DeAndre Moore Jr. still had football on his mind the moment he came back to after that frightening hit against Baylor.
He remembered seeing bodies around him on the turf and immediately thinking he might be able to keep playing.
“ I wanted to play, bro,” Moore said. “I came to and I see all these people on top and I’m like, ‘Okay…no cart and I’m playing in this game.’”
Moore said he was woozy, but he still wanted to help Colorado any way he could. The medical staff had a different plan.
“[They were] like, ‘We got to get you off the field first, buddy. Like, what are you talking about?’” Moore recalled.
He ended up walking off under his own power instead of taking a cart, something he said he was thankful to be able to do. What stuck with him even more was how his teammates reacted once he was back among them.
“They came up to me after I came to,” Moore said. “They was like, ‘Dude, you scared us.’”
Moore said some of those reactions came with “real tears,” and he described the moment as painful but also meaningful for the group.
“It was a really cool turning point in where we are in this brotherhood,” he said. “These guys are bought in. These guys are caring.”
Joseph Williams, Moore’s close friend and fellow receiver, was right there helping him off the field and later gave the team a halftime push, telling them to “do it for three,” Moore’s jersey number. Moore said Williams also spent much of Sunday night at his home, talking football and checking in on him.
Moore called Williams his brother and praised the way he has grown into a leader in the receiver room. He said the two have challenged each other all season, and he believes Williams has the ability to be one of the best receivers in the country.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Moore wanted to practice after the Baylor game, but the staff kept him out. Sanders said Moore was “ready to go” and expects him to be available against Texas Tech.
Moore said Colorado still has time to salvage its season, but the Buffaloes have to take care of business at home and keep getting better.
“Everything that we want for this season is still there for us to be had,” Moore said.
Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the game will air on FOX.
In Other News...
Colorado Homecoming Just Took An Unexpected Turn Before Texas Tech
Homecoming in Boulder was supposed to give Colorados meeting with No. 12 Texas Tech a little extra buzz, especially with the Red Raiders making their first visit to town since 2010 and the Buffaloes also folding in a 150th anniversary celebration. Instead, the run-up to the game has come with an unexpected twist off the field, as resale prices for the cheapest tickets have fallen sharply in the days before kickoff.
Still, the matchup has the feel of one that should draw real attention once the ball is in the air, and Colorado knows the challenge waiting from a ranked Texas Tech team. Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. has already pointed to the importance of protecting home field, which makes the softening market around the game feel even more curious as Boulder gets ready for a big weekend. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Puts Pressure On Colorado Before Texas Tech Test
Deion Sanders spent part of his latest press conference doing what he has often done in Boulder this season, putting the spotlight squarely on execution. Colorado has been uneven on third and fourth down, and Sanders made clear the issue is less about the design of the offense than the need for players to finish plays, while also defending Brennan Marions system as the Buffaloes prepare for Texas Tech.
Sanders broadened the message beyond one area, pointing to the running game, turnovers, field position, special teams and penalties as parts of the operation that need to sharpen up. He said the effort was there against Baylor, but effort only goes so far if it does not turn into points and wins, and that makes the Texas Tech matchup another measuring stick for a team still trying to put its best football together. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Defensive Front Has A Problem Baylor Fans Already Recognize
Dante Carter is already seeing the early-season lesson that comes with rebuilding a defensive line from scratch: practice can only take a front so far once the crowd gets loud and the game starts speeding up. In his first season as Colorados defensive line coach, Carter has talked about the gap between routine reps and the pressure of real moments, stressing that players have to be trained for sudden changes as much as they are coached on technique.
Thats why the next test feels especially relevant for a group still learning each other on the fly. After a recent game situation against Baylor showed how quickly things can tilt, Colorados revamped front now heads into a matchup with Texas Tech with more than scheme on the line. For Carter, the challenge is not just building depth and chemistry, but getting his players comfortable when the moment stops looking like practice. [Read more 🡒]