Utah
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders out for Buffaloes’ regular-season finale at Utah
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Shedeur Sanders’ first season at Colorado will end on the sideline.
The former Jackson State star and Buffaloes’ junior quarterback was not dressed for — and was not participating in — warmups in advance of his team’s regular-season finale Saturday at Utah.
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Sanders’ absence comes one week after exiting Colorado’s 56-14 loss at Washington State last Friday in the second quarter after suffering an injury. He was not shown in clips from the Buffaloes’ practice on Thursday, raising further doubt about his playing status.
Few, if any, Buffaloes players have suffered more than Sanders during the team’s late-season slide. Colorado has allowed an FBS-high 54 sacks this season, largely due to a porous offensive line that stands as one of the few position groups first-year Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, failed to upgrade through the transfer portal.
The younger Sanders had limped off the field several times over the past month, most notably in a 28-16 loss at UCLA on Oct. 28. Sanders received a pain-killing injection during halftime of that game.
Prior to his injury, Sanders was among the most statistically prolific quarterbacks in college football. The 2022 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year has thrown for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season while rushing for four additional touchdowns. His passing yardage total ranks him 10th among FBS players.
Despite those successes at the game’s most important position, Colorado has languished for much of the second half of the season.
After a 3-0 start to the season that vaulted them to No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, the Buffaloes have lost seven of their past eight games and fallen into last place in the Pac-12 standings, putting them out of bowl contention. They’re a 22.5-point underdog against Utah, according to odds from BetMGM.