Colorado’s QB, Sheduer Sanders, leads the nation in yards thrown at 2,020 and is tied for third with 16 TD’s and just 2 picks, all the while connecting on over 70+% of his passes and getting sacked 30 times—more than any other QB in college football. When his dad, head coach Deion Sanders, was asked what he thought about having to put together another last minute surge to win their game against Arizona State this past weekend he had this to say; “Wonderful win, but we played like hot garbage, and I’m trying to figure it out, I’m sick of this. We’re better than this.” Regarding his son and the record number sacks, he said; “He’s mad, he’s upset with the way this looks. He’s upset with the way it’s going. He’s upset with hit-after-hit-after-hit. You think he’s happy, being the most sacked guy in college football? He’s still doing what he’s capable of doing [but] he’s sick of it.”
Even though the Buffaloes didn’t get the win until inside the last minute of the game, the 27-24 win at home against Arizona State ends an eight game PAC-12 loosing streak dating back almost exactly one year to their only victory of 2022, a 20-13 win over Cal at home. Colorado got behind early with the Sun Devils scoring on their very first possession of the game at the end of a nine play 66 yard drive and 2 yard TD run by the Arizona State QB, Trenton Bourguet. After both teams were held to three-and-outs on their next possessions Colorado would finally tie it up after a 16 play, 75 yard, six minute drive that would find them 1st and goal at the ASU 2 yard line. But after losing two yards on the next play and then five to a false start penalty found themselves 3rd and goal on the 9 yard line. Sanders completed an eight yard pass to Anthony Hankerson but they needed nine. Colorado attempted two 4th down conversions in the game, both made, including this 1 yard Xavier Weaver run into the end zone to make it 7-to-7 with two minutes left in the first quarter.
Four combined possessions and four punts later, including back-to-back-to-back three-and-outs the Sun Devils would get back on top at the end of 9 play, 59 yard drive and Cameron Skattebo run into the end zone to make it 14-7. After holding Arizona State to another three-and-out on their next possession the Buffaloes would get the ball back and go 9 plays and 81 yards, including two Hankerson runs and three consecutive pass completions by Sanders, followed by a 16 yard run to the house by Shedeur to make it 14-14. With just under a minute left in the half Bourguet picked up 36 yards on two pass completions and ran it for 12 more putting the Sun Devils 3rd and 10 on the Colorado 15 yard line where Dario Longhetto connected on a 33 yard field goal with time expiring to give Arizona State a 17-14 lead going into the break.
There were fourteen punts total in the game, nine following three-and-outs, and the second half started with four of those punts—three after time consuming drives that pretty much ate the entire third quarter clock leaving the Sun Devils still ahead 17-14 at the top of the 4th Qtr. After a seven play ASU drive that only went 11 yards as a result of back-to-back sacks by the Buffaloes, Colorado would get the ball back and Sanders would complete a 9 yard TD pass to Javon Antonio to finally take the lead with less than a minute gone in the 4th Qtr. After holding the Sun Devils to another three-and-out on their next possession Colorado would gain great field position on an Xavier Weaver 51 yard run back after the punt. But after starting 1st and 10 at the ASU 25 yard line and picking up 12 yards on a run and a pass, three plays later Colorado would be 4th and 9 just one yard closer at the 24 after another sack on Sanders and 11 yard loss. So With 10:13 left in the period Alejandro Mata came into the game and connected on a 42 yard field goal to put the Buffaloes up 24-17. ASU would miss a field goal attempt of their own almost four minutes later but after forcing Colorado to punt on their next possession would come down the field and score on a Bourguet 15 yard TD pass to Troy Omeire at the end of a 13 play, 94 yard drive to tie the score 24-to-24 with under a minute left in the game.
But as we’re getting used to regarding Shedeur Sanders, nothing’s impossible, and after back-to-back pass completions to Javon Antonio, one for 43 yards, Mata came in after the drive bogged down on the ASU 25 and kicked a 43 yard game winning field goal with just 12 seconds remaining on the clock. And just like that Colorado recorded their first conference win. Sanders might get a break from all those sacks as the Buffaloes stay home to host Stanford on Friday who is neck-and-neck with Colorado for the worst defense in the PAC-12. The Sun Devils get a week off to lick their wounds but stay on the road for what should be a much more difficult game for them against No. 7 Washington.