The Colorado Buffaloes suffered arguably the biggest upset of the college football Saturday in Week 12, losing 37-21 to the Kansas Jayhawks. Colorado's star quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, took a rough-looking hit in this game, and several notable names took to social media to condemn the play, including former NFL QB Robert Griffin III, who is no stranger to knee injuries.
“At any level of football this is a late and dirty hit on Shedeur Sanders. No place in the game for this,” Griffin II tweeted Saturday.
At any level of football this is a late and dirty hit on Shedeur Sanders. No place in the game for this. pic.twitter.com/jzFDCwcSxe
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 23, 2024
This is undoubtedly a dangerous hit by the Kansas defender on the Colorado quarterback, but is it a dirty football play? Since Sanders was out of the pocket and on the run — even though he ultimately threw it — he doesn't get the same protections he would in the pocket. And it's worth noting that those protections aren't anywhere near as strenuous in college as they are in the NFL these days.
While this is unquestionably a nasty hit, it is assuming a lot to call it dirty. And as fast as it happened, the hit's lateness is also on the eye of the beholder. To Robert Griffin III, it is understandable that he is triggered by a play like this. The former Baylor QB was well on his way to becoming an NFL star before knee injuries derailed his career.
It's worth noting, though, that Griffin didn't post anything about Shedeur Sanders participating in a dirty play of his own during the Colorado-Kansas football game. During a skirmish between the two teams the son of the Buffaloes head coach, Deion Sanders, shoved a referee from behind, which should have drawn an automatic ejection.
"He's lucky he wasn't ejected from the game." @MikePereira takes a closer look at Shedeur Sanders' push on the ref ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SSESj7QtId
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024
While reasonable minds can disagree on the merit of the hit on Sanders, shoving an official like this is never OK at any level of the sport, as Griffin believes about the hit. As of Sunday morning, no disciplinary action has been announced for the hit or the shove.