DENVER (AP) — Deion Sanders added another Pro Football Hall of Famer to his staff at Colorado by bringing in Marshall Faulk to oversee the running backs.

Faulk becomes the third member of the Buffaloes' coaching ranks to boast a gold jacket, joining Warren Sapp and, of course, Sanders. Sapp is the senior quality control analyst for the defense.

Faulk will try to improve a running game that’s been one of the worst in the nation the last two seasons. Colorado's offense has relied heavily on quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who are both projected to be high picks in the upcoming NFL draft.

Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are coming off a 9-4 season in which they earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl.

Faulk was a dual threat out of the backfield over a 12-year career with the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams. He rushed for 12,279 yards and 100 TDs, while also catching 767 passes for 6,875 yards and 36 scores.

Faulk, who turns 52 at the end of the month, was the 2000 NFL MVP, a three-time offensive player of the year and a Super Bowl winner with the Rams. He and Sanders were both part of the 2011 class that was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Faulk also is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame after a stellar career at San Diego State, where he was a three-time first-team All-American. He was the second overall pick by the Colts in the 1994 NFL draft.

Traded to the Rams in April 1999, he became part of a high-flying offense dubbed the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Nathan MacKinnon has 3 assists to regain NHL points lead and help Avalanche beat Flames 4-2

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had three second-period assists to regain the NHL points lead, Martin Necas scored twice and added an assist and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 on Thursday night.

MacKinnon has 83 points on 20 goals and an NHL-best 63 assists — to take a two-point lead over Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, with the Avalanche set to face the Oilers on Friday night.

Cale Makar had his 20th goal of the season for Colorado. Artturi Lehkonen also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 27 shots.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored his team-leading 21st goal for Calgary. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson also scored and Dustin Wolf made 30 saves.

Huberdeau’s goal at 3:22 of the first period came on a two-man advantage.

Takeaways

Avalanche: From Calgary, Makar is the first NHL defenseman to reach 20 goals this season. He’s the eighth defenseman in NHL history with three or more 20-goal campaigns in his first six seasons, joining Paul Coffey (five), Denis Potvin (five), Ray Bourque (four), Bobby Orr (four), Steve Duchesne, Phil Housley and Reed Larson.

Flames: The Flames are the first team to score 5-on-3 in three straight games since the Phoenix Coyotes on Jan. 23-26, 2013.

Key moment

Makar tied it at 1 early in the second period to ignite Colorado’s big second-period push. The Avs took the lead for good four minutes later on Lehkonen’s 22nd goal. The Avs outscored Calgary 3-0 and outshot it 17-3 in the middle period.

Key stat

MacKinnon had his 18th career three-point period.

Up next

 

The Avalanche are at Edmonton on Friday night. The Flames host Seattle on Saturday night.