The play was called “Heisman” because it was meant to showcase Colorado’s two Heisman hopefuls.
In the fourth quarter on Saturday, Travis Hunter took a pitch on a reverse while quarterback Shedeur Sanders sprinted out for a pass. Hunter looked toward Sanders, but things didn’t go as planned.
It could have been a highlight seen at the Heisman Trophy ceremony next month in New York, but Sanders tripped and fell backward. Hunter, thinking quickly, ran the ball in himself for a 5-yard touchdown, sealing the Colorado Buffaloes’ 49-24 win over Utah.
“It was really supposed to be my touchdown,” Sanders said with a laugh after the game. “If you want to be honest, he took my shine on that one.”
Both Hunter and Sanders helped their Heisman cases as Colorado (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 17 CFP) secured its fourth straight win.
Hunter, wearing shiny gold cleats, stood out on the field. He hardly ever came off the field, playing about 132 snaps and making big plays on both offense and defense.
He made a spectacular 28-yard catch between two Utah defenders on fourth-and-8, a play that will likely be replayed often.
On defense, Hunter had an interception, broke up a pass, and made three tackles. He was finally beaten for a touchdown, though, as Utah’s Dorian Singer caught a 40-yard pass for a score, marking the first receiving touchdown Hunter has allowed this season.
Right now, Hunter is the favorite to win the Heisman, according to BetMGM, with odds at plus-100. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is second (plus-350), and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is third (plus-400). Shedeur Sanders is at plus-5,000.
Deion Sanders, Hunter’s coach and father, believes Hunter deserves to be at the top of the Heisman race.
“Travis is who he is. It’s supposed to go to the best college football player,” Sanders said. “I think that’s been a wrap since Week 2.”
Shedeur Sanders also had an impressive performance, bouncing back after throwing an interception on the first play of the game. He finished 30 of 41 for 340 yards and three touchdowns. He now has 27 touchdown passes for the season, just one shy of the school’s single-season record of 28 set by Sefo Liufau in 2014.
In addition, Sanders has thrown a touchdown pass in 21 straight games at Colorado, breaking Liufau’s previous record of 20 (2013-14).
“I thought he was kind of OK all game long,” his coach and father said. “Then I look at his stats … I guess I’m just a hard dad to please at times, as well as a hard coach.”
Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, two close friends who transferred together from Jackson State, don’t focus on individual awards or statistics. Their main goal is to stay on track for a shot at the conference title and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“We don’t go into a game being like, ‘Oh, we’ve got to get Trav the Heisman,’” Sanders explained. “Some teams do that for their player. Nah, I’m just playing. But no, we don’t go into a game like that. It’s all natural.”
Still, that reverse play might stick with Shedeur Sanders, especially when the team reviews the footage.
“It’s definitely going to be on the bloopers because I fell backwards,” Sanders said. “I see how hard it is to be a receiver.”
