Deion Sanders and Colorado upset No. 17 TCU in his FBS coaching debut

CNN
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Deion Sanders won his first game as the University of Colorado head coach, upsetting No. 17 TCU 45-42 in his Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaching debut on Saturday.

It was a tightly contested matchup all afternoon at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, but Colorado emerged victorious over ranked opponents for the first time since 2019.

The Buffaloes came out of the gates fast, jumping out to a 24-14 lead in the third quarter. However, the Horned Frogs scored two unanswered touchdowns to take a 28-24 lead.

Both teams went back and forth and, with Colorado down 42-38 with over four minutes to play in the game, Sanders’ son quarterback Shedeur Sanders found Dylan Edwards for the game-winning touchdown and helped secure his father’s first victory.

Shedeur Sanders set the school record for passing yards with 510 yards and four touchdowns. Travis Hunter, Colorado’s two-way star, who plays wide receiver and cornerback, intercepted a pass in the red zone and caught 11 passes for 119 yards on offense.

Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes and his father and head coach Deion Sanders walk the sidelines just before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on September 2, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. Colorado won 45-42.

Shedeur Sanders and his father and head coach Deion Sanders walk the sidelines just before the game.

Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Sanders said he was “thankful” for his son Shedeur and jokingly called Hunter “his other son,” while both were standing right next to him.

“This is a blessing,” Sanders told the FOX broadcast after the game. “Everybody. Buff Nation, who supported us, and all the hood that had our back. Thank y’all.”

Sanders said he didn’t know how many snaps Hunter played in Saturday’s game but joked they needed to put a hot tub on the plane for him.

Shedeur Sanders called his performance “surreal” and praised his teammate Hunter. “I’m practicing against the best corner in the world,” Sanders said. “My margin of error versus him is very small. I can’t miss too far inside, too far outside because he will make a play. It’s just like nobody believed in us, man … They let names, they let Power 5, and stuff get to their heads. I think this the highest passing yards I had in my life.”

In December, Sanders was hired by the school after coaching at Jackson State University for three seasons. Shedeur Sanders and Hunter both followed Coach Prime to Colorado earlier this year.

The Buffaloes are next scheduled to host Nebraska on September 9 which will mark Coach Prime’s home debut at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.