On Saturday night, Colorado will face Colorado State in Week 3 of college football season — but there's a matchup with some history behind it that could be a top storyline.
The game will mark the first meeting between Colorado State DB Henry Blackburn and Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter since Blackburn's controversial hit on Hunter last season, which left the two-way star sidelined for three games.
However, there likely won't be any bad blood between the two this season. In a twist not seen often in on-the-field football beefs, Blackburn and Hunter reconciled publicly not long after the incident.
Here's a look at the history between Blackburn and Hunter with the 2023 hit and how they patched up the situation after.
Henry Blackburn 2023 hit on Travis Hunter
The Buffaloes faced the Rams on September 16, 2023. Midway through the first quarter of that game, Blackburn gave a hard shoulder to Hunter, knocking him on the ground and out of bounds despite Hunter's QB, Shedeur Sanders, having already clearly overthrown him on the play.
Blackburn was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after, but was not ejected. Hunter went to the hospital after the late hit, where he was diagnosed with a lacerated liver.
Colorado went on to win in double overtime, 43-35, without its receiver/corner hybrid.
The hit stirred up anger at Blackburn across the college football world, so much so that he was receiving death threats from fans after the game. In January, the Denver Post reported that five people, one adult and four juveniles, were facing charges for threats toward Blackburn after he received around 7,000 total threats after the late hit on Hunter.
Both Colorado coach Deion Sanders and Colorado State coach Jay Norvell were quick to condemn the threats.
Even after all that had happened, Blackburn, now a fifth-year player with the Rams, and Hunter, a projected NFL first round pick, put any issues behind them.
How Henry Blackburn, Travis Hunter put controversy in past
A few weeks after the game, Hunter posted a video to his YouTube channel titled "Travis Hunter runs into Henry Blackburn (Worst Enemy)."
In the video, Blackburn and Hunter sit down together to get to know one another more, clear the air about the late hit and even go bowling for charity. Both ended up contributing $1,000 to Fort Collins-based Realities for Children.
Blackburn talked about the reconciliation with the Denver Post, saying he wishes him the best and that the two are on good terms.
"Obviously, we’re going to have to play again, strap it up again, and that’ll be a fun game," Blackburn told the Denver Post. "But yeah, I’ve got good feelings toward him and everything and wish him the best in his career.”
Saturday will be that next matchup between Blackburn and Hunter, but there likely won't be any negativity on the field after the two put the issues from their last meeting in the past.