Richard Sherman And Deion Sanders Outraged By Targeting Call On Shilo Sanders
On Saturday evening in Pasadena, Deion Sanders and his roster built almost exclusively by the transfer portal looked to pull off an upset against No. 23 UCLA.
While they were able to build an early lead and force the Bruins to turn the ball over on four occasions, Colorado's offensive line gave up seven sacks and prevented the offense from really getting anything going. One of the times they failed to capitalize was off of a huge hit by Shilo Sanders, who leveled running back Carson Steele, forcing him to fumble.
The older of the two Sanders sons on the team, Shilo dons No. 21 like his father and also plays in the secondary as well. He has emerged as one of the bright spots of this Colorado team, but on Saturday his game was cut short due to a targeting call.
On a possession later in the first half, Sanders appeared to light up a UCLA player for a big stop, only he was flagged immediately after.
While he initially hit the UCLA ball carrier with his shoulder, he did make contact with the crown of his helmet. A hit that Deion Sanders called horrendous during his halftime interview.
"I can't wait for the officials to review that targeting call because I think it was horrendous," said Sanders.
He wasn't the only person who felt that way either, as former Stanford and NFL star Richard Sherman weighed in on the hit on the app formerly known as Twitter.
"They have officially taken it too far! Ruining the game," exclaimed Sherman in one post.
He also explained how difficult it is for a defensive player in this modern era of football in another post.
"He could have went low and likely ended this kids season or career," said Sanders. "That’s what these calls will lead defensive players to do. To aim for the knee or lower body Smh. I can guarantee you every offensive player would prefer this hit over a destructive hit to their lower body."
The hit forced Sanders to miss the second half of the game, which is when UCLA pulled away as they led 7-6 heading into the half.
Targeting has been a controversial call in football, especially with the punishment being an automatic ejection. It has been something that fans, players, coaches, and analysts alike have been hoping will be adjusted, but there haven't been any indications it will be.
