NORTHWESTERN BEATS DEION SANDERS' COLORADO 41-7

Colorado, coached by Deion Sanders, lost 41-7 to Northwestern on Saturday night at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. The result ended the Buffaloes' unbeaten start to the season, leaving them with a 2-1 record. Sanders called the defeat a "flat-out butt kicking," according to his post-match comments. He said turnovers and penalties were the main causes. Colorado's nine-game Big 12 schedule begins next week with a visit to Baylor.

The fixture carried added meaning for Colorado tight end Brady Kopetz, whose parents and grandfather all graduated from Northwestern. Kopetz said on the Buffaloes Prime Time radio show that his parents had urged him to stay for a fifth season so he could play their former university, calling the moment "magical." Kopetz, who grew up in Portland, Oregon, said he chose Colorado partly for its academics, student life and the prospect of skiing near Boulder. Before kickoff, Colorado players reportedly criticised the atmosphere at Northwestern's stadium, with one comparing its acoustics to a library.

The heavy defeat halted the momentum Sanders had built after Colorado's 2-0 start to the season. Sanders attributed the result to his own team's errors rather than Northwestern's strength, according to his comments. Colorado will next look to open its Big 12 campaign with a win away at Baylor. Kopetz, now in his fifth year with the Buffaloes, said he still skis at his home mountain in Oregon but has not yet skied near Boulder.