BOULDER — For the second time in three years under Deion Sanders, Colorado finishes with a losing record at Folsom Field.

The Buffaloes (3-8, 1-7 Big 12) dropped their final home game of the season with a 42-17 loss to Arizona State (8-3, 6-2) on Saturday night. 

CU now needs a win next Saturday at Kansas State to avoid the worst record of the Coach Prime era.

Here are three takeaways from the game with the lowest attendance of the Sanders era:

Wacky turnovers

The Sun Devils did everything they could to try to hand the game to the Buffs, but they just couldn’t take advantage.

With former Nebraska quarterback Jeff Sims running the ASU offense, the boom-or-bust nature of the game was in full effect. The Sun Devils turned the ball over four times with three lost fumbles and one interception, but all four of those turnovers (and one turnover on downs) resulted in just seven points for CU.

On the four possessions that started on the plus side of the 50-yard line, the Buffs managed just one field goal. 

Stagnant offense

Julian Lewis’ first home start wasn’t as crisp as the Buffs had hoped for.

While the true freshman quarterback impressed in a loss at West Virginia two weeks ago, the bye week didn’t seem to do much good, as the offense struggled to move the ball consistently all night long.

Lewis led a pair of impressive touchdown drives that went 57 and 79 yards, respectively, but he wasn’t nearly as accurate as he needed to be and struggled with pressure in his face. He finished 19-for-38 passing for 161 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Even an improved rushing attack (135 yards on 30 carries) wasn’t enough to lift the offense.

Tyson’s return

Jordyn Tyson gets the last laugh.

The one-time emerging star wide receiver for the Buffs, now in his third year at Arizona State, impressed in his first game in Boulder in over three years, finishing with two catches for 61 yards in his first game back from a hamstring injury, as the Sun Devils remained in the hunt to get back to the Big 12 Championship Game.