In the recent high-stakes match between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Colorado State Rams, tensions escalated, especially following a controversial play involving players Travis Hunter and Henry Blackburn.
The match, which took place on Saturday night in Boulder, witnessed some heated moments that didn’t just catch the attention of football enthusiasts but also resonated with notable figures, even drawing comments from basketball superstar LeBron James.
As the battle for supremacy unfolded on the field, the Rams had a slight edge with a 14-7 lead in the early phase of the fourth quarter. During a critical play, Shedeur Sanders, the quarterback for the Buffaloes, aimed a pass at star receiver Travis Hunter. However, a late hit by Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn disrupted the play.
Blackburn’s late hit on Hunter drew immediate backlash, with many describing the action as “dirty”. This led to a series of events involving players from both teams engaging in a verbal and physical altercation.
That’s a DIRTY hit by Henry Blackburn on Travis Hunter and was flagged for it…
Shedeur Sanders got in his face afterwards for it.pic.twitter.com/FrmrTETEn6
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 17, 2023
Sanders was seen strongly defending his teammate, Hunter, confronting Blackburn face-to-face. Consequently, the officials didn’t hesitate to penalize Blackburn for unnecessary roughness, in addition to a pass interference call on the play.
LeBron James voices concern over controversial hit on Travis Hunter
The incident quickly caught the attention, including LeBron James, who didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment over the play via a tweet on X, (formerly Twitter). LeBron’s criticism targeted the alleged inconsistency in the execution of the targeting rule.
“Like I don’t understand the difference between targeting and what I just witnessed.” James wrote “I’ve seen others get thrown out for far less. That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!”
Like I don’t understand the difference between targeting and what I just witnessed. I’ve seen others get thrown out for far less. That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 17, 2023
Later on, he also tweeted a message conveying his well wishes for Travis Hunter.
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Travis Hunter
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 17, 2023
The incident had a lasting impact on the entire game. Hunter was escorted to the sideline, sidelining him for the remainder of the series. News surfaced during the second half of the broadcast that Hunter was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
Conversations between the coaches of the two teams in the days before the game added to the tense atmosphere. Colorado State’s Jay Norvell criticized Colorado’s Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, for his distinctive style of wearing sunglasses and a hat at official events. From the beginning, there was tension between the teams, with heated exchanges observed at midfield even before kickoff.
This matchup will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most heated chapters in the rivalry between these two teams.