BOULDER, Colo. — Shedeur Sanders was just trying to be nice and get a late landing for his teammate. It almost backfired.
Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Travis Hunter, and Colorado began its second year under coach Deion Sanders by defeating FCS power North Dakota State 31-26 on Thursday night.
But it was the pass Shedeur Sanders didn’t need to throw that raised some eyebrows.
With 1:41 remaining and a pair of running plays needed to run out the clock, Sanders tried to connect on a deep pass to LaJohntay Wester. He threw a short pass and it ended up incomplete to stop the clock.
Deion Sanders’ fatherly advice: No more Mr. Nice Guy.
“Shedeur is such a good kid that sometimes it’s hard for him,” the coach said. “It’s his character. I tell him, ‘Come on, Dawg, not now. It’s not time to be the good guy. It’s time to put this game away.’”
North Dakota State got the ball back with 31 seconds left. Cam Miller threw a pass from its own 47-yard line as time expired, which was caught by Tyler Terhark 4 yards from the end zone.
“You always feel like you won, but you didn’t,” said Deion Sanders, whose team was favored by 10.5 points. “Let’s put that behind us. I’m going to try to contain my anger, but we got a win, so I’m happy.”
The Bison’s methodical play in the first half helped keep Sanders and the Heisman Trophy-contending Colorado offense on the sidelines. But once Sanders took the field, he got to work.
Jimmy Horn Jr. had seven receptions for 198 yards and one touchdown while Hunter caught seven passes for 132 yards.
Hunter’s acrobatic 3-yard TD run on a defensive back gave Colorado a 31-20 lead with 7:57 left. He celebrated by spinning the ball and dancing. Hunter still had that energy despite playing all night at cornerback.
Hunter’s play caught the attention of NBA great LeBron James, who wrote on social media: “…
Like Sanders, Hunter is mentioned in the Heisman conversations.
Sanders completed 26 of 34 passes, one interception and a 219.4 passer rating. He has now thrown for 955 yards and eight touchdowns in two openers at Colorado (he had 510 yards at TCU last season).
“It was great,” Sanders said of his big night. “But every incomplete pass hurts me a little bit inside. I’m excited about the win, but there were definitely situations in that game that I personally could have handled better.”
This version of the Buffaloes’ offense looked a lot like last season’s: a terrifying passing game with virtually no running game (they were outrushed 157-59). The revamped offensive line allowed just one sack, but Sanders spent plenty of time scouting opponents.
Colorado’s defense remains a work in progress under new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston. Miller scored on a 20-yard scramble to make it 31-26 with 2:19 left. His pass on the two-point conversion was incomplete.
“There’s nothing good about losing,” Miller said. “But I feel like offensively and defensively, this is going to give us a lot of confidence.”
New North Dakota State coach Tim Polasek had his team on the verge of an upset. The Bison led 20-17 at halftime with Miller orchestrating the offense to near perfection. He finished with two rushing touchdowns and threw for another. The Bison showed a national audience precisely why they are ranked No. 2 in the FCS preseason polls.
“The difference in the game is because they made a few more plays than we did,” Polasek said. “I really believe that.”
THE CONCLUSION
North Dakota State: The Bison fell to 9-5 against FBS opponents, including 3-2 against Big 12 teams.
Colorado: The season is finally here after an eventful summer for the Buffaloes that included an indefinite ban on a Denver Post columnist from asking questions.
NEXT
North Dakota State: Hosts Tennessee State in a week on Saturday.
Colorado: At Nebraska next Saturday.
