After a previous 53-7 loss to the Utah Utes, Deion Sanders, head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, had prepared his team for a rebound, so the loss to Arizona came as a shock. As a result, Coach Prime was visibly frustrated after the blowout defeat on Saturday.
During an interview with CBS Colorado, a reporter asked Deion Sanders if he had noticed a fan in the crowd dressed as Andy Reid. The reporter prefaced by saying that even though the outcome wasn’t positive, the Halloween crowd had “some good characters.”
The reporter then asked Coach Prime whether he saw the fake Andy Reid in the crowd. “I think I did, but that time I was so upset. I was mad at him too,” responded Deion Sanders.
Deion Sanders had all the reasons to be frustrated after the blowout loss, whereby they trailed 38-7 at first half after racking up 9 first-half penalties and finished the contest with 14 penalties. Adding another five turnovers, Deion was completely disappointed, but he changed the focus later during the press conference.
Deion Sanders Takes All The Blame After the 17-52 Loss
When Deion Sanders faced the media after Colorado’s humiliating 17–52 loss to Arizona, the tone of the night shifted from anger to accountability. It was the first time in his three-year tenure at Colorado that Sanders didn’t allow any of his players to speak to reporters after a game, a clear signal that the head coach was taking full responsibility for what had just unfolded.
“I’m solely to blame for this,” said Coach Prime firmly. “Don’t attack the coordinators. Come at me. Don’t attack the players. Come at me.”
Despite a week of solid preparation, Sanders admitted he couldn’t explain why his team performed so poorly. “We had good practices,” he said, clearly frustrated. “There was no sign that something like this was coming.” When asked whether his players had checked out mentally, Sanders snapped back: “I know a quitter when I see one. I haven’t seen that.”
Colorado’s struggles ran deep that night. Quarterback Kaidon Salter was benched late in the first half for Ryan Staub, who also didn’t fare well, throwing two interceptions in the third quarter before being pulled. Freshman Ju-Ju Lewis came in and delivered a bright moment with a 59-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Miller, the first of his career, though the spark was short-lived. Lewis later exited with a hand injury in the final minute.
Two costly first-half penalties also erased what could’ve been game-changing plays: a 75-yard touchdown catch and a critical interception. Instead, both were wiped out by flags that left the Buffaloes deflated and disorganized.
Deion Sanders, however, refused to deflect the criticism toward his team. “I don’t doubt me,” he told reporters. “Let’s get that straight: I. Don’t. Doubt. Me.” His message simply suggested that accountability starts with the head coach, and belief in his ability to rebuild remains intact.
Colorado entered the game 3-6 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 play, coming off another lopsided 53-7 defeat to Utah the previous week. Across their last two games, the Buffaloes have been outscored 81-7 in the first half, indicating a brutal statistic that reflects the team’s lack of control early in games.
But Deion Sanders knew the essence of protecting CU Buffs players. “Everything starts with me,” added the Head Coach, closing the press conference with conviction.
In that moment, Coach Prime reminded everyone that leadership isn’t about ducking blame when things go wrong. It’s about standing firm in the storm even when the scoreboard looks unforgiving.
Also Read: Deion Sanders Invites Ray Lewis To Colorado Meeting After Harrowing 53-7 Defeat