BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter left the Buffaloes’ 31-28 loss to No. 18 Kansas State late in the second quarter Saturday night after a right shoulder injury on a 14-yard reception.
Three other Buffs receivers were injured in the game: speedster Jimmy Horn Jr. (apparent ankle), Omarion Miller (left ankle) and Terrell Timmons Jr. (unspecified).
Coach Deion Sanders had no update after the game on any of the four except to say Miller was in a walking boot.
“But I haven’t gotten an update on those young men,” Sanders said. “Hopefully they can get back at it, but we’re not going to rush them. Their safety and their health is much more important than this game.”
The impact of their injuries was huge in a such a close game.
“Certainly losing Travis and Jimmy and the others was tremendous,” Sanders said. “Because they’re a vital part of our team, a vital part of our identity, they’re a vital part of who we are. That took a lot out of us. But other guys had the opportunity to step up and they did.”
Shedeur Sanders still threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on 34-of-40 passing.
“I never thought four receivers would get hurt in one game. That’s just ridiculous,” the quarterback said. “But things happen. Life happens. So, we’ve just got to roll with it and do what we’ve got to do for next week.”
The Buffaloes (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) missed Henry more on defense than they did on offense.
The Buffaloes allowed two touchdowns and a field goal on their first three defensive series without their superstar defensive back, falling behind 24-14. With Hunter back on the sideline for the second half in support of his teammates, Colorado rallied to take a 28-24 lead with 3:12 remaining but then gave up a 50-yard touchdown less than a minute later. After that, their offense turned the ball over on downs.
Before sustaining the shoulder injury, Hunter was on track for his usual workload — a whopping 124 snaps per game — as he was on the field for all but one of Colorado’s first 45 combined offensive and defensive snaps.
On the play he got hurt, Hunter hauled in Shedeur Sanders’ pass on a crossing pattern for a 14-yard gain at midfield and ran full speed into safety Daniel Cobbs. He held onto the ball but signaled to the sideline that he needed a sub. On the broadcast, ESPN said the medical team was evaluating Hunter’s right shoulder.
Last season Hunter missed three games with a lacerated liver after taking a hard hit against Colorado State. But Hunter has rarely taken off a snap this season and is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race.
Hunter had three catches for 26 yards and one tackle Saturday night before leaving. That gave him 49 receptions for 587 yards and two touchdowns on the season along with 16 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble on defense.
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