Colorado University Athletics
Behind The Numbers: Shedeur Sanders' Performance In The Clutch Best In Nation
September 20, 2023 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Anyone who has watched Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders operate in critical situations this year knows he is special in those moments.
There was the game-tying 98-yard game-tying touchdown drive and 2-point conversion in the final two minutes of regulation in last weekend's double-overtime win over Colorado State.
There were the three touchdown drives — each of which erased a TCU lead — in the final 16 minutes of the season-opening win in Fort Worth.
And, there have been countless other times when he has been under pressure and delivered big play after big play under duress.
It is why, after the win over Colorado State, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said, "As long as the ball was in Shedeur's hands, we were going to get down the field. I knew that without a shadow of a doubt.'
That is exactly what Sanders did in front of a sold-out Folsom Field crowd and one of the biggest ESPN college football audiences in the network's history. He completed five passes for 106 yards on the game-tying drive and continued to establish himself as one of the clutch performers in college ball.
But when Coach Prime talks about Shedeur's ability in critical moments, it isn't just a proud papa. It is a head coach who knows his quarterback's numbers this year say he is one of the best in the nation in the clutch.
Most people who follow the Buffs know Sanders is among the national leaders in passing yards. He is averaging 417 per game, good for second in the nation right now. He is putting up numbers never before recorded by a quarterback in a Colorado uniform.
But the numbers behind the numbers reveal what kind of season he is having when the game is on the line.
In other words, when the pressure is on, Sanders has been money.
— He leads the nation in second half and overtime passing yards with 871.
— He leads the nation in passing yards on third down, having completed 23 of 32 attempts for 310 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and 15 first downs. The completions, yards and first downs all lead the nation.
— On third-and-10 or more, he is even more deadly. He has completed 12 of 14 attempts in those situations with a touchdown and interception while accounting for eight first downs. Again, his completions, completion percentage, yards and first downs lead the nation.
— In the fourth quarter, with the game on the line in two of three Colorado games, he is 22-for-26 (.846 percentage) for 404 yards and three touchdowns for a 253.2 QB rating. Add in his overtime numbers and he is 26-for-31 (.837) for 450 yards, five touchdowns and a QB rating of 259.0.
But perhaps most impressive is Sanders' performance when the Buffs have trailed.
At TCU, Colorado trailed three times down the stretch — and each time, he delivered. Against CSU, the Buffs trailed by 11 in the fourth quarter, and he delivered again with a performance that has already gained legendary status.
The pure numbers speak volumes:
— When the Buffaloes have trailed by seven points or less, Sanders is 30-for-34 (88.2 percentage) for 378 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Those numbers lead the nation.
— When the Buffs have trailed by 8 to 14 points, he is 8-for-11 for 129 yards and one touchdown.
Thus, when the Buffs have been behind this year, Sanders has been almost unstoppable: 38-for-45 for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
Colorado's quarterback loves those pressure situations. He has been tutored by NFL great Tom Brady and tries to emulate what Brady would do in critical moments.
"We do it in practice all the time, so it's not really a shock or a surprise," he said of the 98-yard drive. "We like those high-pressure moments. That's what we live in, and I honestly wish the whole game was like that. That's when I think we excel. In my own mind I was thinking about Brady. He does it all the time. I got to be able to do it. Just talking to him and representing him in that way."
Bottom line?
Sanders' overall numbers are outstanding. He is on his way to rewriting the Colorado record book.
But his numbers in the clutch have been nothing short of spectacular — and it is why opponents will never feel safe if the ball is in his hands.
