close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • Colorado football achieves bowl eligibility with win against Cincinnati
    news

    Colorado football achieves bowl eligibility with win against Cincinnati

    Vaseline Posted on

    play

    Coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado football team are heading to a bowl game.

    They made that happen Saturday night by beating Cincinnati 34-23 at home, improving their record on the season to 6-2 with four games remaining in the regular season.

    That gives them the minimum number of wins to qualify for a postseason bowl game in Sanders’ second season. It also keeps them in the thick of the hunt for the Big 12 Conference championship after another pair of big performances from quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-time star Travis Hunter.

    Sanders completed 25 of 30 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter caught nine of those passes for 153 yards and both touchdowns.

    Cincinnati (5-3) had cut Colorado’s lead to 31-23 with 3:51 left after driving 81 yards in 11 plays, capped by a 6-yard touchdown catch by tight end Joe Royer.

    But the Bearcats missed the ensuing two-point pass attempt. Then the Buffaloes answered with a 47-yard field goal with 99 seconds left, building their lead to 34-23 in front of a sellout crowd of 53,202 at Folsom Field in Boulder.

    It is only the second time since 2007 that Colorado has won at least six games. It comes just two years after the Buffaloes finished with a 1-11 record and fired their previous coach, paving the way for the arrival of “Coach Prime.” A postseason bowl game would also be only their third since 2007, including the 2020 pandemic season, when the Buffs went to the Alamo Bowl and finished 4-2.

    By winning six games, Sanders will earn a $150,000 bonus from Colorado and $100,000 for each additional regular-season win afterward, according to his contract. His contract also provides a bonus of at least $150,000 for being invited to a bowl game. His regular guaranteed compensation this year is $5.7 million.

    His team is 4-1 in Big 12 play and has the weekend off next week before returning to play Nov. 9 at Texas Tech.

    Was Shedeur Sanders injured?

    Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, apparently suffered a hip or leg injury while running four yards to Cincinnati’s seven-yard line for the first time in the third quarter. He eventually charged forward, but became confused when tackled and looked uncomfortable after the Buffaloes scored on a 7-yard touchdown run a play later to extend Colorado’s lead to 31–14.

    He then received treatment on the sideline and returned to the game on Colorado’s next possession. But he attempted only one pass on that drive and instead handed the ball off on running plays as the Buffs tried to turn back the clock. The extent of the injury was not clear, but it was not enough to immediately take him out of the game.

    He attempted only five passes after the injury and completed four. Colorado then hung around a bit with two punts and a field goal in their next three possessions.

    Big first half from Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders

    The Buffs led 24-14 at halftime after two touchdown catches from two-time star Travis Hunter. His quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, completed his first 15 passes and led the offense to scores on all four of their possessions in the first half: three touchdowns and a field goal, including Sanders’ four-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.

    Cincinnati tried to keep up and even tied the game at 14-14 after an interception was nullified by Colorado defenseman Preston Hodge. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby had thrown a deep pass that Hodge caught and returned to center field, but the play was called back when Hodge was flagged for pass interference on the play after apparently grabbing the waist of Cincinnati receiver Tony Johnson.

    The ball was then placed on the Colorado 13-yard line and the Bearcats scored a touchdown one play later, tying the game with 9:31 to go before halftime.

    But that was the best they could do in the first half. The Colorado defense stopped Cincinnati on the Bearcats’ next possession, setting them up on fourth-and-1 at the Colorado 46-yard line. With 33 seconds left in the first half, Sanders took over and finished the ensuing drive with a 34-yard touchdown throw to Hunter, who was wide open on the right side of the field.

    Hunter finished the first half with seven catches for 113 yards after sitting out at halftime of his previous two games with a shoulder injury.

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like