Colorado head coach Deion Sanders believes the Buffaloes have the plays they need. Now, he says, they have to execute them.
With Texas Tech coming to Boulder on Saturday, Sanders was asked during his weekly press conference about Colorado’s struggles on third and fourth down. A reporter cited the Buffaloes’ 7-for-32 mark over the past two weeks. Sanders called it a matter of decision-making and execution.
“The young men out there Cogot to make the decision to execute the play that’s called,” Sanders said. “When we all do that, we’re fine.”
Colorado’s offensive struggles have raised questions about coordinator Brennan Marion’s system. Sanders defended Marion, saying he is “overqualified” for the job and has averaged 33 points per game over his career. But Coach Prime also made it abundantly clear that responsibility belongs to the players once the ball is snapped.
“It’s not just the coach calling the plays,” he said. “The players got to execute the plays that the coach is calling.”
The Buffs have been able to move the ball at times but haven’t consistently finished drives against Georgia Tech, Northwestern, and Baylor. Sanders said the opportunities are there, and that watching the film shows what Colorado can do when it gets the details right.
“If we just sat down with all of you and just turned on the film and watched the film, you would say, ‘Dang, you’re for real,’” Sanders said.
Sanders pointed to several areas that need to improve, including the running game, turnovers, field position and special teams. He also said Colorado cannot afford to waste chances in short-yardage situations.
The team’s penalties remain another concern. Sanders said discipline starts with individual players making up their minds to avoid actions that hurt the team.
“We just got to make up our minds that we’re not going to play football that’s not conducive to our success,” he said.
Despite Colorado’s recent losses, Sanders said he saw effort and energy against Baylor. His challenge now is turning that effort into points and wins.
“We got to get it together, man,” Sanders said. “No excuses. No excuses.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. MT, and the game will air on FOX. After this weekend, Colorado will have a bye week before hosting the Utah Utes on October 17. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are ranked No. 12 in the latest AP Top 25, with Utah one spot behind at No. 13.
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