yardbarker
TEMPE, Ariz. — After Colorado's 20-10 loss to Arizona State on Saturday night, the conversation around the Buffaloes has shifted from whether they've quit on head coach Deion Sanders to whether they simply lack the talent to compete.
Arizona State built a 17-0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing Colorado its ninth straight conference road defeat. The Sun Devils capitalized on Colorado's recurring mistakes and a stagnant offense that struggled to move the ball consistently.
"We didn't score," Sanders said postgame. "We just got to score. I don't think it's a destination type of thing on the road or at home. I don't think we're scoring points. Dang, we got to score points."
Scoring points, however, requires more production from quarterback Isaac Wilson. While Wilson completed 20 of 31 passes for 248 yards, 189 of those yards came in the second and fourth quarters when Arizona State's defense was playing soft coverage before halftime and protecting a late lead.
It may be unfair to place all the blame on Wilson, but Colorado's offense rarely threatened the Sun Devils. Arizona State committed to stopping the run early and succeeded, limiting the Buffaloes to just 64 rushing yards on 1.9 yards per carry. The Sun Devils then dared Wilson and the passing game to beat them, and Colorado couldn't respond.
Sanders was asked if he felt personal pain given the rough past couple of seasons in Boulder, including this year's 3-6 record and 1-5 mark in Big 12 play. "It's not a personal hurt. I hurt because you guys deserve better and the team deserves better," Sanders said. "We should win. We should put our best foot forward and I'm not seeing that."
Key Analysis
Sanders was brought to Colorado with a lucrative contract to recruit top talent and restore the program's national relevance. Currently, the talent doesn't appear to match up with the Big 12's best, and the players who are there aren't living up to their billing. That may not indicate the Buffs have quit, but rather that they aren't playing to their potential—a failure that falls as much on Coach Prime as any question of effort.
Colorado has three games remaining and must win out to reach a bowl game. Even with two of those games at home, the team's chances are slim based on its performance since a 2-0 start. For that to change, Sanders must unlock something in the Buffs that he hasn't found yet this season. It's a challenge that may be his biggest in Boulder and could determine more than just this season's direction for a team in desperate need of a compass.
Originally reported by yardbarker.