Buffs ‘trending in right direction’ after UCF rout
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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. — As Colorado walked off the field following its best win of the Deion Sanders era — a 48-21 domination of UCF on a steamy Saturday afternoon — one staffer had a pointed message.
“Keep telling them to make us 16-point underdogs!”
Colorado played its most complete game to date, finding balance on offense while shutting down the No. 1 run offense in the country, holding UCF nearly 200 yards below its average. The 27-point triumph is Colorado’s largest road conference win since a 34-0 victory over Oklahoma State in 2005.
It also marked the Buffaloes’ second win under Sanders as a double-digit underdog, though the line did close at 12.5 points.
Sanders batted away any notion his team played with extra motivation as such a large underdog against the undefeated Knights.
“We’re underdogs every week,” he said. “Ain’t nobody want to see us win except for our fan base. That’s just the nature of the game. We’re not mad about it. We know who we are.”
So does the rest of the country.
No one can say it has been boring. Through five games, Colorado has had to rally to beat an FCS opponent (North Dakota State), needed a Hail Mary in overtime to get past Baylor and also posted two blowout wins. Also in there was a disheartening 28-10 road loss to Nebraska in which Shedeur Sanders was sacked five times.
Yet here they are, 4-1, matching their win total from a season ago.
In the spring, Sanders guaranteed at least a bowl berth, and after another roster overhaul, questions again followed the program into the season. But there’s a reason the win over UCF was hailed as its best under Sanders. Not only did Colorado find balance (128 yards rushing, 290 yards passing) and a defensive performance that limited big plays on the ground (UCF had 177 yards rushing), it was a group effort.
Yes, Sanders threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns. And yes, Travis Hunter had nine catches for 89 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception in the third quarter in which he darted in front of a pass at the last second. Twice now this season, Hunter has had a touchdown reception and an interception in a game. As he stood, he struck a Heisman pose.
But there was also Will Sheppard, who led all receivers with 99 yards and added a score. There was Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, who had a 95-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. And there was Preston Hodge, who had an interception of his own.
Colorado had five sacks from four different players.
After Silmon-Craig scored, Colorado graduate assistant Warren Sapp turned to the crowd and waved goodbye.
“I feel like we’re trending in the right direction,” Deion Sanders said. “I feel like you guys are seeing the fruit of a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, great hires. Bringing the right guys in with the right attitude, the right work ethic. I love where we are as a program. I really do. Could we be better? Of course, I think everyone can, but I know we’re trending in the right direction.”
Colorado is now 2-0 in Big 12 play headed into an open date before it hosts Kansas State on Oct. 12. The two conference wins already doubled what the Buffs had last season in the Pac-12 when they went 1-8.
“Everybody’s bought in. You can tell,” Silmon-Craig said. “We don’t point fingers. We pick each other up. That’s the way we’re playing right now. It’s definitely the most complete win. It’s just the beginning.”
Deion Sanders credited getting to Orlando a day early, on Wednesday, to avoid the effects of Hurricane Helene as one reason for the dominant effort.
“Getting them away from everything and having them focus and lock in, we had some tremendous walkthroughs in the hotel, and it was just unity,” he said. “All the guys ate together, they had meetings together, they’re watching film together. They responded tremendously. They could have been mad and upset about us leaving prematurely, but they were on it, and they did a great job.”
But there was also an acknowledgement the team could be in a different spot based on how it responded to adversity at various points before Saturday.
“We could be in a whole different place right now,” Sanders said. “But we’re 4-1 going into the break, and I’m so excited, you have no idea. It’s gonna be a really good plane ride tonight.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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