College Football

Shedeur Sanders, Tom Brady give each other shout-out after Colorado OT win

Published Sep. 17, 2023 12:42 p.m. ET

Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes won what is one of the early candidates for the 2023 college football game of the year in Week 3, beating in-state rival Colorado State in double overtime 43-35.

The win came after a chaotic week in the public, fueled by Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell criticizing Colorado head coach Deion Sanders for wearing sunglasses and a hat when he speaks to the media.

After the thrilling overtime win, Colorado's quarterback — who threw for two touchdowns in extra time — gave NFL legend Tom Brady a shout-out, saying he used him as inspiration in crunch time.

"At [our own] 2-yard line, all I was thinking was Brady mode. That's it. Simple," Sanders said. "You left too much time out there [on the clock]. … We talk after every game. I'm sure he's gonna text me in a second, but that's all I was thinking is Brady mode. If he could do it, I know I could do it; we're just alike. "

Brady himself inferred on Twitter on Sunday that Sanders was a stone-cold killer.

Colorado trailed 28-20 with 2:06 remaining in the fourth quarter and pulled off a 98-yard touchdown drive and a two-point conversion to tie the game and send it to overtime. Sanders finished the game with 348 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, one interception and a 166.9 passer rating, while completing 80.9% of his passes.

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Across Colorado's first three games, Sanders has firmly inserted himself into Heisman contention. On the season, he has totaled 1,251 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, one interception and a 178.7 passer rating, while completing 78.7% of his passes.

No. 18 Colorado is now 3-0 and has a pair of high-profile Pac-12 games on deck, with a trip to No. 13 Oregon in Week 4, followed by hosting 2022 Heisman trophy winner Caleb Williams and No. 5 USC in Week 5.

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