Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium.
Deion Sanders’ Colorado football team might’ve started off the 2024 season with a win, but that doesn’t mean the Buffaloes’ head coach is happy.
Colorado survived a scare from perennial powerhouse NDSU during Thursday night’s season opener. The Bison led 20-17 at halftime before Shedeur Sanders (445 passing yards, four touchdowns) and Travis Hunter (seven catches, 132 yards, three touchdowns) led a second-half rally.
Here’s everything Deion Sanders said after the Buffs’ first win of the year.
Deion Sanders’ opening statement after win vs NDSU
“You ever felt like you won but you didn’t win? Giving up that last touchdown on the run (NDSU quarterback Cam Miller’s 20-yard rushing TD made the score 31-26 with 2:19 left) bothered me because we pride ourselves on going to get the quarterback,” Sanders said postgame. “We have a multitude of young men who can go get the quarterback and we didn’t get that done. But I’m thankful and I’m happy that we got the win. Ms. Peggy is one step closer to the dream and vision that we have for her.
“Thirty-one NFL scouts were on hand tonight and I think they saw what they came to see. Let’s move on from there. I’m going to try my best to hold back my anger but we got the win so I’m happy.”
Deion Sanders on Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig injury, Buffs’ defense in 2nd half
“No I don’t (have an update). Hopefully they give me one soon. But he’s a leader, a dog and losing a guy like that early in the game hurts.
“We knew we would get it together soon. We were calling out every play that they ran. The defensive coaches are doing a wonderful job, we just have to do a better job of executing the scheme and being where we’re supposed to be. I don’t think the ball got outside the numbers but a couple of times even in the first half but the kid (Miller) was lighting it up. He did a great job in getting the ball to the necessary receivers. They did a lot of things that were effective for them.
“They (NDSU) played a heck of a game. Their coach, their history and what they bring to the table, you cannot discount them. I think they knocked off several Power Five teams in their last several matchups. I’m glad we were able to come out with a win even though it wasn’t pretty.”
Deion Sanders on the Colorado running game
“Our running backs are good. We have to do a better job of using them a lot more and getting more yardage but we have to what they gave us. I mean, I don’t think anyone is upset with that. (Dallan) Hayden showed you what he can do. Charlie (Offerdahl) is Charlie. We were getting ready to throw 29 (Micah Welch) in at the conclusion of the game but then they scored. I wanted you guys to see him because he was going to put that game away running as physical as he does. I’m not overly satisfied with how we ran the ball, especially with the yardage, but we can do much better.”
Deion Sanders on second-half surge
“I don’t think the operation was dirty (in the first half), I just think we did some things. I know you guys couldn’t wait to get on me if we wouldn’t have won that game about going for it on fourth down. We didn’t get it but we have to get that. We have to convert that. That’s kind of like putting your stamp on that like, guys, we have to be physical. Third or fourth and one. We have to get that. I believe in that. It’s what I told the line. I believe in you guys. I believe in you guys. So I’m not upset that I did that, because I believe in you guys that much.”
Deion Sanders on Shedeur Sanders’ rapport with OC Pat Shurmur
“They have a phenomenal relationship and even just the overall chemistry and communication. Shedeur is such a good kid that sometimes, it costs him. At the end of the game when we just want to run the ball and get out of here. He took a shot (deep throw) to LaJohntay (Wester) because he wanted LaJohntay to have a big play. The other two dogs (Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr.) are having a big day and he knows he has a 1-on-1 matchup. He just didn’t put it (the throw) out there far enough but that’s his character.
“I’m like ‘come on, dog, not right now. It’s not time to be the good guy right now. Let’s put this game away.’ But that’s what that was. He wanted what he wanted, let’s just put it like that. Usually he hits it.”
Deion Sanders on late-game clock management
“You have to take what people give you, you can’t take what you want and it’s not there. “What he (Shedeur) throw for? 445 yards? Do you think we upset? They’ll say you don’t have a running game. Well, that passing game looked pretty darn good today. So let’s, let’s be appreciative and thankful that we got one of the premier guys in college football spinning it. We’re going to run the ball. We’re going to do that. We’re going to have a lot more balance. Today was just that type of day, you got to take what they give you.
“You want first downs (in that situation). If you want to run the clock down and they have five down linemen, you have to look out there and say ‘OK, I have 1-on-1 right here and I haven’t seen 1-on-1 the whole game.’ So I have to do what I have to do to move these chains and that’s what that is.”
Deion Sanders on WR Jimmy Horn Jr.’s 198-yard performance
“His (up-and-down) production (last year) was like that because Travis and Xavier (Weaver were on the field), that guy that just made the team for the (Arizona) Cardinals. That guy is pretty darn good. So Jimmy is Jimmy. You never gonna see him jog a route. Jimmy’s gonna give you every darn thing he has, and with the burden he has on his shoulders. I mean Jimmy’s playing for his pop man. Jimmy just came back from court seeing his father’s sentence. Then come around and flip it and give you that? That was our conversation. You know his pop jamming in that thing right now. That’s what keeps him going because he’s trying to make it right with pops when he gets out man. I’m so appreciative of him and I love him like a darn son. I’m so proud of him as well. I knew he was gonna get down tonight, and he did what he did.”
Deion Sanders on the Colorado offensive line
“I’m happy. Like I said, I would love to run the ball a little more but shoot, when you got over 500 yards of total offense, I thought it was pretty good. I’m gonna go home and sleep good so I’m cool with that. We would like to see a little more balance but what is balance? Balance is wins really. That’s what balance is. Nobody says nothing when you win.”
Deion Sanders on NDSU quarterback Cam Miller
“God, he played good. Both of those kids (Miller and Cole Payton) can play well, man. They did what they came to do and were very effective. Not only throwing the ball, especially between the numbers. I don’t know if they completed or two balls outside the numbers. But they did a phenomenal job executing their offense. That kid has a grasp on his offense. Did a great job and I’m proud of him. I got a chance, because I don’t know many head coaches around college football. But I got a chance to exchange pleasantries before the game with their head coach. I don’t know the protocol. I just go out there and I’m here for my team. I don’t know, I’m learning. I guess that’s what you’re supposed to do every game.”
Deion Sanders on if he has to tell Shedeur to protect himself
“No, I don’t have to remind him of that, I’m just reminding him about the clock. I said you know that big thing up there? That’s a clock. Those numbers up there that are running down like that, that’s for you. Okay? Look at that so I don’t have to burn these timeouts. But just that chemistry and that communication that Pat and I had was great that we were able to accomplish some things. You know, save us with some of these timeouts called. But I was really just telling him, be smart. Just be smart. Don’t let the clock run down. Now we have to burn a timeout and we may need that.”
Deion Sanders on Shedeur and Travis’ chemistry together
“Yeah, they got their own little thing going on. I ain’t mad at it because it works. It’s just a certain chemistry that they have where Shedeur is gonna place that ball. If that guy’s right beside him, he’s gonna place that ball. First of all, it ain’t no 50-50 ball with Travis. If the ball is up close, it’s his ball. So he’s that kind of athlete and shoot, Jimmy went for a 198? Oh my god. Why didn’t you guys tell me we could have got him two more yards! Wow, that’s awesome. That was a game huh? They may start to believe me when I start talking about those two going in the top five picks right?”
Deion Sanders on Shedeur being pressured in the first half
“I don’t remember the duress in the first half. I don’t know. I didn’t see that. What was his statistics in the first half? Like 13 for 15? You never want to see your son get hit, let alone your quarterback. But the offensive line played a good game. We have to give them love. I mean the guy got sacked one time and dropped back. What was it 34 times? I’m good with that.”
Deion Sanders on DC Robert Livingston’s first game calling plays
“He’s a great communicator, one of the best communicators that I’ve been around. His message is loud and clear not only throughout the game, but halftime to make the adjustments. Then on to the second half, you gotta understand that guys go down, this happens. You got guys losing contain so you gotta make personnel changes. But he did a great job of balancing everything. He did a great job though.”
Deion Sanders on what it took to wear down NDSU
“Well you gotta understand that we knew we had a tremendous amount of athletes AND that it was going to be tough covering them on the back end. And with Shedeur’s accuracy we knew that was gonna be tough on them. We just had to hold them and get stops so we could get the ball. I think they almost tripled us in time of possession in the first half so we really didn’t get the ball much. But we knew that was going to turn once we made the adjustments defensively so that we could get some stops. And that’s what we did. But we knew they weren’t going to lay down. We wanted to win decisively and if we wouldn’t have given up that last touchdown it would have looked better. But we’re not for looks man. The W or the L, that’s what you remember. You guys could pick it apart. But you’re here for the W or the L. Some of you get upset that we got a W and are really mad we didn’t get the L. So god bless you all. You have to wait again till next week.”
Follow Colorado Buffaloes sports reporter Scott Procter on X.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What Deion Sanders said after Colorado football’s win vs NDSU
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Publish date : 2024-08-30 00:06:00
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