Stephen A. Smith hails 'special' Shedeur Sanders and calls Coach Prime's QB son a 'potential superstar' after he took Colorado to 3-0

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Following a close-call win against their hated rivals Colorado State, the University of Colorado football team is riding a high they haven't experienced in decades.

Most of that is thanks to their new coach - Deion Sanders - and the talented class of transfers the Buffaloes brought in.

Possibly the most impressive of that bunch is the coach's son and starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders - who tossed for 348 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-35 overtime win.

Shedeur has made the transition from FCS football to FBS football look easy. After a decent season with Jackson State, Shedeur has looked very strong at Colorado.

That was pointed out on ESPN's First Take, where host Stephen A. Smith and guest Shannon Sharpe were singing Shedeur's praises.

Shedeur Sanders is turning heads after his impressive performances for Colorado

Sanders passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns in a big win over Colorado State

Both Stephen A. Smith (L) and Shannon Sharpe (R) heaped praise on the Colorado quarterback

'Ladies and gentlemen, Shedeur is special,' Smith told the national audience. 'We interviewed him, we talked to him. We watch him play. 

'We see the speed, we see the athleticism, we see the arm strength. I'm watching him look off coverage. I mean he's doing stuff you don't see too many college quarterbacks do.

Stephen A. continued, saying that the young quarterback had, 'the poise, the intellect, the athleticism, the arm strength, the moxie, the 'wanting the moment'.

'This kid right here, when we see talent, it's one thing. But to know that [Deion Sanders is] his dad, and to have that light on him, and to play the way that he plays up here [points to brain], not just with his ability, we got a potential superstar on our hands. This brother is special, right? He's very special.'

Sharpe had praise for both Shedeur's execution late in the game, as well as Deion's ballsy decision in overtime. '[Deion] did something I had never seen in overtime. Most coaches defer because, Stephen A. I need to know what I need. Do I need three points? Do I need a touchdown? Do I need to go for two? 

'[Deion] said, nah, I want the ball in Shedeur's hand. I want the pressure on them. I want them to know what they need to do. I've got a hot quarterback, I'm going to put the ball in his hand. 

'Shedeur Sanders can flat out, spin it. 98 yards. He's got to go 98 yards and he got to get the two point conversion just to get this thing to overtime.'

Sharpe says Shedeur (2) is doing well by not letting the pressure of being the son of Colorado head coach and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Deion Sanders (L) get to him

Sharpe also criticized Sanders and CSU coach Jay Norvell (L) for failing to control the game and allowing players to rack up penalties and make dangerous plays and hits all night long

Sharpe, an NFL Hall-of-Famer, also praised Shedeur for his ability to rise to the expectations set for him being the son of such a legendary football player.

'It's not easy to be the child of a star,' Sharpe said. 'Because the parent shadow looms large, but he's not in awe of it. He embraces it. He's like, why should I be ashamed of my dad is Deion Sanders?'

As for Colorado's opposition, both Smith and Sharpe had praise for the Rams: 'Colorado State, they were ready to play,' Stephen A. said. 'Give them a lot of props. They showed up. I thought they were going to get blown out. 

'They showed up and they showed me a lot. Coach Norvell, he deserves a lot of respect.'

While Sharpe also praised the Rams, he had some criticism of Colorado State coach Jay Norvell in how he handled the animosity leading up to the game. 

'Look, this is a rivalry game. Jay Norvell had his team ready to play. He said what he said for a reason. That was to get his guys [ready] because he knew it was going to get back to Coach Prime and his team and they would be ready to go. 

'I thought both coaches should have got a grasp on this thing a lot sooner because it started to spiral out of control. You had 17 penalties for Colorado State, 182 yards and it ended up costing the game. 

'And this is what I tell people all the time, either you coach it or you condone it. Either you coach that type of play or you condone that type of play. And it's telling me that he condoned that late hit on Travis Hunter. [CSU safety Henry Blackburn] should have been out.'

Travis Hunter (12), one of Colorado's top players, will be out for a reported three week stretch

Blackburn's late hit ended up depriving Colorado of Hunter - the team's most dynamic player, who features on both offense and defense.

On Monday, reports said that Hunter would be out for at least three weeks as a result of that injury.

Colorado's close win meant that there was a slight drop in their AP Top 25 ranking, as the Buffaloes dropped from No. 18 to No. 19 in the country.

This week, Colorado plays its first Pac-12 matchup of the season in a tough road test - when they travel to face No. 10 Oregon.