SAN ANTONIO – Colorado head coach Deion Sanders quickly hopped into a golf cart alongside his bodyguard, speeding down a stadium tunnel as he left the Alamo Bowl behind.
He had just wrapped up a session with reporters, reflecting on a tough 36-14 loss to BYU in what marked his final game coaching his two youngest sons in college. But Sanders wasn’t interested in lingering on the defeat.
“That’s a wrap,” Sanders stated. “It’s over.”
He emphasized that the loss wouldn’t overshadow his larger journey at Colorado, as the team is already “on to the next.” His son, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, along with Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, will all focus on their paths to the NFL next season after two years at Colorado.
“They’re going to have tremendous careers,” Sanders said. “They’re going to move on. They flush it.”
Despite the bigger picture, it was a disappointing end for the Sanders family at the Alamodome, especially with the emotional build-up surrounding this game. ABC cameras captured the moment before kickoff as Sanders took his final pregame walk with Shedeur and Shilo, his sons by his side.
Then, the game began – and their momentum evaporated.
So, what led to this outcome for the Sanders family? BYU (11-2) came out with more energy than the Buffaloes (9-4), who have been known for slow starts, including a rough 37-21 loss to Kansas last month where they fell behind 17-0 and never recovered.
This time, they struggled from the start, much like their live mascot, Ralphie, who had trouble getting going before the game and instead walked off the field.
By halftime, the Buffs were down 20-0. They failed to score on their first six possessions and totaled just 61 yards of offense in the first half.
Where did it all go wrong on offense?
“Everywhere,” said Shedeur Sanders, who was sacked four times, completing 16 of 23 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
“Ditto,” added his father.
Shedeur Sanders Still Didn’t Match What Cam Ward Did
Despite Saturday's outcome, Shedeur Sanders may still be the first quarterback selected in the NFL draft this April. It's likely to come down to him or Cam Ward, the quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes.
However, both quarterbacks approached their final college games in vastly different ways. Sanders chose to play in his bowl game, even though it posed the risk of injury, potentially costing him millions despite the insurance policy he had in place.
Ward, on the other hand, also played in his bowl game but didn't return after halftime. Miami, leading 31-28 at the break, ultimately lost 42-41.
In contrast, Sanders played through the final whistle, even when the game was out of reach, with BYU extending their lead to 36-7 with just 5:28 remaining.
Why take the risk?
“We started it, so we had to finish it,” Sanders explained. “No matter what, if it was the other way around, we were still gonna play regardless.”
Travis Hunter, the two-way standout, also played most of the game, finishing with four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown as a receiver, as well as four tackles on defense. Fortunately, neither player suffered a significant injury.
"You Expect Us to Be Exciting"
In many ways, the Buffs resembled last year’s team, which finished 4-8 during Deion Sanders' first season. They committed five penalties in the first half while Shedeur Sanders faced relentless pressure from BYU's defense. At times, they looked nothing like the team that had tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference with BYU and two other teams.
In the fourth quarter, BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker intercepted a pass from Shedeur Sanders and celebrated with a “Deion Shuffle” dance in front of the Colorado sideline.
“I feel like going into this game, especially seeing Travis Hunter and Shedeur and these great players on Colorado, nobody on our team was nervous,” Glasker said. “We were just ready to play.”
Colorado, by contrast, seemed unprepared, which was surprising given that just two years ago, the Buffs finished 1-11 before hiring Deion Sanders.
“We established expectations,” Deion Sanders remarked. “Now you expect us to perform a certain way. You expect us to win. You expect us to be exciting. You expect us to be a lot more disciplined than we just played today. That’s what we’ve established.”
Despite the loss, it was still Colorado's best season since 2016, when they finished 10-4, also following a blowout loss in the Alamo Bowl. However, it will be a challenge for the Buffs to live up to those expectations next season, particularly after losing Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.
“It felt great representing Colorado and bringing it back to where it was in the past,” Shedeur Sanders said. “We laid the foundation of the program so now it’s set up for the other players coming in to take off and pick up where we left off.”
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