Colorado’s football season hit a new low on Friday night as Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders sustained an injury and the team suffered a 56-14 loss to Washington State, resulting in their elimination from bowl eligibility with a 4-7 record and one game left to play.
It was a disastrous night in Pullman for Colorado as Sanders was forced to leave the game with an apparent injury early in the second quarter and did not return, donning street clothes on the sideline after halftime, leaving backup Ryan Staub and third-stringer Gavin Kuld to fill the void.
Sanders initially exited the game after an apparent upper-body injury caused by a strip-sack, but returned briefly before ultimately leaving for good, as he almost immediately threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hunter before succumbing to his injury.
The strip-sack that initially hurt Sanders was the fourth sack of the night he endured, adding to his season-long trend of taking many hits. He finished the game with 86 yards passing and one touchdown, unable to prevent WSU from running up a 42-7 lead by halftime, with Colorado only scoring again in the fourth quarter.
Sanders, the son of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, transferred from Jackson State and has been one of the most promising QBs in college football, but his vulnerability to hits has persisted. His arrival brought significant hype to a program that started the season strong but has since faltered, now gearing up for their final game against No. 16 Utah.
