Deion Sanders took full responsibility for Colorado’s 52-17 loss to Arizona, asking reporters to direct criticism at him.
Colorado used four different quarterbacks during the game, including celebrated freshman Julian ‘JuJu’ Lewis.
The Buffaloes dropped to a 3-6 record following their second consecutive significant loss.
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders declined to make his players available for interviews with the media Saturday after the latest disaster for the Buffaloes.
Sanders also asked reporters to not “attack” his assistant coaches after suffering his worst loss at home in three seasons at Colorado, a 52-17 defeat against Arizona.
He asked for something else instead. It’s his fault, he said, so “come at me” with all the criticism. His team dropped to 3-6 with three games left in the regular season.
“No one will be available tonight,” Sanders said after the game. “It’s on me. Don’t attack the coordinators. Come at me. Don’t attack the players. Come at me. This is me. This has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with me.”
Shedeur Sanders surprised his father before the game
This loss came just one week after Sanders suffered the worst defeat of his college coaching career, a 53-7 loss at Utah.
Saturday night’s defeat registered as his fourth-biggest loss at Colorado and included a cycle of four quarterbacks trying to replace last year’s starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s youngest son.
Shedeur Sanders, now with the Cleveland Browns, watched from the sideline after surprising his father with his appearance in Boulder while the Browns were off with a bye week. Shedeur also joined his father before the game for their old pregame walk on the field.
“I haven’t seen my son in a long time, so that was quite emotional for me,” Sanders said afterward.
What happened to Deion Sanders’ team this time?
Last week, Utah scored a touchdown against Colorado on the second play of the game. This week, Arizona scored on the third play of the game with a 57-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Noah Fifita to receiver Tre Spivey. The Wildcats scored on their first four possessions and led 38-7 at halftime.
By the time the half was over, Deion Sanders had benched senior quarterback Kaidon Salter. The Buffs also had committed nine of their 14 penalties before halftime.
By the time the game was over, Colorado had played four quarterbacks, including celebrated freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who entered the game in the third quarter and promptly threw a 59-yard touchdown pass. But Lewis left the game with a hand injury with 1:03 left.
Why did Sanders turn to Lewis?
“Common sense,” Sanders said.
He lacked answers for other questions.
“How did tonight happen?” one reporter asked.
“I have no idea,” Sanders said. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen. It’s on me. Straight up, on me.”
Deion Sanders later said, ‘I have the answer’
Colorado needs to win all of its remaining regular-season games to become eligible for a bowl game, starting Nov. 8 at West Virginia. It might turn to Lewis as quarterback now, if his hand isn’t seriously injured. But Lewis also might redshirt. He’s played in two games this season now. He can only play in two more without losing a year of college eligibility, according to NCAA rules.
Sanders said afterward that the redshirt decision would be up to Lewis, who is only 18 years old. Lewis completed 9 of 17 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in front of 48,322 at Folsom Field.
As for how the rest of his team has performed recently, Sanders was asked how often in his athletic career he’s not “had the answer” for failure.
“I’m not gonna say I don’t have the answer,” Sanders said. “I have the answer. Yeah, I have the answer.”
He later explained, “I’m trying my best not to say what I want to say.”
Deion Sanders asked about confidence in himself
The last two games will lead to more questions about Sanders as coach after he agreed to a new contract in March that pays him at least $10 million annually. Without Shedeur and Travis Hunter, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, how good of a coach is he?
“What is the confidence level you have in yourself to do this job?” one reporter asked after the game.
“I never doubt me,” Sanders said. “I don’t doubt me. Let’s get that straight. I don’t doubt me. So let’s… next question. The confidence level of me for this job, I’m built for this. I don’t doubt me.”
Arizona’s win improved the Wildcats to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12 Conference. Making matters worse for Colorado, the Buffs’ top defensive player this year, safety Tawfiq Byard, was disqualified in the fourth quarter after being penalized for targeting. Because of that, he will not play in the first half of the next game at West Virginia.
Kickoff for that game is scheduled for noon ET on TNT.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com