Colorado's Travis Hunter scores 2 TDs in first game back after a late hit lacerated his liver
It didn’t take long for Travis Hunter to find the end zone Friday night.
Colorado’s two-way star returned to the field for the first time since he suffered a lacerated liver from a late hit by Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn on Sept. 16. Hunter missed three games because of the injury, but returned Friday night to start at both defensive back and wide receiver against Stanford.
Hunter took the field first as a defensive back after Colorado kicked off. And he scored his first offensive TD as a member of the Buffs on the team’s second possession of the game when he took a pass from QB Shedeur Sanders to the house on a 24-yard catch-and-run TD.
Just look at this spin move Hunter pulled off in the middle of the field.
Travis. Hunter. 😱 pic.twitter.com/93slAQcqPP
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) October 14, 2023
Things got a lot worse for Colorado in the second half, however. While Hunter caught his second TD of the game in the fourth quarter, he and the Buffaloes defense were unable to stop WR Elic Ayomanor and the Stanford offense in the second half.
Stanford erased a 29-0 halftime deficit to force overtime in an improbable 46-43 win. Ayomanor finished the game with 13 catches for 294 yards and three TDs. His third TD came in OT as he caught the ball by trapping it against the back of Hunter's helmet.
ELIC AYOMANOR OVER TRAVIS HUNTER IN OT 😱#SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/5odnyQrttn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 14, 2023
Hunter also had a personal foul penalty after a third-down sack in the second half that gave Stanford a free first down. The Cardinal scored a TD a few plays later on that drive as part of their comeback.
Offensively, Hunter finished the game with 13 catches for 140 yards.