There was certainly a scenario Saturday night where Colorado needed to navigate the final 20 minutes of its upset loss to Kansas without star quarterback Shader Sanders.
Sanders, the son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders and the projected top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, shoved referee Kevin Marr after receiving a sack on third down with Colorado trailing by nine in the third quarter, and was “lucky” he didn't do it. “That led to the ejection,” Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira said on the live broadcast.
“There's no doubt he's doing that,” Pereira said when asked about Sanders pushing March. “Look, I understand why he was upset because people almost climbed on top of him after he fell, but, you know, officials can use their hands and they all want to try to maintain order. But you can't come back as a player and pressure an official.
“With the chaos, the officials don't see it, but he's lucky he didn't get thrown out of the game.”
After the sack, Sanders approached Marr from behind – who was surrounded by a group of players – and shoved the long-serving official with his right arm.
By that point, three other referees had approached the brawl and attempted to separate the players and Sanders while protecting March.
Sanders, who finished 23 of 29 for 266 yards and three touchdowns during No. 16 Colorado's 37-21 loss, was not penalized on the play, but his frustrations began to boil over.
The game featured a lot of physical hitting, with College Football Playoff hopes on the line and Kansas trying to claw its way toward a tournament berth.
At one point in the first half, defensive end Dean Miller ducked his head and flung himself toward Sanders' knees while attempting a pass.
“I mean I don't know how this is legal in general,” Sanders told reporters after the game when asked about Miller's injury. “I don't understand it, but, you know, that's what it is. There were a couple of plays like that.”
The Buffaloes trailed 17-0 at one point but were able to cut their deficit to two points early in the third quarter, when Travis Hunter — who was also projected to be the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft — and Sanders connected on a touchdown pass.
But Devin Neal was responsible for the final two touchdowns, providing the Jayhawks with some support and ensuring Colorado was on track to finish the night in a four-way tie atop the Big 12 standings.
Colorado “became intoxicated with success,” Dionne said after the game.
“We're starting to smell ourselves a little bit,” Dionne said, according to ESPN. “…We have become intoxicated by the abundance of articles and the assumption that we are this, and the assumption that we are that. And we didn't play CU football. So, we got our asses kicked. This is what it is.
