The Colorado Buffaloes will face the UCF Knights looking to extend their season record to 4-1. Ahead of a good matchup, the Knights’ head coach Gus Malzahn has drawn an interesting comparison between Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and star two-way player Travis Hunter.
The Buffaloes’ 2024 college football season has undergone plenty of emotions, though it’s only past the first four games. It has been a rocky beginning, to say the least. The waters seem to be calming as the Buffs defeated the Baylor Bears at home in an epic thriller. With that triumph in the rearview mirror, the Buffaloes will travel to Central Florida to take on the Knights.
The UCF Knights are currently 3-0 on their NCAA year and will look to remain undefeated as they host the Buffaloes on a game they are favored to win. However, the Knights cannot rest on their laurels and be at their top game to neutralize Colorado’s game-changers. Head coach Malzahn addressed the biggest names on their opponents’ side and compared coach Sanders to star Travis Hunter.
“I was a big Dallas Cowboys fan back in the day. It’s similar. He (Sanders) played both ways. Best corner in the league. There’s no doubt about that. They put him on offense and he was one of the best receivers, too, so there’s some similarities.”
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks on to the field to talk with Colorado Buffaloes Travis Hunter 12 in action during a NCAA, College League, USA Division 1 football game between Colorado Buffalos and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE.
Malzahn opens up on Hunter, Shedeur’s impact
The UCF Knights will have a handful trying to contain the Buffaloes firepower. As they face the likes of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, Malzahn explained the focal points for their defense.
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“You have to put pressure on him. There’s no doubt,” Malzahn said on Shedeur, via Coloradoan. “So far, we have not done a great job of putting pressure on quarterbacks when they’ve thrown it so we have to do a better job of that. I think that’s going to be a real big key to the game. You have to do a good job of getting to him and disrupting him.“
As for Travis Hunter, Malzahn claimed the young cornerback/wide receiver is a rare talent in college football and the main focus for the team during film sessions.
“When you watch them, he sticks out. He’s the guy that sticks out. He’s an elite player. They try to get him the ball on offense, he does a good job in 1-on-1 situations and he’s electric when he has the ball in his hands. Defensively, he’s a confident guy and you can see, he made the play the other night in overtime that forced the fumble. He’s just an elite player and it’s really, really impressive to see what he’s doing playing that many snaps.”
The UCF Knights are a run-first offense and will look to hurt the Buffaloes, primarily, through the ground. Malzahn may approach the game on September the 28th similarly to the way Nebraska did on week 2. The Huskers exposed the Buffaloes weaknesses on defense, mainly their failure to contain the run and get to the QB. If the Knights win the battle on the trenches, the Buffaloes could be in for a long evening in Orlando, Florida.
