What Colorado's Deion Sanders said after Arizona win

Coach Prime was excited how his team came out and competed in the desert

CU Buffs

Following a commanding 34-7 victory over the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, Deion Sanders stepped into the postgame press conference alongside his son, Shilo Sanders. This win marked an important bounce-back game for Shilo, who had endured one of the worst performances of his career just a week earlier. The energy and focus that the Buffaloes displayed were a testament to their preparation and resilience as they rebounded from recent challenges.

Coach Prime opened the press conference with a sense of pride in the collective effort from his team. “Wonderful game. Wonderful victory. Offense and defense collectively both units played great and there were some highlights,” Sanders said with his usual charisma. He particularly noted Shilo’s performance after a rough week, recognizing the work his son had put in to recover. “Shilo bounced back and had a pretty good game and did his doggone thing,” Sanders remarked, emphasizing the resilience and tenacity Shilo showed in the desert.

Coach Prime also had high praise for the offense, led by Shedeur Sanders, and expressed satisfaction with their balanced attack, including a solid rushing performance. “Shedeur and the offense was phenomenal. I don't know how many yards we rushed for total but I'm pretty sure it was over 100, which is good news,” he added, reflecting on the all-around success of the offense.

Reflecting on the game, Deion Sanders pointed out how the team dominated on both sides of the ball, crediting their preparation throughout the week. When asked about the game plan and how he saw it unfold, Sanders explained, “Well, my whole thing this week was just preparation—stopping the run and protecting the quarterback. We knew we could eventually get the run going.” The approach had clearly paid off, as Arizona’s offense was held in check, and Colorado’s own rushing attack flourished.

Sanders made it a point to emphasize the depth in the running back position, which had been a focal point for him all season. “We changed backs of course, just giving everybody a shot. Everybody's got a shot. I think Charlie (Offerdahl) started, everybody started at least once this year and I think that's fair,” he said. Sanders has consistently encouraged competition within his roster, a practice that has created a healthy dynamic for the team. His remarks about fairness and opportunity underscored his philosophy that everyone on the roster deserves a chance to prove themselves on the field.

In addition to football, Coach Prime touched on the importance of life lessons he imparts to his players, particularly the seniors, who are preparing for life beyond football. “I was on them not just about football but about life, especially the seniors—getting prepared for life and taking advantage of opportunities that you have right in front of you,” Sanders noted. He believes these lessons of discipline, preparation, and resilience are just as valuable as what happens on the field.

When asked about the atmosphere of playing on the road, Coach Prime made an interesting observation. “We bond regardless of where we are,” he said, but acknowledged that the team often thrives off the adversity of playing in hostile environments. “Sometimes we like to be booed,” he said, explaining that the Buffaloes seemed to relish the challenge of proving doubters wrong, especially on the road.

One of the key moments in the game came when Arizona attempted an onside kick early in the contest, which Coach Prime viewed as a sign of disrespect. “It’s kind of disrespectful, too. You know, to start off like that, like we’re not prepared. We prepare for a lot of situational football throughout the week,” he said. Sanders took pride in how his team handled the surprise, immediately capitalizing on the recovery with a touchdown. “Hats off to the special teams,” Sanders said, commending his players for staying focused in key moments.

Travis Hunter, who had been dealing with some injuries, was a topic of conversation as well. Sanders gave an update, saying, “He’s a little sore, a little banged up. Travis wanted to play. I don’t know if he was quite 100% ready, but a half of Travis is a whole of somebody.” Despite not being fully fit, Hunter played a key role in the game, though Sanders admitted that Hunter’s limitations were noticeable at times.

Sanders took time to call out Barack Obama for a comment he made recently describing the Buffs as a team that only has two good players.

"President Obama is everything to me. I love him, I admire him, I respect him tremendously," Sanders opened with, before continuing. "But, I heard what he said. President, I heard what you said man...they got two good players? We got more than two good players. He did his homework, but president...come on man."

Sanders concluded the press conference by discussing the importance of fast starts for his team, which had been a weakness in earlier games. “We really challenged the coordinators on both sides of the ball about the starts,” Sanders said, revealing that the team had changed their practice schedule during the week to emphasize quicker starts in games. The strategy worked, as the Buffaloes came out strong, building an early lead they never relinquished.

Overall, Sanders expressed pride not only in the victory but in the preparation and mindset his team showed leading up to the game. As the Buffaloes look to continue building momentum at 5-2 on the season, Coach Prime’s leadership remains at the heart of their success, always demanding the best from his players both on and off the field.