CU Buffs meet the moment, roll past Colorado State

FORT COLLINS Like most college-aged youth, the football players at Colorado are on social media.

Their handles, in fact, are on the backs of their practice jerseys.

The Buffaloes have ears, too.

Two of them, matter of fact, head coach Deion Sanders said Saturday night after his team whupped up on the Colorado State Rams for a 28-9 victory in the latest edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown that was, in part, fueled by what was said this past week and posted on social media.

We heard all the foolishness and we might as well abandon the darn season with one darn loss, Sanders said.

You know many people have lost one game in college football? Theres some really good teams that lost one game and we like to think that were one of them.

CU (2-1) was certainly fueled by the naysayers questioning the team after a humbling 28-10 loss at rival Nebraska on Sept.

7.

The Buffs were also fueled by criticism of their offensive line and the lack of a run game in the first two weeks.

The line responded with its best game of the year, as quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked once on a play when he gave himself up, rather than being hit and the running backs sparked a season-high 109 rushing yards.

Also on the minds of the Buffs were comments made by CSU stars Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and Tory Horton.

In an interview posted this past week but filmed in August the two Rams threw some shade at the Buffs, who have now won seven in a row in the series.

Just a little bit of extra motivation when theyre talking crazy, Shedeur said.

We dont really put other players down, you know, like were not trying to go on social media and do that.

So, yeah, they just asked for it.

Between the outside noise and the need to bounce back from the loss at Nebraska, the Buffs were under some pressure when they visited Canvas Stadium on Saturday night.

Unlike a week earlier in Lincoln, Neb., however, the Buffs met the moment head-on.

Well, Im proud.

Im truly proud, Coach Prime said of how his team responded to a weeks worth of criticism and pressure.

I mean coming down the street (from Boulder), from the time we walked out the locker room, I heard how much we suck and I hate using that word and that terminology, but that was said and all the profane and profanity that we were ushered into.

These guys stood up.

Come on, man, we can hear.

CU brushed it all aside, shook off a slow start and dominated the Rams to keep the Centennial Cup in Boulder for a while.

CU has had the Cup since a victory in 2015 and will keep it at least until the next Showdown, in 2029.

Shedeur threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns, Travis Hunter caught 13 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns and LaJohntay Wester caught five passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense.

Defensively, the Buffs got their first takeaway of the season and then added three more (including an interception by Hunter); Dayon Hayes had two sacks; DJ McKinney had three pass breakups and a team-high seven tackles; and linebackers Nikhai Hill-Green and LaVonta Bentley were sensational all night.

Fowler-Nicolosi, meanwhile, threw for just 209 yards and was intercepted twice, while Horton who came into the night questionable with an injury finished with just two catches for 24 yards before sitting out the second half.

Great, darn victory, Coach Prime said.

Offensive line was phenomenal; did a great job not only run blocking, but pass blocking as well.

The defense picked up right where it left off in the second half of last weeks game, and started the game and kept the momentum the entirety of the game.

We did what we needed to do to come out here with a victory.

We just really wanted it to be decisive.

CU hasnt had many decisive victories in recent years.

Coach Prime is now 6-9 at CU with four of those being one-score wins.

But this one left no doubt and sent many of the CSU program-record 40,099 fans home early.

More importantly, the Buffs got back in the win column, allowing them to take some momentum into next weeks Big 12 Conference opener against Baylor.

It was very important (to get the win), Hunter said.

They were talking, but we let it go through one ear and out the other.

We just said weve got to go do our job, weve got to go out there and come out fast and play hard..

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