This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Colorado football was 1-11 in 2022 and hired Deion Sanders as its head coach. The man affectionately known as Coach Prime hired a great staff and brought in over 50 transfers. So began this grand experiment.
Could a football program compete at the highest level of college football with an entirely new coaching regime with almost 20 new starters, all transfers? The sample size looks pretty good so far. The Buffaloes competed and played toe to toe with the team who played for the National Championship in 2022.
The Horned Frogs’ offense was completely retooled. Only three starters returned from the 2022 playoff team, and head coach Sonny Dykes hired a new offensive coordinator, Kendal Briles.
Today’s win is a testament to “The Power of Prime.” Not the charisma — though he has that in buckets — but his ability to hire a staff, build a culture, and put together a game plan. Today, he noticed that the Buffaloes aren’t an easy victory in 2023.
It wasn’t always pretty, and Coach Prime still has some work to do to build a program in Boulder, but you could not ask for a better start than a road win against the team that played for a National Championship last year.
Colorado football and TCU both had their way offensively
When Deion Sanders took the head coaching job at Colorado, he named his son Shedeur Sanders the starting quarterback before they held a single practice. There were questions about how well he’d transition from playing in the SWAC to playing in the Pac-12. He answered those questions today.
Sanders had a record-setting day on the road against TCU. He completed 38 passes for 510 yards ( a single-game school record) and four touchdowns. Travis Hunter was Sanders’ favorite target, hauling 11 receptions for 119 yards. Hunter was one of four receivers with 100 receiving yards. Dylan Edwards, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Xavier Weaver also had 100 yards receiving.
TCU put up big offensive numbers as well. Quarterback Chandler Morris threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns. The running game, however, kept the Frogs in the game. TCU ran for 262 yards and four touchdowns. More importantly, the Horned Frogs averaged 7.1 yards per rush attempt.
Emani Bailey led the Horned Frogs with 164 yards. The TCU offense did take some time to get comfortable with their new system, but they were formidable when they got it going. However, Morris and the offense did miss some key plays down the stretch.
Colorado football has work to do defensively
Here are some stats from today’s game: 1,106 total yards, 57 first downs, and 87 combined points. Suffice it to say that there was not much defense played today. Colorado did pick Chandler Morris off twice, including one that could have been a go-ahead touchdown. One of the issues that showed up was poor tackling.
Much of Colorado’s issues defensively is a lack of depth. The Buffaloes did not rotate linemen often this afternoon and were winded by the second half. Part of the reason TCU played better in the second half was that Colorado’s defense looked fatigued.
TCU did not tackle well, either. It was apparent that the Horned Frogs were starting many new pieces defensively. TCU’s front did play well, however. The Horned Frogs sacked Shedeur Sanders four times and allowed just 55 rushing yards.
TCU’s secondary got torched this afternoon. Neither Sanders nor the receiving corps had any problem going after All-American corner Josh Newton.
Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis created a masterful game plan to attack TCU’s inexperienced defense. The Buffaloes used tempo and quick strikes to confuse the Horned Frogs’ young defenders.
That said, both coaches have some work to do.
What’s next for Colorado football?
Coach Prime gets his signature win in his debut. The Buffs host Nebraska at Folsom Field next weekend. When Ralphie runs onto the field, it will be electric at Boulder. If their road loss to Minnesota is any indicator, Colorado has every chance to be 2-0 this time next week.
Sean Lewis called a masterful game offensively. Anytime TCU attempted to adjust, Lewis had a counter punch.
If this week was an indicator, Colorado needs a superhero performance every week from Sheduer Sanders to have a chance to win. The Buffaloes must find a way to run the football better to balance its offense.
What’s next for TCU?
The Horned Frogs host FCS Nicholls next Saturday night. TCU has to fix the defense before they begin conference play. Sheduer Sanders destroyed the TCU secondary. The defensive front played well, putting pressure on Sanders and limiting the Colorado running game.