Deion: No excuses after ‘butt-kicking’ by Ducks

EUGENE, OR — After a 3-0 start that turned Colorado into the lightning rod of the college football world, head coach Deion Sanders ducked into a small white tent on the backside of Autzen Stadium on Saturday to address his first true low as Colorado’s head coach: a 42-6 loss to Oregon in a matchup of top-20 teams that left Coach Prime, still sporting his sunglasses inside, with no other conclusion.

“We played like hot garbage,” Sanders said. “Good old-fashioned butt kicking. No excuses.”

As much as Sanders’ straightforward message gave voice to Colorado’s struggles, the results spoke for themselves, too. Over the course of 60 minutes, the Buffs were outplayed in every facet of the game, allowing 518 total yards of offense — 284 passing, 234 rushing — while not gaining 200 total yards themselves.

From kickoff, Sanders’ team looked discombobulated on the road, racking up penalties and mistakes on both sides of the ball that, combined with Oregon’s stellar play across the board, made for a disastrous recipe. Soon enough, the Oregon student section’s “overrated” chant that started before the game was only getting louder.

Not even two-way star Travis Hunter, who did not play with an injury, could have rescued the Buffaloes from a result that felt inevitable from the moment quarterback Bo Nix and the Oregon offense began the game by going 72 yards in eight plays without a hitch nor any resistance. The theme continued throughout the half as Nix and the offense collected first downs with ease and scored 35 points while the Ducks’ defense turned Shedeur Sanders’ day into a nightmare.

Shedeur, who had garnered some Heisman hype in the first three games of the season, was sacked four times in the first half, never having enough time to find an open man or turning scrambles into messes as he lost more yards in the backfield.

“I just can’t continue to take sacks like that,” Shedeur said postgame. “It’s nothing magical they did or surreal. If you don’t execute, you’re going to lose.”

“When they got to our quarterback, it’s a wrap,” Deion said of his son. “It’s not like we were running the ball successfully.”

While Deion was quick to acknowledge the result, he bristled against the notion that there was a talent gap between the Buffs and Ducks. If there were, he said, how were they 3-1 after a one-win season? As for the idea that Colorado needed to lose to learn a lesson or be humbled in some form, he quipped that his team hadn’t been arrogant, only confident.

“We expect to do well,” Deion said. “We just didn’t do it today, but [the loss] wasn’t something that was needed.”

Deion, more so than anyone, appears to be hyper-aware of the situation that surrounds him. The attention Colorado has attracted is rooted in his persona and his coaching, but according to Deion, so is the way opposing teams look at the Buffs. Teams are fixated on beating him, not his team, he said. This seems to have led to everything from fans taunting Shedeur about his Rolex watches like they did late in Saturday’s game; to Puddles, the Oregon mascot, dressing up as Coach Prime during pregame before smashing a clock that said “Prime Time”; to opposing coaches making comments like the one Lanning did during his pregame speech, talking about how games are played on grass not “in Hollywood.”

“I don’t say stuff just to say it for a click, contrary to what somebody said.” Deion said. “Our confidence offends their insecurity. It is what it is. I signed up for it.”

The Buffaloes exude confidence well before kickoff. Deion emerges from the tunnel and takes his pregame walk, surrounded by security and double-digit cameras that chronicle his every step and move. It’s a remarkable thing to witness as he walks slowly around the perimeter of the field, welcoming boos and cheers alike. Even if he is quick to point out he’s no longer playing, it’s not hard to see why some teams and coaches may react as if he is.

“Let them ask a couple more,” Deion said when Colorado’s sports information director called to end Saturday’s postgame news conference. “I got nowhere else to go.”

In turn, the Buffs have taken on a similarly confident persona. But no one more than Deion knows that all the glitz and glamour fall flat in the face of losses. It’s why Sanders was clear after Saturday’s loss that there’s not just plenty to work on, but plenty of time, too, for a program that is in Year 1 of what is supposed to be a rebuilding season.

“Get your butt up and let’s go,” Sanders said of his postgame message to the team. “We ain’t got time to have a pity party. Ain’t nobody walking around the locker room with napkins and tissues. We got some work to do. I can see the future, and it looks really good.”