Oregon reportedly given intel to help beat Colorado

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team on the field prior to the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Autzen Stadium. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon reportedly given intel from other coaches to help beat Colorado

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 9/26/23

Keyshawn Johnson has never been known to keep quiet.

So, it came as no surprise when the three-time Pro Bowl receiver let the cat out of the bag during Monday’s episode of “Undisputed” that the No. 9 Oregon Ducks may have gotten a little help with their 42-6 dismantling of the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

“I spoke to somebody in the coaching fraternity right after the game,” Johnson said. “They know some people that coach at Oregon. They was telling me, they said, ‘Man, I’ve never heard from another assistant coach of how much information was being given to that staff about,’ — I’m just, I’m just being real with it — ‘about game-planning against Colorado, so they can beat them.’ Everybody was stacked. That’s the reality.”

Former Panther Keyshawn Johnson said Oregon coaches were given heavy intel from other college coaches on how to beat Colorado Saturday pic.twitter.com/1XHQSgFW72
— Langston Wertz Jr. (@langstonwertzjr) September 25, 2023

Johnson’s report hasn’t not been confirmed by any other sources.

However, given Sanders’ flamboyant personality and the fact that the Colorado football team has adopted his swagger, it wouldn’t be surprising if there was some collusion going on behind closed doors as a way to humble Sanders and his program.

If Johnson is to be believed, the list of suspects isn’t a big one. Colorado had played only three teams before its clash with the Ducks — TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State — which leaves the coaching staffs of either Sonny Dykes, Matt Rhule or Jay Norvell, respectively.

Of those three opponents, Colorado State gave Colorado its toughest game — an eight-point double overtime defeat the week before. There was plenty of bad blood between the two teams before and during the game, which started when Norvell took a shot at CU head coach Deion Sanders through an interview with ESPN.

Colorado star cornerback Travis Hunter was knocked out of the game late in the first quarter after a late hit from CSU’s Henry Blackburn — a shot that will sideline Hunter for a few more weeks. Blackburn reportedly received death threats after the game because of the controversial hit.

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