Tag: Colorado Buffaloes

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) takes a hike in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

No. 25 Colorado shuts out Oklahoma State in lopsided matchup

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Travis Hunter made the most of his last impression on Heisman Trophy voters with three touchdown receptions, two pass breakups and an interception for No. 25 Colorado in a 52-0 win against Oklahoma State on Friday in Boulder, Colo.

The two-way star wasted little time making a splash. His interception was on the third play of the game and his first score was an 11-yard catch to give the Buffaloes (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

Shedeur Sanders connected on 34-of-41 passes for 438 yards, five touchdowns and an interception, setting Colorado’s single-season passing record. Koy Detmer had held that record since 1996.

Hunter had 116 yards on 10 grabs with three touchdowns and LaJohntay Wester had 11 catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

Micah Welch had a rushing touchdown for Colorado which kept its slim Big 12 Championship Game hopes alive. With Friday’s win, the Buffaloes are a half-game ahead of the rest of the league, but two of the three teams breathing down their necks — BYU, Arizona State or Iowa State — need to lose tomorrow for Colorado to advance to Arlington next week. They could also get to the championship game if BYU and West Virginia both lose.

Maealiuaki Smith was 11-of-29 for 70 yards and two interceptions for the Cowboys. Colorado outgained Oklahoma State 471-147.

In the first quarter, the Cowboys (3-9, 0-9) offense managed 16 yards, threw a pick to Hunter on its first drive, went three-and-out on its second, had a fumble recovered by Shilo Sanders on its third and punted on its fourth.

Oklahoma State had more penalty yards — eight for 74 yards — than it did offense — 30 yards — in the first half. The Cowboys had six three-and-outs and just one first down.

Colorado opened the second half with Wester’s 69-yard touchdown reception and its lead grew to 28-0. OSU fumbled on its next possession, which was recovered by Chidozie Nwankwo. The turnover led to Hunter’s second touchdown of the game, an 8-yard pass from Sanders, and a 35-0 Buffaloes lead.

After an Alejandro Mata field goal made the score 38-0, DJ McKinney returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown and a 45-0 Colorado lead on the second play of the fourth quarter.

The Buffaloes went up 52-0 when Sanders hit Hunter from 23 yards out as he was being pulled down for his third touchdown of the day.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders calls in a play in the first quarter against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

No. 16 Colorado visits Kansas seeking fifth straight win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Deion Sanders show is coming to Kansas City.

Sanders and No. 16 Colorado will test their mettle against Kansas on Saturday in Kansas City, Mo. The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, as all of Kansas’ home games this season are away from Lawrence, Kan.

The Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) have won four straight games. If they win their last two — including a home contest against Oklahoma State on Nov. 29 — they will play in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 7 for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

But first things first. The Buffaloes likely will have their hands full with the Jayhawks (4-6, 3-4), who have won two straight games against ranked teams for the first time in school history. A week after knocking off Iowa State at Arrowhead, the Jayhawks handed BYU its first loss of the season on Saturday night with a 17-13 decision in Provo, Utah.

“I feel like our team has always done a great job being able to stay the course,” quarterback Jalon Daniels said. “I feel like a big staple within our program is being able to trust the process.”

The Jayhawks’ bowl chances seemed all-but done after they lost to Kansas State on Oct. 26 to fall to 2-6 overall. But if they knock off the Buffaloes and then win at Baylor on Nov. 30, they’ll be bowl eligible.

“I have a lot of respect for Coach Sanders,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said Monday. “The thing we have in common is that we’ve come up through the ranks. He’s found a way to be successful using his own philosophy. He’s built a college football team that’s one of the most improved in college football in a very short period of time.

“They’re a very talented team that’s playing with a lot of confidence.”

The Jayhawks’ victory over BYU was a defensive struggle, which snapped a streak of six straight games of scoring at least 27 points.

The Buffaloes have been scoring a lot of points in their four-game winning streak. They scored 34 points in back-to-back games before scoring 41 at Texas Tech and 49 against Utah last Saturday.

Still, Sanders wasn’t completely satisfied.

“We haven’t even put it all together yet,” Sanders said at his postgame news conference. “Like we haven’t even played our best game. That should be in itself scary. When I said (when he was hired at Colorado), ‘We comin.’ We still coming. We never stopped coming. We are coming, and we ain’t nearly there yet.”

Now, with the Jayhawks in their sights, Sanders isn’t going to take anything for granted.

“They’re tough, they’re physical, they play a consistent game,” Sanders said. “That quarterback gives you problems because he’s very versatile. The defense can take the ball away interception-wise and they have not given up — regardless of what the record may state — the last two weeks. They’ve knocked some people off their feet. It’s going to be a tremendous task for us.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) looks on before the game against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders carries No. 17 Colorado past Utah 49-24

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Shedeur Sanders threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns as No. 17 Colorado withstood a late rally in a 49-24 win over Utah on Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

Sanders connected on 30 of 41 passes and had an interception. Travis Hunter made big plays on offense along with an interception and pass defended on defense. He added five receptions for 55 yards and a 5-yard rushing touchdown.

Colorado’s LaJohntay Wester had 10 receptions for 77 yards and a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown. Drelon Miller caught six passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, while Will Sheppard had five catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

Isaiah Augustave had seven carries for 59 yards and a touchdown for Colorado (8-2, 6-1 Big 12), while Nikhai Hill-Green and DJ Mckinney also had interceptions The Colorado defense had four sacks.

Isaac Wilson was 21-of-40 passing for 236 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions for Utah (4-6, 1-6 Big 12). Cole Becker had first-half field goals of 32, 34 and 47 yards for the Utes.

Utah’s Dorian Singer had five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown and Caleb Lohner had a touchdown catch.

On the first play of the game, Sanders’ pass was intercepted by Lanyard Barton. The pick led to Becker’s first field goal and an early 3-0 Utes lead.

At 8:09 in the first quarter, Sanders lofted a 40-yard touchdown pass to Sheppard on a fourth-down play as Colorado took a 7-3 lead. Wester’s punt return touchdown gave Colorado a 14-3 lead and Sheppard’s second TD catch just before halftime gave Colorado a 21-6 lead.

Early in the second half, the Buffaloes turned Hill-Green’s interception into points one play later when Augustave high stepped into the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown run and a 28-9 Colorado lead.

Later in the third quarter, Singer and Wilson hooked up for a 40-yard touchdown to shrink the Buffaloes’ lead to 28-16.

With 13:58 left in the game, Drelon Miller fought through two tackles on a 47-yard touchdown reception as Colorado took a 35-16 lead.

The Utes rallied late, with a 3-yard touchdown reception by Lohner and a nifty, tackle-eligible two-point conversion play to Spencer Fano that cut the Colorado lead to 35-24.

On the Buff’s next possession, Utah recovered a fumble. But McKinney’s interception thwarted the next Utah drive which set up Offerdahl’s 4-yard touchdown scamper for a 41-24 lead.

With under three minutes to play, Hunter took a double reverse into the end zone for a 5-yard rushing touchdown and a 49-24 Colorado lead.

-Field Level Media

Colorado's Shedeur Sanders scrambles against Texas Tech in a Big 12 football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Shedeur Sanders, No. 20 Colorado rally past Texas Tech

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Shedeur Sanders passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns and had a rushing score, and Shilo Sanders recovered a fumble for a touchdown as No. 20 Colorado rallied to beat Texas Tech 41-27 on Saturday afternoon in Lubbock, Texas.

After Texas Tech jumped out to a 13-0 first-quarter lead, Colorado’s defense took over. The Red Raiders had just 95 yards in the second and third quarters combined. The Buffaloes (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) racked up 10 tackles for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and a touchdown.

Colorado’s defense either forced a three-and-out or a turnover on five straight Red Raiders’ drives between the third and fourth quarters.

Travis Hunter had nine catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, LaJohntay Wester had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown and Will Sheppard had eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Texas Tech’s Behren Morton was 24-for-40 passing for 275 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Tahj Brooks led Texas Tech (6-4, 4-3) with 137 rushing yards and a touchdown. Josh Kelly had eight catches for 106 yards and Jalin Conyers addd two touchdown catches.

Late in the third, Texas Tech tried a fake punt but threw an incomplete pass. Colorado took possession and needed only four plays to score on a screen pass from Sanders to Hunter for a 31-20 lead.

Texas Tech tried to convert a 4th-and-9 from the Colorado 45-yard line but a sack led to a turnover on downs early in the fourth. After a Colorado punt, a Morton interception led to Mata’s 33-yard field goal and a 34-20 lead with 9:46 left in the fourth.

Following a turnover on its previous possession, the next Texas Tech drive ended with Colorado snuffing out a fourth-and-goal rushing attempt from the 1-yard line.

The Red Raiders scored on their first possession when Morton hit Conyers with a 17-yard pass for a 7-0 lead.

Gino Garcia drilled a 52-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. After a Colorado three-and-out, Garcia connected on a 39-yard field goal to put the Red Raiders ahead 13-0 in the opening quarter.

Colorado got on the board with 2:28 left in the first half, when Wester took a short pass 23 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 13-7.

The Buffaloes had to settle for a Mata 26-yard field goal to cap a 12-play drive and close within 13-10 just 30 seconds before halftime.

On its first second-half possession, Colorado took a 17-13 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Sanders.

Texas Tech answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Brooks and a 20-17 advantage.

On the Buffaloes’ next drive, Sheppard had back-to-back highlight plays. He took a Sanders screen-pass for a 17-yard gain as he zig-zagged through defenders to set up first and goal.

One play later, Sheppard was rewarded with a 5-yard touchdown pass on a fade route as the Buffaloes retook the lead at 24-20.

Conyers snagged his second touchdown catch of the game with 2:12 left to cut Colorado’s lead to 34-27.

But Shilo Sanders recovered a Morton fumble for a defensive touchdown with less than a minute left.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass in the second half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado bowl-eligible after beating Cincinnati

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Shedeur Sanders completed 25 of 30 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown as Colorado beat Cincinnati 34-23 and on Saturday night in Boulder, Colo.

Sanders connected on his first 15 passes and didn’t throw an incompletion until 3:37 was left in the second quarter. Colorado (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) is bowl-eligible in a full season for the first time since 2016.

Travis Hunter had nine catches on nine targets for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Jimmy Horn Jr. had five catches for 78 yards and Isaiah Augustave had 91 rushing yards on 22 carries with a touchdown.

Brendan Sorsby completed 16 of 30 passes for 180 yards and passed for two touchdowns for Cincinnati. Corey Kiner rushed for 94 yards on 17 carries and Evan Pryor had a rushing touchdown in the loss. Joe Royer had 50 receiving yards and a touchdown and Tony Johnson had 54 yards and a touchdown catch.

Colorado scored on its first possession when Sanders found Hunter for a 3-yard touchdown catch with 9:32 left in the first.

Cincinnati (5-3, 3-2) would answer on its next drive as Sorsby’s 6-yard pass was caught by Johnson in the corner of the endzone to tie the game at 7-7. The highlight of the seven play, 74-yard drive was a 40-yard swing pass from Sorsby to Pryor.

The first quarter ended with Sanders’ 4-yard touchdown run that gave Colorado a 14-7 lead.

On Cincinnati’s first possession of the second quarter, Pryor spun into the end zone on a 13-yard run to tie the game 14-14.

With 3:28 left in the second quarter, Alejandro Mata drilled a 28-yard field goal to give Colorado a 17-14 lead. After the Colorado defense held Cincinnati on fourth down, Sanders lofted a 34-yard touchdown pass to Hunter for a 24-14 Colorado lead with three seconds left in the first half.

Colorado scored on its first four possessions and the Bearcats trailed at halftime for the first time all year.

After the teams traded punts to start the second half, Augustave capped a six-play, 62-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to extend the Colorado lead to 31-14.

The Bearcats settled for a 32-yard field goal by Nathan Hawks to cut the Colorado lead to 31-17 with 9:20 left in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati made it a one-score game with 3:51 to play when Sorsby connected with Royer for a 6- yard touchdown to make the score 31-23. The two-point conversion failed.

A 47-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter by Mata just cleared the crossbar to pad the Buffaloes lead at 34-23.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Colorado hosts Cincinnati in critical Big 12 contest

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Colorado and Cincinnati both want to keep momentum going and become bowl eligible on Saturday night as they continue their bounce-back seasons in Boulder, Colo.

The Bearcats (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) are on a two-game winning streak and knocked off Arizona State 24-14 at home last week. They missed a bowl game last season with a 3-9 record and went 1-8 in their first Big 12 campaign.

Back in the Big 12 for the first time since 2011, the Buffaloes (5-2, 3-1) won 34-7 at Arizona last week and have already surpassed their win total from last season’s 4-8 campaign. With a win, Colorado would be bowl eligible for only the third time since 2007.

Cincinnati has rebounded behind quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who has 1,928 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, a team high six rushing touchdowns and four interceptions.

Corey Kiner leads the Bearcats with 628 rushing yards. Xzavier Henderson has 541 receiving yards and four touchdown catches. Jared Bartlett has 4.5 sacks and two passes defended.

“I love the way (Cincinnati) attacks,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “They get to the ball and I love what they are accomplishing this season. We can’t make mistakes or start out slow. We’ve got to go get them.”

The Bearcats and Buffaloes are tied with Kansas State and Texas Tech with one Big 12 loss.

“There’s a lot riding on the line,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. “We are both sitting right there near the top of the conference with a lot at stake.”

Last week, the Colorado defense recorded seven sacks of Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita and held Arizona to a season low in points. Colorado has 16 sacks in its last three games and leads the Big 12 with 21.

Shedeur Sanders is fifth in the nation with 2,268 passing yards and tied for second with 27.68 completions per game. The senior is tied for fifth in the country with 19 touchdown passes against six interceptions.

Two-way star Travis Hunter leads Colorado with 604 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions. LaJohntay Wester has 445 receiving yards and a team-high seven TD catches.

“(Colorado) has an incredible passing game,” Satterfield said. “They are hard to defend, hard to stop and hard to slow down.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) warms up before the game against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

UCF running game looks to counter Colorado’s passing

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UCF and Colorado are in positions similar to last year as they ready for Saturday afternoon’s Big 12 clash in Orlando, Fla.

The Knights (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) won their first three games in 2023 before their season went into a lengthy struggle that led to a final 6-7 record. The Buffaloes (3-1, 1-0) started 3-0 last year before stumbling to a final 4-8 mark.

Both coaches are putting aside any thought of a repeat performance.

“This is a completely different team,” UCF’s Gus Malzahn said this week. “We have more experience. I’ve said that before. We’re actually 1-0 in the conference and we weren’t that way last year.

“We have a real quality road win (at TCU) so it’s a different year. That ship’s sailed. We’re not thinking that way. We’ve got a big game and we’ve got to take care of business.”

Colorado’s Deion Sanders likes the way his Buffaloes have progressed in bounce-back wins over Colorado State and Baylor since a Sept. 7 loss at Nebraska.

“We’re getting there,” he said. “We’re getting closer. The one thing I can honestly and wholeheartedly say is we’re getting better every week in different facets of the game. You know darn well that you can’t compare last year’s defense to this defense or the offense as well. You see progress.”

The Knights enter the game ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 in both rushing (375.7 yards per game) and stopping the run (64.0). The Buffaloes are last in rushing (68.8) and 10th in stopping the run (150.8).

“Load up the box and pray,” Sanders said of his plan for slowing a UCF run game led by R.J. Harvey’s 149.3 yards per game.

UCF’s concern is contending with Colorado’s passing game. Shedeur Sanders has thrown for an average of 335.0 yards a game and hit a Hail Mary as time ran out to send last week’s win over Baylor to overtime.

“You’ve got to put pressure on him, there’s no doubt,” Malzahn said. “So far we’ve not done a great job putting pressure on quarterbacks when they’re thrown it. “

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) before the game against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Baylor’s No. 1 pass defense to test Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders

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Baylor’s top-ranked passing defense will try to slow down a potent Colorado aerial attack in Saturday’s Big 12 Conference opener for both teams in Boulder, Colo.

Baylor coach Dave Aranda assumed defensive play calls this season and the Bears (2-1) have allowed just 75.7 passing yards per game.

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 999 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s been sacked seven times.

Travis Hunter is a do-everything star for the Buffaloes (2-1). As a receiver, he has a team-high 30 receptions for 342 yards and five scores. On defense, he’s a shutdown corner with 11 tackles and an interception.

“I have a lot of respect offensively for what they do,” Aranda said. “Their quarterback makes some really hard throws. If he knows what you’re in, the throws are out before the turns are made and before the coverage has a chance to work a leverage or any of that. Once he knows, it’s bad for the defense. And then, I think the skill is such that you can only double cover so many people.”

In a 31-3 home win against Air Force last week, Sawyer Robertson started at quarterback for Baylor in place of an injured Dequan Finn and completed 18 of 24 passes for 248 yards with a rushing touchdown.

Aranda said he “hoped to have an idea” of this week’s starter prior to Saturday.

“We’re going with, right now, day-to-day,” Aranda said of Finn’s status. “Dequan is out of the sling, so we had practice (Monday) morning and he was able to move around better. There are limitations on what we can do per day, but I think we’re in a good spot.”

After struggling to establish a rushing attack in its first two games, Colorado racked up a season-high 116 yards on the ground in last week’s 28-9 win against rival Colorado State.

“When we are more physical and able to understand our basic fundamentals, we are able to run the ball more effectively,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “We want to run the ball effectively and stop the run. We don’t know which quarterback they’ll feature but are preparing for both of them. Baylor is physical and strong and they don’t make a lot of self-inflicted mistakes.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Colorado State out to reclaim Centennial Cup from Colorado

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Colorado and Colorado State renew a longstanding rivalry on Saturday in Fort Collins after a thrilling finish last year.

Colorado beat Colorado State 43-35 in double overtime in last year’s installment of the Rocky Mountain Showdown to retain the Centennial Cup, a trophy that dates to 1893. This year marks the first time the matchup will be played on the Rams’ campus since 1996.

Colorado (1-1) holds a 68-22-2 advantage and is looking to rebound from a 28-10 loss at Nebraska last Saturday. The Buffaloes’ forgettable first half featured a 28-0 halftime deficit and a pick-six. Shedeur Sanders was sacked four times.

While the Buffaloes were overwhelmed in Nebraska, Colorado State (1-1) knocked off FCS opponent Northern Colorado 38-17 last Saturday. Braden Fowler-Nicolosi had 180 passing yards with a touchdown. Keegan Holles had a game-high 89 rushing yards and a TD.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders said his offensive line must offer more protection for Shedeur Sanders and establish a rushing game. Dallan Hayden led Colorado with 32 yards on just five carries.

“Running the football is an attitude you have to have,” Sanders said. “You have to whup your guy on that particular play. We’ve committed to it on certain plays, we just have to do a better job of it.”

While under near constant pressure from the Cornhuskers, Shedeur Sanders threw for 244 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“Everything starts with their offense and quarterback,” Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. “They are very, very capable of being very explosive. They have a lot of speed at wide receiver and are very fast with (Travis) Hunter, (Jimmy) Horn Jr. and (LaJohntay) Wester. They mostly attack through the air and everything goes through the quarterback. When they make explosive plays, they are very hard to slow down.”

According to Pro Football Focus, wide receiver/defensive back Hunter played 128 of 136 plays against Nebraska. He leads Colorado with 17 catches, 242 yards and three touchdowns. Last week, the Cornhuskers targeted him with four passes and three were caught for a total of 7 yards.

“The team that’s prepared, that makes the least amount of mistakes will win the game,” Norvell said. “There’s going to be a lot of energy and we have to do a better job of controlling it and focusing it the proper way.”

–Field Level Media

Jul 13, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Colorado Buffalos head coach and former MLB and NFL player Deion Sanders (21) of the National League is interviewed during the 2024 All Star Celebrity Softball Game at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado braces for physical season opener vs. North Dakota State

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Colorado is looking to build tradition while North Dakota State wants its to continue under a new coach in the season opener for both teams on Thursday in Boulder, Colo.

North Dakota State has won 17 NCAA FCS national championships. Former Wyoming offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tim Polasek will coach his first game for the Bison after Matt Entz took the assistant head coach for defense/linebackers job at Southern California.

Colorado’s last winning full season was 2016. The Buffaloes have lost six straight games and went 4-8 last season.

Last year, NDSU was 11-4 and lost 31-29 in double overtime to Montana in the FCS semifinals.

“NDSU is a storied program with a lot of history that has won a lot of games against some great schools,” Colorado sophomore center Hank Zilinskas said. “They have the mentality that they don’t care who they are playing, they’re going to come in and play their butts off. We’re getting ready for a physical game.”

Colorado coach Deion Sanders said he didn’t use the Bison’s resume as motivation.

“We won’t overlook them,” Sanders said. “Everybody wants to beat us and we want to beat everybody. (The Bison) will be well prepared, they will be disciplined and they will come to play.”

Last season, NDSU led the FCS with 47 rushing touchdowns and was fourth in team rushing yards at 237.3 per game.

“We revamped things to be able to stop the run,” Sanders said. “The No. 1 things for us are to be able to run the ball, protect (quarterback Shedeur Sanders) and stop the run defensively.”

Senior defensive tackle Eli Mostaert and junior defensive tackle Jaxon Duttenhefer anchor a Bison’s line that will try to slow the Buffaloes’ up-tempo offense led by Shedeur Sanders and two-way junior Travis Hunter, who plays wide receiver and defensive back.

“The singular focus stays on execution and us,” Polasek said. “First games are about playing clean football and being opportunistic. Good clean plays are the result of good fundamentals.”

–Field Level Media