Hunter's big game bolsters Heisman hopes as No. 23 Colorado rolls to 52-0 win over Oklahoma State

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The final play on Travis Hunter's Heisman highlight reel was a falling touchdown catch with a defender draped all over him.

If that, along with his other two touchdowns and an interception, wasn't enough to wrap up college football's biggest prize, then his coach has no idea what else the two-way standout can do.

“Travis clinched the Heisman today with his performance,” Deion Sanders said after No. 23 Colorado routed Oklahoma State 52-0 on Friday to keep its outside Big 12 title game hopes afloat.

Hunter finished with 10 receptions and 116 yards for the bowl-bound Buffaloes (9-3, 7-2, No. 25 CFP). His three touchdown catches gives him 14 on the year and moves him past Nelson Spruce (12 TDs, 2014) for the most by a Colorado receiver in a single season. After his third touchdown catch, Hunter got up and struck the Heisman pose.

"He's the best player in college football. You can find ways to hate, criticize and condemn him and you won't come out of that looking professional," his coach said. "Travis Hunter proved today, and he's proved every week, that he is the best player in college football."

The same sentiment was held by his quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who at one point ran down the field counting out the star receiver's number of touchdowns for the day on his fingers.

“There's no argument at this point,” the QB said of Hunter's Heisman chances. “The consistency he has, I feel like that is what the award is about.”

Sanders had his own big day, throwing for 438 yards to break the school's single-season passing record. He closes the regular season with 3,926 yards passing to top the single-season mark turned in by Koy Detmer (3,527) in 1996. Sanders also added five TD passes to increase his total to a school-best 35 for the season.

Their work done, the Buffaloes need chaos to unfold across the conference Saturday to earn a place in the league's championship contest on Dec. 7 in Arlington, Texas.

One scenario to get in requires two losses out of either No. 14 Arizona State (at Arizona), No. 19 BYU (hosting Houston) or No. 17 Iowa State (hosting Kansas State). Another other scenario would be a loss by BYU and a win from Texas Tech (hosting West Virginia).

“Look at how we rebounded," said Deion Sanders, whose team lost control of their conference title-game fate with a 37-21 loss at Kansas last weekend. “Look at how we wiped our tears and got back up, got on the horse and yell, ‘Giddy-up.’"

The Buffaloes jumped out to a 21-0 in the first quarter and kept rolling in the second half. The defense forced four turnovers, including a pick-6 by DJ McKinney. This was the Buffaloes first shutout since a 34-0 win over Arizona on Oct. 16, 2021.

LaJohntay Wester finished with 11 catches for 175 yards and two scores. His 322 career catches with Colorado and Florida Atlantic ties him for sixth on the NCAA’s career receptions list.

Before the game, Sanders was named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation's top QB. It may be the first of numerous awards that Sanders and Hunter might collect.

Hunter, though, wasn't named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as one of the top defensive backs, drawing the wrath of coach Deion Sanders. Hunter had one of his easiest picks when Maealiuaki Smith tossed up a pass in the first quarter. He dropped another and stared at his hands.

Oklahoma State ended the year on a nine-game skid after being picked to finish third in the preseason media poll. This marked the Cowboys' first winless conference season since 1994 when they were in the Big 8.

“That one didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. “I don’t even have to look at the stat sheet, but we didn’t really give ourselves a chance on offense. It was so bad it would be hard to point something out.”