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Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders is gearing up for one of his toughest challenges yet in his third season. On Saturday night, his team faces a ranked BYU Cougars squad—the same team that dominated Colorado in last December’s Alamo Bowl. For Sanders, this game represents a pivotal moment in the post-Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders era.
Quarterback Kaidon Salter will be the key figure to watch. After a strong performance against Wyoming, where he threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, Salter has emerged as Colorado’s top quarterback. He now appears to have won the quarterback battle against Ryan Staub, who started against Houston, and freshman Julian Lewis. But if Salter struggles against BYU, Sanders may have to reconsider his two-man quarterback competition, which had seemed settled.
USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer notes that Colorado’s offense has looked solid against weaker opponents, but BYU will be a much tougher test. How Salter performs could shape Sanders’ strategy moving forward, particularly in avoiding a rotating quarterback situation that could disrupt the team’s rhythm.
While the stakes are high for the team and fans hoping for a Big 12 championship run, Sanders’ job isn’t in jeopardy. Even a tough loss won’t threaten his position. The bigger concern is maintaining momentum after losing several top players to the NFL, including Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Sanders’ son Shedeur.
For now, BYU is a make-or-break game in terms of testing the team’s mettle. Sanders can survive a rough game, but fans will be watching closely to see if Colorado can rise to the occasion and keep its championship hopes alive.