After Colorado Buffaloes’ 30-14 victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Buffaloes’ quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, didn’t hold back in calling out the Cornhuskers’ head coach, Matt Rhule, and the rest of the football team. The game, which had been anticipated for months, was filled with tension due to Rhule’s previous comments about how some football programs were using the NCAA transfer portal. Adding fuel to the fire, the Cornhuskers gathered on the Buffaloes’ logo at the 50-yard line before the game.
Sanders, who threw for an impressive 393 passing yards and two touchdowns, felt personally attacked by the actions of the Cornhuskers. “It was extremely personal,” Sanders voiced his frustration, “you go out there and warm up and you’ve got the head coach from the other team standing in the middle of the Buff. It’s OK if a couple of players do it, it’s fine, just enjoy the scenery. But when you’ve got the whole team trying to disrespect it, I’m not going for that at all. I went in there and disrupted it.”
Sanders had a strong connection to the Buffaloes, making the incident even more significant to him. “The Buffaloes mean a lot to me – personally – and that’s what I was saying in pregame,” he explained. “And that’s when I knew it was extreme disrespect. The coach said a lot of things about my pops, about the program. I don’t respect that because you’re hating on another man. You shouldn’t do that. All respect was gone for them and their program.”
While Sanders acknowledged his respect for the Cornhuskers’ defensive coordinator, he highlighted that the respect level wasn’t reciprocated. “I like playing against their (defensive coordinator), but the respect level ain’t there because he disrespected us first.”
In the first half of the game, the Cornhuskers managed to keep it close, limiting the Buffaloes to only 13 points. However, momentum shifted when Jeff Sims scored a 57-yard touchdown in the third quarter, bringing the game within reach for the Cornhuskers. Despite this, Sanders and the Buffaloes responded swiftly on the next drive, with Sanders throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Weaver. Sanders further secured the victory by running for another score in the fourth quarter, putting the game completely out of the Cornhuskers’ reach.