A Complete History Of Utah Football’s Matchups With Colorado
Oct 23, 2025, 5:04 PM
Utah Utes defensive back Ryan Lacy (26) gets ready to tackle Colorado Buffaloes tight end DaVaughn Thornton (85) during the first half of the Utah vs. Colorado football game at the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. (Photo courtesy of Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — This weekend, Utah football hosts another program rival at Rice-Eccles Stadium: the Colorado Buffaloes.
The “Rumble in the Rockies” has been played 71 times, dating back to 1903. The Utes and Buffaloes have shared a conference three separate times, and due to proximity, have played as non-conference foes many times as well.
The schools were two of four to join the Big 12 Conference in 2024, and this Saturday marks their second straight meeting as conference opponents — the 72nd overall matchup in the series.
The Last Meeting
A little over 11 months ago, Utah and Colorado met at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado. The meeting was the first as conference rivals in the Big 12.
Led by eventual Heisman winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes laid the smack down on the Utes. Hunter was up to his usual two-way dominance, catching a TD pass from Sanders and also intercepting Utah QB Isaac Wilson.
Dropping 14 in the first and 21 in the fourth, Colorado went on to win 49-24.
ANOTHER ONE FOR THE BUFFS 💯
Travis Hunter and company handle business against Utah 49-24 😤 pic.twitter.com/gUJEwduUap
— ESPN (@espn) November 16, 2024
Utah Vs. Colorado: Full Timeline Of Matchups
The Rivalry’s Early Days
From the first matchup in 1903 to 1909, Utah and Colorado played six times.
During this stretch, Utah was independent, and Colorado was a member of the Colorado Football Association. Other than one year in 1905, when the Buffaloes were also independent.
All in all, Colorado won the first three games and the Utes dropped four of the six during this period.
RMFAC Rivals
In 1910, both schools joined the Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference, or RMAC for short. They would stay here for 27 years before leaving to form a new conference in 1937.
The programs’ first stint in the same conference saw 27 matchups. Utah finished 14-12-1 against the Buffs in the RMAC.
Over half (14) of these games were shutouts for one side. 15 if you count the first-ever tie as a shutout. This era also saw the longest win streak for either side as the Utes won nine in a row from 1925 to 1933.
Move To The Mountain States
Colorado, Utah, and five other schools left the RMAC to form the Mountain States Conference, also known as the Skyline Conference. The Buffaloes left the new conference 14 years before Utah in 1947. Although they still played 11 games in their second stop as conference opponents.
This era was about as even as it gets, with both sides winning five games and the second-ever tie in 1938.
Over 60 Years Of Non-Conference
After leaving the Skyline, Colorado spent the next 62 years as a member of either the Big Eight or the Big 12 conference. Utah also did its fair share of moving, spending time in the Mountain States Conference, Western Athletic Conference, and Mountain West Conference.
There were 13 games played between the schools, all of which came before 1963. The Buffaloes dominated this era, winning nine and forcing the last tie in 1950.
From 1963 to 2010, Utah and Colorado never met on the gridiron.
The Pac-12 Stint
That streak came to an end in 2011 as both schools joined the Pac-12.
The Buffaloes got the first laugh, beating the Utes 17-14 in 2011, but it was almost all Utah from there. They won 11 of the 13 Pac-12 meetings. The largest Utes win in the rivalry came in 2022, as they stomped Colorado 63-21 on the road.
Although the rivalry has been owned by the Utes this century, both teams’ success in the Pac-12 paved the way for the Big 12 era, where the rivalry gets to continue.
Utah had a seven game winning streak over Colorado in the “Rumble in the Rockies” until the Buffaloes won last year’s matchup 49-24.
The last time Colorado won on the road in Salt Lake City was in 2011 when both teams were in the Pac-12. pic.twitter.com/LHFx8fEWIz
— Winsipedia (@Winsipedia) October 20, 2025
What Is Utah Football’s Record Against Colorado?
Utah holds a narrow edge in the all-time series with 35 wins, 33 losses, and three ties.
In Salt Lake City, the Utes have a record of 20-13-2 against the Buffaloes. They have won six in a row at Rice-Eccles as well.
