Deion Sanders, Colorado lose more than a game: `That took a lot out of us'

BOULDER, Colo. – By the time this crazy whirlwind game was over, coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado football team could barely keep track of everything they lost here against Kansas State.

∎ They lost two-way superstar Travis Hunter, who left the game with a shoulder injury and didn’t return.

∎ They lost three other receivers to injury, including star Jimmy Horn Jr.

∎ They lost a four-point lead in the final three minutes of the game.

∎ They even had a chance to win at the end when they got the ball back with 2:14 left. But then they lost that, too, before finally losing the game, 31-28.

“We made a statement that we lost,” Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders said afterward. “That’s the statement: that we lost… A loss is a loss. A loss is a loss. You can’t get that back.”

The Buffaloes still nearly won with another frenetic finish and even took a 28-24 lead with 3:12 remaining. All they had to do after that was stop the No. 19 Wildcats in front of another sold-out crowd at Folsom Field (53,972). 

It was too much to ask of them, apparently. And now the big question is what the fallout will be for the Buffaloes (4-2), including just how seriously Hunter was injured after becoming a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

Deion Sanders said afterward that he didn’t know.

What did Deion Sanders say afterward?

He discussed the loss of four receivers to injuries during the game, including Hunter and Horn, who limped off the field in the second quarter.

“Certainly, losing Travis and Jimmy and others was tremendous because they’re a vital part of our team, vital part of our identity; they’re a vital part of who we are,” Deion Sanders said. “So that took a blow… That look a lot out of us. But other guys had the opportunity to step up and they did. So I’m proud of them.”

Sanders likely will give an update about Hunter on Tuesday. He came off the field after making a 14-yard catch in the second quarter, when he took a hard hit to his right shoulder from the helmet of Kansas State safety Daniel Cobbs. Colorado then gave up three straight scoring drives to Kansas State (5-1) without Hunter playing cornerback on defense – two touchdowns and a 48-yard field goal that put the Wildcats up 24-14 at the end of the third quarter.

“We didn’t tackle well today, whatsoever,” Sanders said. “We didn’t get to the ball as a unit today, whatsoever. We had some busts and a few things. I’m telling you, I hear the calls, and (defensive coordinator Robert Livingston) called a pretty darn good game. He called a really good game, and we just got to execute the calls.”

So what the heck happened?

The Buffs were down by as much as 21-7 in the middle of the third quarter but still came back. With 4:03 remaining, they even faced a potential knockout punch when the Wildcats drove to the Colorado 31-yard line and decided to go for it on fourth down and 6 with a 24-21 lead. A conversion could have helped seal the win for KSU. A field goal on fourth down also could have put the Wildcats up 27-21.

But Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman said afterward he didn’t want his team to attempt a field goal on that fourth down because he was worried Shedeur Sanders would get the ball back and score to take the lead.

“I knew I would probably kick myself in the butt if we kicked the field goal, (then) they take it down and score… with the best quarterback in the country (Sanders), and we lose 28-27,” Klieman said. “I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

Avery Johnson’s fourth-down pass instead was tipped to the player who replaced Hunter at cornerback on defense – Auburn transfer Colton Hood, who nearly ran it back for a touchdown but fell short at the Kansas State 17-yard line. Two plays later, Shedeur Sanders threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver LaJohntay Wester with 3:12 remaining. Colorado suddenly led, 28-24.

“Tremendous,” Deion Sanders said of Hood’s big play. “It was a natural high. That was phenomenal.”

A few stops on defense could have made the difference for Colorado after that. The Buffaloes instead gave up two massive plays – a 34-yard pass from Johnson that brought the ball to the 50-yard line and then a 50-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to receiver Jayce Brown with 2:14 remaining. The Wildcats had retaken the lead, 31-28, less than a minute after the Buffaloes had seemed to pull off another miracle. Three weeks earlier, they used a Hail Mary pass to force overtime before beating Baylor.

What does the loss mean for Colorado and Deion Sanders?

The Buffs are 2-1 in Big 12 Conference play and just showed they can hang with possibly the best team in the league. They next play Saturday at Arizona (3-3).

“This team has heart,” Deion Sanders said. “They have integrity. They’re tough. They love to play this game. We just came up short. We got to just learn how to win these particular games.”

Last year, the Buffs also had a 4-2 record at this point but never won another game before finishing 4-8. They lost five games last year by seven points or fewer.

“This is a totally different team,” Sanders said.

But what do they do without Hunter and Horn? Receivers Omarion Miller and Terrell Timmons also suffered injuries Saturday. The good news for the Buffs is that they’re deep at the receiver position. Nine different players caught balls Saturday from Shedeur Sanders, who completed 34 of 40 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.

Shedeur also was sacked six times but almost had another chance at the end when his final pass looked like it could have been flagged for pass interference by Kansas State near the Wildcats' 40-yard line. The pass instead fell incomplete on fourth down with no penalty called.

“Whatever the ref called, he called,” Shedeur said.

Johnson finished with 15-of-23 passing for 224 yards and two touchdowns with one interception for Kansas State. He also ran for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter – a play he celebrated by doing the Deion Sanders “shuffle” dance in the end zone.

Kansas State running back DJ Giddens had 182 yards on 25 carries.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This story has been updated to add a video.)