Colorado needed a win on Saturday, and they got it. Turning back to Kaidon Salter at QB, Coach Prime's team knocked off Wyoming 37-20 to improve to 2-2 on the season, earning a must-win victory over the Cowboys in their final non-conference game of the season.
The result is exactly what the doctor ordered. But the process wasn't what Deion Sanders wanted, particularly in the second half.
A 21-point second quarter gave Colorado a 21-3 lead at halftime. Salter hit two touchdown passes to Omarion Miller and Sincere Brown, and the Buffaloes' defense was dominant in keeping Wyoming out of the endzone.
Colorado opened the second half with a quick touchdown. Salter hit Joseph Williams for a 47-yard strike to push the lead to 28-3. It looked like a rout was on the way. But credit goes to Wyoming because the Cowboys didn't give up.
Wyoming outscored Colorado from there 17-9. It was a 17-2 scoring run until Salter put the game away with a 35-yard touchdown run to finally deliver the nail.
What looked to be a blowout, and the kind of response that Coach Prime was looking for, turned into a frustrating second half that left him disappointed in the post-game.
"I'm not happy with the finish," Sanders said. "I'm happy with the results, but I'm not happy with the finish. I told our young men too much, haha and hehe on the sideline when we got the lead. And hats off to the opposition. I mean, they did a wonderful job getting back in that game and playing their butts off with a no-quit attitude. Much love to their head coach and the coaching staff. They came here and played their butts off, and they did not give up. And I wish we could have a little more killer instinct to really put teams away, like we're capable of doing.
Deion Sanders is still looking for his team's killer instinct
The good news for Sanders is that he seems to have more answers to a growing list of questions than he did last week. This has to be Salter's team moving forward. The Liberty transfer QB was outstanding against Wyoming. He was more comfortable. He extended plays, made things happen with his feet, and delivered some impressive throws down the field. OC Pat Shurmur put him in a better position to succeed, and Salter delivered.
He completed 18-of-28 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He was also Colorado's leading rusher with 86 yards and an additional touchdown.
The success running the football may have been fool's gold. On paper, the 193 rushing yards are impressive, and they surpass any game Colorado had a season ago. But 79 of those 193 yards came on two runs: Salter's 35-yard touchdown to seal the deal, and a 44-yard run by Micah Welch. Take those two carries away, and the numbers look a bit more pedestrian: 29 carries, 114 yards, 3.93 yards per carry.
Colorado's receivers looked the part: Omarion Miller had his long-awaited breakout, and both Since Brown and Joseph Williams looked explosive. This offense has the pieces to be difficult to stop. They'll need a healthy Jordan Seaton for that, but the pieces are in place.
Colorado took a step in the right direction against Wyoming. A bigger step will be needed to be competitive enough during Big 12 play to reach bowl eligibility. Sanders knows that, and that's why he stopped short of heaping nothing but praise on his team.