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    • How Deion Sanders, Colorado came up short in a troubling loss to KSU
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    How Deion Sanders, Colorado came up short in a troubling loss to KSU

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    The loss to Kansas State shows that the Buffaloes may have a good team, but still have major issues to solve.

    BOULDER, Colo. – By the time this crazy whirlwind game was over, coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado football team could barely keep up with what they lost here against Kansas State.

    ∎ They lost two-time superstar Travis Hunter, who left the game with a shoulder injury and did not return.

    ∎ They lost three other receivers to injuries, including star Jimmy Horn Jr.

    ∎ They lost a four-point lead in the final three minutes of the game.

    ∎ They even had a chance to win when they got the ball back with 2:14 left. But then they lost that too, before ultimately losing the match, 31-28.

    “We declared that we lost,” Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders said afterward. “That’s the statement: that we lost… A loss is a loss. A loss is a loss. You can’t get that back.”

    The Buffaloes still nearly won with another frenetic finish, even taking a 28-24 lead with 3:12 to go. All they had to do next was the No. Holding off 19 Wildcats in front of another sold-out crowd at Folsom Field (53,972).

    Apparently it was too much to ask of them. And now the big question is what the fallout will be for the Buffaloes (4-2), including how seriously Hunter was injured after becoming a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

    Deion Sanders said afterwards that he didn’t know.

    What did Deion Sanders say next?

    He discussed the loss of four receivers to injuries during the game, including Hunter and Horn, who limped off the field in the second quarter.

    “The loss of Travis, Jimmy and others was certainly huge, because they are an essential part of our team, an essential part of our identity; they are an essential part of who we are,” said Deion Sanders. “So that took a hit… That looks like a lot for us. But other guys had the chance to take it a step further and they did. So I’m proud of them.”

    Sanders will likely provide an update on Hunter on Tuesday. He was coming off the field after making a 45-foot catch in the second quarter when he took a hard blow to his right shoulder from the helmet of Kansas State safety Daniel Cobbs. Colorado then gave up three consecutive scoring drives to Kansas State (5-1) without Hunter playing cornerback on defense – two touchdowns and a 48-yard field goal that put the Wildcats up 24-14 at the end of the third quarter.

    “We definitely didn’t handle it well today,” Sanders said. “We didn’t get the ball as a unit at all today. We had some arrests and a few things. I’m telling you, I hear the calls and (defensive coordinator Robert Livingston) called a pretty damn good play. He called a really good play and we just had to execute the calls.”

    So what the heck happened?

    The Buffs trailed as much as 21-7 midway through the third quarter, but still came back. With 4:03 left, they even faced a potential knockout blow when the Wildcats drove to the Colorado 31-yard line and decided to go for it on fourth-and-6 with a 24-21 lead. A conversion could have helped seal the win for KSU. A field goal on fourth down could also have put the Wildcats up 27-21.

    But Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman said afterward that he didn’t want his team to make a field goal on that fourth down because he was afraid Shedeur Sanders would get the ball back and score to take the lead.

    “I knew I’d probably kick myself in the ass if we kicked the field goal, (then) they knock it down and score… with the best quarterback in the country (Sanders), and we lose 28- 27,” Klieman said. “I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

    Avery Johnson’s fourth-down pass was instead tipped to the player who replaced Hunter at cornerback on defense – Auburn transferred Colton Hood, who nearly ran it back for a touchdown but came up short on the 17-yard line Kansas State. Two plays later, Shedeur Sanders threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver LaJohntay Wester with 3:12 left. Colorado suddenly led, 28-24.

    “Awesome,” Deion Sanders said of Hood’s big play. “It was a natural high. That was phenomenal.”

    A few stops on defense could have made the difference for Colorado after that. The Buffaloes instead gave up two huge plays: a 34-yard pass from Johnson that took the ball to the 50-yard line and then a 50-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to receiver Jayce Brown with 2:14 left. The Wildcats had regained the lead, 31-28, less than a minute after the Buffaloes appeared to pull off another miracle. Three weeks earlier, they used a Hail Mary pass to force overtime before beating Baylor.

    What does the loss mean for Colorado and Deion Sanders?

    The Buffs are 2-1 in Big 12 Conference play and just showed they can match up with possibly the best team in the league. They next play at Arizona (3-3) on Saturday.

    “This team has heart,” Deion Sanders said. “They have integrity. They are tough. They like to play this game. We just fell short. We just have to learn how to win these specific games.”

    Last year, the Buffs also had a 4-2 record at that point, but never won another game before finishing 4-8. Last year they lost five games by seven points or less.

    “This is a completely different team,” Sanders said.

    But what will they do without Hunter and Horn? Receivers Omarion Miller and Terrell Timmons also suffered injuries on Saturday. The good news for the Buffs is that they are deep at the receiver position. Nine different players caught balls Saturday from Shedeur Sanders, who completed 34 of 40 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Shedeur was also sacked six times, but almost got another chance at the end when his final pass looked like it could have been flagged for pass interference by Kansas State near the Wildcats’ 40-yard line.

    “Whatever the referee called, he called,” Shedeur said.

    Johnson finished completing 15 of 23 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns with one interception for Kansas State. He also ran for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter – a play he celebrated by performing Deion Sanders’ “shuffle” dance in the end zone.

    Kansas State running back DJ Giddens had 182 yards on 25 carries.

    Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected]

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