Shedeur Sanders, Colorado rally to beat Colorado State in double OT: How Buffaloes pulled off the co

Publish date: 2024-04-12

By Peter Baugh, Jason Jones and David Ubben

Colorado rallied to defeat Colorado State 43-35 in double overtime Saturday at Folsom Field. Here’s what you need to know:

In double overtime, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders connected with tight end Michael Harrison for an 18-yard pass and catch. Xavier Weaver got the two-point conversion.
On the ensuing possession, Colorado State couldn’t score a touchdown, ending the game.
Down 28-20 with 36 seconds remaining in regulation, Sanders connected with Jimmy Horn Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown pass. Harrison got the two-point conversion, sending the game to overtime.
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter left the game and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation after taking a late hit from Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn in the first quarter.

Reply with one word to describe this hit on Travis Hunter⤵️

🎥 @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/e8P6TzOj2E

— The Athletic CFB (@TheAthleticCFB) September 17, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Shedeur Sanders’ star moment

Colorado needed a little magic to survive its rivalry game, but without Hunter, Shedeur Sanders had his star turn. He’s got an NIL deal with the Brady Brand and is mentored by Tom Brady and looked a lot like him with a poised 98-yard drive and two-point conversion to force overtime. After struggling for most of the first three quarters, he looked unstoppable in the final minutes and overtime, helping the Buffaloes rally to a victory and get to next week’s Pac-12 opener against Oregon at 3-0.

Sanders looked poised when plays broke down, kept his eyes downfield and was accurate on the run, finding Harrison in the midst of the Colorado State zone over and over, and Horn Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown that forced overtime. Hunter was a massive loss, but Sanders carried the Buffs down the stretch and made play after play under pressure. — Ubben

Rams come up short

Colorado talked all week about it being personal, but Colorado State looked like the team with an edge for most of the game, though the Rams came up short in double overtime as a 24-point underdog.

Over and over again, coach Jay Norvell’s Rams used a crossing receivers mesh concept to torch Colorado’s secondary. By game’s end, Tory Horton had caught 16 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Most of America tuned in figuring a Colorado beatdown was in order, but instead, Colorado State pushed its rival to the brink. — Ubben

Evaluating Colorado’s defense

Colorado struggled mightily to contain Colorado State’s pass attack, as Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi torched the Buffaloes for 367 yards. Three Rams receivers had 100-plus yard days.

Hunter’s absence certainly hurt Colorado’s pass defense, but if the Buffaloes are going to be competitive in Pac-12 play, they should be able to contain a Mountain West pass attack — whether Hunter is in or not. — Baugh

Chippiness in Boulder

The chippiness began well before the game. Colorado State and Colorado players, including Shedeur Sanders, started jawing near midfield, resulting in a large scrum. By kickoff, it was in full effect. CSU’s Horton tackled Colorado’s Shilo Sanders after his pick-six, and the referees penalized him for unsportsmanlike conduct. By the end of one quarter, the teams had combined for 11 penalties (three for Colorado, eight for Colorado State).

The most notable one came midway through the period when Blackburn laid a late hit on Colorado star Hunter, who had jawed with Rams players pregame. Shedeur Sanders immediately ran toward Blackburn to express his displeasure, and the defensive back was called for unnecessary roughness. Hunter left the game briefly but was able to return. The penalties slowed in the second quarter, with Colorado State committing three and Colorado getting called for two.

CSU hurt itself with a frequent lack of discipline. The Rams committed a facemask and a targeting penalty in the first overtime period, leading to a Colorado touchdown. That came on top of more than 100 penalty yards in regulation. — Baugh

GO DEEPER

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Significance of losing Travis Hunter

Losing Hunter is massive for Colorado. He’s the Buffaloes’ best receiver by a little and their best defensive back by a lot. He’s been head and shoulders above the other corners in Colorado’s secondary, and they’ve come under attack from an aggressive Colorado State offense tonight.

Hunter’s ability to both get open underneath and take the top off defenses down the field gives him the ability to do almost anything on the field on offense but the Buffaloes offense has struggled without him. Colorado’s offensive line is its biggest offensive weakness, but it loses a lot without Hunter, who has left the stadium and is at a local hospital. The former five-star recruit was the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class and followed coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Colorado this offseason. — Ubben

GO DEEPER

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Celebrity presence enhances Colorado games

The celebrity presence has enhanced a rivalry game many might not have focused on, adding to the intensity of the contest. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is on the sidelines. Rapper Lil Wayne performed before the game. Rappers Master P, Offset and Key Glock are watching from the field too.

The game even got LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry to check it out. It’s not uncommon for celebrities to latch on to a hot college team. Snoop Dogg was a presence at USC games during the Reggie Bush days. Drake became a Kentucky basketball fan. Luther Campbell loves Miami football.

Those are just a few names, but Deion Sanders is bringing out famous fans from across the country to support the Buffaloes. If this keeps up, all Colorado home games will have a big-game feel. — Jones

Deion’s mom responds to Norvell’s jabs

Before the game, Deion Sanders addressed Norvell’s comments from earlier in the week criticizing how the Colorado coach wears a hat and sunglasses during news conferences.

“He didn’t directly say something about my momma,” Sanders said. “But he alluded to the fact that his momma raised him and my momma didn’t raise me right.”

Sanders then handed the mic to his mother, Connie, who said, “I raised him right. I also told him to always be yourself.”

The locker room, including The Rock, erupted into cheers for Connie’s speech.

@espn Coach Prime and his mom hyping up Colorado before the game 🔥🔥🔥 #colorado #prime #football #cfb ♬ original sound – ESPN

Instant reaction

Highlight of the game

SHEDEUR SANDERS 46-YARD TD TO JIMMY HORN 🤯

THE BUFFS MARCH 98 YARDS TO TIE IT LATE.

🎥 @CFBONFOX | #CSUvsCU pic.twitter.com/QHzzhSEz9w

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 17, 2023

Required reading

(Photo: Andrew Wevers / USA Today)

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