By CNN
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Deion Sanders’ extraordinary first season as head coach of the No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes continued on Sunday as his team staged a remarkable comeback against No.8 championship contender USC, falling just short in a 48-41 defeat.
Following the 42-6 blowout loss against Oregon last week, the Buffaloes got off to another slow start at Folsom Field in Boulder and were trailing by 27 points late in the third quarter.
But they changed the complexion of the game with three unanswered touchdowns in the final 16 minutes to move the scoreboard to 48-41.
Inches away from completing a remarkable comeback, the Buffaloes were unable to convert a late onside kick and USC ran the clock down.
“Overall, I’m really proud,” Deion Sanders said, according to ESPN. “Not only of the young men, [but] the coaches, the fan base, the student body. I’m truly proud of the way we represented Boulder today.”
His son Shedeur Sanders threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns at quarterback while USC’s Caleb Williams threw for 403 yards and six touchdowns.
Meanwhile, freshman receiver Omarion Miller put in a breakout performance for Colorado as he finished with seven catches for 196 yards and a touchdown.
The result capped an extraordinary September for Colorado, a program that finished with a 1-11 record last year, as “Coach Prime” has turned his side into a competitive team and become the biggest story in college football in the process.
Watching the Buffaloes has become the hottest ticket in Boulder, drawing stars on Saturday such as Hollywood actor Will Ferrell and the Boston Celtics’ Derrick White and Jaylen Brown.
“If you can’t see what’s coming with CU football, you’ve lost your mind,” Sanders told reporters afterwards. “You’re just a flat-out hater if you can’t see what’s going on and what’s going to transpire over the next several months. Something’s wrong with you.”
Colorado falls to 3-2 after its second consecutive defeat, while USC continued its unbeaten start to the season and improved to 5-0.
The Buffaloes will next play on October 7 when they face Arizona State.
