Deion Sanders, Colorado earns USC's respect

BOULDER — For the second consecutive week, Colorado faced one of the Pac-12’s top teams and a College Football Playoff contender.

The result was dramatically different, but how USC reacted to the Buffaloes was also quite a change from the week before in Oregon. Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and several of his players offered plenty of praise Saturday after hanging on to defeat Colorado, 48-41, at Folsom Field.

“We give Colorado and their fans, everybody, a ton of credit,” Riley said. “It was a really tremendous road atmosphere, even when we got up. That they kept it loud in there, I felt like they kind of kept their team in it in a lot of ways.”

USC held leads of 34-7 and 41-14, and the tenor of the game looked like it was drifting toward a redux of Oregon’s 42-6 thumping of the Buffaloes last week in Eugene. Instead, Colorado staged a furious rally and even had an onside kick with a chance to gain possession and try for a game-tying score with 1:48 left.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders nearly went throw-for-throw with the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, Trojans star Caleb Williams. They combined for 774 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes, while Sanders added a score on the ground.

The Buffs’ rally left those who cover Trojans, who have had one of the nation’s best offenses for two years with Riley and Williams at the helm, questioning the team’s defensive scheme once again. Sanders and the Buffaloes found exponentially more joy against USC than they did against Oregon.

“He’s a great player, a great quarterback,” USC safety Bryson Shaw said. “Loved playing against him, and he made some plays.

“Credit to them, they did a good job. They came out with a great game plan, but I think Coach (Alex) Grinch put us in the right spots and we let him down. I know we let him down.”

USC had a monster first half on offense, and Williams threw six touchdown passes. That tied a career high and is the most he’s tossed since arriving in Los Angeles.

But the windows he had to throw into were noticeably smaller in the second half. He threw his first interception of the season after being flushed out of the pocket and not setting his feet. He would’ve had another pick on top of that had the Buffs not been flagged for pass interference.

USC had 41 points at the midpoint of the third quarter, but the yards became much tougher to gain as the momentum built in Colorado’s favor.

“They mixed it up better, as far as disguising different things and bringing different pressures,” USC wideout Tahj Washington said. “They did a great job in the second half.”

If anyone knows where Colorado has been, it’s USC receiver Brenden Rice. He was one of the Buffs’ best players in 2021 before transferring to play with Williams and for Riley last season.

He was certainly impressed Saturday.

“Deion Sanders is a legendary player and a legendary coach,” Rice said. “I have a lot of respect for him. He coached me at the (Under Armour All-American Game). Even then, we were chopping it up about a couple of things. To be able to go back and play against him and play against Shedeur, yeah it is huge. At the same time, you’ve got to remember we’re playing Colorado and it is USC versus Colorado.

“We’re thankful we got that ‘W’ today.”

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Deion Sanders, Colorado earns USC’s respect

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