Tag: colorado buffaloes football

Tony’s Take: Dear national media, drop the Deion to Dallas bit

The national media isn’t listening to Coach Prime

Another day, another national media voice is trying to sway Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders to leave Boulder. The most-mentioned destination is the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, whose season has spiraled under Mike McCarthy’s leadership.

Back in July, I pleaded with people to start listening to Coach Prime when he says he’s happy at Colorado. My message to individuals still pushing the Deion to Dallas narrative is simple: stop.

Former Cowboys wide receivers Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant became the latest voices to lead the charge of getting Coach Prime to Dallas. Last week, Irvin didn’t heed my warning when he directly pitched the Cowboys to Sanders on FS1’s “Speak.” Coach Prime shut Irvin down by walking outside to show the “Speak” crew his picturesque view of Folsom Field and the Boulder Flatirons.

More evidence of Coach Prime’s desire to stay at Colorado comes from Adam Gorney of Rivals, who shared an update on the Buffs’ pursuit of five-star quarterback Julian Lewis. Here’s what Gorney wrote earlier this week:

Colorado is now the frontrunner for Lewis, who has been to Boulder numerous times and over a period of months has grown to really appreciate numerous things about the program. Sanders’ staying power in Boulder — basically Lewis’ thinking that the coach will stay at Colorado (instead of) following his sons Shedeur and Shilo along with Travis Hunter to the NFL has helped the Buffaloes here.

Start listening to Coach Prime when he says he’s happy in Boulder.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Colorado running back Micah Welch expected to return from injury at Kansas

Coach Prime gave an encouraging injury update on Micah Welch

According to Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders, running back Micah Welch will return from injury on Saturday against the Kansas Jayhawks. The true freshman missed the Buffs’ last three games due to a hamstring injury.

“Micah’s gonna play,” Sanders said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

Before going down, Welch carried the ball 24 times for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow RBs Isaiah Augustave and Dallan Hayden handled most of the work in Welch’s absence.

Welch gave the Buffs’ running game a jumpstart in early-season matchups, including a 65-yard performance against the Colorado State Rams.

We’ll see how the carries shake out but expect Augustave to continue handling most of the work with Hayden and Welch splitting time behind him. Welch has been a valuable weapon in the red zone, so that could be when No. 29 lines up next to quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

“Two-nine (Welch) is back now, so he’s going to be involved in the running game as well this week,” Coach Prime said.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Deion Sanders reaffirms desire to stay at Colorado: ‘I’m happy where I am’

Deion Sanders addressed the latest rumors of him leaving CU for another job

As head coach Deion Sanders continues leading the Colorado Buffaloes to wins, national analysts have followed by spreading rumors linking Coach Prime to the Dallas Cowboys, Florida State Seminoles and other destinations.

Sanders has made it clear since he was hired to guide CU football’s turnaround that he has no desire to coach in the NFL. The opportunity to coach his son and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at the next level doesn’t even intrigue him, Coach Prime told Fox’s Joel Klatt over the summer.

Those who continue pushing Deion Sanders toward the NFL or other college jobs include Stephen A. Smith, Cam Newton, Chris Broussard, Dez Bryant and Michael Irvin, to name a few. Most recently, Irvin spouted that Coach Prime would “100%” take the Cowboys’ head job if they drafted Shedeur.

During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Sanders was asked about these latest rumors:

“I’m happy where I am, I’m good,” Sanders said. “I got a kickstand down… That means I’m rested, I’m good, I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do.”

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

How Colorado can punch its Big 12 championship game ticket this weekend

There’s a scenario in which Colorado can punch its ticket to the Big 12 championship game this weekend

Heading into Week 13 of the college football season, the Colorado Buffaloes are tied with the BYU Cougars for first place in the Big 12 standings. Both teams are 6-1 in conference play, and if the right cards fall into place, these two teams could punch their tickets to the Big 12 championship game on Saturday.

For the Buffs, step one is to defeat the Kansas Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium this weekend. From there, CU would need BYU to beat Arizona State and Utah to beat Iowa State to secure a spot in the Big 12 title game.

BYU can also punch its ticket this weekend. The Cougars, who are coming off a loss to Kansas, will take on Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday. ASU is tied with Iowa State for third place in the Big 12 standings, with the Sun Devils and Cyclones each sitting at 5-2 in conference play. The Sun Devils could make things interesting in Week 14 if they beat the Cougars. But if BYU prevails and Utah beats Iowa State, the Cougars are headed to the championship game.

The Big 12 football championship game will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Dec. 7.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Amari McNeill, LaJohntay Wester earn weekly Big 12 awards

Two Colorado players were honored with weekly Big 12 awards

Following stellar performances in Colorado football’s Week 12 win over Utah, defensive tackle Amari McNeill and wide receiver/punt returner LaJohntay Wester each earned a weekly Big 12 award.

McNeill was named the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week alongside Arizona defensive back Genesis Smith and West Virginia linebacker Reid Carrico. A former Tennessee Volunteers transfer, McNeill finished with three total tackles, one TFL, one sack and a forced fumble in the Buffs’ eighth win.

After recording a 76-yard punt return touchdown on Saturday, Wester earned the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week. The Florida Atlantic transfer also snagged a season-high 10 catches for 77 yards.

Wester’s brother, Colorado linebacker Jaylen Wester, also created a big special teams play when he partially blocked a Utah punt in the first quarter.

For McNeill, his showing at Texas Tech in Week 11 was arguably even more impressive. There, he recorded season-highs in total tackles (nine), TFLs (three) and sacks (1.5).

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Coach Prime, Shedeur Sanders share thoughts on Travis Hunter’s Heisman case

Coach Prime on Travis Hunter’s Heisman case: “I’m not going to give a message to Heisman voters who are undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see.”

Colorado football superstar Travis Hunter is locked in a tight race for the Heisman Trophy. The Buffs’ cornerback/wide receiver has become the recent favorite over fellow contenders in Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Hunter added numerous cheer-inducing plays to his highlight reel on Saturday against Utah. It was his third game of the season with an interception and an offensive touchdown. He also snagged one of the best catches of his career in the second quarter, going up between two Utes for a 28-yard catch on fourth-and-8.

After the game, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was asked to share a message to undecided Heisman voters.

“I’m not going to give a message to Heisman voters who are undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is,” Coach Prime said. “It’s supposed to go to the best college football player. That’s been a wrap since Week 2, so we aren’t petitioning for anybody.”

CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders added to the conversation, confirming that building Hunter’s Heisman resume isn’t a top priority when preparing for games.

“We don’t go in a game being like, ‘Oh, we got to get Travis the Heisman,'” Sanders said. “Some teams do that for their players — I’m just playing. We don’t go in a game like that. It’s all natural when it happens.”

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Shedeur Sanders asked about Travis Hunter scoring on Colorado’s late trick play

Travis Hunter made something out of nothing on Colorado’s late trick play

The vibes around the Colorado Buffaloes are great right now. So much so that when a trick play goes awry, it still results in points and smiles.

CU football quarterback Shedeur Sanders made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes against the Utah Utes on Saturday, but he still threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns while completing over 70% of his passes. Heisman frontrunner Travis Hunter had another fantastic performance, snagging an interception, catching five passes for 55 yards and rushing for a touchdown.

On a play that Colorado calls the “Hesmian,” Hunter received a toss from running back Charlie Offerdahl and was supposed to throw to Sanders, but the Colorado quarterback tripped before he could get open. However, it still worked out for Hunter as he made several Utah defenders miss en route to scoring.

Sanders was asked about the play after the Buffs’ 49-24 win:

“Just because he (Hunter) scored, I will automatically be on the clip,” Sanders said. “If y’all didn’t watch me because y’all were watching what he was doing, I was supposed to catch the ball. But I was trying to do what he (Hunter) does at receiver. When he’s not open, he squares his guy up, pushes him a little bit and turns around. But I tripped, fell backward and the DB landed on me. I knew he would make the right decision in that situation, but I was worrying about that. I was trying to get open and I see how hard it is to be a receiver.”

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Colorado sporting new uniform combination, American flag helmet vs. Utah

Colorado is sporting a new uniform combination and an American-themed helmet against Utah

The Colorado Buffaloes are sporting a new uniform combination and an American-themed helmet for their Week 12 matchup with the Utah Utes.

For the second straight home game, the Buffs are wearing gray jerseys, but they’re now pairing them with black pants and black helmets. With it being Colorado’s Salute to Service game, the helmets feature an American flag decal inside the CU logo. Colorado wore these same American flag helmets during last year’s game against the Arizona Wildcats.

If memory serves, Colorado last flexed black-gray-black in 2019 against Air Force, a game that then-head coach Mel Tucker and the Buffs lost in overtime, 30-23.

Colorado (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) enters Saturday’s matchup with the Utes riding a three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Utah has lost five straight and sits 4-5 (1-5 Big 12).

Kickoff at Folsom Field is set for 10:10 a.m. MT on Fox.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Tony’s Take: Predicting the final score of Utah at Colorado

What’s your final score prediction?

The Colorado Buffaloes enter their rivalry game with the Utah Utes as heavy favorites while looking for their first win in the series since 2016. Utah is having a down season compared to the team we saw in the Pac-12, but that doesn’t mean CU should take the Utes lightly on Saturday (10 a.m. MT, Fox).

The Utes (4-5, 1-5 Big 12) come into the game limiting teams to only 20.7 points per game during conference play, but the Buffs (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) are right there with the Utes in allowing 23.3 per game — good for fourth in the Big 12.

The discrepancy comes when you look at each team’s offensive output. Colorado is leading the Big 12 in conference points per game (37.2) while Utah has averaged only 15.5 points in conference games, largely due to injury woes.

I don’t see Utah’s offense breaking out against a defense playing as well as Colorado’s, especially with the Utes having to start a different quarterback yet again. Utah’s defense will make things difficult and the Buffs may have to rely on a defensive score, but I predict they’ll get their eighth win of the season.

Final score prediction: Colorado 24, Utah 10

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Five-star Alabama commit Michael Carroll to visit Colorado this weekend

A five-star offensive lineman who’s currently committed to Alabama is visiting Boulder this weekend

Michael Carroll, a class of 2025 five-star interior offensive lineman who’s currently committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide, is visiting Colorado this weekend, according to Rivals.

247Sports tabs Carroll as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the country, the top prospect in Florida and the No. 13 overall prospect in his class.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, Carroll plays for IMG Academy, which produced current Colorado offensive linemen Jordan Seaton and Cash Cleveland. Carroll may see the immediate impact that Seaton and Cleveland have had this season as true freshmen as a reason to consider committing to CU.

Carroll’s visit to Boulder will be his first since he committed to the Crimson Tide on June 7.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders owns 10 class of 2025 commits, including four-star IOL Chauncey Gooden and three-star OT Jay Gardenhire.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.