Just days after undergoing surgery, Deion Sanders led the Colorado Buffaloes to the team’s first ranked upset win in more than two years, defeating the #22 Iowa State Cyclones 24-17 in Boulder.
After a very disappointing start to Sanders’ first season without Hiesman winner Travis Hunter and son Shedeur Sanders, the win puts Colorado at a 3-4 (1-2 Big 12) record on the year. The Buffaloes’ defense stopped the Cyclones multiple times in the red zone, and after a strong performance from quarterback Kaidon Salter, CU finished Saturday night in the victory column.
Accordingly, Colorado students and fans rushed the field after the win, a move not uncommon for any big victory at Folsom Field in the recent era. After the game, Sanders was told about the fine the school would receive, to which he gave a blunt response.
“I love it, I want to see the fans rush the field,” Sanders said in his postgame press conference, before then learning about the fine. “Who made that a rule?… Well, (the students) can chip in, that’s how it was when I grew up.”
As is commonplace, Colorado will have to pay $50,000 for breaking NCAA rules due to the field rush. The move was criticized by some, but Sanders himself didn’t care about the negative reaction to the fans celebrating the win.
Colorado Back In The Win Column
After Sanders led Colorado to the program’s best record since 2016 last season, this year has not gotten off to the right start. The team started 2-4 with no number one option at quarterback, and entering the middle of the team’s Big 12 schedule, things were not looking good.
That was also compounded by Sanders announcing he was undergoing surgery during the week to fix blood clots. However, amid the off-the-field concerns, Colorado had a strong showing against the ranked Iowa State. While the Buffaloes had fewer total yards, the defense held the Cyclones to 2/12 on third down conversions, in what was perhaps the unit’s best performance of the year.
“It gave us a reason to fight, a great reason to fight,” Colorado linebacker Jeremiah Brown said after the game, according to USA Today. “Coach Prime had the surgery on Tuesday. Came back that Wednesday morning after a four-hour surgery. He (was) hurt and he (was) limping on the field, hurting, still running around. He was giving us all the energy we need. So I think that’s all we needed to fight.”
Salter had a bounce-back game after struggling the week prior against TSU. Playing the Iowa State defense, the Liberty transfer finished the night with 16/25 passing for 255 yards and two touchdowns.
“We have a team full of dawgs that just don’t quit,” Salter said following the win, after a three-interception gam the week before. “We don’t give up.”
While it was Salter leading the offense and making headlines, Colorado’s defense was the true star of the show. They held star quarterback Rocco Becht to 18/33 passing for 205 yards and an interception, his second game of the year with no touchdowns.
Deion Sanders’ Quick Return From Surgery
As mentioned, Sanders had surgery during the week to help reduce the blood clots he has been suffering over the past few weeks. The procedure was nowhere close to his first or only in recent memory, as before the season, Sanders announced he had undergone treatment for bladder cancer.
According to himself, Sanders has actually undergone 16 surgeries over the past few years due to a number of health concerns.
“Today I’m having a procedure,” Sanders said on Tuesday after saying he was in pain during the team’s loss in Fort Worth last week. Prayerfully I’ll be right back tomorrow. It is what it is, we found what we found.”
After the successful surgery, Sanders returned to the facility the next day to prepare for the game against Iowa State. While many were skeptical about the quick return after a major procedure, Sanders was reportedly in good spirits just hours after being released from the hospital.
“I mean, going into surgery and the next morning, you had practice is crazy,” offensive lineman Zy Crisler said about his head coach. “But man, Coach Prime is a warrior. He gonna do what he got to do, and I salute Coach Prime.”
Sanders’ recent health concerns have been growing, and while it is a big cause for concern, it is not impacting the spirit of the fanbase. With a previous history of a lackluster attendance at Folsom Field, Sanders praised the fan base on Saturday.
“Thank god for that sellout crowd,” Sanders said. “It’s one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever see, looking behind our bench and looking across to see over 50,000 radical passion fans. I love these kids and these adults, and everybody in this fan base to life.”
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