Colorado Buffaloes Football

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders signed one of the tortillas fans threw on the field during the Buffaloes' 41-27 win over Texas Tech on Saturday.

"I didn't know throwing tortillas on the field was legal," Sanders said after the win, adding that he "had to sign one."

Fans threw so many tortillas on the field that Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire used a microphone to ask the crowd to stop mid-game.

Colorado improved to 7-2 on the season with a win amid the team's bid to top the Big 12 and earn a spot in the expanded CFP.

"They had a whole cleanup crew. It was odd," Sanders said after the game.

Head coach Deion Sanders added: "Thank God a tortilla is soft."

Sanders had warned his players that tortillas would be thrown from the stands ahead of Saturday's game.

The tradition of tossing tortillas in Lubbock has reportedly been taking place since at least the 1980s.

Per Brandi D. Addison of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, one explanation as to the origin of the tradition is that the tortillas were a replacement for soda lids that fans used to throw on the field. Another origin story is that the tossing was the response to a snub by an ESPN announcer, while another argues the tortillas were metaphorical food for the Red Raiders' previous nickname of the Matadors, per Addison.

However the tradition started, the tortillas were in full flight ahead of Colorado and Texas Tech's kickoff at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The flying wraps didn't distract Colorado's stars from leading their team to victory on Saturday.

Sanders went 30-of-43 for 291 yards while scoring four total touchdowns, while two-way star Travis Hunter made nine catches for 99 yards and a touchdown to help the Buffaloes get out to the program's first 7-2 start since 2016.

The No. 20 Buffaloes can now expect fewer tortillas on the field when they return home to take on visiting Utah next Saturday.

Colorado's Week 11 victory over Texas Tech gave head coach Deion Sanders a little extra cash in his pocket.

Steve Berkowitz of USA Today reported that the Buffaloes head coach picked up a 100,000 bonus for the 41-27 win over the Red Raiders.

He has now earned $400,000 in bonuses throughout the 2024 season and will be eligible for an extra $100,000 per additional victory.

If the Buffaloes keep playing at their current pace, Sanders may be in line for those additional bonuses.

The win over the Red Raiders was the third consecutive for Colorado and the sixth in the team's last seven games. The team is also very much alive in the race for the Big-12 Conference Championship, as the Buffaloes have a 5-1 conference record and currently sit in second place.

Colorado has Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State remaining on the regular season slate. Additionally, the team is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2020, so Sanders has at least four more chances to earn additional bonuses.

No. 20 Colorado overcame a sluggish first quarter to defeat Texas Tech on Saturday, winning by the final score of 41-27.

The Buffaloes trailed 13-0 after the first 15 minutes of game time but stayed within striking distance by scoring 10 points in the second quarter. Colorado found the end zone again after halftime, recording 17 unanswered points to take a four-point lead.

Shedeur Sanders continued to make plays in and out of the pocket, finishing 30-of-43 for 291 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also added 16 yards and a fourth score on the ground.

Travis Hunter was Sanders' top target once again, hauling in nine receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. This included a 24-yard score that allowed the Buffaloes to take a two-possession lead in the second half.

The Red Raiders had an opportunity to tie the game with roughly one minute left in the fourth quarter, but a forced fumble was scooped up by safety Shilo Sanders and returned into the end zone for a touchdown.

Fans were impressed with head coach Deion Sanders' team as Colorado secured its third straight victory.

It was hardly a flawless win for the Buffaloes, as they converted just two of 13 opportunities on third down and committed 14 penalties for 106 yards. Still, Colorado improved to 7-2 with a 5-1 record against Big 12 opponents.

With No. 17 Iowa State falling to Kansas on Saturday, the Buffaloes now control their own destiny to secure a spot in the conference championship game as well as a possible College Football Playoff berth.

Deion Sanders used a guest spot on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff to have some fun with Matt Leinart after the former Heisman winner's son, Cole, committed to SMU over Colorado.

Coach Prime joked he was "mad" at Leinart for not even considering the Buffaloes as a destination for his son.

Cole Leinart, a quarterback recruit in the 2026 class, announced on Wednesday he would be playing college football at SMU.

The 17-year-old Leinart is a 3-star recruit in the 2026 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He had offers from several high-profile FBS programs, including Colorado, before picking SMU.

"I love the culture, what they are building, the coaches," Leinart told On3.com's Steve Wiltfong about what separated the Mustangs from the rest of the pack. "Love everything about it."

Colorado is going to have a big hole to fill at quarterback after this season with Shedeur Sanders in his senior year. Deion Sanders doesn't really recruit high school talent as much as he scours the transfer portal.

The Buffaloes currently have the lowest-ranked incoming freshman class for 2025 among Big 12 programs after having the lowest-ranked class in 2024. They did add 3-star transfer prospects Destin Wade and Walter Taylor before the start of this season.

Perhaps Deion can work his recruiting magic to get Cole Leinart to change his mind. There are still two years remaining before Leinart is set to begin his college career.

Matt was able to take the joke in stride, telling Coach Prime that he could call him to talk recruiting.

One of the teams that didn't have an offer out to Cole at this point was USC, even though he plays right in the Trojans' backyard at Redondo Union High School. Matt spent five years at USC from 2001 to '05, winning a Heisman and national title in 2004.

Even though the BCS stripped USC of its national title win stemming from sanctions imposed by the NCAA related to Reggie Bush's eligibility, The Associated Press still recognizes the Trojans as champions for their 55-19 victory over Oklahoma.

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is making a solid case to be this year's Heisman Trophy winner, but he still has plenty of competition for the coveted award.

One player giving him a run for his money is his quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. Amid the two players' push for the Heisman, Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders weighed in on who he thinks should take home the trophy.

"Travis gets my vote. Travis is the best player in college football," Sanders said. "Truly Shedeur is that guy. He's the catalyst, he makes everything go and enables Travis to be Travis, but Travis Hunter is doing something we've never seen before."

Both Shedeur and Hunter are having outstanding years amid a 6-2 start for the No. 20 Buffaloes.

Shedeur has 2,591 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions on the year, sitting inside the top 10 nationally in both passing yards and touchdowns. Hunter has 757 receiving yards and eight touchdowns while posting 13 tackles, seven passes defended, two interceptions and a forced fumble on the defensive end.

While Hunter's receiving numbers and defensive numbers alone likely wouldn't be enough to put him in the Heisman conversation, the fact that he's doing both has made him a top choice for the award.

As Sanders said, Hunter is "doing something we've never seen before." The last player to come close to what Hunter is doing was Charles Woodson, who won the Heisman Trophy for Michigan in 1997. That year, he had 238 receiving yards and two touchdowns along with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and eight interceptions.

Woodson's defensive numbers were a bit more impressive than Hunter's, but he didn't have nearly as much success on offense.

For both Hunter and Shedeur, a Heisman Trophy is likely an afterthought as they have another goal on their mind: finishing the season strong to make a push for the College Football Playoff.

The Buffs have a realistic chance of reaching the CFP, but they'd likely have to win their final four games to do so. Colorado will get another chance to prove itself on Saturday when it faces Texas Tech.

University of Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter may have revealed Tuesday that he plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft.

Appearing on his teammate Shedeur Sanders' 2Legendary podcast (h/t Max Escarpio of Athlon Sports), Hunter made an eyebrow-raising comment regarding his wedding date in relation to his impending NFL career:

When asked by Sanders when he and fiancée Leanna Lenee planned to tie the knot, Hunter said May 24, which is "right after rookie minicamp."

If Hunter is making plans around the NFL's offseason schedule, it seems like a safe bet that he intends on forgoing his senior season at Colorado and making the leap to the NFL in 2025.

The 21-year-old Hunter began his collegiate career at FCS Jackson State before following head coach Deion Sanders to Colorado for the 2023 campaign.

In his first season at the FBS level, Hunter excelled at both wide receiver and cornerback, making 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns, while also recording 22 tackles, three interceptions and five passes defended.

As impressive as Hunter was last season, he has taken his game to a new level in 2024, establishing himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Through eight games for the 6-2 Buffaloes, Hunter has already racked up 60 receptions for 757 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 14 tackles, two picks and seven passes defended.

Hunter has consistently played a combined 100 snaps on both sides of the ball per game each of the past two seasons, and he has managed to thrive at two different positions, pushing his draft stock through the roof.

Even if Hunter isn't able to beat out the likes of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty for the Heisman, he has still put himself firmly in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Assuming a team that doesn't have quarterback as its top priority gets the top selection, Hunter could be an attractive selection due to his versatility and the idea that he could potentially be used on both sides of the ball even if he doesn't play the same allotment of snaps he has in college.

If Hunter does enter the 2025 draft, it stands to reason that Sanders would as well since he would be losing his top target in the passing game.

Sanders is seemingly battling Ward for the right to be called the No. 1 quarterback in the draft, and the fact he is in that discussion suggests he has a strong chance to be a top-five pick in his own right.

Amid a push to win the Heisman Trophy, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is tired of people slighting his game.

On Shedeur Sanders' podcast, 2Legendary with Shedeur Sanders, Hunter explained why he believes he's top-five as both a wide receiver and a cornerback.

"I just hate when people say I'm not top five at receiver, top five at DB," he said (27:40 mark). "What are y'all watching? Every gameplan for the opposing team has got to be revolved around me bro. Y'all got to stop that. I've allowed no touchdowns this season, I'm locking up on every side of the ball, I've probably gave up like 30 yards this whole season... At receiver, nobody ever stops me. I went 9-for-9 last week. Who do you know that's doing that?"

Hunter has had a tremendous season on both sides of the ball. On offense, he has 757 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, which rank 17th and ninth nationally. On defense, Hunter has 13 tackles, seven passes defended, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

While it's up for debate whether he's a top-five player in both of his position groups, it's impressive that he's good enough in both to even be in those kinds of conversations.

Hunter is making a compelling case to win the Heisman Trophy, but has some stiff competition in Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, Miami's Cam Ward and a few others. Still, it seems more likely than not that Hunter will at least get an invitation to New York in December if he keeps up his outstanding season.

Colorado ranks 20th in the 2024 season's first College Football Playoff rankings, which were released on Tuesday.

It's an impressive showing for the Buffaloes and head coach Deion Sanders, the Pro Football Hall of Famer in his second season leading the team. Colorado was 1-11 in 2022 but improved to 4-8 before landing at 6-2 right now with four regular season games remaining. The Buffaloes, at worst, have also become bowl-eligible for just the third time over the past 17 seasons.

But the team has greater aspirations, namely a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game. A win there would secure a top-four seed in the College Football Playoff.

Entering this week, Colorado is 4-1 in the Big 12, good enough for a second-place tie with Iowa State and one game behind 5-0 BYU.

While Colorado's No. 20 ranking is impressive, especially given where the program was two years ago, it ultimately doesn't matter right now.

After Colorado broke into the Top 25 of the Associated Press poll, quarterback Shedeur Sanders explained why that ranking was meaningless.

"It doesn't really even matter," Sanders said on the 2Legendary podcast. "I don't think the rankings really matter, honestly to us. Because you can be ranked one week and not ranked the next week."

Colorado can't afford to rest on its laurels, with a tough road matchup at Texas Tech up next. The Red Raiders are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12. The Buffaloes are favored, but not by too much (3.5 points, per DraftKings Sportsbook).

In the same podcast, Colorado offensive lineman Justin Mayers also noted how the team has championship goals, not ranking ones.

"We're bowl eligible now, but that's not the end goal. We're trying to make a championship. I feel like a lot of big teams when they start looking at the AP stuff, they lose themselves. But us, we've been through so much as a team that it doesn't matter to us...so we just keep working week in and week out, we'll get what we really want."

To make the Big 12 Championship Game, Colorado will likely need to win out to have a chance. Up next is Texas Tech on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET in Lubbock, followed by a home game against Utah (4-4, 1-4 Big 12). The Buffaloes then travel to Kansas City to play Kansas (2-6, 1-4 Big 12) in Arrowhead Stadium before returning home to finish the regular season against Oklahoma State (3-6, 0-6 Big 12).

Already regarded as a top prospect in the 2025 NFL draft, Shedeur Sanders has tipped his hand that he will be leaving Colorado after this season.

In a video captured showing Colorado players huddled around after a recent practice, a coach is heard saying that registration for spring classes is starting which prompts Sanders to joke "man, I'm going to the league" in reference to the NFL.

Sanders did clarify on X that he's graduating early anyway.

The 22-year-old Sanders is in his fourth college season overall. He spent two seasons at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado after his father, Deion Sanders, was hired by the Buffaloes in December 2022.

Graduation from college doesn't necessarily have to follow a traditional four-year path. Sanders attended his first in-person lecture at the University of Colorado in April after more than one year at the school.

The moment was captured on a video posted to Sanders' official YouTube channel.

Deion Sanders previously said on a podcast that he wasn't sure if Shedeur had ever taken part in a class on campus because all of his courses were online (h/t Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today):

"It's so different now man because most of the school is online. Like, they go to classes and I'm like, 'You guys are missing the best part of college—to be on campus, to walk around and build the atmosphere and build relationships on campus with other students outside of football.' That's the best part of it, but now you have so many kids, they're just online. I don't even know if Shedeur has partaken a class on campus in his college career."

Online classes are also easier to work around the schedule for a student-athlete, so it's not a surprise that Sanders would do the bulk of his work outside of an actual classroom.

Sanders is in the running to potentially be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. He is the second-ranked quarterback in the class behind Miami's Cam Ward, per B/R's NFL scouting department.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who has Sanders ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect, said "you won't find a tougher or more resilient quarterback prospect" than the Buffaloes star.

Sanders has Colorado off to a 6-2 start this season and No. 21 in the AP Top 25 poll. He has thrown for 2,591 yards, 21 touchdowns and a 73.3 completion percentage in eight games.

The Colorado Buffaloes had a bye this past week. It ended up working out just fine for them in the polls.

Deion Sanders' charges moved up to No. 21 in the Week 11 Associated Press Poll, an increase of two spots from last week.

Colorado, which sits at 6-2 on the season, was ranked for the first time last week after beating Cincinnati, 34-23. It was the team's second straight win in the Big 12 after smoking Arizona, 34-7.

"We have earned where we are," head coach Deion Sanders told reporters before the Cincy win. "We actually feel like we're better than what we are. Because we are just starting to see the fruit of the work and the understanding of the expectation that we have for ourselves. Forget what others have for us, but what we have for ourselves."

The team's Week 2 loss to Nebraska doesn't look quite as good in hindsight, as the Cornhuskers are just 5-4 on the year. The team also lost to Kansas State earlier in October, with the Wildcats (7-2) surprisingly ranked 22nd in the latest AP Poll, one spot below the Buffaloes.

Both teams are trying to catch No. 9 BYU (8-0, 5-0 in conference) and No. 17 Iowa State (7-1, 4-1) in the Big 12 with a spot in the championship game on the line. Colorado's remaining schedule includes conference matchups against Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State. Of that group, only the Red Raiders (6-3) currently have a winning record.

Behind star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way dynamo Travis Hunter, the Buffs are in the hunt for a conference title. Win out, and they'll not only potentially have a shot in the conference title game, but perhaps the College Football Playoff as well.

There's a lot of football left to be played before that talk, however.