During a season-opening win against North Dakota State on Aug. 29, the Colorado football team saw some of its brightest stars shine.

The Buffaloes also got a big-time contribution from an unexpected source.

Starting safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig went down with an injury after only 10 snaps, but Savion Riley stepped in, played 48 snaps and finished third on the team with seven tackles — including one tackle for loss.

“I stepped up to the plate,” Riley said on the CU Coaches’ Show on Thursday. “There was little mistakes here and there. I’m a young player. I just move on from that and I’ll just keep learning, but I do think I played pretty well for just stepping up.”

The performance was no surprise to star receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.

“Cam’s been on him,” Hunter said. “In the weight room, him and Cam worked out. He tries to do something that Cam don’t like it, don’t mess with, Cam’s gonna make sure he fix it, because he know, like, ‘If I go down, you got to get in there. You got to be the next dude to go in there and lead us.’

“So, I mean, Cam did a pretty good job of helping him out this offseason, teaching him the way to go and how … you got to treat your body, how you got to go along with everything, how you got to be in the playbook. Cam did a real good job of doing that, so we know when (Riley) got in the game, all we got to do is communicate with each other.”

Head coach Deion Sanders said Riley has been preparing as the backup to Shilo Sanders at free safety, so “he didn’t prepare for” filling in at strong safety. Still, the Buffs felt that Riley would be the best option when Silmon-Craig went down.

“He stood up to the test, so we’re proud of him,” Coach Prime said. “Now he prepares for both because you never know, but thank God we got that kind of depth that … I’m not gonna say we didn’t miss a beat, because Cam is phenomenal, but Savion did a great job.”

The Buffs are hopeful that Silmon-Craig will be ready to go on Saturday when the Buffs visit Nebraska (5:30 p.m., NBC).

Wester impressing

Receiver LaJohntay Wester didn’t have a huge game against NDSU, but his day is likely coming. At Florida Atlantic last year, Wester caught 108 passes, ranking second in the nation, and he’s been a bright spot in the eyes of receivers coach Jason Phillips.

“From my first arrival, when I first got here in January, he showed nothing but a pro mindset,” Phillips said. “I mean, that’s just LaJohntay. He approaches everything as a professional, the same as the rest of those guys in the room.

“He’s someone that obviously comes to work and plays all four positions and is very dedicated to what he needs to do in order to be successful for us.”

While Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. were the big stars at receiver last week, Wester had a modest night with five catches for 58 yards. In his collegiate career, he’s caught 257 passes for 2,761 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Notable

Phillips said he’s impressed that receiver Drelon Miller has earned the right to play at a young age. Miller was in the starting lineup vs. NDSU and Phillips said “his attitude and work ethic and his success where he’s been in high school” has stood out. … Another true freshman, left tackle Jordan Seaton, has been impressive to senior guard Justin Mayers. “I think he’s learning fast,” Mayers said. “He’s very mature for his age. I feel like it’s fun playing next to him. It’s really exciting.”