Ducks Digest

Deion Sanders Jr. Responds to Oregon Ducks Mascot, Colorado's Travis Hunter Heisman Drama

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders' son Deion Sander's Jr. took to social media after the Oregon Ducks mascot dissed Heisman Trophy hopeful Travis Hunter on the Pat McAfee show earlier in the week.

Ally Osborne

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot The Duck performs for the crowd before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot The Duck performs for the crowd before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
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Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders' son Deion Sanders Jr. is not having any of the Oregon Ducks mascot's jabs at the Heisman Trophy betting favorite, Colorado junior cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter. Sanders Jr. took to social media to air his grievances about a statement The Duck made on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week.

No characters are known better for a good jab than college football mascots. From on field shenanigans and fights to disses in the era of social media; fans seem to never get enough when their university's favorite fuzzy friend gets cheeky with their competition.

In his statement, Sanders Jr. stated that The Duck shouldn't be worried about the Buffaloes due to No. 1 Oregon's current 12-0 record and their decisive win last year against Colorado, 42-6 at Autzen Stadium.

So, what did The Duck say to get Sanders Jr. so upset? It was a short statement written out on a whiteboard when the Duck crashed the set of the popular ESPN and Youtube sports commentary show. Due to not being able to speak, The Duck uses a whiteboard to communicate.

"Snaps ain't a stat though," The Duck wrote with his marker.

The beloved mascot was referencing Hunter, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and his 1,044 total snaps during the regular season. Hunter is the odds and away favorite for the award, with Hunter’s betting odds to win the award range from -5000 to -8000.

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Rashod Owens (10) defends on Colorado Buffaloes wi
Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Rashod Owens (10) defends on Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) in the second half at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Former Heisman Trophy candidates in Oregon's senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Miami senior quarterback Cam Ward are basically non-existent for the race, according to the major betting sites. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is the only other player close to Hunter’s odds and still in the race. His odds range from +1300 to +900. Many online argue that Jeanty should win over Hunter due to his effectiveness for the Broncos and sheer statistics alone: something The Duck apparently agrees with.

Jeanty ended the regular season with 28 touchdowns and 2,288 yards off 312 carries. The Boise State junior also averages 7.3 yards per carry, a statistic most football teams are hard-pressed to reach during a single game. Jeanty has scored at least one touchdown in all but one of Boise State’s games. Against Oregon, Jeanty put up 192 yards and three touchdowns. With Boise State totaling their rushing yards at 221 for the whole game, Jeanty accounted for 86% of their total yards against the Ducks. It seems Oregon's mascot has a clear memory of Jeanty's performance with his diss towards Hunter.

After show host Pat McAfee read The Ducks’ message, the mascot hit a Heisman pose to double down. He then tossed the whiteboard and backed away with his hands up to mime that he just spilled some hot football gossip. The Duck stood firm on his statement, even when McAfee and his co-hosts shared Hunters' statistics and arguments to win.

Sanders Jr. is currently facing some pushback for his comment, as many Duck fans were quick to claim that a coaches' son shouldn't be replying to the joshing of a mascot. Below are some of the responses to Sanders Jr.'s post.

For Duck fans, this drama between Oregon and Colorado isn't new. This year, Colorado filed a complaint with the NCAA earlier in the year claiming foul play on Oregon's part during their victory last year against the Buffalo. Colorado has also re-used and dissed Oregon coach Dan Lanning's "rooted in substance, not flash" speech he gave during that same game, which was a reference to Sanders and the social media hype surrounding the Buffaloes.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally was raised going up and down the steps of Autzen Stadium. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021. She currently works at KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon where she hosts the lifestyle program "Everyday Northwest" and reports for the KOIN Sports team. She's also a graphic designer in her free time, with several of her works created for Oregon athletes.

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