Tag: colorado

Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston (11) returns a punt for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

No. 17 BYU’s defense stymies No. 23 Colorado in Alamo Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 17 BYU’s stout defensive effort shut down No. 23 Colorado’s explosive offense in the Cougars’ 36-14 Alamo Bowl win on Saturday night in San Antonio.

The Cougars, who had four sacks and two interceptions, held Colorado to just two rushing yards and 210 yards of total offense. The Buffaloes averaged 34.5 points and nearly 400 yards of offense per game entering the Alamo Bowl.

“The guys believed in each other,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “We’ve been working on this and I’m really proud of the staff, the coaches and I’m happy all our fans are here. I’m definitely happy for the seniors. These guys love each other, and I am happy we got that win.”

BYU’s Parker Kingston had a 64-yard punt return touchdown. Jake Retzlaff completed 12-of-21 passes for 151 yards and two interceptions.

LJ Martin (93 rushing yards) had two touchdowns on the ground and Sione I Moa ran one in for the Cougars (11-2). Evan Johnson and Isaiah Glasker had interceptions.

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders completed 16-of-23 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter caught four passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Sav’ell Smalls added a touchdown catch.

“We’re not happy with the results, but we are happy with the journey of getting here,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “Wonderful job by BYU. They are well coached. They did a phenomenal job of running the football.

“Their special teams kicked our butts. We couldn’t do nothing much at all on offense. Defensively, we had some sound stops, but we didn’t have enough and came up short.”

DJ McKinney, Anquin Barnes Jr. and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig had interceptions for Colorado (9-4).

Martin gave BYU a 7-0 lead with a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the opening quarter. A 28-yard pass to Martin on a wheel route out of the backfield was the key play on the drive.

After BYU forced a three-and out, Will Ferrin gave the Cougars a 10-0 cushion with a 51-yard field goal.

At the start of the second quarter, Sanders hit Hunter on a short crossing route he turned into a 58-yard gain. But the drive stalled when Sanders was sacked by Logan Lutui for a 23-yard loss. On the next play, Alejandro Mata missed a 48-yard field goal.

Kingston used a wall of blockers down the sideline on his 64-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave the Cougars a 17-0 lead late in the second quarter. BYU went into halftime up 20-0 on Ferrin’s 54-yard field goal.

On Colorado’s first possession of the second half, Johnson picked off a pass that set up BYU’s nine-play scoring drive. The Cougars took a 27-0 lead on Moa’s 13-yard touchdown run.

Hunter made three Cougars defenders miss on a 43-yard touchdown reception that cut the BYU lead to 27-7 with 6:14 left in the third.

Martin’s second TD run gave BYU a 33-7 cushion in the fourth quarter. Colorado tacked on a late score when Sanders hit Smalls with a 2-yard pass.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) following an interception in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

No. 17 BYU, No. 23 Colorado prepare for Big 12-flavored Alamo Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Conference foes No. 17 BYU and No. 23 Colorado will square off on Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

The Cougars (10-2) and Buffaloes (9-3) once had their sights set on a Big 12 Conference championship game appearance and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

But late-season losses dashed those dreams, and in the era of mega conferences, the rare intra-conference bowl game will pit teams that didn’t play in the regular season.

Another rarity is the lack of players opting out to prevent injury. Colorado has taken out disability insurance to safeguard Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

In its latest NFL mock draft, CBS Sports had Hunter going No. 2 to the New England Patriots and Sanders going No. 3 to the Las Vegas Raiders, who would need to trade up to acquire that pick.

Sanders completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Hunter rarely took a snap off, doubling as a wide receiver on offense and a cornerback on defense.

Hunter has declared for April’s NFL draft and had 92 catches for 1,152 yards, 14 receiving touchdowns and a rushing score. He had four interceptions, 11 passes defended and 31 tackles at cornerback.

“Colorado has a ton of talent in all three phases,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “I think a lot of credit goes to the offense for the Heisman Trophy winner (Hunter), Shedeur and the rest of the crew. But we are excited, they are a complete team and we’re excited about the matchup.”

The rest of the crew Sitake referenced includes second-leading receiver LaJohntay Wester, who caught 70 passes for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Will Sheppard, who had 617 yards and six TDs.

Colorado was 4-8 last year in coach Deion Sanders’ first season at the helm.

Freshman receiver Drelon Miller came on late in the season with two touchdowns in the Buffaloes’ last three games and is part of a youth movement that has Deion Sanders excited.

“We have some young talent here that’s going to help this program tremendously,” said the elder Sanders, who has the Buffaloes in just their third bowl game in the past 17 seasons. “When those (young) guys walked on the field, you felt their presence and they wanted us to know that they belong. And it was phenomenal. I don’t want to throw names out, but we got some talent.”

A 9-0 start had the Cougars rise to No. 6 in the Week 11 CFP rankings, but back-to-back losses to Kansas and eventual Big 12 champion Arizona State knocked them out of a shot in the conference title game.

Jake Retzlaff led the BYU turnaround — the Cougars were 5-7 last season — with 2,796 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns. Chase Roberts was his top target with 51 catches for 843 yards and four scores.

Darius Lassiter racked up 679 receiving yards and four touchdowns, but he will sit out the first half of the Alamo Bowl after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second half of the Cougars’ last game of the regular season.

“To flip it and turn it around, what they’ve accomplished this season isn’t a surprise given who their coach is,” Deion Sanders said. “(Sitake is) a good guy with a great team and I adore him.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Deion: Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter insured for bowl game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders financially are protected against potential injuries in Saturday’s Alamo Bowl against BYU, according to Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

The coach confirmed Monday that the school has taken out record disability insurance policies for the two players, who are both projected top-five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“We happen to have two players that are probably gonna be the first two picks of the NFL Draft,” Sanders said at a press conference in San Antonio. “And they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football. … It far exceeds anyone (who) has ever played this game of college football.”

High-caliber players such as Sanders and Hunter typically skip non-playoff bowl games rather than risking injury and potential lost income as top draft selections. The No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft is in line for a four-year deal worth about $40 million.

A spokesman for Colorado’s athletic department confirmed to Front Office Sports that several Buffaloes players are insured for the game, but he did not provide specific costs or benefits.

No. 23 Colorado (9-3) meets No. 17 BYU (10-2) at the Alamodome on Saturday.

Shedeur Sanders has completed 74.2 percent of his passes this season for 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Hunter, the team’s two-way star, won the Heisman earlier this month. He has 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a wide receiver and four interceptions, 11 passes defensed and 31 tackles as a cornerback.

–Field Level Media

Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter (7) celebrates his touchdown against Middle Tennessee during the Salute to Veterans & Armed Forces game at MTSU on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.

Transfer QB Kaidon Salter commits to Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter committed to Colorado on Wednesday, multiple outlets reported.

With one season of eligibility remaining, Salter will replace outgoing Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders, son of head coach Deion Sanders.

Salter guided Liberty to an 8-3 record and a berth to the Bahamas Bowl against Buffalo on Jan. 4.

In 2023, Liberty went 13-0 in the regular season, captured the No. 23 spot in the final College Football Playoff rankings and landed the school’s first berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Salter initially began his college career at Tennessee, but he was dismissed from the program in June 2021 prior to his freshman season after he was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession following a traffic stop.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound player from Cedar Hill, Texas, had been a four-star recruit out of high school.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) during the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter named AP player of the year

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter was named the Associated Press 2025 college football player of the year on Thursday.

The wide receiver/cornerback received 26 of 43 votes from a panel of AP Top 25 voters, with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty placing second with 16 votes. Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo got the other vote.

Hunter helped the No. 20 Buffaloes (9-3) earn a berth in the Dec. 28 Alamo Bowl against No. 17 BYU (10-2), playing 688 snaps on defense and 672 on offense. He has 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns to go along with 32 tackles, four interceptions and 11 passes defensed in 12 games.

Hunter already won his second straight Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player. He is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and also up for the Walter Camp, Maxwell, Biletnikoff and Bednarik awards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) with head coach Deion Sanders against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders: Zero Colorado players will opt out of Alamo Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The full complement of Colorado players and Sanders Family can be counted on for the Alamo Bowl this month.

Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders said the game against BYU in San Antonio will be steeped with emotion as the final time he’ll coach his sons — quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders.

“This is gonna be our last game,” Sanders said of coaching his boys one final game. “And you talk about monumental. You talking about something that we started from the youth league. And guess what? It started right here in Texas.”

The Buffaloes were pointed toward the Big 12 Championship in November until a surprising upset against Kansas.

A win over BYU on Dec. 28 would give Colorado a 10-win season for the first time since 2016. The Buffaloes won four games in 2023.

Colorado junior cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter is expected to be handed the Heisman Trophy on Saturday in New York. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are projected to be early first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Both transferred to Colorado from Jackson State to follow Deion Sanders.

Deion Sanders said both players — and the rest of their teammates — are not opting out to protect themselves physically ahead of the move to the professional ranks.

“Every last one of them are gonna play,” Deion Sanders said. “We don’t tap out. We don’t sit out. This is a blessing to play this wonderful game.

“Our kids are going to play in our bowl game because that’s what we signed up to do. We’re going to finish. We’re not going to tap out because that throws off the structure of next season.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter Big 12 POYs

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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback Travis Hunter swept top honors in the Big 12 Conference on Thursday.

Sanders, a senior and son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He leads the conference in pass completions (337), yards (3,926) and touchdown passes (35).

Hunter, a junior who also excels as a wide receiver, was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the league with 11 passes defended to go along with four interceptions and 32 tackles.

Hunter also made the All-Big 12 first-team offense with 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Picked to finish last in the 16-team Big 12, the Sun Devils (10-2) are playing against Iowa State (10-2) in the conference championship game on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass the ball in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders wins Unitas Award

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders was named winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Friday, an honor given to the nation’s top quarterback.

Sanders will be honored next Friday in Baltimore.

Later in the day, Sanders passed for 438 yards and five touchdowns during the Buffaloes’ 52-0 shellacking of Oklahoma State.

Sanders set school records this season of 3,926 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes. It is the second straight season in which he set the school yardage mark.

Sanders has completed 74.2 percent of his passes while accumulating 35 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions. No. 25 Colorado (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) is averaging 34.5 points per game, and it’s possible the Buffaloes could be in the conference title game next week.

Coach Deion Sanders, father of Shedeur, said his son would play in whichever bowl game the Buffaloes are invited. Shedeur Sanders is considered a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

The other finalists were Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, Dillon Gabriel of Oregon, Kurtis Rourke of Indiana and Cam Ward of Miami.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders runs onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado adds DE London Merritt among 4 high-profile recruits

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and his program scored a huge recruiting haul as Thanksgiving came to a close with four elite prospects in the Class of 2025 verbally committing to the Buffaloes.

In live appearances Thursday night on the “Nightcap” streaming talk show hosted by former NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, recruits London Merritt and Alexander McPherson of IMG Academy, Carde Smith of Williamson High School in Mobile, Ala., and Quentin Gibson of North Crowley High in Fort Worth, Texas, pledged to play for Colorado.

Smith had decommitted from Southern California on Nov. 20, while Merritt changed his mind on Ohio State on Nov. 26, the same day that McPherson dropped Oklahoma State.

Merritt, listed at 6-foot-2 1/2 and 250 pounds, is a four-star edge rusher at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He is No. 144 in the Class of 2025, No. 13 at edge and 24th overall in Florida, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

McPherson (6-5 1/2, 240) is a three-star defensive lineman at IMG Academy. He is rated No. 1,025 in the nation, No. 113 among all defensive linemen and 133rd in Florida in the composite rankings.

Smith (6-5, 293) is a four-star offensive tackle at Wiliamson High. He is No. 224 among the country’s seniors, No. 24 at his position and No. 15 overall in Alabama.

Gibson (5-8, 165) is a three-star wide receiver at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the No. 668 player in the Class of 2025, No. 101 among wide receivers and 94th in all of Texas, according to the composite rankings.

One week earlier, Colorado scooped up four-star QB Julian Lewis, ranked No. 6 at his position by the 247Sports composite. Lewis, from Carrollton (Ga.) High School, pledged to Colorado after decommitting from USC, to which he gave his verbal pledge in August 2023.

The Buffaloes also have commitments from four-star receiver Adrian Wilson of Weiss (Texas) High in Pflugerville, four-star wideout Quanell X Farrakhan Jr. of Houston’s North Shore High, and four-star offensive lineman Chauncey Gooden of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Travis Hunter (12) looks on during the first quarter against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

No. 25 Colorado needs win over OK State, help for title game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 25 Colorado needs to take care of business against visiting Oklahoma State on Friday in Boulder, Colo., and then hope for some help from other teams to get to the Big 12 Championship.

A 37-21 loss against suddenly red-hot Kansas last week at Arrowhead Stadium snapped Colorado’s four-game winning streak and left the Buffaloes in a four-way tie for first place.

However, the tiebreakers make Colorado (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) a long shot to make next week’s championship game in Arlington, Texas. The Buffaloes must win but they also need two of the three teams — BYU, Arizona State or Iowa State — to lose this weekend.

“Tough week, of course. We plan to respond accordingly to get our little swagger back and fix the things we let down last week,” Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said. “It was a tremendous game. We still got a little bit hanging on, we are trying to flush it, trust me, we are trying to flush it tremendously.”

Oklahoma State (3-8, 0-8) limps to the finish line in the worst season it’s had under veteran coach Mike Gundy. The Cowboys won’t go to a bowl game for the first time since 2005.

With Gundy on the sidelines, the Cowboys have beaten a ranked team for 19 straight years. They’ll have a final chance to do so as they try to snap an eight-game losing skid. Gundy has said he plans to return for his 21st season leading the Cowboys’ program next fall.

“This team, like the last one, is not playing indicative of their record,” Sanders said. “They are much better. They have a winning program and one of the most heralded coaches in the Big 12 that I have the utmost respect for.”

Maealiuaki Smith made his first career start last week for OSU in a 56-48 home loss to Texas Tech. The freshman threw for 326 yards, completed 72 percent of his passes, had two touchdowns and an interception, and was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

“Until (a quarterback) gets out there and plays a whole game,” Gundy said. “Until they feel like no one is looking over their shoulder, you never know how they are going to react. I thought he had poise and played with confidence.”

After a slow start to the season, Ollie Gordon II has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. He had 156 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries last week and leads the Cowboys with 870 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

De’Zhaun Stribling has 50 catches for 872 yards and six scores. Brennan Presley has leads the team with 82 catches for 725 yards and a team-high seven receiving touchdowns.

For Colorado, Shedeur Sanders has 3,488 passing yards, connecting on 73.4 percent of his passes with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Two-way star Travis Hunter has racked up 1,036 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Hunter has broken up nine passes, made three picks and forced a fumble on defense. Colorado’s defense leads the Big 12 with 34 sacks and 10 fumble recoveries.

–Field Level Media