PASADENA, Calif. — There was no Hollywood ending to Colorado’s final game for the foreseeable future in Southern California.

Despite all the positive energy and momentum that Deion Sanders has brought to Boulder, even Coach Prime team’s isn’t immune to the problems first-year coaches across the country have when taking over a new program.

The Buffaloes (4-4, 1-3 Pac-12) showed in a 28-16 loss to No. 23 UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) they’re not good enough on the offensive or defensive lines.

CU was outgained 487-255 in a loss that drops them to .500 for the first time under Sanders.

Here are three takeaways from the Rose Bowl:

Offense unable to capitalize on UCLA turnovers

Is there a more lopsided matchup in the country than the CU offensive line against this UCLA defensive line?

The Bruins have multiple future NFL players up front, led by star senior Laiatu Latu, and they feasted on a Buffs front five that hasn’t been able to block much of anybody this season.

Shedeur was sacked seven times and hit or hurried on countless more plays as he is once again the most-sacked quarterback in the country. The offense simply did not have much of a chance to move the ball downfield.

The Buffs offense couldn’t capitalize on the solid field position it was afforded, and nearly failed to score a touchdown for the first time all season, but Shedeur’s pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. in the final minutes prevented that from happening.

Travis Hunter remains a special talent

He may not admit it, but Travis Hunter looked gassed in the second half and in overtime in the disastrous loss to Stanford.

Hunter used the bye week to get back to the form we all remember from earlier in the season. He didn’t see many targets on offense like he did the last time out, but that says more about the offense’s struggles as a whole than Hunter’s ability to get open.

On defense, Hunter looked like an All-American-caliber cornerback, grabbing his second and third interceptions as a Buff. Both were spectacular catches, but the first was a truly special play as he was falling to the ground as he made the pick.

https://twitter.com/King_TylerB/status/1718418446986412105

Penalties improve

If there’s one thing Sanders will like from the game, it’s that the Buffs improved at the the main thing the coaching staff identified — penalties — as an issue during the bye week.

After suffering a season-high 17 penalties against Stanford, many of which aided the Cardinal’s comeback, CU had just seven penalties for 60 yards against UCLA and that was enough to win that battle against the Bruins.

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GAME RECAP

No. 23 UCLA 28, Colorado 16

What happened: CU played its first game in 15 days after the long bye week and looked overmatched against a talented UCLA team. The Buffs dropped to 4-4 and 1-3 in the Pac-12 with the defeat in Pasadena.

On offense: It wasn’t statistically the worst game for the CU offense — that came against Oregon — but it sure felt like that unit didn’t have much of a shot against the UCLA defense. Shedeur Sanders finished 27-for-43 for 217 yards and a touchdown on the night, and he’ll certainly feel the seven sacks and countless other hits. The Buffs mustered only 33 rushing yards as a team as offensive coordinator Sean Lewis completely abandoned run calls.

On defense: The CU defense deserves plenty of credit for forcing four turnovers, all in the first half, to keep the Buffs in the game for a good chunk of the night. But that unit eventually wore down against a UCLA rushing attack that is one of the best in the Pac-12. Travis Hunter had two interceptions and Shilo Sanders and Rodrick Ward each forced a fumble, but those turnovers only turned into three points.

Up next: It doesn’t get easier in the Pac-12 as the Buffs return home next Saturday for another tough matchup at the line of scrimmage against No. 11 Oregon State at Folsom Field. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.