On Friday, October 13th, Colorado squared off against the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field. The Buffs were the betting favorite by a large margin, with a favorable spread of -12 points. Shedeur Sanders started out with a strong and dominant performance, leading the Buffs to a 29-0 lead at halftime. But somehow, Stanford bounced back after halftime.
At the start of the second half, Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor scored the team’s first touchdown after a 97-yard pass-and-go from QB Ashton Daniels, making the score 29-7. Ayomanor proved to be quite the issue for Colorado’s troubled defense, posting a stat line of 13 catches, 204 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Even with explosive plays from Colorado’s Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver, by the end of the 4th quarter, Stanford had evened the score at 36 apiece, sending the duel to overtime. After an interception in the end zone from Shedeur Sanders, Stanford was able to seal a victory, winning 46-43.
This game is an example of how Colorado isn’t as good as everyone says they are. As a Colorado fan, it pains me to say this, but we just aren’t an elite program yet. Not yet that is – I have faith that in the coming years Coach Sanders will transform into a top-15 team in the nation. But there are of course issues to address in order to shift from an OK squad to a great one. First, the offensive line needs a serious upgrade, as Sanders has been pressured on almost every throw and been sacked over 30 times through seven games. The Buffs’ defense is also mediocre at best, with only CB Travis Hunter and CB Shilo Sanders being their most consistent and elite performers in their secondary.
Although I don’t think Deion Sanders has done anything wrong with the building of Colorado’s football program since May, I do think it is time for another culture shift. Don’t get me wrong, 4-3 is a great start for a new coach in a new, competitive conference, but I do believe that Coach Prime must address his players and ask them if they want to give everything they have to compete for their team, or if they’re there just to say they played under his leadership.
I believe if Sanders is able to recruit the best players in the nation, specifically the top lineman and defensive backs in the country, Colorado will rise to the impossibly high standards college football fans across the country have held them to all year.
