Colorado has undeniable talent, but still has a lot to prove

BOULDER, Colo. — Minutes after North Dakota State’s potential game-winning Hail Mary pass put the Bison just 4 yards away from a prime-time comeback Thursday night, Colorado coach Deion Sanders walked into his postgame press conference feeling more relieved than anything else.

“Have you ever felt like you were winning but you weren’t?” Sanders asked.

He summed up his feelings at the time, but he may have spoken for all the Buffaloes fans who left a sold-out Folsom Field after watching a version of their team that looked very similar to the disappointing one from a year ago. Colorado has done a lot of good things in Win 31-26But it was not the kind of all-round performance against a lower-league side that can inspire renewed optimism about a significant step forward this season.

Midfielder Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Hunter Travis looked exactly like the top-five NFL draft pick prospects their coaches expected. Sanders completed 26 of 34 passes for 445 yards, and three of his four touchdown passes were to Hunter, who represented an unfair mismatch for NDSU’s secondary defense. He finished with seven catches for 132 yards.

“I think 31 NFL scouts came out here tonight and I think they saw what they came to see. So let’s move on from there,” Deion Sanders said. “I’ll do my best to contain my anger, but we got the win.”

The more Sanders spoke, the more optimistic he became about the team’s performance, but that was still a stark contrast to last year’s season-opening win over TCU after Sanders declared, “Do you believe now?”

After that game, Sanders convinced everyone that the Buffaloes could compete for a conference title. A year later, it seems silly to use the first game of the season to give a great sense of what was to come.

Early last month at Big 12 media day in Las Vegas, Sanders was asked about his expectations for the season. It’s a standard offseason question to start an interview. And after finishing last in the Pac-12 last season, it would make sense for Sanders to be measured in his response or lean on any number of backup coaches who don’t invite additional outside scrutiny.

Instead, Sanders dismissed the notion that the Buffaloes aren’t on par with the league’s favorites.

“I would be an idiot to sit here and not tell you we have a plan to win,” he told ESPN. “I don’t know anyone who sits down and says they don’t have a plan to win. You’d have to be an idiot to say that.”

Win a national title? Win the Big 12? Win more games than you lose? He didn’t offer specifics, but this isn’t a guy who’s open to the idea that the Buffs’ 4-8 record a year ago is grounds for thinking they won’t be competitive in 2024.

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One of the main reasons he cited for the win was the expectation of a revamped attacking lineup. Apart from the central position Hank Zilinskaswho started two games last season, the other offensive linemen debuted against NDSU — and they finished with mixed reviews. Although Sanders was only knocked down once, he was constantly under pressure and the quarterback failed to consistently open up lanes in the run game. Colorado finished with 59 rushing yards on 23 carries (2.6 yards per carry).

“You’ll enjoy running the ball a little more but shoot when you can. [504 yards] “As far as total offense, I’m pretty good,” Sanders said. “I’ll sleep well. Really good. Really good tonight with that. So I’m fine with that. We’d like to see a little more balance, but what is balance? Balance is winning.”

Shedeur Sanders also hinted that his offensive line might have something more to play for.

“The O-line was motivated. That’s all. They had great motivation,” he said. “So they definitely did what they had to do today. So I feel good right now.”

Sanders is not infallible either. Particularly when it comes to game management.

After NDSU scored to make it 31-26, Colorado converted a first down at its own 42-yard line with 1 minute, 41 seconds left on the clock. The Bison had one timeout left, meaning that if the Buffs ran three consecutive plays, they could have run the clock down to within 10 seconds before kicking on fourth down, which could have tied the game.

Instead, Sanders checked the pass on first down and attempted a deep catch that fell short, serving as an extra timeout for NDSU.

“No cover. No cover and we have the best receiving room in the country, so it’s a little disrespectful,” Sanders said in explaining his decision to throw the ball.

When NDSU took over at the 8-yard line, they had just 31 seconds left, almost enough to pull off one last miracle. NDSU’s Hail Mary was caught at the Colorado 4-yard line.

“That’s something I’m definitely going to learn from,” Sanders said. “So that’s why I’m happy. Everything in my life — I can always learn from it. So there’s not too many mistakes that you’re going to see me make twice. That’s just something I’m going to learn, understanding that even though it seems incredibly tempting … you just have to go with it.” [running the ball in that situation]”

In the end, it didn’t matter. Colorado won, even though it didn’t feel like it.