For the first time since 1996, Colorado played on Colorado State’s turf for the Rocky Mountain Showdown and coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs maintained the program's 10-year winning streak over the in-state rival with the 28-9 victory Saturday night.
Pregame comments from Colorado State were put to rest as the Buffs defense limited the Rams throughout the entirety of the game, the Buffs elevated the run game, Travis Hunter worked his magic and it all ended with Colorado owning the Rocky Mountain Showdown Trophy in Fort Collins.
“Wonderful game, personal game, heartfelt game, emotional game,” Sanders said. “They kind of make it like that. We just want to play some football.”
Here are five takeaways from the Buffs’ win against Colorado State ...
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1. The Buffs got back this game
After being rolled by longtime rival Nebraska, Deion Sanders and the Buffs redeemed themselves by dominating the Rams on their home turf.
Saturday night in Fort Collins was the first time this season Colorado’s defense put together four quality quarters, and the offense finally introduced a much-needed element with the run game.
“Just the intensity and the understanding of our team that this needs to happen,” Sanders said on the importance of the run game. “Pat [Shurmur] is a pro, so definitely he's calling runs. He wants to call runs. That's the life he comes from, with a lot more balance at the professional level.”
The quality football that Colorado executed put Colorado State’s comments from during the week to rest.
“We should have murdered them guys,” Rams receiver Tory Horton had said.
“We’ll see how far Instagram followers gets them,” CSU quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi said.
Colorado didn’t allow one touchdown until the fourth quarter. The Buffs were relentless against the Rams and Colorado State didn’t have answers.
“The disrespect was uncalled for throughout the week,” Sanders said after the game. “A couple of their players took shots to the whole program and few of our players. So it is what it is. So we knew that coming into the game, it was going to be a bit personal."
