Only a few days after having surgery to remove blood clots in his leg, Deion Sanders picked up his first ranked win of the season as Colorado upset No. 22 Iowa State, 24-17.
Sanders, who has been battling recurring vascular issues and recently underwent his 16th surgery just days before the game, showed the nation that nothing -- not even a major health setback -- could keep him off the sideline.
Coach Prime’s presence set a defiant tone for the Buffaloes, who entered the contest as underdogs with a 2-4 record. Despite trailing at halftime, Colorado’s offense, led by quarterback Kaidon Salter, found its rhythm in the second half, connecting on a 70-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Miller on the second play after the break and later scoring the go-ahead touchdown midway through the third quarter. The explosive plays were just enough to gain a lead, but the upset was sealed by a stout defensive effort.
The win marked Colorado’s first Big 12 victory of the season and served as a much-needed morale boost, as the Buffaloes advanced to 3-4 on the season.
MORE: Colorado stuns No. 22 Iowa State for first Big 12 win
Colorado record vs top 25 teams
Sanders' team is now 1-1 against ranked opponents this season. He is 2-8 against ranked teams in his time at Colorado.
Colorado started 0-3 in Big 12 play with losses to Houston, No. 25 BYU and TCU, but on Saturday as the underdog against Iowa State were able to get enough stops down the stretch. While the Cyclones outgained the Buffaloes, they did not score in the fourth quarter.
First ranked win for Colorado Buffaloes after Shedeur and Travis Hunter 🦬 pic.twitter.com/Bb1PwPqCIY
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 11, 2025
%3Cscript%20async%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fplatform.twitter.com%2Fwidgets.js%22%20charset%3D%22utf-8%22%3E%3C%2Fscript%3E
It was Sanders' second win over a ranked opponent at Colorado, the first coming in his debut when the Buffaloes beat No. 17 TCU, 45-42.
Deion Sanders blood clots
Sanders’ dramatic return to the sideline was the latest chapter in a long, ongoing, and very public health battle with vascular issues.
The Hall of Famer first revealed his circulation and blood clotting problems while coaching at Jackson State in 2021. The vascular issues in his lower leg were so severe that he ultimately required the amputation of his big toe and second toe on his left foot. Since that ordeal, which included multiple surgeries and a brief fear that he might lose his entire leg, Sanders has continued to manage the recurring condition.
The issues resurfaced publicly when Sanders was seen limping and without a shoe on the sideline during Colorado’s previous loss to TCU, telling reporters he was “hurting like crazy” and believed he had more blood clots. Sanders revealed he was undergoing his 16th surgery (an aspiration thrombectomy) to clean out his arteries and improve blood flow. Remarkably, he returned to practice the very next day and was on the sideline for the upset victory.
Before today's game, Sanders' former teammate Michael Irvin gave a powerful speech to the team.
Real talk from a legend. 🐐@MichaelIrvin88 x #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/LDtzlPqdfw
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 12, 2025
MORE: Marshall Faulk reveals the hardest part of being on Deion Sanders staff at Colorado
Kaidon Salter stats
Buffaloes' signal called Kaidon Salter played well, completing 16-of-25 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns; on the other side, Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht threw a crucial interception in the red zone during the fourth quarter as Colorado held on.
Since taking the job back over in Week 4 against Wyoming, Salter has at least one passing touchdown in every game. Today, he had no interceptions after throwing three the week before.
The Liberty transfer now has 901 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions on the season.
MORE: Deion Sanders’ sons look out for his best interests heading into surgery
Colorado 2025 remaining schedule
| Date (MM/DD) | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| 10/25 | at Utah | TBD |
| 11/01 | vs. Arizona (Homecoming) | TBD |
| 11/08 | at West Virginia | TBD |
| 11/22 | vs. Arizona State | TBD |
| 11/29 | at Kansas State | TBD |
MORE: Shedeur Sanders urged to avoid overly bold Browns move to save NFL career