Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders knew he would say a prayer at the end of regular season Saturday night.
Sanders found LaJohntay Wester in the end zone for a Hail Mary that tied the Buffaloes’ 38-31 win over Baylor. Wester got behind his defender and caught the ball on the slide just before he hit the ground after Sanders hit Will Sheppard in the chest for what would have been a game-tying touchdown.
“We put (Travis Hunter) back, we knew he was going to get all the attention, and then LaJohntay would be out there one-on-one,” Sanders said. “They wouldn’t think we were throwing him the ball because he’s a smaller guy in that situation.”
“Then I rolled to the left, everybody went to the middle of the end zone and I just trusted in God,” Sanders continued with a chuckle. “I just left it up to God. And God answered my prayer for sure.”
Hunter made the game-winning play in overtime. After Colorado scored a point in overtime, Baylor needed a touchdown and an extra point to take the game to the second overtime. As Baylor running back Dominic Richardson dove toward the end zone, Hunter ripped the ball out of his hands just before Richardson reached the goal line.
“Shedeur told me to go out and get the ball as soon as we scored, so I told him, ‘I got you.’ And I kept my word,” Hunter said. “I knew I had to tackle. You can see me putting my mouth guard on late in the game, so I was already ready. I knew they were coming at me and I thought I couldn’t tackle, so I had to show them.”
Hunter once again gave it his all for the Buffaloes. His tackle on Robertson was his third of the night and he also caught seven balls for 130 yards. He was the only Colorado player with more than 100 yards gain and more than four catches.
The Buffaloes improved their record to 3-1 with the win, but coach Deion Sanders would have liked to see more consistency in games from his team. Shedeur Sanders was sacked eight times and the Buffaloes continued to be unable to run the ball well. Lead runner Isaiah Augustave had 12 carries for 41 yards and Sanders’ 17-yard run was the longest of any Colorado player of the night.
“I think we’re so much better than we show sometimes,” Deion Sanders said. “We keep showing glimpses of the running game, we show glimpses of our tough, tough defense. We show that we can throw the ball anywhere. And then we just wait a series or two and stupidly give up something.”
