The 20-year-old was desperate for revenge against the Buffs, but it turned into a nightmare evening. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 209 yards and two interceptions in a 28-9 defeat.
The nadir of his evening came in the form of a third-quarter interception to Hunter, which followed a flashpoint between the pair in the second quarter. Hunter ran a scrambling Fowler-Nicolosi out of bounds with the score at 14-3, and he boldly gestured to two-way sensation Hunter that he was too small.
But Hunter had the last laugh, jumping underneath Fowler-Nicolosi's intended target to snatch an interception. It was a highlight reel moment from another remarkable performance from the junior, who finished with 13 receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.
Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders dubbed the quarterback's decision to go after Hunter – the best player in the nation according to some pundits – as foolish.
"How stupid is that? This is Travis Hunter. Dude, this is Travis Hunter. This is Travis Hunter! Who does that? I wouldn’t allow my kids to do that, and y’all know that. And that ought to be said.”
Sanders was not impressed by the conduct of Colorado State's players throughout the evening. He added: “I just pray that our kids never act in that manner because I know you guys would have a field day if they did."
Sanders' son Sheduer, the Buffs' star quarterback, also let Fowler-Nicolosi have a piece of his mind after the game. He appeared to say "You can't f--- with me" to his rival in a heated conversation on the field after the clocks hit zeroes.
Colorado State's star wide receiver Tory Horton also fired a dig at the Buffs ahead of the game, insisting the Rams should have "murdered" them in last season's double-overtime loss.
Deion Sanders says the Rams got what they deserved for making the game "personal". He added: "We just want to play some football. The disrespect was uncalled for throughout the week. A couple of their players took shots at the whole program.”
Colorado (2-1) returns to action on Saturday when Big 12 rival Baylor visits Folsom Field. Colorado State (1-2) hosts The University of Texas at El Paso in Fort Collins.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
