Travis Hunter injured following late hit that kicked off fracas in Rocky Mountain Showdown

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter was sent to the turf injured in the first quarter after a late hit against Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. On top of the late hit, Hunter — who was playing receiver at the time — drew a pass interference call.

Running a go route down the left sideline, Hunter was targeted by quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He had no chance on the play as the primary defender got into his body and committed the pass interference.

Right as the ball came down in front of Hunter, safety Henry Blackburn came across and delivered a crushing blow.

That’s a DIRTY hit by Henry Blackburn on Travis Hunter and was flagged for it…

Shedeur Sanders got in his face afterwards for it.pic.twitter.com/FrmrTETEn6

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 17, 2023

After a brief fracas, Hunter remained on the sideline. Colorado’s offense scored quickly to tie the game at 14 with Sanders connecting on a long touchdown pass.

Hunter was not out for long, though. He re-entered the game late in the first quarter on a defensive series for Colorado, playing cornerback.

Tensions were flaring before the game between the Buffaloes and Rams

Colorado hasn’t run from a challenge, a call out or even a little bit of a scrap, such as the one the Buffaloes got into with some Colorado State players on Saturday evening. The 2023 edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown has had an unprecedented level of attention and hype.

With Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and Rams head coach Jay Norvell trading barbs in recent days, things hit a fever pitch. It boiled over pregame, and Hunter was right in the middle of it, and it seemed to fire him up.

“They done messed with the wrong team. All talk, no bite,” Hunter said in a video posted by SportsCenter on social media.

"They done messed with the wrong team. All talk, no bite." 🗣️

Travis Hunter with a message before facing Colorado State. pic.twitter.com/jMyU9y7uCR

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 17, 2023

Hunter is a two-way star for Colorado, playing wide receiver and cornerback. It’s a safe bet that if he makes his usual share of plays on Saturday night in Boulder, the smack talk will continue.

Deion Sanders said Norvell crossed the line

It was all fun and games between Colorado State and Colorado this week… until Rams coach Jay Norvell brought Deion Sanders’ mother into the trash talking.

At his coach’s show this week, Norvell threw shade at Sanders and Colorado, particularly over how Coach Prime dons sunglasses and a cowboy hat for his television interviews.

“I sat down with ESPN today, and I don’t care if they hear it in Boulder,” said Norvell this past Wednesday. “I told them, ‘I took my hat off, and I took my glasses off.’ And I said, ‘When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off.’ That’s what my mother taught me.’”

Well, now that mothers were brought into the equation, Deion Sanders sure did have some thoughts on the Colorado State coach’s comments.

“We started off the week. We’re exchanging, being pleasant, like coaches do. Even though sometimes they don’t mean it, they do it anyway,” explained Sanders, noting that Norvell did not keep up the public friendliness.

“And he just took a left, he took a left. And the thing about us, you know, you can’t talk about momma now. You insinuate something about momma, that momma ain’t raised me right. Momma may be in the pregame speech today. That’s how personal it got.”