Saturday’s matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas Jayhawks was full of tension, with multiple chippy moments that highlighted the fierce rivalry. Kansas entered the game with the aim of playing spoiler for the third consecutive week, determined to derail No. 16 Colorado’s push for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
From the opening kickoff, the Jayhawks set the tone with a dominant first quarter, quickly jumping to a 10-0 lead. Kansas brought a level of physicality that Colorado struggled to match, and the Jayhawks’ power on the ground was evident as they amassed 333 rushing yards on their way to a 37-21 victory at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
The win not only dealt a blow to Colorado’s playoff hopes but also showcased Kansas’ ability to control the pace of the game through sheer physical dominance.
Amid the heated competition, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders found himself on the receiving end of several hits that clearly left him frustrated. Sanders, projected to be a future first-round pick in the NFL, took particular issue with the Jayhawks after being sacked in the third quarter.
The frustration boiled over when Sanders shoved an official in the aftermath of the play, an action that seemed to be born out of a buildup of anger over the game’s increasingly physical nature.
One of the hits that likely fueled Sanders’ frustration came earlier in the first half, when Kansas defensive end Dean Miller delivered a controversial blow aimed at Sanders’ knee. Miller appeared to lower his helmet around Sanders’ knee area—a dangerous move that could have resulted in a serious injury.
Despite the questionable nature of the hit, the officials chose not to throw a flag, leaving many to question the officiating and express concerns over player safety.
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A slow-motion video of Miller’s hit on Sanders was later posted on social media platform X by Luke Easterling, and it quickly gained attention, sparking strong reactions from college football fans. Many were outraged at what they viewed as a reckless and potentially career-threatening hit on Sanders.
“This gotta be the dirtiest hit I ever seen in modern football,” one fan wrote, expressing disbelief over the nature of the play.
“Should’ve been a bench clearing brawl after that hit,” another fan suggested, indicating that the severity of the hit warranted a stronger response from Sanders’ teammates.
“Unimaginable,” posted another fan, encapsulating the shock many felt while watching the replay.
“Yeah that was 500ms from being catastrophic,” commented a fan, emphasizing just how close the hit came to seriously injuring Sanders.
“This is extremely dirty,” another fan argued, calling out the apparent lack of regard for Sanders’ safety.
“The fact they picked that flag up was even more disgusting,” one fan wrote, highlighting frustration with the officials’ decision to not penalize the play.
The reactions online reflected a broader sentiment among many college football enthusiasts—that hits like the one delivered by Miller have no place in the game, particularly given the increased focus on player safety in recent years.
For Sanders, the lack of a flag and the escalating physicality of the game seemed to be a breaking point, as his frustrations spilled over in a way that ultimately led to him shoving an official.
The loss to Kansas not only hurt Colorado’s playoff aspirations but also left the team and its fans with lingering questions about the game’s officiating and player safety.
For Shedeur Sanders, the game was a test of resilience, one that underscored the challenges of navigating high-stakes matchups in college football.
As the Buffaloes look to regroup after the defeat, Sanders and his teammates will need to channel their frustrations into motivation for the remainder of the season.
The hope is that the team can learn from the experience and come back stronger, both physically and mentally, as they continue their pursuit of success on the field.
