensive back, finished with seven total tackles, including a TFL.

Further reading

READ: College football world reacts to Jimmy Horn Jr.'s massive night

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Five things we learned from Colorado's Week 1 takedown of North Dakota State