The 2023 season started surprisingly well with three victories for Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Since then, the team has lost four of its past five games. Despite the losses, one bright spot has been star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who has proved doubters wrong with his play this season, including in Saturday’s loss to the UCLA Bruins. For the season Sanders has passed for over 2,600 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions while completing over 71 percent.
Shedeur Sanders Balling Out This Season
Coach Prime knows his youngest son is a baller, and in a recent interview with former No. 1 overall pick Michael Vick, he gave the former Atlanta Falcons legend his flowers for paving the way for Shedeur and other black QBs. Not only was Vick the first Black quarterback to be chosen No. 1 overall, Sanders told Vick he made being a dual-threat QB cool, and playing that way unapologetically.
Coach Prime Calls Out Offensive Line
Sitting at 4-4 and needing two more wins to become bowl eligible, things don’t look promising in Boulder. Sanders has been one of the most hit and sacked quarterbacks in all of college football this season. The Buffaloes give up five sacks per game, which ranks second-to-last out of 133 division I FBS programs. That includes Saturday’s beating he took at the hands of Bruins, where he was sacked seven times, hit 17 times and knocked down 13 times.
Sanders, who’s pretty mobile for a pocket passer but will never get confused with being Vick as a runner, reportedly needed a pain-relieving injection at halftime. Coach Prime talked to reporters about his son and QB after the game.
“We have the best quarterback in the country,” Prime said about his son Shedeur.
When asked what he feels needs to happen for the rest of the team to catch up, Coach Prime was blunt.
“The consistency just isn’t there at this point because of the lack of talent of talent in certain positions.”
“The big picture, you go get new lineman. That’s the picture, and I’mma paint it perfectly.”
Buffs May Need Prime Vick To Reach Bowl Eligibility
Talent up front is a big reason for the Buffaloes’ inability to keep Shedeur upright. And a direct result of not being able to run the football is getting the QB killed. Being a pocket passer, Shedeur isn’t gonna run away from defenders like the aforementioned Vick did throughout his career. In 2006, Vick became the first QB to rush for 1,000 yards.
That type of escapability might be needed in Boulder if they have any shot of winning two of their final four games. Since that won’t be happening, Coach Prime and his staff will need to conjure up a game plan to alleviate all the hits on the QB.
