Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter have taken next step — and Buffs need all their brilliance to win

Colorado reeled in the nation’s No. 8 transfer class. They brought in five new offensive line starters. The Buffs rebuilt the defense. They replaced both offensive and defensive playcallers, along with three other assistant coaches. 

One game into the season, it doesn’t matter. The Buffs will go exactly as far as Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter can take them. The good news for Colorado? Its two biggest stars are even better than they were last year.

In a 31-26 victory over North Dakota State, Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns. He showed some real growth from an impressive first season, stepping into the pocket and absorbing some unbelievably big hits from North Dakota State defenders. Sanders has always been a tough player, but his toughness took another step forward in Week 1. 

After almost any other game, Sanders would have been the biggest story of the day. Unfortunately for him, Hunter was on the same field. Hunter rose to stardom one year ago after torching reigning national runner-up TCU on both sides of the ball in a 45-42 upset victory. Against the Bison, he was even better. 

While playing both wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter broke the game open with a 41-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown on Colorado’s sixth play. He played good coverage and handled his matchup. In the fourth quarter, he reeled in an unbelievable highlight-reel touchdown catch through blanket coverage, somehow bringing the ball in with just his hands. 

The two-way stud caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns. It’s the kind of magic that could seriously put Hunter in the Heisman race when the season ends. He appears to have some elite company in the receiver room. Jimmy Horn Jr. posted 198 yards of his own and transfer LaJohntay Wester added 58 more. But for all the brilliance from Sanders and Hunter, almost none of the other concerns about Colorado’s roster seemed rectified. 

The Buffs rushed for only 2.6 yards per carry behind the revamped offensive line with 35 rushing yards from running backs. The defense allowed NDSU quarterback Cam Miller to complete 18-of-22 passes for 277 yards and dice apart the linebackers in the second level. Five of North Dakota State’s nine drives went at least nine plays. Only one Colorado drive hit that mark. 

The defensive line was a reasonable bright spot against the run, but the entire unit collapsed in containment. Miller decimated Colorado with his legs, finishing with 81 yards rushing and keeping multiple drives alive with third-down conversions. Miller even completed a Hail Mary at the end of the game — granted it was five yards short of the end zone. 

North Dakota State is no ordinary FCS opponent. The Bison won six of their last seven games against FBS foes heading into the battle against Colorado. Still, NDSU is likely the ninth or 10th best team on Colorado’s schedule. The Buffs get five games against ranked opponents, along with road trips to Nebraska, UCF, Texas Tech and hated rival Colorado State. 

It’s just one game, but Hunter and Sanders appear to have taken a big leap forward, an impressive feat from two of the best players in America. But right now, it looks like Sanders and Hunter are again on their own to lead Colorado into one of the nation’s toughest schedules. The dynamic duo needs some help.