Believe the hype. Deion Sanders‘ debut as Colorado coach was billed as a big deal, but there was plenty of skepticism about just how good the Buffaloes could be after an unprecedented roster makeover in Boulder.
“We told you we were coming. You thought we were joking. We keep receipts,” Sanders said after Colorado upset No. 17 TCU on Saturday in a performance that exceeded even the most lofty expectations.
The team with nearly 90 new players beat the team that played for the national championship last season.
Where to begin?
Sanders’ son, Shedeur, set a school record with 510 yards passing in his first major college football game after transferring with his father from Jackson State.
Receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter played 129 snaps and had 11 catches for 119 yards, but his best and biggest play was an interception with TCU in the red zone.
“No, I’m not tired, I’m ready to go back in,” said Hunter, who wore a T-shirt with an image of his Hall of Fame coach on it during postgame.
Freshman Dylan Edwards, who Coach Prime lured away from Notre Dame, had 159 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches and scored four touchdowns, including the winner late in the fourth quarter.
Colorado snapped a 27-game losing streak against ranked teams on the road.
And when it was over, Sanders called out the doubters.
He asked one reporter: “Do you believe now? I read through that bull junk you wrote. Do you believe?”
It’s only game, but it’s hard not to believe that Colorado is going to be fun and relevant and that Sanders did a heck of job not just reconstructing a roster almost from scratch but getting it ready to play Power Five football.
Offensive coordinator Sean Lewis, who left a head coaching job at Kent State to join Sanders’ staff, seems to have been a particularly good hire.
Next week Colorado plays its first home game against Nebraska, another team with a much hyped new coach, but one coming off a very different debut.
The Cornhuskers lost under Matt Rhule at Minnesota on a walk-off field goal Thursday.
Folsom Field should be in a frenzy for the old Big Eight rivalry renewed.
So what’s the ceiling for the Buffs?
The defense left a lot to be desired against TCU and the offense is probably going to need to run the ball better to take some of the pressure off Shedeur Sanders. But that makes Colorado look like a lot of teams in the Pac-12 this season.
And Hunter playing 120 plays per game seems unsustainable.
But add an explosive CU team to a league that also includes No. 6 USC and Heisman winner Caleb Williams; No. 10 Washington and Michael Penix Jr.; and No. 15 Oregon and Bo Nix – along with No. 14 Utah and No. 18 Oregon State – and the Pac-12 just got even more exciting.
If you’re already growing a little weary of Coach Prime, be prepared: You’re going to see a lot of CU this September.
Fox is giving next week’s home opener the Big Noon treatment again. That’s a 10 a.m. local kickoff.
After facing rival Colorado State the next week, the Buffaloes end September with back-to-back games against Oregon and USC.
You have our attention, Coach Prime.
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Marca
