BOULDER, Colo. — The light is shining bright on Primetime and the Colorado Buffaloes, after their debut 'dub' over no. 17 TCU. The Buffs are now ranked 22nd in the country in the AP Poll, the first ranking since December 2020, and the star players are getting national attention heading into their home opener.
"I think that's something that they could fathom and understand that could happen because of the light that shine up on us, and we're thankful for that, but these young men know now that if we just ball out, we gon' get the love that we desire," Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said. "And that's all they want. They want attention, focus, and a little love and light."
Shedeur Sanders reeled in the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week nod after setting nine school records, including most passing yards in game (510) with the best completion percentage 38-of-47 (.809) and QB rating (200.1) for 40-plus passing attempts in CU history.
Travis Hunter, who played both cornerback and wide receiver for a total of 110 snaps on Saturday, earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Hunter had a red-zone interception, pass breakup and three tackles, including a touchdown-saving tackle before his interception that allowed CU to keep it a one-score game. Not to mention, he reeled in more than 100 yards on offense.
Folsom Field will be filled to the gills this Saturday, as Colorado faces its biggest rival Nebraska, and the new star quarterback Sanders learned the most important thing about this game.
"Don't wear red in the facility," he said with a smile. "And I gotta take the red shirt off my website with my clothes this week. I gotta make that call when I get into the locker room. We just know the history of it. Colorado, we don't like Nebraska. Simple."
The elder Sanders spoke eloquently on rivalries in general, but understands the severity of this specific one on the docket.
"Rivalries are rivalries. There are some more severe than others. I think everywhere you go coach, from high school on up or from youth league on up, you're going to have rivalries, you're just learning the different dynamic of rivalries. I like it, it's delightful," Coach Prime said. "I learned the severity and the serious nature of this rivalry and I'm embracing it 100 percent. It's just personal, that's the message of the week. This is personal."
Colorado hosts Nebraska for its home opener Saturday at 10am MT. The game will be part of Fox's Big Noon Kickoff national coverage and will be the second-consecutive game in that window for the Buffs.
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