BOULDER, CO – Colorado football coach Deion Sanders knows exactly what his problem is right now.
He just didn’t want to say it out loud to the news media after his team suffered a 29-7 loss at home against No. 10 Texas Tech on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Here’s a clue:
It’s the same position on his team that hasn’t mustered any mojo since Sanders’ son Shedeur last played for the Buffaloes in 2024.
“Let’s stop the shenanigans, man,” Sanders told reporters. “We’ve got one glaring problem. You guys know darn well what that is. Let’s stop the foolishness. We’ve got to play better at one specific position. That’s it.”
Quarterback.
On Saturday, Sanders started his fourth different
player at that position since Shedeur left for the NFL – Isaac Wilson, a transfer from Utah. Like the others before him, he fell flat when it mattered. He squandered a third-quarter lead, threw three interceptions and lost in front of 50,106 at Folsom Field.
“It’s me,” Wilson said afterward. “I had my chance tonight.”
The question now is whether he’ll get another one.
“It’s always an open competition,” Sanders said.
Colorado never scored again after first possession
Colorado still held the lead most of the game, including 7-3 at halftime, thanks to big plays and big stops by its defense.
The problem for the Buffaloes was Wilson couldn’t get his team to score after driving for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead on the first possession of the game. Wilson's three interceptions in the second half then led to two touchdowns and a field goal for Texas Tech, putting the Red Raiders up 22-7 with 7:10 remaining on a clear, warm night at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
In the end, Tech had scored 29 unanswered points, including 19 that came after four interceptions. Colorado receiver Joseph Williams accounted for the other interception when he threw one on a broken trick play in the third quarter.
“You know darn well what it is,” Sanders said when asked about the problems on offense.
He avoided naming it, apparently because he didn’t want to sound like he was blaming certain players.
“I’d respect y’all a lot more if you just said it yourself,” Sanders told reporters.
Colorado finished 3-9 last year with three different starting quarterbacks. In 2024, the Buffaloes had one starter, Shedeur Sanders, whose team finished 9-4.
What's next for Deion Sanders and Colorado?
The loss drops Colorado to 2-3 this season heading into a bye weekend. The Buffs then face No. 13 Utah at home Oct. 17.
Sanders previously used bye weeks to rest his team and even go home to his ranch in Texas. After the game Saturday, he said his team planned to go back to work.
He has had three options at quarterback this season, including one who came in for Colorado’s final offensive play against Tech: freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne. He’s the only one Sanders hasn’t started yet after second-year quarterback Julian Lewis started the first four games before Wilson on Saturday.
Wilson said he “tried to do too much” against the Red Raiders. He finished 26-of-44 passing for 290 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
His final interception sent Colorado fans rushing for the exits. He faced first-and-10 from his own 2-yard line with Tech leading 15-7. There were still over seven minutes remaining, plenty of time for him to engineer a drive to tie it. He instead threw it into the hands of Tech linebacker John Curry, who reach up to pull it down in the end zone for a touchdown, helping give Tech a 22-7 lead.
“I did not make smart decisions tonight,” Wilson said.
Tech improved to 5-0 with the win despite getting outgained by Colorado, 375-315 yards. Tech quarterback Will Hammond finished 17-of-26 passing for 134 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deion Sanders says Colorado football team has 'one glaring problem' after loss to Texas Tech
