1-0. That's where Deion Sanders and his new-look Colorado Buffaloes sit after their 2023 season opener. Dubbed the worst team in the FBS by some pundits, Colorado opened the season with a tough road game at last season's National Championship runners-up, TCU. However, the Buffs were able to silence the crowd in Fort Worth with a 45-42 upset victory. It marked the program's first road win since 2021 and showed the country what PrimeTime Colorado was all about.
Sander's son Shedeur set a new single-game passing record for the school as he threw for 510 yards and 4 touchdowns. Meanwhile, two-way star Travis Hunter put up 119 receiving yards and an interception. Sanders kept his postgame remarks simple while discussing his team's victory - "We comin'."
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How Far Can Sanders Take Colorado In Year 1?
2023 is a very weird season for Colorado. They were projected to finish 11th in the Pac-12, a conference that won't exist next year. They moved to the Big 12 next year, where the now-defeated TCU will become a regular opponent. In short, this is a year for Deion Sanders to show everyone that he can build an FBS program. Come Monday, there will be hundreds of op-eds projecting Colorado to be a National Championship contender. However, there were plenty of things that could stymie Colorado on display in their win over TCU.
Firstly, TCU is not the same team that made it to the National Championship. They were gutted by the NFL Draft, losing most of the players that made the run possible. Colorado shouldn't expect the same treatment from a more consistent year-to-year roster (like USC). Secondly, Colorado had no ground game. Sure, Sanders threw for 510 yards. But he also lost 32 yards on five rushing plays and the team as a whole secured less than 100 rushing yards. Colorado could struggle with teams that get to the QB more consistently. As for what's next - Colorado welcomes Nebraska to Folsom Field next week. The Huskers lost their opening game 13-10 to Minnesota.
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