FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado Buffaloes fans and alumni always have had a bit of haughty attitude toward in-state rival Colorado State.
Fairly or not, they generally view Colorado State as the little stepbrother school where students often go to college as a second choice after being denied admission at CU.
But now comes an unusual threat to that air of superiority – a rare football game between the Buffaloes and Rams on the home turf of Colorado State. Today’s game at 7:30 p.m. on CBS will be the first time since 1996 that the Buffs have agreed to play in Fort Collins – a span of 25 games in which the game was played 19 times at a neutral site in Denver and five times on Colorado’s campus in Boulder.
The game also comes at a critical time for Colorado coach Deion Sanders. His team is 1-1 after a 28-10 loss last week at rival Nebraska.
Another loss against another rival will raise big questions about his team’s progress in his second year as coach.
On the other hand, a win against the Rams (1-1) will show the Buffs can bounce back from a troubling defeat and give the team momentum heading into Big 12 Conference play next week against Baylor.
A big issue for Colorado – again – is whether the team’s offensive line and running game can take the pressure off of quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son. Last week, he was sacked five times while the running game only generated 16 yards on 22 carries.
Keep up with the game here as USA TODAY Sports shares highlights and updates.
What time is Colorado-Colorado State game?
Colorado-Colorado State kicks off at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday night.
How to watch Colorado-Colorado State
Colorado-Colorado State will be broadcast on CBS.
Colorado injury updates: Shilo Sanders out
The Buffs will be without their leading tackler from last year, safety Shilo Sanders, as well as their leading rusher this year, Dallan Hayden. Sanders underwent surgery on his forearm after suffering an injury against Nebraska. His father, coach Deion Sanders, said he might be out two to three weeks. Hayden leads the team with 52 yards rushing but is likely out Saturday with an unspecified injury, Deion Sanders said this week.
Sophomore safety Carter Stoutmire is expected to start in place of Shilo Sanders after starting one game as a freshman in 2023. At running back, the Buffs have several options, including freshman Micah Welch, former walk-on Charlie Offerdahl and Arkansas transfer Isaiah Augustave.
Colorado vs. Colorado State is ‘personal again’
Deion Sanders made sure to show his team video this week that shows two Colorado State players making provocative comments in an interview with CBS Colorado. The interview wasn’t released until this week by CBS Colorado but actually was filmed before the season on Aug. 14, as confirmed by CSU to USA TODAY Sports.
In the interview, CSU quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi spoke about the hype that follows the Buffaloes with Sanders and how CSU came close to beating CU last year before losing in overtime, 43-35. The Rams had led by 11 points in the fourth quarter.
“It goes to show that the hype, the media train, it only gets you so far,” Fowler-Nicolosi said Aug. 14.
He also said, “We’ll see how far Instagram followers gets them.”
CSU receiver Tory Horton said Aug. 14 the Rams are coming for revenge.
He said, “We owe them one” and “We should have murdered them guys.”
When asked about these comments on the Colorado Football Coaches Show on Thursday, Sanders said, ‘it makes it personal again.”
Sanders said “of course” he showed the comments to his team. Last year’s game was “personal,” too, because CSU coach Jay Norvell had taken a verbal shot at Sanders’s habit of wearing sunglasses and hats in the presence of “grown-ups.”
College football schedule Week 3, Top 25
Friday
No. 15 Kansas State 31, No. 18 Arizona 7
Saturday
No. 1 Georgia at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m., ABC
No. 3 Texas vs. UTSA, 7 p.m., ESPN
No. 4 Alabama 42, Wisconsin 10
No. 5 Ole Miss at Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m., CW
No. 8 Missouri 27, Boston College 21
No. 9 Tennessee vs. Kent State, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
No. 6 Oregon at Oregon State, 3:30 p.m., Fox
No. 12 Miami (Fla.) vs. Ball State, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
No. 10 Utah at Utah State, 4:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
No. 14 Oklahoma State 45, Tulsa 10
No. 13 Oklahoma vs. Tulane, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 17 LSU 36, South Carolina 33
No. 16 Michigan 28, Arkansas State 18
No. 18 Notre Dame at Purdue, 3:30 p.m., CBS
No. 23 Nebraska vs. Northern Iowa, 7:30 p.m., BTN
College football bold predictions, Week 3
Check out USA TODAY Sports’ full predictions for Week 3
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.