Bettors cash in on Deion Sanders, Colorado; Texas State stunner

College football is back. The Review-Journal’s David Schoen will track the biggest betting storylines every Saturday of the college football season.

Deion Sanders’ debut as Colorado football coach was a success for bettors.

The Buffaloes racked up 565 yards of total offense and pulled the outright road upset over No. 17 Texas Christian, 45-42 on Saturday.

Colorado, coming off a 1-11 season, was a 21-point underdog at nearly every Las Vegas sportsbook and closed as +650 money-line underdogs at Circa sportsbook, 7-1 at the Westgate SuperBook and 8-1 at the South Point sportsbook.

“They laid the points on TCU and took Colorado on the money line,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said via text message. “Overall not good.”

Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders finished 38-for-47 for 510 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Dylan Edwards had three TD receptions, while wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter thrust himself into the early Heisman Trophy conversation with an outstanding two-way performance.

Hunter made 11 catches for 119 yards and added an interception.

Colorado picked up its first road win since 2021 and snapped a streak of 24 straight losses as an underdog of 21 points or more, topping last season’s national runner-up.

The Buffaloes were a popular pick with public bettors to go over their season win total of 3½ and host Nebraska next week before facing in-state rival Colorado State on Sept. 16.

“Guests did well on Colorado on the money line. Not a good outcome for us,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said via text message. “Thought they played really well. Sanders had a great game.”

Nittany Lions get late cover

Penn State bettors had to go down to the wire but got the frontdoor cover when backup quarterback Beau Pribula scored on a 5-yard run with six seconds remaining to cap a 38-15 win over West Virginia.

The Nittany Lions were consensus 21-point favorites.

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene scored on a 1-yard plunge to cut the Nittany Lions’ lead to 31-15 with 3:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Penn State recovered the onside kick at the Mountaineers’ 46-yard line, and put together a nine-play scoring drive.

Pribula scrambled for 11 yards on third-and-10 and converted a fourth-and-2 with a 7-yard pass to Malick Meiga then scored two plays later.

The touchdown also put the game over the total of 48½ after the under appeared to be in good shape most of the game.

Bobcats score upset

A coaching star might have been born Saturday as Texas State knocked off Baylor 42-31 in coach G.J. Kinne’s debut.

The Bobcats — not the Fightin’ Armadillos from the movie “Necessary Roughness” — were consensus 27-point underdogs and +1500 on the money line at Circa, the Westgate SuperBook and South Point. It was the biggest upset since Kansas knocked off Texas as 30½-point underdogs in 2021, according to the Action Network.

The game sailed over the total of 59.

Quarterback T.J. Finley accounted for four touchdowns for the Bobcats, who led 28-13 at halftime. It was Texas State’s first win over a Power Five opponent since moving to the FBS level in 2012.

Texas State plays at Texas-San Antonio next week.

NIU-BC over cashes … barely

Northern Illinois-Boston College over bettors let out a huge sigh of relief.

Thanks to a 21-point fourth quarter that sent the game to overtime, the over came in when Huskies quarterback Rocky Lombardi scored on a 1-yard run in Northern Illinois’ 27-24 victory.

The total was 50 at most sportsbooks and closed at 50½ at the SuperBook.

The Eagles trailed 7-0 at halftime and 21-7 in the fourth quarter before scoring two touchdowns in the final 5:59 to rally. Boston College kicked a field goal on the first possession of OT before the Huskies answered.

Northern Illinois was +260 on the money line at South Point and the SuperBook.

What an ending

The Virginia State-Norfolk State game wasn’t on the board, otherwise bettors might be talking about the crazy finish for the next few days.

Leading 27-24 with six seconds remaining and backed up near its own goal line, Division II Virginia State opted to run a play on fourth down rather than punting or wasting as much time as possible and taking a safety.

Backup quarterback Jordan Davis scrambled to his left and was knocked out of bounds. There appeared to be no time remaining, but officials ruled there was one second on the clock and gave the ball to Norfolk State after the turnover on downs.

However, Norfolk State snapped the ball over the holder’s head on the field-goal attempt that would have tied the game and sent it to overtime. Virginia State’s Dante Clark scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown to seal a 33-24 victory.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.