Travis Hunter scores touchdown after spin move in first game back
Travis Hunter is back. In his first appearance since suffering a lacerated liver in Week 3, the standout wide receiver put Stanford defenders in the spin cycle to give Colorado an early 14-0 lead.
With just over three minutes left in the first quarter and stuck at third and 10, quarterback Shedeur Sanders delivered a dart to Hunter. Instead of simply picking up the first down, the standout sophomore juked a Stanford defender out of his shoes on the way to the end zone.
The score was Hunter’s first receiving touchdown this season. The two-way star entered the Saturday night matchup with 16 receptions for 213 yards. Hunter celebrated the touchdown with a passionate hug with head coach Deion Sanders on the sideline.
Homecoming party for Travis Hunter
Colorado welcomed Hunter back with welcome arms. The former five-star recruit has certainly been eager to get back on the field. Earlier this week, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders raved Hunter’s hunger to return to the gridiron.
“Travis looks good,” Sanders said. “Shoot, Travis is Travis, man. God don’t make too many of those. He’s most likely going to play. We’ve got to see how he practices tomorrow. Today was a day off for him. You can’t just work him, work him, work him. He had to take it easy today — he practiced both ways yesterday because that’s who he is. He has the protection on his ribs.
“And we’ve got to see how he goes through practice tomorrow. I promise you, he’ll be in my office before I get there tomorrow waiting on me, telling me how much he wants to play.”
Evidently, Sanders relented to Hunter’s pleas. In fairness, it’s difficult to turn down what Hunter brings to the table. As excellent as Hunter is on offense, he might be even better on the other side of the ball.
In his limited time on the field, Hunter has amassed nine tackles, four passes defended and an interception. After Hunter initially suffered his injury this season, Sanders described Hunter’s value on the field.
“Travis is always gonna be missed,” Sanders said. “He’s the best darn player in college football. How is he not missed? That’s just like you saying you’re writing an article and your pen is missing. That’s how much he means.”
As of this report, Colorado still holds a comfortable 14-0 lead over the Stanford Cardinal. Tune into the contest on ESPN.