FORT COLLINS, Colo. — There’s a pulse at Colorado. No, that’s not reflected in the head coach wearing shades at night while (seemingly) filming an endless series of commercials during the day.
There’s a pulse at Colorado that doesn’t involve silly media feuds that distract from the build Coach Prime has underway.
There’s a pulse because on Saturday night at Colorado State, it looked like there was an actual heartbeat from the Buffaloes who have been inconsistent — to put it mildly — under Deion Sanders. But that wasn’t the best beat of the night in the Buffs’ 28-9 win over the Rams.
Colorado beat its blood rival. Again.
OK, so the Rocky Mountain Showdown may not register on your list of must-see rivalries, but this is a series that has featured everything from tear gas (1999 at Mile High Stadium) to a (arguable) cheap by Colorado State’s Henry Blackburn against CU star Travis Hunter (more about him later) last season. This was different. This was progress for Sanders’ program that has shown scant little of it three games into his second season.
The way it went down Saturday suggested there was an actual corner being turned. And that was enough for a program 15 games into the Coach Prime era that came into this game still trying to find itself.
These weren’t your one-trick Buffs with Shedeur Sanders‘ right arm trying to outscore everybody. Sure, Shedeur threw for four touchdowns, the sixth time he has done that as the Buff’s star signal-caller. He missed on only 13 of 49 throws and didn’t commit a turnover.
But there was another side to the rout. The Colorado State offense was choked into submission by a defense that has been, well, pliable during Deion’s stay. A defense that let North Dakota State hang around and was run over by Nebraska held Colorado State to its fewest points in the series since 2017.
CU’s offensive line was trending toward not giving up a sack for the first time in the Prime era. That was progress, too. Since Deion took over, only Old Dominion (71) had allowed more sacks than his Buffs (64). Going into Saturday, Shedeur had been sacked at least three times in every game but two.
That offensive line stood behind Shedeur and Hunter during the postgame press conference. They were guarding their quarterback up even as the media bum rushed with questions.
“It was very personal,” guard Tyler Brown said. “It meant everything us to go out there and prove the world wrong and prove each other right.”
But, most of all, there was a pulse because of Hunter’s rather massive heart. The combination receiver/defensive back made a case for the Heisman even if CU finishes 4-8 again. He’s that good. Hunter caught 13 passes, two of them for touchdowns, and intercepted a pass.
“There’s no question he can be even better,” Shedeur said. “There is no ceiling.”
Oh yeah, he played 100 snaps, too. OK, so the official numbers won’t be out until Monday, but mark it down. Two NFL scouts told CBS Sports at halftime they’d have no problem playing Hunter on both sides of the ball.
That. Just. Doesn’t. Happen.
For now, we are all witnesses. Hunter finally asked for a blow after chasing down CSU running back Avery Morrow from behind following a 62-yard run in the fourth quarter. So that’s what it takes.
“That’s probably the first time I’ve done that,” Hunter said. “Normally, I run him down and be able to catch my breath.”
He had help. Plenty of it. On Saturday night, the Buffaloes finally brought the wood — on both sides of the ball. Colorado State? Muffled, along with the Canvas Stadium record crowd of 40,099 preening for its network television close up (on CBS).
These were baby steps, in prime time. Actually, in Prime time. Colorado entered the game 2-9 since starting last season 3-0. There were certainly less aches and pains for his quarterback son who was left in the game until the end. Shedeur tossed a bomb into the end zone with 66 seconds left in a move that looked intentional. Deion Sanders’ two biggest stars were still playing despite the game being safely tucked away.
“We want to score,” Deion said. “The game is about scoring isn’t it? I don’t know about protocol.”
“Personal game, emotional game,” he added. “They kind of make it like that. We just want to play some football. The disrespect wasn’t called for throughout the week.”
The coach might have been referring to a statement made over the summer by Colorado State receiver Tory Horton.
“We should have murdered Colorado last year,” Horton was quoted as saying.
The Rams didn’t, of course, losing in double overtime in one of the season’s highest-rated — and best — games. The quote was resurrected this week in the run up to the rivalry. It was enough to inspire the Buffs to their seventh consecutive win in the series and eighth in the last nine meetings.
It wouldn’t be a CU game without some nonsense. The Buffs were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after Hunter’s third quarter interception that sent some of the record crowd headed for the nearest craft beer watering hole.
The referee calmly ticked off the offenders, “Number 12 (Hunter), number 7 (safety Cam’ron Silmon-Craig), number 99 (defensive tackle Shane Cokes) number 23 (safety Carter Stoutmire).”
Shedeur concluded the festivities by parading around the field with the the Centennial Cup — the rivalry trophy awarded to the winner. You would have thought Colorado had the national championship. Baby steps, Buffs, baby steps.
That sort of unbridled joy can be tolerated if all that heart comes with it.
