Dirty Travis Hunter hit an ‘early flashpoint’ in CSU-CU game ‘inflamed with tension’
Colorado State DB Henry Blackburn’s dirty hit on Travis Hunter during a double-overtime instant classic between the Rams and the Colorado Buffs on September 16 at Folsom Field was deemed an “early flashpoint” in a Rocky Mountain Showdown matchup “inflamed with tension” according to CBS Sports’ David Cobb.
“It was not immediately clear whether Blackburn’s hit was responsible for Hunter’s departure, but it made for an early flashpoint in a contest that was already inflamed with tension,” Cobb wrote. “CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders met Blackburn face-to-face after the hit in defense of Hunter.”
The pregame trash talk between Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell and Coach Prime set the stage for a “Prime Time” showdown between the heavily favored Buffs and the very much counted-out Rams. Celebrities like The Rock, Offset, Lil Wayne, and Kawhi Leonard, among others, got to witness a game that went back and forth, had memorable (if unfortunate) events like Hunter’s injury, and ended in highly dramatic fashion. Perhaps the Hunter hit was the muse needed for CU to overcome early struggles and reach its highest gear. Then again, though, that could be a devastating turning point for the Buffs here in the early portion of the 2023 schedule…
Deion Sanders and son Shilo comment on the injury loss of Travis Hunter
Coach Prime struck a somber tone when discussing the loss of one of his Heisman candidates, and the Class of 2022’s No. 1 overall recruit following the two-way star’s as-of-right-now indefinite injury loss.
“The first thing I heard is that he would be out for a few weeks,” Sanders said in his postgame press conference. “I heard that for sure. But we will do what we must to take care of him. I know Travis probably will want to be out for two weeks. But we got to make sure he is OK. His health is more important than this game.”
Shilo Sanders made the point that losing Hunter is like losing two players.
“The bad thing about losing Travis, is you lose such a crucial piece of our team,” Sanders prefaced before saying, “He’s on offense and defense so it’s like you’re losing two players in one so that was pretty rough.”
The epitome of brutality for Buffs fans is losing Hunter before Oregon and USC in Weeks 4 and 5. Undoubtedly, his playmaking was one of the aces in the hole the Buffs had to do the unthinkable against either, or both, Pac-12 powers.