On Sept. 24, 1994, the Miracle at Michigan happened when quarterback Kordell Stewart completed a Hail Mary pass to beat the Wolverines, and 30 years later, a similar throw may eventually have its own lore.
Down one score, Colorado just had two seconds remaining and 43 yards between a loss and an opportunity to play overtime. Shedeur Sanders launched one final prayer to LaJohntay Wester and the prayer was answered.
“I roll left, everybody went in the middle of the end zone and I just trusted God,” Sanders said on his Hail Mary pass. “I just threw it up to God and God answered the prayer for sure.”
Micah Welch ran the ball in to score in overtime, Travis Hunter executed a game-sealing forced fumble and the party ensued as fans came running down from the stands at Folsom Field.
“I’m thankful,” head coach Deion Sanders said after the game. “One step closer to getting Miss Peggy to a bowl game. So I’m really proud of that. I want to apologize to the opposition the way we stormed the field, and I didn’t get an opportunity to go and shake the head coach’s hand. … I wanted to shake his hand and acknowledge, but I don’t like what transpired at the end of the game, but I love what transpired at the end of the game.”
Here are the top five takeaways from the legendary evening in Boulder:
A wild conclusion in Boulder
In the pouring rain, with two seconds left on the clock, Shedeur Sanders needed to do one thing and he did exactly that. Sanders threw a Hail Mary to LaJohntay Wester in a 50-50 ball scenario and Wester secured the catch to send it to overtime.
“I was one on one, I ran down there, I saw him rolling out and then I saw the ball coming my way,” LaJohntay Wester said. “As a receiver, your job is to make the quarterback right, whether it’s a good ball or a bad ball. I just made a play on the ball. It isn’t anything more or anything less.”