Not many people gave Colorado a chance against TCU, let alone sports betters marked Colorado as a 20.5-point underdog heading into Saturday night's game. The Buffs on the other hand had spoiler alert written all over their faces as they defied the odds and beat No. 17 TCU, 45-42 in front of a record crowd of 53, 294 fans at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
It was a great start for Colorado who last season finished 1-11. With the hiring of head coach Deion Sanders in December, it's Buffaloes' first road win since 2021. They ended their 24-game losing streak and recorded their best road win against a ranked opponent since 2002.
The new-look Colorado squad led by Sanders brought in 68 scholarship newcomers and 86 new players to replace most of last year's team. Deion Sanders expressed his gratitude towards his players in an interview after the game.
"I'm so thankful right now, I love these kids. It's a great joy to have this opportunity."
"We told you we coming. We told you we coming, and you thought we were joking. Well, guess what? We keep receipts."
The performance vs. TCU was arguably the best offensive display by Colorado in school history. A player worth mentioning who just lit up the Horn Frogs' defense was none other than Deion's son Shedeur Sanders. In Shedeur's debut, he completed 38 of his 47 passes for 510 yards ( He did not throw for 500 yards as the quarterback for Jackson State, but he did against a Power 5 team ranked No. 17 in the nation) and four touchdowns.
He set the school record for passing yards and became the first Buffaloes quarterback to pass for at least 400 yards with zero interceptions since 2013. Shedeur averaged 10.9 yards per attempt and threw more touchdowns (4) than Colorado in six road games last season (3).
Shedeur was not the only one who made a name for himself in his debut. The country now knows the likes of Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., Xavier Weaver, and Dylan Edwards. These four playmakers became the first quartet in school history to finish a game with 100 yards receiving.
The Hunter Effect
Travis Hunter the former No. 1 recruit and most sought-after player in his class showed the world the hype was real. The two-way star barely had a chance to take a seat and drink water. By halftime, Hunter had played 60 snaps. In that span, he caught eight passes for 53 years, and on defense, he allowed one reception. His stats could have been even glossier had not he dropped two deep passes in the second quarter.
In the second half, he also came up with a key interception on the goal line that turned out to be crucial for Colorado's win. Overall Hunter played 129 snaps and caught 11 passes for 119 yards. He became the first Division I player in 20 seasons to have 100 receiving yards and an interception on defense.
After the game, Travis didn't hide any of his feelings and gave a message to the people who
doubted him.
"Football is football, no matter who's playing. You got to go out there and dominate whoever's in their way."
"I went out there and dominated. A lot of people doubted me because I rated myself as No.1 on the Heisman watch list. Now people are praising me. They didn't know what I could do. They've finally seen what I've seen, my vision and the coach's vision for me."
This unbelievable performance caught so much attention that according to DraftKings, his odds to win the Heisman Trophy, previously unlisted, have jumped to +8000 before the end of the third quarter.
Make no mistake about it, Travis Hunter is the real deal, just like his counterpart Shedeur Sanders. Sanders can also make a case for being the front-runner on the Heisman watch list.
Next up for the Buffaloes' is a home match-up on September 9th against a formidable Nebraska team that just came off a heartbreaking loss to Minnesota.
All I can say is the whole world is on notice. The prime era in Colorado has just begun! Time will tell if the Buffs are legit or just another pretender.