Posts Tagged ‘Will Sheppard’

No. 21 Colorado 41, Texas Tech 27

//posted 11.10.2024

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No. 21 Colorado rallied from a 13-0 first quarter deficit to take down Texas Tech, 41-27. A sellout crowd and Fox Big Noon Saturday’s first trip to Lubbock helped the Red Raiders take an early advantage, but the Buffs fought back … looked to turn the game into a rout … then squandered chances to put the game away. Finally, Shilo Sanders returned a fumble six yards for a touchdown with less than a minute to finally end the upset bid by the Red Raiders.

Shedeur Sanders completed 30-of-43 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns, with Travis Hunter collecting nine passes for 99 yards and a 24-yard touchdown. The Colorado defense, scored upon on Texas Tech’s first three drives of the game, came through time and time again in the second half with sacks and turnovers to help CU get to 7-2 for the first time since 2016. The Buff defense finished with three turnovers (all in the fourth quarter) and six sacks.

Colorado finished with 351 yards of total offense. Texas Tech had 388 yards of total offense, including 180 yards in the fourth quarter, a quarter in which the Red Raiders settled for only seven points.

“It’s almost like they got to get hit in the face,” Coach Prime said of his team’s slow start. “They got to get slapped. They got to feel it and I don’t know why we’re like that, because we do everything in our power, even the way we script practices, to get started fast. The emphasis is let’s get out to a good start. Because we know if we get out to a good start, the sky’s the limit.”

The win gave Colorado a 7-2 overall record, 5-1 in Big 12 play. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Buffs, coupled with Iowa State’s second consecutive loss, took control of their own destiny when it came to playing for the Big 12 championship game. Wins over Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma State would guarantee the Buffs a spot in the title game, regardless of the outcome of any other Big 12 games.

Colorado 34, Arizona 7

//posted 10.20.2024

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Colorado dominated on both sides of the ball in picking up a second consecutive Big 12 road romp, defeating Arizona, 34-7. The Buffs went for 398 yards of total offense, while holding the Wildcats to 245 total yards. CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 23-of-33 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for a score. LaJohntay Wester collected eight catches for 127 yards, while Will Sheppard and Drelon Miller had receiving touchdowns.

On defense, the Buffs not only held the Wildcats out of the end zone for the final three quarters, but did so in convincing fashion. CU collected seven sacks, with two each from by Samuel Okunlola and Keaten Wade, while forcing three turnovers.

“Wonderful game, wonderful victory,” Coach Prime said. “Offense, defense, collectively, both units played great.

“We played a balanced game. We really did. And I’m proud of the young men. I’m proud of the coaches. They called a phenomenal game. Special teams as well.”

No. 18 Kansas State 31, Colorado 28

//posted 10.14.2024

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Avery Johnson rebounded from throwing a costly interception by finding Jayce Brown for a 50-yard touchdown with 2:14 remaining as No. 18 Kansas State beat Colorado 31-28. The Buffs were without All-Everything Travis Hunter in the second half, also losing wide receivers Jimmy Horn and Omarion Miller, but still rallied from a 21-7 third quarter deficit to take a late lead.

Shedeur Sanders went 34-for-40 for 388 yards and three touchdowns, but it was not enough to overcome a school-record minus-29 yards rushing. Sanders was sacked six times, finishing the game with minus-50 yards rushing. Wide receiver Omarion Miller led the Buff receivers with eight catches for 145 yards, but was lost for the game after a 51-yard catch in the fourth quarter.

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was held in check for much of the game, with 138 yards passing for the game … before two late completions went for 86 yards to give the Wildcats the lead for good. The Colorado defense, which hadn’t given up 100 yards to a running back, or 100 yards to a receiver all season, were torched for 182 yards on 25 carries by running back DJ Giddens, and gave up 121 yards and two touchdowns on six catches by KSU wideout Jayce Brown.

“The big plays and surrendering 224 yards rushing”, Coach Prime said of the loss. “Come on, because that’s clock as well. That keeps our offense off the field. And they need opportunities. We need opportunities. I’m proud of them, man, I’m always proud of them. This is a totally different team. This team has heart. They have integrity, they’re tough, and they love to play this game. We just came up short. We got to just learn how to win these particular games. We’ve done so this year as well. But that was one that we should have got the play in there.”

Colorado 48, Central Florida 21

//posted 9.29.2024

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Colorado used big plays from both the offense and the defense to defeat Central Florida on the road, 48-21. Shedeur Sanders completed 28-of-35 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns, while the defense forced four turnovers, including a 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown by safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig to seal the game with five minutes remaining.

The Buffs were out-gained on the steamy afternoon (85-degrees at kickoff, with 78-percent humidity) by the Knights, 461 yards to 418, but never trailed. Three different receivers scored, with Will Sheppard scoring on a 47-yard pass from Sanders to lead the team with 99 yards on only four receptions. Travis Hunter had his five-game streak of 100-yard receiving games broken, collecting nine passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. LaJohntay Wester, the hero of the Baylor comeback the week before, had three catches for 34 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown.

The CU running game, while not outstanding, was effective for the first time in memory. Three backs – Isaiah Augustave, Dallan Hayden, and Micah Welch – had a combined 20 carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, with Shedeur Sanders being sacked only twice, the Buffs finished with a season-best 128 yards rushing.

Four turnovers were certainly the key to the CU defense holding UCF to 21 points, but the Buffs were effective the entire game. The Buffs surrendered their first points in the third quarter all season, but gave up only a third quarter touchdown, allowing the offense to put the game away in the second half.

Colorado 38, Baylor 31, OT

//posted 9.22.2024

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Travis Hunter knocked the ball loose from Baylor running back Dominic Richardson at the CU goal line in overtime, with the fumble recovered by the Buffs to give Colorado an unlikely 38-31 victory. The Buffs had no business getting to overtime in the first place, but a 43-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders to wide receiver LaJohntay Wester as time expired sent the game to an extra period. In CU’s overtime possession, Micah Welch scored on a one-yard run to give the Buffs their first lead since holding a 7-3 advantage late in the first quarter.

Shedeur Sanders completed 25-of-41 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Sanders also scored on a two-yard run, CU’s first rushing touchdown of the season. Travis Hunter had seven catches for 130 yards, while also making the game-winning play on defense. Overall, the Buffs had 431 yards of total offense, while holding Baylor to 314 yards. Baylor used big plays, including a 100-yard kickoff return and a 45-yard touchdown run by quarterback Sawyer Robertson on a a fourth-and-short, building a 24-10 lead late in the second quarter before the Buffs began their comeback. The Bears squandered a chance to put the game away late, but Baylor kicker Isaiah Hankins missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 2:45 left with the Bears leading by seven, setting up CU’s Hail Mary to tie the game on the final play of regulation.

“A great, great, great, great win,” Coach Prime said in his postgame press conference. “Young men were resilient. They never gave up. They never surrendered. The coaches were still inspired. I mean, all the way to the end, they were still calling and devising things … I don’t like how it played out, but I love the results. I think we’re so much better than what we’re showing you at times. We keep showing you glimpses of running game. We show you glimpses of us playing tough football defensively. We show you we can throw the ball all around, and then we just stall for a series or two and surrender something foolishly. But I’m pleased.”

Nebraska 28, Colorado 10

//posted 9.8.2024

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Nebraska scored on its first offensive possession, then scored on a pick-six shortly thereafter, giving the Cornhuskers an early 14-0 lead on a way to a 28-10 win over Colorado. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 244 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked six times as the CU offensive line continue to struggle. The Buffs finished with 16 yards rushing, not getting out of negative numbers until the Buffs’ final drive with the game well decided.

“We just never got it going until it was too late,” Coach Prime said. “It seemed like we just never got it going. Protections were a problem. We got to figure out a way to prevent that and do a better job with that.”

The Colorado defense held the Nebraska offense to 334 total yards, but the damage was done in the first half as the Cornhuskers built a 28-0 lead at the break. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola went 23-for-30 for 185 yards and a touchdown, and was not sacked on the night. Both teams were guilty of multiple penalties in an ugly game, with the Buffs being flagged nine times for 105 yards; the Cornhuskers 12 times for 105 yards.

“We gotta be to handle pressure – not just the pressure of … I’m not saying them rushing the passer,” Coach Prime said. “The pressure of the game, the pressure of the moment, the pressure of the time. Everybody wanna be him until it’s time to be him. They’ve got to be able to handle that pressure.”

Colorado 31, North Dakota State 26

//posted 9.1.2024

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Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns, including three to All-everything Travis Hunter, leading Colorado to a 31-26 win over North Dakota State. The Buffs went for 504 yards of total offense, but surrendered 449 yards of offense to the Bison, who came up just short of an upset, with a final 49-yard Hail Mary completion ending the game at the CU four-yard line.

Jimmy Horn collected seven passes for 198 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown. Travis Hunter also had seven receptions, going for 132 yards and three scores. The Colorado rushing attack, which was 129th in the nation in 2023, opened the 2024 season with a 59-yard effort on 23 carries. The Buff defense gave up points on NDSU’s first four possessions, leading to a 20-17 halftime deficit, but stiffened in the second half, giving up only six points before closing out the Bisons’ final drive with a completion just short of a score.

“You ever felt like you won, but you didn’t win?”, Coach Prime rhetorically asked during his postgame press conference. “Giving up the last touchdown on the run, that bothered me, because we pride ourselves on going to get the quarterback, and we have multitude of young men that can go get the quarterback and we didn’t get that done. But I’m thankful. I think 31 NFL scouts were on hand tonight and I think they saw what they came to see. So let’s move on from there. I’m going to try my best to hold back my anger, but we got the ‘W’ so I’m happy.”

Transfer Portal Tracker

//posted 3.15.2024

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(3/15) Former four-star tight end Sam Hart coming home – Hart played for Cherokee Trail in Aurora before committing to Ohio State, returning to Colorado with two years of eligibility remaining …