Tag: Colorado Buffaloes

Oct 13, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders calls out in the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado looks to rebound at No. 23 UCLA

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado will begin another tough two-week stretch of Pac-12 play when the Buffaloes travel to No. 23 UCLA on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Colorado (4-3, 1-3) will follow its game against the Bruins by hosting No. 11 Oregon State on Nov. 4 in another nighttime matchup.

The most recent time the Buffaloes faced back-to-back ranked opponents, they were exposed in several ways, losing last month to then-No. 10 Oregon and then-No. 8 Southern California. Colorado fell out of the Top 25 after the loss to the Ducks.

After a narrow win at Arizona State on Oct. 7, Colorado blew a 29-0 lead against visiting Stanford on Oct. 13 and lost 46-43 in double overtime, further eroding a 3-0 start that included a season-opening win against then-No. 17 TCU.

Colorado had a week off to shake the shocking loss to the Cardinal and begin preparing for the Bruins, who are coming off a 42-7 win against Stanford last weekend.

First-year Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders is challenging his players to be better against UCLA while not placing any blame on the recent losses.

“I’m not going to point fingers. That’s not what I’m here for,” Sanders said. “I let the coaches; that’s what they’re here for. They’re here to guide us, so I can’t really say that and throw no teammate under the bus, because that’s not the type of player I am.”

UCLA (5-2, 2-2) faced three straight ranked opponents before playing the Cardinal, and the Bruins went 1-2 vs. those ranked teams.

An injury to UCLA freshman quarterback Dante Moore early last week limited his repetitions in practice, so coach Chip Kelly started redshirt junior Ethan Garbers against Stanford. He performed well, completing 20 of 28 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

Garbers also had 51 rushing yards on eight carries.

Moore came in for one series late against the Cardinal, demonstrating he was healthy enough to play, and Kelly said Monday he had not settled on a starting quarterback for the Colorado game.

“We make our decision at the end of the week, so I couldn’t tell you who’s going to be up or down by (then),” Kelly said. “When we get to the end of the week, we sit down as a staff and we’ll go through it.”

In addition to Moore and Garbers, junior Collin Schlee could be an option under center against the Buffaloes. Schlee was injured earlier this month as well, which took him out of the running to start against Stanford.

“We’re one of the fortunate teams in the country; we have depth at quarterback,” Kelly said. “I believe Ethan’s a starter at the Power 5 level, Dante’s a starter at the Power 5 level, and Collin Schlee’s a starter at the Power 5 level, so that’s a luxury that not a lot of people have.”

Whoever starts at quarterback, he’ll have one of the top wide receivers in the Pac-12 in J. Michael Sturdivant, a transfer from Cal who leads UCLA with 407 receiving yards. He also has three TD catches.

There’s also no mystery which running back will get a majority of carries for the Bruins: Carson Steele, who is averaging 109 rushing yards over the past three weeks, with four touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Colorado S Shilo Sanders likely out vs. No. 8 USC

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Colorado safety Shilo Sanders is not expected to play in Saturday’s home game against No. 8 USC due to a kidney injury, ESPN reported.

Sanders said he was urinating blood after falling awkwardly while making a tackle in the Buffaloes’ 42-6 loss to Oregon last Saturday.

Sanders, who was taken to the emergency room as a precaution, did not participate in practice this week. He is expected to be replaced in the lineup by Rodrick Ward for Colorado (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) for Saturday’s game against the Trojans (4-0, 2-0) in Boulder, Colo.

In four games this season, Sanders has 26 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception returned for a touchdown in a 43-35 double-overtime victory versus Colorado State on Sept. 16.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) warms up prior to the game against the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado all-purpose star Travis Hunter taken to hospital

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Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter exited Saturday’s contest against Colorado State and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The school didn’t immediately announce Hunter’s ailment, but he took a massive shot to his midsection from Rams safety Henry Blackburn with 4:53 left in the first quarter.

Hunter, who stars at both cornerback and wide receiver for Colorado, was running a go route down the left sideline when quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ pass landed out of Hunter’s reach. As Hunter let up with the ball falling to the ground, that’s when Blackburn delivered the hit.

Blackburn was flagged for a personal foul on the play.

Hunter later returned to the contest. He had two receptions for 21 yards, losing a fumble on one of them that Colorado State’s Ron Hardge III returned 45 yards for a touchdown. On defense, the cornerback made two tackles.

Hunter played more than 100 snaps in each of Colorado’s first two games.

The in-state rivalry game was emotional from the start, with players from both teams getting together and trash-talking at midfield well before kickoff. The emotions carried into the game, with the teams combining for 16 penalties for 179 yards in the first half.

Hunter entered Saturday’ game with 14 catches for 192 yards on offense, and seven tackles, one interception and a pair of pass breakups on defense.

Colorado is currently the No. 18 team in the nation.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines in the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado’s Deion Sanders gifts shades as jab at Colorado St. coach

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders took to national television Friday to show just how “personal” this weekend’s game against visiting Colorado State has become.

On Wednesday night, Rams head coach Jay Norvell took issue with the pomp and circumstance surrounding the game in Boulder, Colo., with much of the attention cast on Sanders and the 18th-ranked Buffaloes (2-0).

“We had to do a bunch of ESPN videos, and it was great, I loved it,” Norvell said on his coach’s show. “But our kids came out of all those videos really with a chip on their shoulder. They’re tired of all that stuff. They really are tired of it.

“I sat down with ESPN today. And I don’t care if they hear it in Boulder. I told them I took my hat off and my glasses off. And I told them, ‘When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off.’ That’s what my mother taught me.”

Sanders responded with a spirited speech to his team in Thursday’s practice, with the term “personal” being repeated multiple times by both himself and the team.

Sanders continued on Friday by presenting Prime 21 sunglasses from Blenders to every player, and gifting the same to the hosts of ESPN’s “First Take” and “The Pat McAfee Show.” Sanders has been known throughout his decorated career for his “Prime Time” nickname.

“I don’t like that it happened because this is another (Black) coach,” Sanders told McAfee. “”We started out right? He was complimenting me, I was complimenting him, but it just took a quick left. What happened? Who got to him?

“After what he said previously, it threw me off and I started, I really started to contemplate, what happened? Why would you go into that direction? You know me, you know how I get down. If we really want to talk, I can do this. I’m pretty good at this, but I don’t need to, because the kids, they’re ready.”

Sanders’ youngest son and Colorado quarterback, Shedeur, and cornerback Travis Hunter also addressed the situation on “First Take.”

“All respect (is) gone,” said Shedeur Sanders, who leads the nation with 451.5 passing yards per game. He also has six touchdown passes and no interceptions.

“We know he’s got a lot of pressure, and we’re the players that have to go out there and handle the pressure for him,” Hunter said.

Colorado State (0-1), which plays out the Mountain West Conference, was thumped 50-24 by Washington State on Sept. 2.

The Rams have dropped 24 consecutive games against ranked opponents since beating then-No. 7 Colorado in 2002 during Sonny Lubick’s tenure as their coach.

Colorado State has lost the past five meetings — the most recent was in 2019 — in the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Tar'Varish Dawson (6) scores a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

No. 22 Colorado makes it 2-0, takes down Nebraska

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Shedeur Sanders passed for 393 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for another score and No. 22 Colorado doubled last season’s victory total with a 36-14 nonconference victory over Nebraska on Saturday afternoon at Boulder, Colo.

The Buffaloes were a woeful 1-11 last season before Deion Sanders was hired as coach and engaged in a roster overhaul that brought in 84 new players. Colorado (2-0) stunned then-No. 17 TCU in its season opener last week, then defeated its former Big 12 rival for the third straight time.

Tar’Varish Dawson scored two touchdowns (one receiving, one rushing) and Jace Feely kicked three field goals for the Buffaloes. Xavier Weaver caught 10 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown for Colorado.

Jeff Sims rushed for a touchdown and completed 9 of 15 passes for 106 yards for Nebraska (0-2). But he also was intercepted once and lost three fumbles to negatively affect the offense for the second straight game.

Sims threw three interceptions in the Cornhuskers’ season-opening 13-10 loss to Minnesota on Aug. 31.

Gabe Ervin Jr. rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries for Nebraska.

Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig had an interception for Colorado and teammates Arden Walker, Jordan Domineck and Buster Thomas recovered fumbles.

Shedeur Sanders completed 31 of 42 passes while enjoying his second straight big game. He set the Colorado school record with 510 passing yards in his debut.

The Buffaloes outgained Nebraska 468 to 341.

The game was scoreless until Sims fumbled a shotgun snap and Domineck recovered to set up Colorado at the Cornhuskers’ 19-yard line. Feely cashed it in with a 31-yard field goal with 4:20 left in the half.

On Nebraska’s next possession, Silmon-Craig intercepted Sims’ pass to give the Buffaloes the ball at the Cornhuskers’ 30. On the next play, Sanders threw a 30-yard scoring pass to Dawson to make it 10-0 with 2:35 remaining.

Feely tacked on a 32-yard field as time expired to give the Buffaloes a 13-0 halftime lead.
Sims broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run with 9:50 left in the third quarter for Nebraska. But Colorado answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Sanders’ 12-yard scoring pass to Weaver with 6:49 left in the third quarter.

Feely booted a 30-yard field goal to make it 23-7 with 1:20 left in the period.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Sims lost the ball on a handoff exchange and Thomas recovered. The Buffaloes moved 65 yards on nine plays with Dawson taking a reverse 8 yards for a touchdown to make it 29-7. A two-point conversion failed.

Shedeur Sanders scored on a 6-yard run with 4:54 remaining before Nebraska completed the scoring on Heinrich Haarberg’s 4-yard scoring pass to Thomas Fidone III on the game’s final play.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deon Sanders walks on the field before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Wild win for Colorado over No. 17 TCU in coach Deion Sanders’ debut

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Shedeur Sanders passed for a school-record 510 yards and threw four touchdowns, Dylan Edwards accounted for four scores and Colorado started the Deion Sanders coaching era with a 45-42 shootout victory over No. 17 TCU on Saturday afternoon at Fort Worth, Texas.

Edwards caught three scoring passes, including turning a short pass from Sanders into the winning 46-yard touchdown with 4:25 remaining in the season opener for both schools.

The victory was stunning as Deion Sanders took over a 1-11 team and orchestrated an offseason roster shakeup. Only 10 of last season’s 84 scholarship players remain with the program.

Furthermore, TCU reached the College Football Playoff title game last season before being crushed 65-7 by Georgia.

“We told you we were coming,” Deion Sanders told FOX in a postgame interview. “You thought we were joking. And guess what, we keep receipts. God bless you, America.”

Shedeur Sanders completed 38 of 47 passes and Edwards had 135 yards on five receptions as one of four Colorado players to top 100 receiving yards. Two-way standout Travis Hunter caught 11 passes for 119 yards and also recorded an interception for the Buffaloes.

Jimmy Horn Jr. had 11 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown and Xavier Weaver caught six passes for 118 yards.

TCU’s Chandler Morris passed for 279 touchdowns, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for a score.

Trey Sanders rushed for three touchdowns and Jared Wiley and Dylan Wright each caught a touchdown pass for the Horned Frogs. Emani Bailey rushed for 164 yards on 14 carries.

TCU took a 35-31 lead when Morris scored on a 19-yard keeper with 10:49 remaining in the game. But Colorado moved back ahead three-plus minutes later when Shedeur Sanders tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Horn.

Major Everhart took the ensuing kickoff 86 yards to the Buffaloes’ 8-yard line. Two plays later, Trey Sanders scored from the 1 to give the Horned Frogs a 42-38 lead with seven minutes remaining.

After Colorado took the lead on Edwards’ final score, the defense stopped the Horned Frogs with 55 seconds left.

The Buffaloes outgained TCU 565 to 541.

Colorado increased its three-point halftime lead to 24-14 after Edwards caught a short pass in the right flat from Shedeur Sanders and finished off a 75-yard catch-and-run just 36 seconds into the third quarter.

But 55 seconds later, the Horned Frogs were back within three when Morris tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Wiley. TCU went ahead for the first time when Morris threw a 23-yard scoring pass to Wright for a 28-24 lead with 2:32 left in the period.

Edwards scored from the 7 to give Colorado a 31-28 lead with 27 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jace Feely booted a 49-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give Colorado a 17-14 halftime lead.

The “Coach Prime” era began well as the Buffaloes forced a three-and-out to start the game and then drove 73 yards on 13 plays for a touchdown. The score came on Shedeur Sanders’ 4-yard pass to Edwards with 8:58 left in the quarter.

TCU knotted the score on a 7-yard run by Trey Sanders 63 seconds into the second quarter. Colorado moved back ahead 4 1/2 minutes later on a 2-yard run by Sy’veon Wilkerson.

TCU tied the game at 14 on Trey Sanders’ 4-yard run with 1:53 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Apr 22, 2023; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first half of the spring game at Folsom Filed. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Deion Sanders, rebuilt Colorado draw No. 17 TCU for opening act

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No. 17 TCU played in last season’s College Football Playoff title contest, but Colorado is the program creating the overwhelming buzz leading into Saturday’s season opener at Fort Worth, Texas.

Deion Sanders, inducted into both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame as a player, is the new coach of the Buffaloes and attempting to turn the downtrodden program into a winner.

Colorado went 1-11 last season and Sanders — who refers to himself as “Coach Prime” — emptied the roster in a manner never seen before in college football history.

Only 10 of last season’s 84 scholarship players are still with the program — seven on offense, three on defense. According to BuffZone, there are 114 players in the program, including walk-ons, and 86 of them are in their first season at Colorado.

“I know it was a huge overhaul, but it had to be done,” Sanders told the publication.

Sanders was hired after going 27-6 in three seasons at Jackson State. He brought his two sons — quarterback Shedeur and safety Shilo — as well as highly regarded cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter from the Tigers.

He heavily worked the transfer portal but many prognosticators don’t expect such a philosophy to create an immediate turnaround.

“We’ve got a lot of doubters — I don’t know why,” Shilo Sanders said. “But we don’t have an underdog mindset. That’s how we’re coming. I’m not thinking we need to prove a lot. We just need to go out there and do what we do.”

The Buffaloes need to improve on defense. The unit ranked last in the nation in scoring defense (44.5) last season. Safety Trevor Woods (84 tackles) is the unit’s top returning player.

Shedeur Sanders is expected to pump up the offense. He started for two seasons at Jackson State and passed for 6,983 yards, 70 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also rushed for nine scores.

The Horned Frogs (13-2 in 2022) routed Colorado 38-13 in last season’s opener in the first meeting between the schools.

But TCU coach Sonny Dykes said he won’t be watching that game film due to the roster shakeup.

“Obviously, that tape is not going to be worth anything,” Dykes said Monday. “I haven’t even watched it because there is no reason to.”

TCU is operating in a bigger spotlight this season after putting together a surprise campaign for the ages. The Horned Frogs crashed the four-team playoff and beat Michigan in the semifinals before being steamrolled 65-7 by Georgia in the national championship game.

Dykes allows the final game was ugly but doesn’t think reaching the title contest was a one-time occurrence.

“Anybody can have a good year every now and then,” Dykes said. “We want to be a program that’s consistently in the Top 25. We want to be a program that consistently plays for conference championships, that’s in a conference race in late November. We do those things, we’re going to be in the college football playoff conversation.”

Max Duggan had a magical season and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up but few people remember he wasn’t the opening-game quarterback.

Chandler Morris won the job but sustained a left knee injury in Game 1 that opened the door for Duggan.

Morris said he has a chip on his shoulder “because you go out and you win the job in camp and you get hurt in the third quarter like 27 plays into the game and you’re done.”

–Field Level Media

Lakeland (7) Cormani McClain runs back an interception against Osceola during first half action in Lakeland Fl Friday December 2,2022.Ernst Peters/The Ledger 120222 Ep Preps 9 News

Colorado, Deion Sanders flip 5-star cornerback from Miami

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Deion Sanders continues to bring in highly-rated prospects to Colorado, on Thursday getting his first five-star recruit to commit to the Buffaloes.

Cormani McClain, a cornerback from Lakeland, Fla., and the No. 4 prospect in ESPN’s rankings, had verbally committed to Miami in October, but on Thursday he announced he had flipped to Colorado. McClain is the highest-rated recruit for Colorado since ESPN began the rankings in 2006.

Miami did not lock in McClain during the early signing period in late December, as he waited when Colorado hired Sanders away from Jackson State. McClain (6-foot-2, 165 pounds) is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Florida.

He won’t be able to sign a national letter of intent until the February signing period. McClain would join Travis Hunter, a five-star cornerback who flipped from Florida State to Jackson State and then-head coach Sanders in the Class of 2022. Hunter transferred to Colorado in the offseason.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Money Parks (10) is congratulated for his touchdown by Utah Utes offensive lineman Paul Maile (54) in the second quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Utah wallops Colorado to keep Pac-12 title game hopes alive

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cameron Rising was 17-for-19 passing for 234 yards and three touchdowns, Ja’Quindon Jackson rushed for 117 yards and three scores, and the No. 14 Utah Utes beat the Colorado Buffaloes 63-21 in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday.

The Utes (9-3, 8-1) can clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game against USC if Washington beats Washington State later Saturday. Utah stayed in the hunt after Oregon State rallied to beat Oregon on Saturday.

Micah Bernard ran for 91 yards and a TD, Dalton Kincaid had five receptions for 102 yards and a score and Thomas Yassmin, Money Parks and Makai Cope had touchdown catches for the Utes.

Alex Fontenot and Anthony Hankerson ran for touchdowns and Maddox Kopp was 14-for-27 passing for 123 yards and a TD to Frank Fillip for the Buffaloes (1-11, 1-8).

Utah took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on TD runs by Bernard and Jackson, and the Utes opened a big lead in the second quarter.

Bernard carried four times for 53 yards on the next drive and three plays later Jackson scored his second TD with a two-yard run early in the second quarter. After forcing another punt, Utah struck again on a 41-yard TD pass from Rising to Yassmin to make the score 28-0.

Rising made the score 35-0 with a nine-yard TD pass to Parks with 52 seconds left in the half. Colorado used 24 seconds before punting again and Rising finished off a big first half with a 29-yard TD pass to Kincaid with three seconds left.

The Buffaloes intercepted Rising on the first drive of the second half and returned it to the Utah 11. Two plays later, Fontenot scored from one yard out. Jackson scored on a 66-yard run 48 seconds later to make it 48-7.

After another Colorado punt, Bryson Barnes connected with Cope for a 21-yard TD pass late in the third quarter. The Buffaloes responded with its longest drive of the game, 79 yards, finished off by Hankerson’s 23-yard TD run.

Jaylon Glover scored the Utes’ ninth touchdown on a five-yard run.

–Field Level Media