Nobody played more than Travis Hunter this season.
Playing both sides of the ball, Colorado’s Heisman Trophy winner logged more than 1,350 snaps — 434 more than any other player in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Now he’s making it so his opponents don’t want to take a play off, either.
The promise that Hunter will suit up against BYU in the Alamo Bowl this week seems to have piqued the Cougars’ interest. If anyone once thought about opting out of BYU’s bowl game, few seem to be thinking about that now.
“We saw a video of Deion coming out and saying everyone would play,” BYU defensive back Jakob Robinson said of Colorado coach Deion Sanders. “So that was like I have no reason not to play. I just want to finish it out with my teammates.”
Robinson figures he will match up against Hunter any time the Buffaloes star lines up in the slot on offense. As a wide receiver, Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“I don’t think I’m going to follow him around, but I’m going to line up against him a couple of times for sure,” Robinson said. “I don’t really fear anybody so I’m just ready to come play and test my abilities.”
For a senior who hopes to get an NFL Draft Combine invite next year, Robinson said a matchup against Hunter could boost a resume.
“It’s just motivation always to raise peoples’ draft stock,” he said.
On the other side of the ball, Cougar wideout Chase Roberts said he hoped to get a chance to face off with Hunter, who was also one of college football’s best defensive backs this season.
“I think that’s what you dream of as a little kid, to go against the Heisman winner,” Roberts said. “That’s what you dream of is going up against the best and showcasing your skills and showing you can make plays against those guys.”
Darius Lassiter’s status
BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter will miss the first half of the Alamo Bowl while serving a suspension for an unsportsmanlike penalty for fighting in the Cougars’ regular-season finale against Houston.
“That’s just part of the consequences,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. “You can’t get involved in that kind of stuff. It’s not a fight; it’s a game.”
Lassiter has been a key piece for the Cougars this season, catching 43 passes for 679 yards and four scores.
“He’s been awesome,” Sitake said. “You can be around him and see his positivity and how infectious his smile is. … He’s been a great leader for us. There’s a reason why he was voted as one of our co-captains.”
Sitake called Lassiter’s penalty and suspension “unfortunate.”
“But he’ll have 30 minutes to make up for the rest of it,” the coach said.
Mile High intensity
When a fight broke out during one of the Buffaloes’ practices last week, Sanders was of two minds.
“I don’t recommend that,” he told reporters, “but I was proud of that.”
The coach figures that if his team hasn’t lost its fight on the practice field, it won’t overlook the Cougars in San Antonio.
But BYU hasn’t lost its intensity, either.
“There was a fight the other day,” Robinson admitted. “We don’t really like to talk about fights here, but it’s been physical. Everyone’s been banging heads.”
