Duck fans are expectant, confident, even cocky, but Colorado represents a significant step up in talent from the teams Oregon faced to open the season.
We talked yesterday about the psychological factors, how the Ducks have to prepare and ready themselves for the hype onslaught that Coach Prime creates, but it would be a mistake to underplay the talent on the Buffalo roster or ignore that fact that Deion Sanders is an exceptional motivator and has hired a strong staff.
Sanders nabbed Sean Lewis from Kent State and he's done a fabulous job designing a scheme that's perfect for quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The Buffs are second in the nation in passing yards per game at 418.0 with their junior triggerman completing 78.7% of his throws.
They can score from anywhere and score quickly. Sanders rarely runs, but he's adept at scrambling to buy time and give his receivers extra time to get open. Against Colorado State they drove 98 yards to tie the game with 1:06 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Colorado offense has struggled for most of the night. But Shedeur Sanders finds Jimmy Horn Jr. and then Michael Harrison on a game-tying two-point conversion.
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 17, 2023
The Buffaloes drove 98 yards for the tying TD pic.twitter.com/qYAaYmMDhc
In addition, the junior from Dallas, Texas is athletic and smart. He studies film. He has no doubt noted that the Ducks have struggled to keep quarterbacks in the pocket, how Tyler Shough broke off some big runs against them, 145 yards rushing before four sacks were deducted. He'll adjust his game to take advantage.
The junior transfer from Jackson State is 6-2, 216 with an NIL valuation of 5.1 million dollars, according to On3 Sports. He drives a Rolls Royce and dates actress Storm Reid. For his career, he's thrown 80 touchdowns with just 15 interceptions. As a high school quarterback at Trinity Christian High in Cedar Hills, Texas, he powered his team to back-to-back Division II state championships, compiling a 27-1 record over two years.
On Monday reporters asked Dan Lanning what makes Sanders such a good quarterback.
"I think he always keeps his eyes downfield and looking for opportunities to find open receivers, and that's something his wideouts have done a great job of," Lanning said.
"He's had several scramble opportunities, but I would describe him as a guy that scrambles to throw and not necessarily scramble to run. But when he has to run with his feet, he can. He's extended plays, and when you extend plays it's hard to cover for a long time. So we have to do a good job of not allowing him to extend plays but also make sure we plaster guys in the back end when he does."
An upset over the Ducks would send the already insane frenzy over Colorado football into the stratosphere. Shedeur Sanders has the confidence and ability to create that, provided the Ducks are careless enough to underestimate him.
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