Coach Prime delivers in debut

Saturday’s 48-45 win by the Colorado Buffaloes over TCU was nothing short of amazing. As noted here, Colorado fielded 87 new players from its 2022 roster.

Absolutely no one outside of Boulder thought the Buffaloes would travel to Fort Worth and knock off the #17 team in the nation.

Okay, maybe some out-of-his mind sports writer living in Western Colorado, but aside from that guy…

But current head coach, and former Cowboys defensive back, Deion Sanders always believed. At least, he kept telling everyone in earshot they would win the game.

Impressive Win

The game started quietly with Colorado up 7-0 after the first quarter on a four-yard touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders to Dylan Edwards.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws under pressure by TCU Horned Frogs defensive lineman Rick D’Abreu (44) in the third quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Ft. Worth September 02, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

The game turned into a shootout after that. The Horned Frogs would tie the game twice in the second quarter. Colorado took a 17-14 halftime lead on a 49-yard field goal by Jace Feely.

On the second play of the second half, Shedeur Sanders hit Edwards on a pass that turned into a 75-yard touchdown. TCU answered with back-to-back touchdowns for a 28-24 lead.

Edwards answered with a seven yard run to put Colorado back into the lead by three just before the end of the third quarter.

The teams exchanged touchdowns before TCU took a 42-38 lead with seven minutes remaining. Just two-and-a-half minutes later, Shedeur Sanders hit Edwards on a 46-yard scoring pass for the final score.

The Buffaloes’ defense withstood a final Horned Frogs drive, stopping TCU short on a fourth down play near midfield to secure the victory.

Questions Linger

Shedeur Sanders finished with an impressive stat line for his FBS debut.

Having followed his father from Jackson State, the younger Sanders hit 38 of his 47 pass attempts for 510 yards. He threw four touchdowns and no interceptions.

While Edwards had three touchdowns on five catches for 135 yards, Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. were the primary targets.

Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes makes a catch as Avery Helm #24 of the TCU Horned Frogs defends during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on September 2, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. Colorado won 45-42. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Hunter had 11 catches for 119 yards. Horn also had 11 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Weaver added 118 yards on six catches.

But Colorado finished with 55 total yards on 34 carries. Sanders lost 32 yards on five sacks, but Colorado did not have over 100 yards rushing even without that negative number.

Another concern was the Buffaloes defense, which could not stop TCU until the final drive of the game.

Only two interceptions deep in Buffaloes territory and a missed field goal kept Colorado in position to win the game.

Colorado gave up 279 yards in the air and 262 on the ground. The Buffaloes seemed to have trouble shutting down the run between the tackles.

These are issues they will need to fix going forward. But the Buffaloes have already equaled their number of wins from last year.

An Early Heisman Candidate

While it might be easy to put Shedeur Sanders at the top of the Heisman watch, Hunter might actually be the better candidate.

He played over 100 snaps on both offense and defense. In addition to his offensive numbers, Hunter made three tackles as a starting defensive back.

He also pulled off an amazing interception to deny the Horned Frogs a touchdown.

Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) makes an interception against TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Major Everhart (22) in the third quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Ft. Worth September 02, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Flying through the air, Hunter snatched the ball from the fingertips of a seemingly wide-open TCU receiver at the three-yard line to end the drive and preserve the lead.

If he continues playing this well on both sides of the ball, he’ll deserve the Heisman in December.

No Coach Prime Isn’t Dallas’ Next Head Coach…Yet

There’s a lot of football yet to play in the 2023 season. While Coach Prime can rightfully celebrate his victory, his upcoming opponents now have game tape on his team.

All the weaknesses the Buffaloes have are now out there for everyone to see and exploit. So don’t pencil in Colorado as 2023 National Champions just yet.

And, should the Cowboys’ postseason woes continue, or if the wheels come off on Mike McCarthy, don’t crown Coach Prime as the Cowboys Head Coach in 2024.

That being said, a few years down the line, Coach Prime prowling the sideline at AT&T Stadium isn’t beyond the realm of possibility.

Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes and his father and head coach Deion Sanders walk the sidelines just before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on September 2, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. Colorado won 45-42. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

And could Shedeur Sanders follow his famous father to Dallas should that happen? Anything is possible, as Colorado proved on Saturday.

I wouldn’t bet against it, if I were a betting man, any more than I would have bet against Colorado yesterday.

Now, when Nebraska rolls into Boulder this Saturday…