The Colorado Buffaloes’ season ended on a painful note with a 53-7 loss to the Utah Utes, but that wasn’t the only story catching fans’ attention. Before kickoff, cameras caught pass rush coordinator Warren Sapp in a pregame moment that quickly went viral across college football.
After the blowout, Coach Deion Sanders faced the media, not just to discuss the defeat, but to defend Sapp and promise to rebuild what Colorado football stands for.
“This is our little thing,” Coach Prime Defends Warren Sapp
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders didn’t hesitate to defend Warren Sapp after criticism erupted over the Colorado Buffaloes pregame routine of kicking pylons before the game. Addressing reporters, Coach Prime immediately called the uproar “stupidity,” making it clear the so-called controversy was overblown.
“Let me start by addressing some stupidity that happened a week ago,” he began, dismissing the idea that Sapp’s sideline gesture was disrespectful or inappropriate.
Sanders explained the act wasn’t showboating, but a symbolic, motivational ritual. “Someone tried to make a big deal out of Coach Sapp knocking over the darn pylon. That’s our little thing. He knocks them down, and I pick them up,” he said. The Colorado head coach connected the moment to football fundamentals, adding, “That’s what defensive linemen do, right? They knock them down, and defensive backs pick them off.”
By defending Warren Sapp’s pregame ritual, Sanders reaffirmed his support for his coaching staff and their shared culture at Colorado football. He shut down any outside noise, telling critics to “stop trying to make something out of nothing.”
For Coach Prime, the focus remains on rebuilding the Buffaloes’ identity, unity, accountability, and passion, not social media chatter.
In true Coach Prime fashion, he protected his team and redirected attention toward their bigger mission: restoring Colorado football pride.
Deion Sanders’ Plan to Fix Colorado Buffaloes after 53-7 Loss to Utah
Coach Prime isn’t retreating despite a series of losses. He’s doubling down. “I feel the worst,” Sanders confessed at Tuesday’s news conference, and he didn’t sugar-coat it:
“I haven’t been home yet. I’ve been here every night since. I haven’t been home yet, so that’s how much I care. That’s how much I love it. That’s how much I embody this university, the school, what they’ve done for us.”
On the flight home, his message to the team: “I didn’t want to hear a peep … I didn’t want to hear laughter or joy, anything, because we got our butts kicked.”
He’s clear about the path forward: “Let’s flush the darn toilet and let’s move on. That’s what we’ve done.”
The CU Buffs HC is sharpening the focus when it comes to game day: “We want to win every game. We want to win every play. We want to win every down. We’re not going out there saying, ‘Hey, let’s just kick it today. Let’s just get our butts kicked.’”
With every line, Coach Prime signals a full reset on mentality, effort and identity for the Buffaloes’ next challenge.