CSU DB’s dirty hit on Travis Hunter deemed one with ‘intent to injure’

Colorado State DB Henry Blackburn’s dirty hit on Travis Hunter during the first quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown matchup between the Rams and the Colorado Buffaloes was deemed one with the “intent to injure” by Mike Farrell, the architect of the Mike Farrell Sports brand.

“After watching the play from a different angle it’s clear that the CSU safety tried to injure Travis Hunter,” Farrell wrote. “The ball was on the ground, and there was zero chance at a completion anyhow, and he rose up and hit Hunter anyhow. It wasn’t as blatant as some I’ve seen, and he could have made it a lot worse and even more dangerous, but it was clearly an intent to injure.”

Whether or not there was intent from Blackburn, there was a devastating result for the Buffs moving forward. Against Oregon in Eugene and with USC and reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams coming to town, CU will be without their two-way star. As Shilo Sanders has alluded to, the Buffs are essentially losing two high-impact players; one on offense and one on defense.

Another analyst hated CSU DB Henry Blackburn’s dirty hit on Travis Hunter but hated the reaction to it more

CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah is in agreement with Farrell in assessing Blackburn’s attack on an unsuspecting Hunter on September 16, but he disagreed with the reaction to it from Buffs defenders.

“It was a late hit,” Jeyarajah prefaced before saying, “It was to send a message. It was dirty. He should have been penalized for it. He was. It is not the most egregious thing to ever happen in college football. He doesn’t need to be ‘banned from the sport.’ His mom doesn’t deserve threats. Get a grip.”

So in conclusion: hate the play, dislike the player, but stop it there. No player should have his life or the lives of his family members threatened for an on-field sequence during a football game.