The Coach Prime turnaround of the Colorado Buffaloes continues as the school improves to 3-0 with a hard-fought victory against state rivals Colorado State. The Sanders dynasty in Colorado shined, with a 80-yard pick six by senior safety Shilo Sanders, and a resilient 348-yard performance by Shadeur Sanders. The CO rivalry game began with bad blood, a scuffle between the two teams commenced pregame and the Colorado student section had various bad things to state about their state counterpart.
Things looked bleak for Colorado for most of the game. CSU found themselves with a 21-14 lead at halftime, rolling down the field easily despite the pick 6 mentioned above by Shilo Sanders and a fumble by Ron Hardge III for a Colorado defensive touchdown. With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, CSU found themselves with a solid 28-20 lead, punting away the ball on fourth down and spotting the ball at Colorado's own 2-yard line. All Coach Prime needed was his players not to give up, and to drive the ball down 98 yards.
And drive 98 yards, they did. In 7 plays, Shadeur Sanders and the Colorado offense led a major drive downfield, capped by a 45-yard haul from Sanders to receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. for a touchdown. A reception by tight end Michael Harrison brought the game to a miraculous 28-28 tie, as the game that seemed lost was now heading into overtime.
That wouldn't be the last of Michael Harrison, who brought in both touchdown receptions in both overtime periods. However, the true end to the story was in the hands of Trevor Woods, who intercepted CSU QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi in the end zone in second overtime. All the Colorado fans who stayed at the game until 12:30 AM, local time, stormed the field in joy.
What seemed to bite CSU the most was the 17 penalties that they committed, racking up 182 yards in loss. The Rams played extremely chippy and violently, causing Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter to be injured after an intensely hard hit by CSU safety Henry Blackburn. This lopsided penalty swing against the Rams caused them to lose what very well may have been an upset against the Buffaloes, who sat as 23.5 point favorites.
Shadeur Sanders seemed to believe the 98-yard game-tying drive was casual stuff for Colorado. "We do it in practice all the time, so it's not really a surprise to us," Sanders said, per ESPN. "We like these high-pressure moments, and I guess that's what we live in."
The CSU-Colorado fight was hyped further beforehand by a slight feud between Colorado coach Deion Sanders and CSU's coach Jay Norvell. Norvell took a jab at Sanders, making fun of Coach Prime's frequent association with his sunglasses, which he wears in interviews. "I don't care if they hear it in Boulder: I told them, I took my hat off and I took my glasses off and I said, 'When I talk to grownups, I take my hat and my glasses off,'" Norvell stated, according to CBS Sports. "That's what my mother taught me." Following this trashtalk, Blenders, a sunglasses company who partnered with Sanders for a line of shades, received a sales boost up to $1.2 million. The two coaches shared a handshake following the game..
"I'm happy for the brother. I really am," Sanders said, on the topic of Norvell. "I'm happy that they fought, that they played a good game. I'm happy he's the head coach. I'm happy for any brother that's doing it and is successful, man. I truly am. I don't know where all this stuff comes from. I had to respond because -- my mama taught me that."
The game was a pool of celebrity and media attention. ESPN reports, "Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was present after serving as the guest picker on "College GameDay." Shortly after Ralphie, the school's live buffalo mascot, ran, a rapping Lil Wayne led the Buffaloes out of the tunnel. Others such as Kawhi Leonard and rapper Offset also made their way to Boulder."
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