Colorado, Deion Sanders vs. Stanford live updates: Game time, how ...

BOULDER, Colo. – Coach Deion Sanders hates late kickoff times and isn’t especially fond of cold weather.

But here he is on Friday the 13th, leading his Colorado football team into a 10 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN, this time amid chilly temperatures against Stanford (1-4).

It will be a different kind of test for the Buffaloes (4-2), whose first five games came against opponents that were either nationally ranked or a longtime “personal” rival.

Stanford is neither, but the hype will still be there for Coach Prime and the Buffs at Folsom Field. They will be playing in front of their seventh straight sellout crowd and another big audience on national television.

Will they start slow again, as they did in their previous three games, when they were outscored a combined 34-7 in the first quarter? And can they protect star quarterback Shedeur Sanders? Colorado ranks second nationally in most quarterback sacks allowed with 31.

Coach Prime has been waiting all day to find out.

Colorado vs. Stanford game now set for 10:20 p.m. ET kickoff

Deion Sanders wasn't happy about Colorado's late start ... so he's probably not pleased that kickoff is now even later. With the Tulane-Memphis game taking as long as a college football game always does running long, ESPN announced that Stanford-Colorado would kick at 10:20 p.m. ET, 20 minutes later than scheduled.

Is Travis Hunter playing today?

BOULDER, Colo. – Star cornerback-receiver Travis Hunter is set to return for Colorado on Friday night after missing the last three games with a lacerated liver. He drew cheers when he came on the field in shorts and a sleeveless top, then pulled down some one-handed catches in the end zone during pregame warmups.  

Deion Sanders said on his weekly coaches show this week that Hunter would not have a play limit if he gets the green light to play. That’s not how Hunter rolls. He’s an “all-out” or nothing guy, meaning he could play more than 120 plays combined for Colorado on offense and defense against Stanford, as he did in his first two games this season against TCU and Nebraska. 

Hunter, a sophomore, suffered the injury Sept. 16 in a double-overtime win against Colorado State, when he was crushed by a late hit from Colorado State defender Henry Blackburn in the first quarter. 

Colorado is 3-0 in games Hunter has started and is 1-2 in games he’s missed. 

— Brent Schrotenboer

Atmosphere should be good for Colorado game, even if Deion Sanders hates late start 

BOULDER, Colo. – The atmosphere for Friday night’s game in Boulder could get quite raucous even though Stanford isn’t a heavyweight opponent or bitter enemy. There are a few reasons for this: 

1. It’s Family Weekend at CU, which means parents crowded the campus bookstore Thursday and Friday to stock up on Buffs gear. After watching “Coach Prime” and the school’s football team become a national sensation last month, many of them are eager to take part in the party with their CU student children. It’s why this game was one of the first two announced sellouts for Colorado this season, along with the Nebraska game Sept. 9. This sellout was announced July 20. 

2. It’s a sold-out game at night on ESPN. Colorado has played in front of sellout crowds in all of its game this season. This will be the seventh straight, which is believed to be a school record. Night games at Folsom Field historically have led to rowdy atmospheres after a long day of waiting (and consuming alcohol in some cases). 

3. It’ll be cold. Temperatures could plunge to near 30 degrees, just six days after the Buffs kicked off in 99-degree heat in a 27-24 win at Arizona State. That’s why sweatshirts in particular suddenly became a popular sales item this week on campus. Cold weather also doesn’t exactly tend to reduce alcohol consumption before and during football games. 

— Brent Schrotenboer

Deion Sanders hates late start time for Colorado vs. Stanford

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders ripped the 8 p.m. local time kickoff set by ESPN for Friday night’s game against Stanford at Folsom Field, saying "thank God" his team is soon leaving the Pac-12 Conference and its many later game times in the West. 

Sanders said the 8 p.m. kickoff was the "dumbest thing ever" and "the stupidest thing ever invented in life." 

"Who wants to stay up till 8 o'clock for a dern game?" he asked. 

He made these remarks Wednesday on his weekly Colorado Football Coaches Show in Boulder. He then questioned how many viewers would stay up to watch the game on the East Coast, where the game starts at 10 p.m. 

"They even care about ratings or anybody watching it?" he asked. 

ESPN does, and it hit the jackpot on a previous late game involving Colorado on Sept. 16. Colorado beat Colorado State in that game in double-overtime and drew 9.3 million viewers despite it ending after 2 a.m. on the East Coast. It was the most-watched late game ever on ESPN. 

— Brent Schrotenboer

Deion Sanders can’t wait for Colorado to leave Pac-12 

Even though it’s a home game in Boulder, his team stays in a hotel before the game, as do other teams before home games. 

"What you supposed to do in the hotel?" he asked. "What you supposed to do all day?" 

"Watching football," the show’s host Mark Johnson said. 

"Who’s playing on Friday?" Sanders replied. 

Sanders then noted his team is leaving the Pac-12 after this season. 

"Thank God we’re not gonna be in this conference," he said. 

By leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12 next year, Colorado will play more games against conference rivals in the Central and Eastern time zones, where he expects fewer kickoffs at 10 p.m. ET. 

— Brent Schrotenboer

Will Shedeur Sanders do his watch flex tonight? 

What’s a watch flex, you ask? ICYMI, USA TODAY Sports’ Brent Schrotenboer explained the gesture that has ignited controversy since Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders started flashing his $70,000 watch at the crowd during emotionally charged moments. So is it cool, classless or a genius marketing move? It depends who you ask. 

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter cleared to return

Colorado star football player Travis Hunter has been medically cleared to play and has a "tremendous chance" to return to action Friday night against Stanford, Deion Sanders said Tuesday. 

Whether he does play will depend on "how he looks, how he performs in practice, how his wind is," Sanders said. "He has to be in shape. I don’t want him to be a liability. I want him to always be a tremendous athlete." 

That likely means he will play since Hunter has been practically begging to return to the field since his injury. 

— Brent Schrotenboer

How much did Colorado miss Travis Hunter?

Colorado was 3-0 in games started by Hunter and now is 1-2 in games without him. Since his injury, the Buffaloes struggled the rest of the game against Colorado State before winning in double overtime, lost at Oregon 42-6, lost against Southern California 48-41 and then barely won last weekend at Arizona State, 27-24. 

— Brent Schrotenboer

What channel is the Colorado game on?

Stanford at Colorado is set to begin at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Colorado game live stream

The Stanford at Colorado game can be streamed via Watch ESPN.