Colorado vs. TCU score, takeaways: Deion Sanders' Buffaloes live up to hype opening with shocking 45-42 win

'Coach Prime' made his Colorado debut in thrilling fashion with an upset over last year's national semifinalists

FORT WORTH, Texas -- In one offseason, Deion Sanders brought a hurricane of attention careening to Colorado. The Buffaloes flipped more than 70 scholarship players in one of the biggest roster shakeups of all time after Sanders took over a 1-11 team. 

"I got all my receipts," Sanders said as he walked into the press conference. 

The Buffaloes were 20.5-point underdogs heading into a Week 1 tilt against No. 17 TCU. Colorado had not beaten a top-20 opponent on the road since 2002. But in one of the biggest games of Week 1, it shocked the Horned Frogs 45-42 in a historic victory for the program. 

"Today was just like practice," said Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. "A lot of y'all ain't believe in us. It's crazy because you've just gotta understand our coach. Everywhere he went, he was a winner. Everywhere he went, he took advantage. A lot of y'all don't have the same knowledge and experience that he has. He has a gold jacket, he's played in Super Bowls. I feel like now, y'all understand what he's saying." 

Sanders was magnificent in his first game at the FBS level, throwing for a school-record 510 yards and completing more than 80% of his passes. Three Colorado wideouts hit the 100-yard receiving mark last season; the Buffaloes had four pass-catchers eclipse that total in Sanders' debut. Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis brought together a sensational game plan to spread the field against TCU's defense. 

However, all-purpose player Travis Hunter was even better. The former No. 1 overall recruit posted 11 catches for 119 yards and added an interception on defense while playing a whopping 141 combined snaps in the game. He nearly had one of the best catches of the season as a receiver, but his foot came down right out of bounds. 

TCU struggled to get stops throughout the game, and its offense failed to score off anything except a short field until the second quarter. The Frogs offense found its rhythm in the second half, but starting quarterback Chandler Morris was inconsistent. He completed just 57% of passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions, including a back-breaking red zone pick to Hunter. Alabama transfer Trey Sanders had three touchdowns in his debut. 

The Horned Frogs had one final drive with a chance to take the lead. Facing fourth-and-9 with fewer than two minutes left, Morris completed a short pass to receiver John Paul Richardson, but Richardson fell short of the first down marker. 

Off the field, the Sanders effect has already led to major wins for Colorado. However, backing up all the talk with a dominant offensive performance against the reigning national runner-up is a statement few saw coming. 

"You name it, everything is up 300 or 400%, whether merchandise, social media followers," Colorado athletic director Rick George said. "The enormity of it is hard to quantify." 

Still, the first performance of the Sanders era remains hard to contextualize. The Buffaloes are likely to join the AP Top 25 next week after the win and should be favorites at home against Nebraska. The buzz around Colorado is unmatched since the Buffaloes were competing for national championships in the early 1990s. 

"Guess what, we're here and we're not going anywhere," Sanders said. "These young men in there right now, they believe. Not all of them believed but they came up one by one, two by two, they believe ... I'm good with that, we've got room." 

Electric skill talent

Sanders and Hunter ranked among the top recruits in their respective classes, and the pedigree paid off on Saturday. Additionally, blue-chip freshman running back Dylan Edwards posted 135 yards receiving and three touchdowns while adding another rushing score in his Buffs debut. In addition to Hunter and Edwards, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver each posted 100-yard performances.  The skill talent appears poised to rank among the top of the Pac-12 in Sanders' first season. 

Falling flat

TCU was the surprise team of last season after using an undefeated regular season to reach the College Football Playoff. Week 1 was a shock after all the optimism as the Horned Frogs lost their first game at Amon Carter Stadium under coach Sonny Dykes. 

The loss of several key offensive pieces was felt as Morris had two difficult interceptions to stall offensive drives. No wide receiver had more than 63 yards receiving; tight end Jared Wiley led the game in yards receiving for TCU. Any hope that transfers and internal improvement could cover seemingly gaping holes left by a number of NFL Draft picks is gone. 

Big opportunity

Next week, Colorado opens the Coach Prime era at Folsom Field with a home game against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers nearly beat Minnesota in Matt Rhule's first game, but Sanders and his crew should be riding high after a dominant performance in Fort Worth. Colorado will be one of the most-watched teams of the early season. If it can start 2-0 with wins over multiple Power Five teams, Sanders and Hunter will legitimately give themselves a chance to enter the All-American and Heisman Trophy conversation. 

[Sep 2, 2023 at 3:32 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

Photo finish incoming

4Q: Colorado 45, TCU 42

Colorado was facing 4th-and-2 at midfield, but quarterback Shedeur Sanders didn't have any issues. Sanders found running back Dylan Edwards on a screen for a 46-yard touchdown through the TCU defense. With the pass, Sanders has cleared 500 yards in his first FBS start -- and there are still more than four minutes remaining.