As the Colorado Buffaloes returned to the practice field on Sunday, they’re still salty about the shocking 46-43 double overtime loss to the Stanford Cardinal in a game they led 29-0 at halftime.
The team is prepping for their road game at UCLA for the Bruins homecoming, and just focusing on finishing games. Following that loss to the Cardinal, first-year head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders questioned whether some of his players actually love the game of football.
In his postgame speech, Sanders implored his guys to want it as much as he does, and to not just like the game but love it. Buffaloes star QB Shedeur Sanders is taking it on the chin, and using the loss as a teaching and growing moment.
Sanders Has Moved On, Ready For UCLA
In talking with reporters late last week, an upbeat Shedeur told them the entire team can and will grow from that defeat.
“We got to accept this one first,” the junior quarterback said. “It’s just a different level of, I would say, focus. Different level attitude, different level of just seriousness, because the little things — even like when we scored touchdowns, we still busted routes. We just can’t afford to do that, because it’s gonna catch up when it catches up.”
“I understand when guys are busting routes and when I’m not making the right read, getting the ball out of my hand, doing the right thing, then there’s got to be some punishment for it,” he added. “We got to be able to grow from it and not keep making the same mistakes.”
In that game Sanders put up some great numbers, going 33 of 47 for 400 yards and five touchdowns, but it was his interception in overtime that killed any chance for the Buffs to somehow still win the game.
No Finger Pointing For Sanders
Sanders’ admission of using the loss as a way to grow shows that he knows he needs to be better himself.
“I mean, I’m not going to point fingers. That’s not what I’m here for. I let the coaches — that’s what they’re here for. They’re here to guide us. So I can’t really say that and throw no teammate under the bus, because that’s not the type of player I am,” Sanders said. “The guys know that know. And that’s it. But I’ll never put a teammate down and say he’s not fully in if he probably is.”
Not playing the blame game, and accepting responsibility for his own shortcomings within the team’s failures is a sure way to earn and kept the respect of those teammates.
As for his dad, Coach Prime, he sent out a stern warning to his team about their return to practice.
“We’ll practice Sunday. So, they’ll have to be back Saturday night,” Sanders said via Reach The People media. “They know if they’re a minute late their locker will be cleaned.”
