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Colorado seized the moment in Fort Collins
Things got personal at Canvas Stadium on Saturday. Colorado made the trip to Fort Collins for a Rocky Mountain Showdown matchup against the Colorado State Rams, dominating their rivals in a statement win.
After a week full of smack-talk from CSU’s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and Tory Horton, the Rams couldn’t walk the walk. Fowler-Nicolosi threw two picks and fumbled on Colorado’s goal line, while Horton struggled due to a nagging leg injury. The Buffaloes had their number all night, rolling the Rammies for an easy win.
That smack-talk didn’t fly under the radar of Coach Prime and Colorado’s locker room, as they had choice words for how the Rams conducted themselves ahead of Saturday’s matchup.
“The disrespect was uncalled for throughout the week,” said head coach Deion Sanders in his postgame presser. “A couple of their players took shots at the whole program and a few of our players, so it is what it is. We knew that coming into the game it was going to be a bit personal, and it was.”
Things kicked off when Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell and Colorado’s receivers coach Jason Phillips got into a shouting match during pre-game warm-ups. There were no fireworks like last season at Folsom, but this incident proved enough to light a spark in the Buffaloes.
“During warm-ups, one of the guys ran into [Phillips] and elbowed him, which is uncalled for,” said Sanders. “I just pray that our kids never act in that manner, because [media] would have a field day if they did.”
Tempers flared again when Colorado State quarterback Folwer-Nicolosi made the “too small” gesture on Travis Hunter while running out of bounds in the second quarter on a one-yard QB keeper. He might want that moment back.
Hunter finished the game with 13 catches for 100 yards, two receiving touchdowns and an interception thrown by Fowler-Nicolosi. Colorado State’s quarterback went 22-39 on pass attempts, threw two picks, and fumbled on Colorado’s four-yard line.
“How stupid is that?” said Sanders in his postgame presser when asked about the “too small” gesture. “This is Travis Hunter. Who does that?”
Hunter wasn’t the only Buffalo to ball out in Fort Collins, as true freshman running back Micah Welch burst onto the scene for Colorado. Welch rushed for 65 yards on nine carries, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. After breaking out for a 25-yard carry on his first touch in college football, Coach Prime had a moment with the 18-year-old on the sidelines to express his confidence in the young back.
“It does a lot for [Welch’s] confidence,” said Prime on Welch’s stellar game. “He was playing in high school this time last year. Now, he’s playing on one of the largest stages in college football.”
A week after allowing six sacks and ten tackles for loss in Lincoln, Colorado’s offensive line pitched a near-shutout against the Rams. The Buffaloes’ big men gave up only one sack in Fort Collins, getting the unit back on track. To honor their performance, Shedeur Sanders brought the entire offensive line with him to his post-game presser so the group could get their kudos.
“That’s when all the family and all the real friendships really come together,” said Sanders after CU’s win over Colorado State. “Whenever everyone wants to push each other against each other, flip words, and do everything like that. Together, we all stayed as a family and we were all as one.”
The Buffaloes’ thorough domination of the Rams proves that this team still has immense promise, despite their week two loss to the Huskers. Colorado didn’t just cover the 7-point spread; they blew it out of the water. The ceiling for the Buffs is still unclear, but the team believes it’s sky-high after Saturday in Fort Collins.
“There’s no ceiling,” said Shedeur Sanders postgame. “Y’all try to put ceilings on things, but we don’t really have ceilings on anything in general.”
by RylandScholes
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