Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter, Colorado Stun CFB Twitter with Upset of TCU in Debut

In an early candidate for the college football game of the year, the Colorado Buffaloes shocked the 17th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs 45-42 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Forth Worth on Saturday in Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ debut as Colorado’s head coach.

Colorado prevailed in a game that featured nine lead changes and benefited from spectacular performances from two-way star Travis Hunter, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and running back Dylan Edwards.

A 46-yard touchdown pass from Sanders to Edwards on a fourth-and-2 play with 4:25 remaining gave Colorado a 45-42 lead, and the Buffaloes defense stiffened to make a key stop to preserve the victory:

Sanders set a Colorado single-game record with 510 passing yards on 38-of-47 passing with four touchdowns, while Edwards had 159 total yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.

Hunter, who starred on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and cornerback, made 11 grabs for 119 yards on offense and recorded an interception on defense.

Colorado and TCU could not have been at more opposite ends of the spectrum last season, as the Buffaloes went just 1-11, while TCU went 13-2 and reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Although the Horned Frogs lost several key players from last year’s team, including quarterback Max Duggan, running back Kendre Miller and wide receiver Quentin Johnson, there was seemingly very little separating the two teams Saturday, which elicited a ton of praise for Coach Prime on X, formerly known as Twitter:

For as great of a coaching job as Sanders did Saturday, he was helped significantly by the play of two players who he brought with him from Colorado to Jackson State in Hunter and his son, Shedeur Sanders.

Hunter shocked the college football world when he spurned top FBS schools to play under Sanders at Jackson State, but he stood out in a big way Saturday in his first game on the big stage.

Playing both wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter looked like an elite player on both sides of the ball, rightfully generating no shortage of hype on X:

Hunter did it all Saturday, including logging a highlight-reel interception by diving in front of what was seemingly a surefire touchdown in the third quarter, and reeling in a huge, 43-yard reception on a fourth-quarter drive that put the Buffs ahead:

As electric as Hunter was, it can be argued that Shedeur was just as impressive, going from an FCS quarterback last season to lighting up the reigning FBS national runner-up in the 2023 season opener.

In addition to being accurate on throws to all levels, Sanders showed off incredible arm strength and often put passes right on his receivers in stride on his deep passes:

He also excelled in clutch situations, including throwing a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. with 7:36 left to give the Buffaloes the lead, followed by the eventual game-winning touchdown to Edwards:

Sanders’ poise and accuracy had people buzzing on X, as did the fact that he turned in the best performance by a Colorado quarterback in years, and arguably of all time:

Although he quickly turned things around at Jackson State, there were doubts entering the 2023 season regarding how fast Coach Prime would be able to change the culture at Colorado.

The roster experienced unprecedented turnover, but it is clear that Sanders picked the right players to go to battle with during his first campaign in Boulder.

Finishing with a .500 record this season would have been considered a massive step forward for Colorado, and while it still would be, the expectations have already changed.

Given Sanders’ coaching ability and the elite talent on his team, the Buffaloes have to be considered legitimate threats to win the Pac-12 this season.

Colorado will have the opportunity to prove it is for real next Saturday when it hosts Nebraska in the first home game under Deion.