Deion Sanders might give former Delaware State star more action when Colorado faces USC

A little slice of Delaware has been with rock star "Coach Prime" Deion Sanders at every Colorado University football game this season.

This First State representative is Sy'Veon Wilkerson, a first-year running back for the Colorado Buffaloes, who used to wear a Delaware State University uniform. 

Now that the Buffs lost to Pac-12 rival Oregon (now ranked No. 9) on Saturday, handing Colorado their first loss of the season, Wilkerson could see extra playing time when the team hosts conference rival USC (No. 8) at Folsom Field in Boulder on Saturday, Sept. 30.

That's because he played like a man with something to prove in the 42-6 loss to Oregon, despite rushing for only 7 yards on one carry.

Colorado Buffs player makes a statement

Heading into that game (Week 4), Wilkerson sent a motivational message on Instagram that offered insight into his mindset. After all, his playing time had been greatly reduced since Week 1.

"Stay Ready So You Ain’t Gotta Get Ready!" Wilkerson, who rarely posts on social media, wrote on Instagram.

Wilkerson lived by those words on Saturday.

The running back is a follower of Jesus Christ, and his mom reminded him of one of his favorite Bible verses underneath his IG post:

"My Son! Words cannot express my LOVE & AWE for you! REMEMBER YOUR MOTTO: 'I have depended on you from birth; It was you who took me from my mother’s womb. I praise you constantly. I have become like a miracle to many, But you are my strong refuge'!~ Psalm 71:6, 7. Enjoy the journey and always give praise to Jehovah God."

Wilkerson ran like his hair was on fire

His first play against Oregon came during Colorado's first drive of the third quarter. The score was 35-0, and the Buffs still had a shot of making a comeback if they could score a touchdown on that drive.

On a crucial third down-and-3 during that drive, quarterback Shedeur Sanders tossed Wilkerson the rock and he picked up the first down.

But the play was erased due to a teammate committing a personal foul. This pushed the Buffs back to third-and-18.

Wilkerson then ran the ball up the middle for 7 yards, running as if his hair was on fire. He knocked over an Oregon linebacker, before getting gang-tackled by two other Ducks.  

His determination on that play put Colorado in a rare position where they were dishing out punishment to the defense, instead of receiving it, as they'd done for most of the game.

Oregon finished with 240 yards rushing, compared with the Buffs' 40 yards. Ducks quarterback Bo Nix threw for 276 yards, three TDs and one interception.

Buffs' Sanders passed for 159 yards, one TD and was sacked seven times.

Wilkerson isn't new to Deion Sanders

Wilkerson is no stranger to playing for Coach Prime. He played with him last season at Jackson State University, leading the Tigers with 1,167 rushing yards.

Prior to that season, he played two seasons at DSU where he led the Hornets in rushing each year.

The former DSU Hornet led Colorado in rushing yards in Week 1. Wilkerson had 13 carries for 45 yards and one TD as Colorado upset the national championship runner-up Texas Christian University in a 45-42 victory. 

Coach Prime praised Wilkerson after the game.

"We didn't run the ball greatly, but we threw the heck out of the football. Sy'Veon, another back, played a great game," Sanders said.

But since Week 1, Wilkerson has barely seen the field. He's played in all four games of the season and has 19 carries on 59 yards rushing, plus two catches for 15 yards.

Colorado has eight running backs on their roster, according to the school's website.

Wilkerson is the third leading rusher, trailing Anthony Hankerson (82 yards on 22 carries) and Dylan Edwards (152 yards on 28 carries).

Deion Sanders called Oregon loss a 'butt-kicking'

After the Oregon game, Coach Prime called the loss a “good old-fashioned butt-kicking” and said, “We are all accountable for this. Let's start with me.”

But he also said he was looking at the bigger picture. “I know I have on shades, but I can see the future and it looks good,” he said.

Sanders even brushed off comments made before the game by Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who made a stark contrast between his team of "substance" and the Hollywood “flash” of Sanders and Colorado.

Coach Prime draws celebrities to Colorado

This season Colorado has been the hottest team in college football, a Cinderella story for a 3-1 team that was 1-11 last season.

Coach Prime has been a marketing machine, generating a ton of buzz and hype for the Buffs, especially on social media.

Many celebrities have come to Colorado games such as The Rock, Shannon Sharpe, Lil Wayne and Master P (who visited Wilmington Public Library for a speaking engagement two days after he was in Boulder to see Colorado defeat Colorado State 43-35).

Oregon takes shot at Deion Sanders

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, however, wasn't feeling all the hype surrounding Coach Prime and the Buffs before he snapped Colorado's winning streak.

“The Cinderella story is over, man,” Lanning told his players before the game on Saturday, as shown on ABC.

“They’re fighting for clicks. We’re fighting for wins. There’s a difference, right? There’s a difference. This game ain’t gonna be played in Hollywood. It’s gonna be played on the grass.”

When does Colorado play USC?

Colorado has had issues with their defensive and offensive lines all season. It's unclear how they can improve it. But Coach Prime is going to have to figure something out before Colorado's game against No. 8 USC.

The game is Saturday, Sept. 30, at noon on FOX. For more info, visit FoxSports.com.

USA Today reporter Brent Schrotenboer contributed to this report.

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Deion Sanders & Colorado could see more play from former DSU star