Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes kick off Year 2 in Boulder against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State

North Dakota State at Colorado, Thursday, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Colorado by 9 1/2.

Series record: First meeting.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Colorado coach Deion Sanders begins Year 2 in Boulder against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. It's been another offseason of getting up to speed for the Buffaloes, who overhauled their offensive line to try and better protect Shedeur Sanders. They also added Robert Livingston as a first-time defensive coordinator. What's not new are the expectations. The Bison have a new coach in Tim Polasek. He takes over for Matt Entz, who took a job with Southern California. Under Entz, the Bison were 60-11 over five seasons and captured two national championships.

KEY MATCHUP

It all starts up front and keeping the pressure off Shedeur Sanders, who was sacked 52 times last season. The Buffaloes running game struggled, too, averaging 68.9 yards per game. The Bison boast a tenacious defense led by FCS All-American first-team defensive tackle Eli Mostaert. Another standout defensive player, safety Cole Wisniewski, had surgery and Polasek said he will miss significant time.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Colorado: Versatile receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter figures to see plenty of action on both sides of the ball. He's coming off a season in which he had 57 catches for 721 yards and five TDs as one of Shedeur Sanders' favorite targets. On defense, Hunter had three interceptions and five pass breakups.

North Dakota State: QB Cam Miller has a 31-9 record as the Bison starter. He threw 19 touchdown passes last season with four interceptions. His 72% completion rate last season was a school record.

FACTS & FIGURES

Colorado is 1-1 when opening the season against D-1 AA/FCS opponents since 1978. The Buffaloes lost to Montana State in 2006 and beat Northern Colorado in 2015. ... Since Deion Sanders came on board, the Buffaloes have added more than 2.1 million followers on social media. ... The Buffaloes are 31-20-2 when playing on a Thursday. ... In the season opener a year ago, Deion Sanders and company went on the road to beat TCU 45-42. Shedeur Sanders threw for 510 yards and four TDs with no interceptions. ... The last time NDSU played in the state of Colorado was on Sept. 8, 2012, when the Bison beat Colorado State 22-7. ... The Bison are 82-18 in the postseason with 17 national titles. They won nine FCS championships over an 11-year span from 2011 to 2021.

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The Associated Press