BOULDER, Colo. — (AP) — The fishing trips have been put on hold and the award-show excursions wrapped up. Now, it's time for newly minted Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and the Colorado Buffaloes to get back to the business of a bowl game.
These postseason appearances don't come around all that often in Boulder. Not yet, anyway.
"This has been the plan," said coach Deion Sanders, whose 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) returned to practice this week to get ready to face fellow Big 12 member and No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28. "But we're not satisfied, and we're not done. We're still on our way."
Sanders has taken the Buffaloes from a four-win team his first season at Colorado to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Granted, it's not the College Football Playoff — a late-season stumble at Kansas cost the Buffaloes — but still a big step. This marks only the program's third bowl appearance over the last 17 seasons (all to the Alamo).
The Buffaloes were so amped up at practice Tuesday that a scuffle broke out.
“I don’t recommend that,” Sanders said. “But I was proud of that.”
Make no mistake: Sanders expects nothing but high-quality play out of two-way standout Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Those two are projected to be high picks in the upcoming NFL draft and don't want any sort of letdown.
None of them do.
“It’s not just a bowl game where we’re going to go be merry and have a Merry Christmas and exchange gifts and do all of that,” Deion Sanders explained. "No, we want to go there and play Buff football.
“You think Travis wants to go out there and get locked down with the Heisman in the house? You think Shedeur wants to go out there and play that hot garbage when he’s one of the premier guys and probably, arguably the first pick of the whole draft? ... We’ve got guys who want to end on a great note."
It's been a whirlwind since Colorado wrapped up the regular season with a 52-0 win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 29. Deion Sanders found time to squeeze in some fishing back in Texas.
For Hunter, it's been a parade of honors, including the Heisman and The Associated Press player of the year. Shedeur Sanders also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for a season in which he broke the school's all-time single-season passing mark.
“Travis, with ‘Coach Prime’ and Shedeur, those are the three most influential people that have helped reestablish winning back here in Colorado,” Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said.
Wanted: A potential QB in the transfer portal with a season of eligibility left to take over for Shedeur Sanders next season.
Be forewarned — the keys to the offense very well could be handed over to Julian "JuJu" Lewis, the five-star high school recruit from Georgia who's expected to join the Buffaloes this spring.
“He's got a bright future," Shurmur said. “We'll see how quickly that happens.”
Deion Sanders spoke highly of Lewis on Tuesday and sees resemblances to his QB son.
“I saw a lot of similarities in the way Julian’s life has been structured speaking to his father a multitude of times," Sanders said. "Understanding how he came up, what he wants out of life, what he wants out of the game, and from the game, and what he gives to the game. The similarities are unbelievable.”
Sanders applauded his former team, Jackson State, for beating South Carolina State 28-7 last Saturday in the Celebration Bowl. Sanders went 27-6 at Jackson State (0-2 in the Celebration Bowl).
“That's awesome. I love them. I appreciate them,” Sanders said. “They’ve taken it to yet another level — and that was the plan all along.”
Deion Sanders was caught off guard when linebacker Jeremiah Brown hit the transfer portal. He figured Brown, who followed Sanders from Jackson State, would at least talk to him before the decision.
“He called me about everything else," Sanders said. "He calls me every time he catches a decent-sized fish.”
It was all sorted out once they met. Brown's now staying — and even walked out with one of Sanders' fishing rods.
“It was laying around the office so I really didn’t give it to him. He picked it up and walked out with it,” Sanders explained. “I’m so proud that he’s back, because I love him. He’s like a son to me. I’m glad we got that straight.”
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