Colorado Stars Shine In Exciting Week One Win

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are one of the most polarizing college football teams in recent memory and potentially ever. Everybody wants to see them lose and it will happen at some point, but week one saw them grab an exciting win over North Dakota State. Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders both made early cases for the Heisman Trophy. 

Offensive Onslaught

Sanders had a big night passing the ball, going 26 for 34 for 445 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. His receivers were the show’s real stars, Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn, both huge parts of last season's offensive unit. 

Hunter caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns. He trotted away from the pack in the first quarter for a 41-yard score, and his game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter was nothing short of amazing. The kid is a bona fide star. He also made two solo tackles on the defensive side of the ball, but his connection with Sanders is a special one on the offensive side of things. 

Horn also had a great night, catching seven passes for 198 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown was an electrifying 69-yard gallop to the end zone in the first quarter. He looks to build on his season last year as the Buffaloes WR3 where he posted 58 receptions for 568 yards and six touchdowns. He’s off to a good start this season. 

New transfer receiver LaJohntay Wester was able to grab five catches for 58 yards in his first game with the Buffaloes. He will be a great third option for Sanders after Hunter and Horn. Colorado has a good receiver room just a year removed from losing Xavier Weaver to the NFL. 

The Road Only Gets Tougher

In their first season back in the Big 12, the Buffaloes will be tested later on down the line. They have to play Baylor, UCF, Kansas State, Arizona, Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma State later in the season. Those will all be tough games, but if the Colorado offense is firing on all cylinders, they can hang around in them. 

The defensive unit will have to stand taller for those games, led by linebackers Trevor Woods and Lavonta Bentley and defensive end Dayon Hayes. Woods made six solo tackles with one tackle for loss while Bentley made five solo tackles with a tackle for loss for himself. Hayes was able to grab three solo tackles and a tackle for loss as well. If the defense can improve, Colorado can compete in the Big 12. 

Colorado is still due to get a couple of insane interceptions from Hunter on the back end, and Shilo Sanders looks to help him in his final year back there for Colorado. The North Dakota State offensive isn't exactly explosive, so those guys didn’t get tested much in week one. Things will only get tougher for the Colorado defense in an offensive-minded Big 12. 

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