BOULDER — Almost 30 years to the day after the most memorable play in program history, Colorado’s prayers were answered again.

On Sept. 24, 1994, Kordell Stewart and Michael Westbrook combined for the “Miracle at Michigan” — a 64-yard, Hail Mary pass to give the Buffaloes the win on the game’s final play.

On Sept. 21, 2024, in the program’s first game in the Big 12 in 14 years, CU picked up an equally improbable win.

Down by a touchdown to Baylor and with 43 yards between the line of scrimmage and the end zone, Shedeur Sanders heaved a ball toward the end zone with no time left on the clock. It found the arms of LaJohntay Wester and Folsom Field was sent into a frenzy.

“I rolled left, everybody went in the middle of the end zone and I just trusted God,” Sanders said. “I just threw it up to God and God answered the prayer, for sure.”

Only the game was far from over.

After Alejandro Mata’s extra point officially forced overtime, the Buffs got the ball and scored first.

When Hunter went back onto the field for defense, he told Shedeur, “I’m going to get a pick here.”

“Make sure, bro,” Shedeur recalled saying to Travis. “Then he made a play.”

The Bears looked poised to match them on their possession, quickly moving inside the 5-yard line, before Hunter made good on his promise.

Kind of.

On a night in which he also hauled in seven catches for 130 yards, Hunter sealed the win by forcing a fumble at the goal line, sending thousands of screaming Buff fans onto the field.

“(Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston) trusts me a lot to go get the ball,” Hunter said. “Shedeur told me to go get the ball (on defense) once we scored. I told him, ‘I got you.’ I knew I had to tackle; you could see me putting my mouthpiece in late on the play. I was already ready. They was coming at me. They don’t think I can tackle, so I had to show ‘em.”

On a night in which there was a “HE12MAN” banner hanging from the suites on the east side of Folsom Field, Hunter delivered a performance worthy of such a campaign. A week before, after a win over CSU in Fort Collins, observers asked if Hunter had played his best game. Saturday, the response was emphatic. Hunter has no ceiling.

“Travis has a lot of great stuff in him,” Shedeur said. “It’s just in those key moments and those key situations, that’s when he brings it out.”

When the smoke clears and the party in Boulder stops — some time after the sun rises Sunday morning — there is a lot to clean up for Coach Prime and his team.

Special teams miscues almost cost the Buffs the game. The offensive line was a disaster in the second half, and Shedeur was sacked eight times in the game. The defense gave up three explosive plays for touchdowns on a night in which they mostly shut down the Baylor offense.

But the time for those discussions will come. After converting a Hail Mary, there will be only celebrations after the wildest night of the Deion Sanders era.

“It kinda threw it back to last year, didn’t it?” Coach Prime said. “That’s the way stuff was starting out last year. Man, I’m already gray, what are you trying to do to me, fellas?”