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Deion Sanders, Colorado survive wild game: `God answered the prayer’
BOULDER, Colo. – The followers stormed the sphere earlier than the sport was even over.
It was moist. It was wild. And now the Colorado Buffaloes are on the march once more after an unbelievable collection of clutch performs on the finish of a 38-31 extra time win at residence in opposition to Baylor.
Cue the celebration within the locker room below head coach Deion Sanders.
“It was a celebration, man,” Colorado receiver LaJohntay Wester mentioned of the postgame scene. “I beloved it, man… Ain’t nothing like right here, man, particularly after a win. There’s nothing prefer it.”
There was nothing like what occurred on the finish of the sport, both. After falling behind by 14 factors earlier within the sport, the Buffs stormed again with a Hail Mary cross as time expired in regulation play, adopted by a compelled fumble in extra time to finish the sport from two-way celebrity Travis Hunter.
“Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice win,” Deion Sanders afterward.
And but all of it got here so near by no means taking place. Right here’s the way it went down and what it means after Colorado survived – barely – in entrance of a sold-out homecoming crowd of 52,794 at Folsom Subject. The Buffs are actually off to a 3-1 begin for the second straight 12 months below Sanders whereas Hunter retains discovering new methods to steal the present.
The ultimate drive in regulation for Colorado
Baylor (2-2) virtually put the sport away within the fourth quarter with a 45-yard subject objective on its ultimate drive of regulation with 2:16 remaining. If the kick succeeded, the Buffs probably would have misplaced. However the kick missed vast proper, permitting the Buffs to get the ball again with Baylor main 31-24.
What occurred subsequent was a parade of shut calls, close to misses and “Good Timing,” which additionally occurs to be the rap music of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s youngest son.
“They by no means gave up,” Deion Sanders mentioned. “They by no means surrendered.”
At one level, Shedeur Sanders confronted fourth down and 1 on the Baylor 46-yard line – a play that will have ended the sport for the Buffs if he didn’t convert. Sanders as a substitute acquired a primary down on a 3-yard run to maintain Colorado’s hopes alive.
Two performs later, Sanders threw an extended second-down cross close to the top zone to receiver Will Sheppard, a switch from Vanderbilt. However Sheppard dropped the potential landing catch, stopping the clock with two seconds left.
“We must always have had that one,” Deion Sanders mentioned. “However we caught the one which we wanted to catch.”
The Hail Mary, practically 30 years after that different Hail Mary
After the drop by Sheppard, there was time for yet one more play – a 43-yard Hail Mary cross, practically 30 years to the day of Colorado’s 64-yard Hail Mary to win at Michigan as time expired on Sept. 24, 1994.
“I simply trusted God,” Shedeur Sanders mentioned. “I simply threw it as much as God, and God answered the prayer for positive.”
Shedeur Sanders rolled left and lofted it to the left nook of the top zone, the place Wester turned to catch it within the rain for a 43-yard landing catch with no time remaining within the fourth quarter. It helped that Baylor’s protection was paying extra consideration to Hunter, permitting Wester to free himself extra simply to reel it in.
“It was a Hail Mary,” mentioned Wester, a switch from Florida Atlantic. “I used to be one on one. I simply ran down there. I see him (Shedeur) rolling out, after which I see the ball coming my means. As a receiver, your job is to make the quarterback proper whether or not it’s ball or dangerous ball, and I simply made a play on the ball.”
After the extra-point kick, the sport went to extra time tied 31-31.
Time beyond regulation and the fumble compelled by Travis Hunter
Colorado acquired the ball first in extra time and drove 25 yards in seven performs, together with eight yards dashing and 12 yards passing from Shedeur Sanders. “No matter it takes to win,” Shedeur mentioned.
Freshman working again Micah Welch rushed up the center for a 1-yard landing to cap the drive, serving to put the Buffs up 38-31.
However Baylor nonetheless had its probability to reply and even ran 4 performs to get to the Colorado 2-yard line, together with a 13-yard run by quarterback Sawyer Robertson that will have been a landing if not for an open-field deal with by Buffs security Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig.
One play later, the ball went to working again Dominic Richardson, who had a transparent path to the top zone apart from one participant.
Travis Hunter.
Hunter stood his floor on the objective line, forcing Richardson to attempt to leap previous him. The ball then got here free and tumbled into the top zone.
“I knew that was coming at me,” Hunter mentioned. “They don’t assume I can deal with, so I needed to present ‘em.”
Hunter completed with seven catches for 130 yards on offense and three tackles and the clutch compelled fumble on protection.
The loopy postgame scene
After the fumble, the sport was over. Buffs win.
Or so it appeared.
Colorado followers reacted to the fumble by storming the sphere within the rain, however sport officers nonetheless wanted to evaluate replays of the play to verify it. It wasn’t fairly over but, in different phrases, resulting in a name for the followers to maneuver again and go away.
“I wish to apologize to the opposition, the best way we stormed the sphere,” Deion Sanders mentioned.
Sanders mentioned he didn’t even get the possibility to shake arms afterward with Baylor head coach Dave Aranda.
“I don’t like what transpired on the finish of the sport, however I like what transpired on the finish of the sport,” Deion Sanders mentioned. “We have now a fan base that’s phenomenal.”
After replays confirmed the fumble, the homecoming occasion kicked into overdrive whereas the Bears went residence questioning what had simply occurred. Aranda known as it a “heart-wrenching loss” and mentioned his crew was “gutted.”
For his half, Hunter celebrated afterward by quickly crawling on his arms and knees by means of the top zone – a private shoutout to fashionable on-line streamer Kai Cenat.
“I needed to do it,” Hunter mentioned.
The Buffs nonetheless sort of acquired fortunate
They gave up two enormous landing performs within the second quarter, silencing a crowd that had come to make noise. The primary was a 100-yard kickoff return for a landing by Baylor’s Jamaal Bell down the appropriate sideline. The second was a 45-yard fourth-down run from Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson, serving to put the Bears up 24-10 with 4:19 left earlier than halftime.
The Buffs additionally gave up eight quarterback sacks, only a week after solely giving up one in a 28-9 win at Colorado State.
Shedeur Sanders known as the win “a aid.” He accomplished 25 of 41 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns, together with a 58-yarder to sophomore receiver Omarion Miller within the second quarter to assist minimize Baylor’s result in 24-17 with 50 seconds left earlier than halftime. Miller virtually was tackled close to the 35-yard line however stored going to attain. However Shedeur discovered fault with himself and mentioned he missed reads.
“You gotta perceive I can not have a sport like that once more,” Shedeur mentioned.
The query now’s whether or not the Buffaloes can maintain their success, in contrast to final 12 months after they misplaced seven of their ultimate eight video games after beginning 3-1. If that they had misplaced a sport like that in opposition to Baylor, they’d be dealing with a severe uphill battle to get the minimal six wins required to earn a postseason bowl berth.
Now they’ve acquired momentum heading right into a cross-country journey to play Saturday at Central Florida (3-0), adopted by a weekend off Oct. 5.
“I don’t like the way it performed out, however I beloved the outcomes,” Deion Sanders mentioned. “I feel we’re so a lot better than what we’re exhibiting you at occasions.”
Comply with reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Electronic mail: [email protected]
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