Last season was seen as a breakthrough moment for Colorado under Deion Sanders. This year is officially going to be remembered as a big step back.
With a 27-22 loss to West Virginia on Saturday, the Buffaloes were eliminated from bowl contention with a record of 3-7. They have reached only one bowl game in Sanders’ three years in Boulder, losing last year’s Alamo Bowl to BYU.
“This is not who we are,” Sanders said after the game. “We’re better than this and [Colorado fans] deserve better than this. I want better than this. I feel like I coach better than this. I feel like we got players that are so much better than the production that we’re putting out.
“So then you’ve got to identify the coaches that’s us and that starts with me, because I feel like we got the nucleus inside the locker room that we should be getting it done. I don’t think we played a team that’s athletically and physically better than us. I really don’t. I’ll stand on that.”
The best that can be said for Colorado this week is that it wasn’t steamrolled like it was by Utah (final score: 53-7) and Arizona (52-17) in the past two weeks. The Buffs fell behind 16-3 to the Mountaineers in the second quarter, but managed to cut the deficit to a field goal in the fourth quarter. Then West Virginia went on a 10-play, 57-yard drive to ice the game.
Part of Colorado’s slow start was a punt blocked for a safety.
Saturday saw Colorado make its latest adjustment at quarterback by giving true freshman Julian Lewis his first career start.
It was a slow beginning, with the Buffaloes’ offense only gaining one first down in four first-quarter drives. But Lewis got going in the second quarter and finished with decent numbers after playing nearly the whole game from behind.
“I think he played a good game,” Sanders said. “His first start, he did some wonderful things that you can see he’s going to be special. [He] did some things that you can see his youth, but overall to me the kid played well. He played well enough for us to win the game.”
It hasn’t been a pretty start for Colorado on either side of the ball this season. The Buffs’ defensive struggles are hardly surprising after spotty play at best in the first two years of the Sanders era, but the offense is now on its third starting quarterback and second play-caller.
Before Saturday, Colorado had mostly started Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, who failed to replicate the success that saw the Flames reach a New Year’s Six bowl in 2023. His last two games were particularly bad, with only 86 passing yards total on 37 attempts, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.
Ryan Staub also got a start after an encouraging run against Delaware in Week 2, but that didn’t work out.
Colorado now has only two games remaining on its schedule, a home game against Arizona State after its upcoming bye week and a season finale on the road against Kansas State. They are unlikely to be favored in either, making a 3-9 record for 2025 very possible.