Less than two years ago, the Utah football team came to Boulder en route to a Pac-12 championship.

The Utes were 29-point favorites and cruised past that mark, crushing Colorado 63-21 to finish off an abysmal, 1-11 season for the Buffaloes.

Life is much different for 18th-ranked CU — and the Utes — today as Utah makes its return to Folsom Field.

Led by head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, who was hired one week after that debacle in 2022, Colorado (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) is aiming for a conference title, while Utah (4-5, 1-5) is going through its most difficult campaign in quite some time.

Sanders and Heisman Trophy candidates Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders have the Buffs rolling, but they also don’t expect an easy day with the Utes in town. Utah’s on a five-game losing streak but the past four have been one-score games.

“Obviously, they’re trying to right their season, so they’re going to come in this game serious,” CU receiver Will Sheppard said. “They know what’s at stake for us, and they know what’s at stake for them, so I think it’s gonna make them play even harder.”

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham certainly hopes that’s the case.

Favored to win the Big 12 coming into the season, Utah climbed to No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25 after a 4-0 start. Injuries have ravaged the Utes’ offense, though. Bowl eligibility is still a possibility, but the Utes are coming off a crushing 22-21 loss to bitter rival BYU last Saturday.The Utes led that game all night and thought they had it won after a fourth-down sack in the closing moments. A penalty against the Utes on that fourth down gave BYU extra life, however, and the Cougars marched down the field for a game-winning field goal.

The Utes came into this week looking to regroup, but Whittingham said Monday, “That’s tough and that’s a challenge for us. We poured everything we had into that game, as we do every week, but that game takes a little more of an emotional toll.

“You’ve got to refocus quick. It’s not quite as easy to shift gears after that game, but you have to.”

CU, meanwhile, came into this week turning the page on an impressive 41-27 win at Texas Tech. The Buffs now control their own path to the Big 12 title game if they can win the last three regular season games.

“The mindset is acting like that didn’t happen,” Sheppard said of the win against Tech. “Just going to the next week, knowing we gotta go 1-0 every single week. We’re focused on Utah, getting down to those details.”

While Utah might be in a fragile state mentally, it has won seven in a row against the Buffs, and Coach Prime has no doubt Whittingham, in his 20th year as Utah’s head coach, will get his team ready.

“I respect the head coach that we’re getting ready to go up against so darn much,” Coach Prime said. “It’s unbelievable. He’s a true legend. What he’s done consistently, Utah is unbelievable. So I have not only respect but admiration for what he’s accomplished, and I would just wish my career could be a portion of what he’s accomplished.

“You cannot take this team lightly.”

Whittingham called this “the most frustrating season of my career,” but said his team has never stopped fighting and working hard.

CU, of course, hasn’t stopped, either.

The Buffs continue to exceed expectations, while focusing on what’s in front of them.

“We know who we are, what we are, how we are, where we’re going, and we know how to get there,” Coach Prime said. “So we don’t listen to the outside noise. And that’s something that we prepare our young men for on a daily basis, not just with football, but with life.”