CU Buffs notes: Shilo Sanders named Pac-12 defensive player of week – The Denver Post

Shilo Sanders moved up in his father’s kid rankings with his performance on Saturday.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders wasn’t the only one who was impressed by his son’s efforts, though.

On Monday,  Shilo Sanders was named the Pac-12 defensive player of the week after he helped the 19th-ranked Buffaloes to a 43-35 double overtime victory against in-state rival Colorado State on Saturday at Folsom Field.

Shilo had an interception that he returned 80 yards for a touchdown to get the scoring started. He also forced a fumble and finished with four tackles for the Buffs (3-0), who visit No. 10 Oregon on Saturday (1:30 p.m., ABC).

“He is moving up. He is moving on up like the Jeffersons,” said Coach Prime, who often jokes about ranking his five kids.

Shilo’s interception return was reminiscent of what his father did during his Pro Football Hall of Fame career. The two shared a hug on the sidelines after the play.

“I’m coach, but every now and then during the game, I have a dad moment and that was a dad moment, just running down the sideline as he was running down the sideline,” Coach Prime said. “That’s the most I’ve ran in years. I didn’t even know I had it in me, but just to see his joy and see him just atone for some of the things because he studies so much and he’s like, ‘I’m gonna stop playing passive. I’m gonna jump it, I’m gonna jump it.’ And he did it.

“So that was the moment of what he put into his work ethic and in film study and just being aggressive. And he’s capable of that. … He made plays, that’s what counts. That helps us win.”

Shilo is the fifth CU player to earn Pac-12 player of the week honors this season, including his younger brother Shedeur, the junior quarterback who was offensive player of the week two weeks ago.

Buffs back on Big Noon

On Monday, the Pac-12 announced that CU’s game on Sept. 30 against USC at Folsom Field will kick off at 10 a.m. and be broadcast nationally by Fox.

The game will mark the third time in five games that the Buffs will be featured on Fox’s premier time slot, Big Noon Kickoff.

CU played in the Big Noon slot in Week 1 at TCU and Week 2 at home against Nebraska.

Getting on track

After an offensive explosion at TCU in the opener, the Buffs have been slow out of the gates two weeks in a row.

Against Nebraska on Sept. 9, the Buffs punted on their first four possessions and found the end zone once in their first eight possessions. They still finished with 36 points, however.

Against CSU, the Buffs opened with two consecutive turnovers and scored seven offensive points in their first nine possessions. They eventually scored 28 points in regulation and 43 overall.

“I gotta figure that out thing. That’s what that is,” Coach Prime said. “I’m getting tired of that thing. We got to stop that. We’re better than that. We really are, as coaches, as a team, as an offense, we’re better than that.”

Shedeur Sanders, who had just 64 passing yards in the first half – before finishing with 348 – said, “What we were doing was very bad. So it’s just like, we can’t consistently just be bad and just put all the pressure on the defense.”

Notable

Thanks in part to Shilo’s efforts, the Buffs are tied for the national lead in takeaways, with 10 (six interceptions, four fumbles). … Shedeur ranks second nationally in passing yards (1,251) and fourth in completion percentage (78.7). … CU’s Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier are both among the top six nationally in catches, with Horn fifth (26) and Weaver sixth (25). Weaver is fourth in receiving yards (386). … Despite having no tackles for loss in the opener, CU’s Jordan Domineck is tied for second in the Pac-12 in TFLs (4.5).

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