Deion Sanders didn’t mince words after Colorado’s 53-7 drubbing at Utah, calling it the worst loss of his six-year college head-coaching career and likening it to “when my mama whooped me as a kid.”
The Buffaloes never threatened as 14-point underdogs, mustering just 140 total yards while Utah rolled to 587, including 422 on the ground. Kaidon Salter finished 9-for-22 for 37 yards and a pick before a late Ryan Staub sneak merely prevented a shutout.
Coach Prime: “I feel the worst… I haven't been home yet.” He said he’s spent the last few nights in the facility, per Scott Procter, underscoring just how personally he’s taking the spiral and how urgently he’s attacking corrections.
The admission matched his postgame accountability: he said Kyle Whittingham “kicked my butt,” conceding he was out-coached and that Colorado’s preparation and responses weren’t good enough.
Colorado’s offensive issues were comprehensive. Utah compressed throwing windows, won first down with gap integrity, and forced long-yardage scenarios that erased boot and RPO answers.
With the run game stuck in neutral and protection breaking down, Colorado couldn’t access its vertical shots or rhythm concepts; that left the defense defending short fields and tempo swings the Utes exploited. The staff’s immediate to-dos mirror the box score: reestablish base runs, speed up the pass game with answers versus pressure, and clean up tackling/leverage on defense.
The schedule offers little sympathy but some opportunity. At 3-5, the Buffaloes need three wins from Arizona (homecoming), West Virginia, Arizona State, and Kansas State to reach bowl eligibility again. Sanders’ choose-the-hard-way approach, sleeping at the office, compressing the week around fundamentals, signals Colorado will lean into physical periods, personnel tweaks, and simplified packages to stop the bleeding.
Social media piled on during the rout’s first half, when Utah sprinted to a 43-0 lead and dominated every phase. Freshman Byrd Ficklin’s 63-yard burst set the tone, Utah stacked 260 rushing yards before halftime, and Colorado’s offense sputtered to repeated three-and-outs.
Fans roasted the performance with memes and pointed barbs at preparation and discipline, especially amid reports of receiver absences tied to team rules. The ridicule only heightens pressure heading into homecoming, where composure and clean execution become non-negotiable.
If there was any question about urgency inside the building, Sanders’ cot-in-the-office week answered it. Now the Buffaloes have to turn contrition into corrections, and fast.
