Deion Sanders on close game vs. NDSU: 'I definitely feel good about the ball in 2's hands'

In 2023, Colorado played in eight one-score games. Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes found themselves in another close matchup to start the 2024 campaign, taking a 24-20 lead into the fourth quarter.

As for what it’ll take to get over the hump against a tough NDSU team, Coach Prime said a few things will have to come together. What he’s most comfortable with, though, is having Shedeur Sanders under center.

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Sanders put together a huge first three quarters and topped the 400-yard mark in the fourth quarter. He made some big plays in the first half to keep Colorado within a field goal, and his connections with Jimmy Horn and Travis Hunter were on full display. That’s why Deion Sanders has confidence in his quarterback down the stretch.

“A plethora of things,” Sanders told ESPN’s Quint Kessenich when asked what makes the difference in the close game. “I feel good about what we have. I definitely feel good about the ball in 2’s hands.”

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The Colorado defense struggled mightily through the first half, allowing 242 total yards as North Dakota State held possession for more than 21 minutes of game action. Things were different after the break, though, as the Bison totaled just 44 yards of offense in the third quarter.

The difference, according to Sanders, was locking down North Dakota State’s rushing attack. His plan was to make the Bison get the ball on the perimeter, but Cam Miller wasn’t making it easy.

“We’re stopping the run – we’re gearing up and we’re stopping the run,” Sanders said. “We’re loading up the box. We want them to throw outside. The kid’s doing a wonderful job completing passes and moving the chains.”

Shedeur Sanders continued his strong showing into the fourth quarter, again finding Hunter – who made a ridiculous catch for his third touchdown reception of the night to make it a 31-20 Colorado lead. With that play, Sanders had completed 24 of 31 passes for 436 passing yards and four touchdowns, along with a wild interception early in the third quarter.

North Dakota State didn’t make things easy in the first half, but Colorado was able to bounce back. Sanders said the Bison threw some different looks at the Buffaloes, but they made the necessary adjustments throughout the first two quarters.

“That’s a lot [of time of possession], but offensively, we just got to score each and every drive,” Sanders said. “One of the drives, they brought out some stuff we didn’t expect, so we’ve got our adjustments and we game planned. We fixed everything now.”