‘Scary’ how good Buffaloes could be

On November 17, 2024By Littum

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders issued another warning of sorts after his team crushed Utah on Saturday at home, 49-24.

His team is two wins away from landing in the Big 12 Conference championship game, but still hasn’t quite performed the way he’d like.

Remember what he told the world after being hired in Boulder two years ago?

“We’re coming.”

The Buffaloes (8-2) is still on the way.

“We haven’t even put it all together yet,” Sanders said at his postgame news conference in Boulder. – As if we haven’t even played our best game. That in itself should be terrifying. Like man, when I said, ‘We’re coming,’ we’re still coming. We never stopped coming. We’re coming, and we’re not nearly there yet.”

‘The Buffs are back’

They will almost get there if they win their final two games of the regular season next week at Kansas and at home against Oklahoma State on Nov. 29. Winning both would put them in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas, that December. 7. If they win that, too, they would earn a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff and maybe even get a first-round bye as one of the four highest-ranked conference champions.

But there are problems to solve and a Heisman Trophy to win in the meantime. Sanders discussed that and more after bringing Colorado back from the dead in 2022, when the Buffaloes finished 1-11 the season before his arrival.

“It’s pretty special,” running back Charlie Offerdahl said afterward. “This 1-11 season was very tough. All I can say is the Buffs are back.”

Deion Sanders discusses Travis Hunter’s Heisman candidacy

Colorado cornerback receiver Travis Hunter is the leading candidate to win the Heisman Trophy and turned in another boffo performance to boost his case with a rushing touchdown, an interception, three tackles and five catches for 55 yards while playing nearly every snap . On the other hand, he also allowed the first touchdown pass of the season — a 40-yard pass that was perfectly thrown one step out of his reach in the third quarter.

Afterward, Sanders was asked what his message would be to Heisman voters who are undecided. He responded with concern that some voters might not vote for Hunter because they don’t like his flamboyant coach.

“It’s supposed to go to the best college football player,” Sanders said of the Heisman. “I think it’s been a wrap since what? Week 2? So we’re not soliciting anybody. We’re not. We have a wonderful display of cameras here and I think we’re on national TV every week. If they can’t see us. Don’t allow their hatred for our children to stop. You have to stop it, man deserve, man I had my turn… You had 14 years to hate me. Now let it go.”

Hunter became the first NFL or major college football player to have 50 receiving yards, a rushing touchdown and an interception in the same game in 24 years since Champ Bailey did it in the NFL for Washington against Arizona on Dec. 24, 2000, according to CU.

Why wasn’t Deion Sanders completely satisfied?

The Buffs had three turnovers – two fumbles and an interception thrown on the first play of the game. Two of those turnovers were committed by his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders — each leading to field goals for the Utes (4-6).

Offensively, Colorado also converted just three of 11 third downs after converting just two of 13 last week in a win at Texas Tech.

“This kind of thing can’t happen,” Shedeur Sanders said. “I’m going to have a talk with the whole offense and apologize for my performance out there early because I can’t put the team in that type of situation. I’m thankful for the defense. I might have to take them out to dinner this week for to save me and save the team.”

Shedeur completed 30 of 41 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns in front of another sellout crowd at Folsom Field (54,646). His team led 21-9 at halftime and controlled in large part because of Colorado’s defense, which intercepted three passes, recovered a fumble, made nine tackles for loss and sacked the quarterback four times. Colorado’s defense held Utah to 31 rushing yards, the fewest by the Utes since 2011, according to CU.

The Heisman play

Two plays stood out for different reasons. One was a 4-yard touchdown run by Offerdahl, a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship by Deion Sanders before the season. Sanders has praised Offerdahl’s work ethic in practice and made sure he got the chance to score his first career touchdown for the Buffs with 4:32 left in the fourth quarter.

The second play came later in the fourth quarter after the Buffs recovered a fumble at the Utah 19-yard line. On first and goal from the 5, Shedeur handed the ball to Offerdahl, who then turned t he ball to Hunter on a reverse.

“That play is pretty cool,” Offerdahl said. “We call it the Heisman.”

Hunter scrambled and scored on the play for a 5-yard rushing touchdown up the middle. But that wasn’t what was supposed to happen. Afterwards, Shedeur told Hunter to throw the ball back to Shedeur, but Shedeur tripped, prompting Hunter to improvise.

“I was trying to get open and I can see how hard it is to be a receiver,” Shedeur Sanders said.

Seven receivers caught passes Saturday from Shedeur, including freshman Drelon Miller, who had six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

“We feel like we have the best receiving corps in the country,” Deion Sanders said.

They head to Kansas next Saturday for another nationally televised game on Fox. Buffs are no. 17 in the current playoff rankings and are off to their best start since 2016, when they finished in the Alamo Bowl with a 10-4 record.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected]

(This story was updated to add new information.)