STANFORD, Calif. — Davis Mills passed for 327 yards and a touchdown in his first game of the season for Stanford (0-2, 0-2 Pac-12), which fell 35-32 despite nearly erasing a 19-point deficit in the final quarter.
Colorado's Sam Noyer passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, Jarek Broussard added 121 yards rushing and Dimitri Stanley caught six passes for 126 yards for the Buffaloes (2-0, 2-0 Pac-12).
Mills, who was unavailable in last week's loss at Oregon due to COVID-19 testing results and contact tracing protocols, completed 31 of 56 passes and connected with Scooter Harrington with 2:34 remaining for his first touchdown of the season.
Mills also led Stanford's rushing attack with 39 yards and a touchdown while Austin Jones' 2-yard run in the fourth quarter accounted for the Cardinal's other score.
Jet Toner added three first-half field goals, keeping the Cardinal within striking distance at 14-9.
Colorado extended its lead to 28-9 following back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter. Noyer produced a 10-yard rushing touchdown before hooking up with Brenden Rice on a 34-yard completion.
Stanford, which dropped its home opener for the first time since 2007, responded by outscoring Colorado 23-7 over the next 20 minutes but it wasn't enough.
After Mills' two-point conversion pass to Tucker Fisk made it 35-32, the Cardinal attempted an onside kick that was recovered by Colorado's La'Vontae Shenault.
Stanford next hosts Washington State on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. PT on ESPN.