Shilo Sanders Suffers Broken Forearm, Exits Game Early: Colorado Suffers Humiliating Loss to Nebraska

Colorado safety Shilo Sanders left the Buffaloes' Week 2 game against Nebraska with a possible broken forearm, according to his coach and father Deion Sanders. Sanders will not return and could be out for an extended period of time.

Sanders went to the locker room early in the first half after recording two tackles in the first quarter. The Buffaloes were already down 14-0 when he left the field. It's unclear on what play Sanders hurt himself, but his loss leaves a hole in the secondary.

The sixth-year senior started all 11 games for Colorado at safety in 2023 while wearing his father's famous No. 21. He earned All-Pac-12 honors after posting 70 tackles, a pick-six and four forced fumbles. Sophomore Savion Riley is listed as the second-string starter at safety, but the Vanderbilt transfer has only played one game in a Colorado uniform.

The Sanders news only makes a bad night worse for Colorado as the Buffaloes trail Nebraska 28-0 at the half at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have 100 more total yards and have gone downfield in the passing game with freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Colorado safety Shilo Sanders exited the Buffaloes' 28-10 loss to Nebraska on Saturday after suffering an arm injury in the first quarter, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said on the game broadcast.

"I think a broken forearm, something like that, so he won't be back at all," Deion Sanders told NBC.

Shilo Sanders was injured on the Buffaloes' first drive on defense after colliding with Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell on a tackle to stop a 13-yard run. Sanders went to the locker room and did not return. There was no additional details on his status or timetable in postgame media availabilities.

Colorado also lost starting linebacker Trevor Woods after he was ejected for targeting for a hit on Nebraska receiver Isaiah Neyor in the second quarter.

Nebraska rolled to a 28-0 lead in the first half with freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola throwing for 126 yards and one touchdown and Dowdell rushing for two scores. The Huskers' defense pressured quarterback Shedeur Sanders into four sacks and returned one interception for a touchdown. Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team are on the road for the first time this season.

The Buffaloes were in Lincoln looking to beat Nebraska for the fourth consecutive time, but it was the Cornhuskers who dominated from the opening kickoff.

It's been an abysmal night for the Colorado offense, but it finally hit paydirt in the fourth quarter.

Shedeur Sanders led a six-play, 58-yard drive capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester.

Nebraska leads 28-10 with 8:40 left in the game.

-- Scott Procter

After Colorado's defense forced a Nebraska 3-and-out to begin the second half, Alejandro Mata connected on a 27-yard field goal to get the Buffs on the board.

Nebraska leads 28-3 with 10:38 left in the third quarter.

-- Scott Procter

Colorado starting safety Shilo Sanders left the game early on in the first half and headed to the locker room.

Deion Sanders said at halftime that Shilo won't return with what he thinks is a "broken forearm or something like that."

More:Shilo Sanders leaves Colorado vs Nebraska game early; Injury update on Buffs' safety

-- Scott Procter

Colorado kicker Jace Feely missed a field goal from 61 yards out as the first-half clock expired. It was that kind of first half for the Buffs.

-- Scott Procter

It nearly was an interception by Colorado linebacker LaVonta Bentley, but it turned out to be an 18-yard touchdown pass from Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola to Rahmir Johnson off a tipped pass instead.

The Cornhuskers added to their big lead just before halftime.

Nebraska leads 28-0 with less than a minute left in the second quarter.

-- Scott Procter

The early struggles continue for Colorado. Alejandro Mata's 29-yard field goal was blocked after the Buffs' best drive of the first half.

Nebraska will take over at its own 20-yard line.

Nebraska leads 21-0 with 3:33 left in second quarter.

-- Scott Procter

After Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola made an unreal throw across his body for a 36-yard gain to Jaylen Lloyd, Dante Dowdell punched it in from one yard out on the next play to extend the Cornhuskers' lead.

Nebraska is in complete control.

Nebraska leads 21-0 with 6:44 left in second quarter.

-- Scott Procter

Nebraska kicker Tristan Alvano missed a 32-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.

Nebraska leads 14-0 with 13:32 left in second quarter.

-- Scott Procter

Nothing went right for Colorado in that first quarter. The Buffs have -2 yards of total offense (mostly due to -25 sack yards) and Shedeur Sanders had his second interception of the season returned for a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Nebraska is averaging 7.1 yards per carry and is in scoring position to open the second quarter.

-- Scott Procter

Throwing from his own end zone after a Nebraska punt landed at the Buffs' two-yard line, Shedeur Sanders threw an interception to Nebraska defensive back Tommi Hill, who returned it for a touchdown.

Nebraska leads 14-0 with 5:46 left in first quarter.

-- Scott Procter

The Colorado offense isn't exactly off to the same hot start as last week. After a 3-and-out on their opening possession, the Buffs were unable to capitalize off a 61-yard kickoff return by Jimmy Horn Jr.

A failed 4th-down conversion gives the ball back to Nebraska. Shedeur Sanders was sacked on two of Colorado's first four plays of the game.

-- Scott Procter

The Cornhuskers used their ground game to take the first lead of the game. Nebraska went 49 yards (39 yards rushing) in seven plays on its opening drive after Colorado went 3-and-out.

Nebraska leads 7-0 with 10:34 left in first quarter.

-- Scott Procter

Nebraska will kickoff and Colorado will start with the ball. Here we go.

-- Scott Procter

Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens was on the field and working Colorado's receivers pre-game. The 15-year NFL veteran ranks third in NFL history in both career receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

-- Scott Procter

Representatives from at least seven NFL teams — the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings — are expected at Memorial Stadium to watch Colorado and Nebraska.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter are both projected first-round NFL draft picks.

-- Scott Procter

TV Channel: NBC

-- Scott Procter

Nebraska leads the all-time series 49-21-2 but Colorado has won three consecutive meetings, including last year's 36-14 win in Boulder. The Buffs haven't beaten the Cornhuskers in Lincoln since 2018.

-- Scott Procter

The environment at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night will be raucous, but Shedeur Sanders' four years of college experience will win out over a team with a true freshman QB (Dylan Raiola) making his second career start.

Colorado wins 31-27.

-- Scott Procter

Colorado is a 6.5-point underdog, according to VegasInsider. The over/under is at 55.5 total points.

-- Scott Procter

Here's a look at the Colorado football depth chart.

-- Scott Procter

It should be a beautiful night for football in Lincoln. The high is projected at 77 degrees with a 7:48 sunset coming during the game.

-- Scott Procter

All times listed in Mountain.

Follow Colorado Buffaloes sports reporter Scott Procter on X. LINCOLN, Neb. — Colorado starting safety Shilo Sanders injured his forearm during the first quarter and sat out for the rest of the game against Nebraska.

"I don’t know the extent of the injury, but I know he did something to his forearm that put him out for the rest of the game," Sanders' father and coach, Deion Sanders, said after the game. Coach Prime initially said on the NBC broadcast at halftime that his son had "a broken forearm or something like that."

Shilo was in a sling on the sideline during the fourth quarter.

Shilo was Colorado’s leading tackler last year and is in his final season of college football after graduating from Jackson State last year and then transferring to Colorado to play for his father.

LIVE UPDATES:Colorado vs. Nebraska score, highlights

He is one of two Colorado starters out for the game against the Cornhuskers, who led 28-0 at halftime.

The other is linebacker Trevor Woods, who was disqualified late in the second quarter after being penalized for targeting.

It’s been a tough night all around for the Sanders family. Deion Sanders’ other players son Shedeur, a quarterback, has been sacked four times in the first half and intercepted once for a seven-yard touchdown return by Nebraska.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Shilo Sanders made the first stone-faced walk into Colorado’s tunnel, his broken right arm wrapped and hanging in a blue sling as police escorted him off the field. Police returned and retrieved defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo, who carried his shoulder pads with him after injuring his shoulder.

Finally, quarterback Shedeur Sanders left via the southeast tunnel underneath the student section. Above him, dozens of Nebraska students flashed “The Shedeur,” his signature celebration that grew so iconic EA Sports included it in the return of the college football video game this summer.

As the final minutes of Colorado’s 28-10 loss to rival Nebraska ticked away, the Buffaloes made a decision with an impending forecast of a field storm: Get the injured players off the field before the game ended and the celebration began.

Shedeur Sanders is heading back to the locker room pic.twitter.com/7VAjYmUW4Y

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 8, 2024

“Who’s your daddy?” Nebraska fans chanted in the final moments as Sanders’ backup, Ryan Staub, played out the Buffaloes’ final drive.

A year ago in this game, the Buffaloes moved to 2-0 and celebrated by rushing Folsom Field as they took over a sport by storm.

Now, Nebraska looks like the team on the rise, and Colorado looked like the team with identical flaws from a season ago and the same self-imposed expectations.

“Maybe everybody on the team, maybe we just weren’t ready,” Shedeur Sanders said.

“They just came out and played better,” safety Cam’ron Silmon-Craig said.

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The Buffaloes — for now — are still must-see TV and a tractor beam for viewers because of their big-name coach. During breaks in the action, he can be seen palling around with Nick Saban in AFLAC commercials, and once the game restarts, he’s still left wondering why his rebuilt offensive line still can’t produce a running game or offer better protection for his son Shedeur, who also happens to be the starting quarterback and a likely first-round pick.

“Protections were a problem,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “I’m trying to be polite because I can say the same thing you’re thinking but if I say it, you say I’m throwing our guys under the bus. I’m not doing that whatsoever but our protections were a problem. We’ve gotta figure out a way to prevent that.”

When Sanders’ teams have struggled in the last two seasons, he leans heavily into the light, emphasizing what went right ahead of dwelling upon what went wrong.

Saturday, almost everything went wrong. Sanders sought to cling to a second-half shutout and the lack of quit he saw on his team’s sideline, but it won’t outweigh the obvious reality his team was outmatched from the start against a team it routed a season ago.

The Buffaloes have a major talent at quarterback and one of the nation’s best receiver groups, but none of it matters if the offensive line gives up six sacks and Sanders is running for his life almost immediately more often than not.

It also won’t matter if the running game can’t offer more than 7 yards on four carries like it did in the first half when the Buffaloes were outscored 28-0. Twice, they were stuffed on fourth-and-short. Sanders was held to 244 yards. He had more than that in all but three games last season, excluding a loss to Washington State when he left the game in the first half.

In the locker room after the game, it was Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola throwing up The Shedeur, alongside former Husker Will Compton, who posted the photo on social media.

pic.twitter.com/6sAZRkOuN8

— Will Compton (@_willcompton) September 8, 2024

“How many times did Raiola get touched?” Shedeur Sanders asked after the game. “You know what I’m saying? Of course, whenever you’re able to run the ball consistently, that opens up the pass. But you gotta understand what your team is good at.”

The issue is that Colorado’s biggest flaw — the offensive line — makes it almost impossible for its biggest asset — the passing game — to shine in games against teams with talented defensive fronts.

And the Buffaloes are still searching for the answers to the same question they’ve been trying to answer for a year and a half: How do we keep Shedeur protected and have something close to a functional running game?

Since Deion Sanders arrived at Colorado, his offense has had a running back rush for more than 60 yards in a game one time: Anthony Hankerson ran for 74 yards on 16 carries last season against a USC defense that ranked 110th against the rush. Hankerson transferred to Oregon State after the season and the Buffs’ leading rusher last year, Dylan Edwards, left the team after spring practice and rejoined his childhood friend and quarterback Avery Johnson at Kansas State.

Why was it so difficult for the Buffs to respond to Nebraska’s defense?

“I have no idea,” Sanders said. “If we had known that answer, I think we would have responded quicker.”

By the time Colorado earned its first down with a 9-yard completion from Sanders to two-way star Travis Hunter early in the second quarter, it had already given up three sacks and a pick six and trailed 14-0.

Shedeur Sanders gets picked off, and Nebraska runs it back for a 14-point lead 🔥

🎥 @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/guxIsm1Bsi

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 8, 2024

The Buffaloes tried to offer some seven-man protections for Sanders, but the roster lacks a true tight end and expanded protection schemes featuring converted linebacker Sa’Vell Smalls and running backs Charlie Offerdahl and Dallan Hayden still struggled to keep four and five-man rushes from forcing Sanders into rushed throws or throws on the run.

Last season, Colorado sprinted out of the starting blocks with a nationally televised upset of a top 25 TCU team, albeit a TCU team that finished 5-7.

Last year’s Week 2 win over 1-0 Nebraska was the last time Colorado beat a team with a winning record.

The Buffaloes played the final game of last season with little fanfare and no hope of the postseason, and with Sanders nursing a host of injuries that forced him to watch from the sideline.

Colorado felt confident it upgraded its roster on both sides of the ball — especially along the lines — after last year’s late-season struggles.

Saturday’s loss to Nebraska was more conclusive than the final score indicates, but through two games, Colorado’s season looks destined to finish more like the one we saw a year ago than the one Sanders forecasted in January, when he told Skip Bayless his team could “definitely” qualify for the College Football Playoff.

“We could’ve been someone who made a lot of noise. We made noise, but now, we gonna make some sounds,” Sanders said in January.

Saturday, though, the only sounds emanating from Colorado were those of frustration, despite Sanders’ postgame optimism.

“We gotta be able to handle the pressure,” Sanders said. “Everybody wants to be ‘him’ until it’s time to be ‘him.’”

(Photo of Shedeur Sanders passing while under pressure from Jimari Butler: Dylan Widger / Imagn Images)

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David Ubben is a senior writer for The Athletic covering college football. Prior to joining The Athletic, he covered college sports for ESPN, Fox Sports Southwest, The Oklahoman, Sports on Earth and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, as well as contributing to a number of other publications. Follow David on Twitter @davidubben