Colorado-Utah Quotes
vs
Houston
Sep 12 (Fri)
5:30 PM
Utah vs. Colorado, Nov. 16, 2024, Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo.
Colorado Head Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders
Opening Statement:
“Wonderful win. You’re talking about a coach that I respect so very much, these last two guys that we faced probably are some of my favorite guys and guys I adore. We got one coming up next week that I truly adore. He texts me and he calls me from time to time to keep the spirits going, and I [call] him, but it was a wonderful union before the game. I don't know what the future is for Coach [Kyle Whittingham], but tremendous man, a tremendous leader. I told him I wish I could have half of the career that he's had at Utah. So I don't know what's going to transpire, but that's a good man, great coach. They fought hard. Team has no quit in them whatsoever. They're physical, aggressive. That's who they are, and they lived up to that.”
“Now for us, putting up 49 points, and not playing your best game. I think that speaks a lot about the program and where we are. We got to tighten some things up and get some things together. But we're trending in the right direction. We started off rough. That wasn't indicative to who Shedeur is. I thought he was kind of okay all game long. Then I look at the stats, he's 30 for 41 for 343. Like come on, man. I guess I'm just a hard dad to please at times, as well as a hard coach. But defensively, we did some phenomenal things topped off by Shiloh getting in there at the end and doing what he did with the caused fumble. So God bless that. My highlight of the game, though, is Charlie Offerdahl getting into the end zone. We made that an initiative at the beginning of the week that we're going to get Charlie in the paint no matter what. And the young men on that line, they took that seriously. The staff took it seriously. We only had one attempt to try it, and he got it there on the first one, which was wonderful. So I'm proud of Charlie, of who he is and how he represents this program. He’s a 4.0 student. He's above board on everything, never on anybody's list, and helps everyone that ever endeavors to come to him for advice, for support, for knowledge outside as well as in the running back room. So thank God for Charlie.”
“Thank God for the fans. I think we sold out once again. I didn't see a seat available. I saw that we paid a tribute to Miss Peggy. That was phenomenal. God, I love her life. It seems as though the goal is getting better and better and better because we're so focused and we're so dedicated week to week. Not looking down the street, but week to week. I'm so darn proud of our coordinators, the staff, the young men, the women that’re in this program, the chef cooking his butt off in the kitchen, the training staff, everybody has done a phenomenal job.”
On season high 49 points against best defensive in the Big-12:
“We wanted to really protect our quarterback. Every week we say ‘Let's protect our quarterback. Let's do some things that we don't feel like they can stop.’ We feel like we have the best receiving corps in the country. We can protect the quarterback and then those guys, eventually, are going to get open, especially if we have the assistance of a running game. We showed flashes of having a running game. Isaiah did a phenomenal job today but we got to be more consistent. The sky would be the limit if we can really have consistency. We need to really want and desire and just have passion to run the football at times. I think we're liking that, but prayerfully, we are getting it going. We could do some remarkable things if we have a more balanced offense.”
On breaking seven year losing streak against Utah:
“We don't care about that. We win here so we could care less. I just walked out the locker room, and I'm pretty sure there's a party going on and somebody's rapping. That's how they feel. They feel really good about what they just accomplished, and they should. Every week we want them to be gentlemen and be men. We want you to go out and have a good time, but don't do nothing to threaten what you worked your butt off for in this moment.”
On Coach Robert Livingston’s and defense keeping Utah to 31 rushing yards
“These guys are dedicated. Coach Livingston is doing a phenomenal job, but Coach D. Lewis, they ain't playing as well as dancing. Coach [Andre] Hart at the linebackers position, and Coach Mathis challenged the DB’s to be physical this week, because they're going to have to show up in the run game as well. We know they're on their third or fourth quarterback. We understand that. But we're happy with where we are, and we know where we could be. We're not even where we could be right now. You see the mistakes, you see the little things that we could clean up, but when you look at the statistics. You say “Dang, that was phenomenal.” So I keep reiterating this, I'm so darn proud of these young men and his organization.”
On message to undecided Heisman voters
“I’m not going to give a message to Heisman voters who are undecided. If they can't see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is. It's supposed to go to the best college football player. I think that's been a wrap since week two. So we aren’t petitioning for anybody. We’re not doing that. We’ve got a wonderful display of cameras here, and we’re on national television every week. If they can't see it there is a problem. Don't allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids' success. They’ve got to stop that. Give the kids what they deserve.”
On LaJohntay Wester punt return today:
“We’ve got to dedicate ourselves to the return. We’ve put in a little more work on the return teams and putting the right personnel out there. He could hit, Jimmy could hit it but Jimmy's out right now. He's [Wester] so versatile and so elusive. You see that after the catch when he's playing receiver, but that just shows his versatility. It should take him, make him more impressive to the scouts that are looking for him to get to the next level, which is the NFL.”
On offense making big plays:
“Yes, but we’ve got to be more consistent on defensive plays. We shouldn't give up that much yardage up the seam. They’re running the same darn route up the same every time. The tight end going up the seam. How many times are we going to allow that to happen? We’ve got to get someone on it. We’ve got to hold him up. We’ve got to reroute him. We’ve got to do some things, because Rob is doing a wonderful job. We have to execute as players. We do.”
On Drelon Miller:
“Oh my God. He's like Deebo Samuel. He gives you a variety pack every time you put him out there. He could play the slot, he could play out wide, he could get in the backfield, he could go Wildcat. The kid is talented, and he's a freshman. I thought we didn't recruit those but this kid is a great young man. He was raised properly, has the right influences in his life, and the older players have taken him up under their wings. They make sure that he gets it right. He knows his assignments, his alignments, and the kid practices his butt off every day. So I'm so proud of him.”
On intentionally recruiting different kinds of receivers:
“Everybody makes a big deal over what you recruit and how you recruit. You got to find what you like and try to replicate that. You know what Jimmy [Horn Jr.] brings to the table. You know what LaJohntay [Wester] brings to the table. You’ve got to have three or four guys to bring to the table what Travis [Hunter] brings. You know what all our receivers bring and you go out and try to find that guy, because that's what you want into your room. Not only the game, but the character of our receivers. Will [Sheppard] had a wonderful day as well. Made some great contested catches, and that's the thing we've been asking him. Like every time Shedeur [Sanders] sees him one on one over there, he's going to put it up, and he expects him [Sheppard] to come down with it, and oftentimes he does. I'm proud of him as well.”
On allowing themselves to appreciate doubling last years win total:
“No, not whatsoever, because we expected to be here. A lot of y'all didn't expect us to be here, but we expected it to be where we are. Matter of fact, we expected to be a little better. We dropped a couple that we're not proud of, but that's in the past. So now we focus on one game at a time. We really, truly do. But our expectations aren’t your expectations. Our expectations are our expectations, and we expect a lot out of ourselves. We practice with the type of intensity and passion and love and effort that you can help but be successful in what we do. When we don't do things properly, it shows. We're beating ourselves at times, and nobody is beating us. We're beating ourselves. We just have got to focus on those little things and correct them so we can be flawless. That's the goal. To come out here and be dominant offensively, defensively as well as in special teams. I think two phases we dominated today are special teams as well as the defensive side of the ball. We’ve just got to get the offense. It is hard to critique them. Like I said, I was on Shedeur’s [Sanders], but all day today, and I look up, and he's 30 for 41. I think any coach in the country would accept that.”
Coach Prime on differences in preparation for a morning game
“It's truly different. It really is. I'm thankful that you asked that question, because we're happy and elated when we get an opportunity to play in the morning. Why? Because we practice in the morning. It's a regular schedule for us. Our kids are over here at six something in the morning, getting their bodies warmed up and getting treatment. We have meetings at 7 a.m. and we're on the field practicing, sometimes at 8:30 or 9 a.m. We're probably off the field at 10:30/10:45, so this is really the time that we love. It seems a little early for some of y'all, but I took my walk on campus early, and I think the alcohol consumption was just as enormous as later in the day. I ran by some people, and I was like how in the world do you start that early? You got to pace yourself. We love early games, because this is traditional for us, because that's what we do every day.”
On if Colorado is a two-way U
“Well, a lot of coaches lie, and they tell them, I'm gonna give you the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball, and we never see it. The reason is, first of all, I don't lie. Second of all, I did it, so I know it's doable. I know it can be allowed if a young man has that type of talent. Now, some of these guys, you were like that in high school, but you ain't like that in college. You really need to focus on one thing, but we're fortunate to have three guys. Tyler [Brown] hadn't played defensive yet, but he practices defense every day. Tyler Brown is one of the guys poised to start on the defense next year. He’s so talented; he gives us a lot on the special team to Travis. We attract guys that could possibly play both ways, and if they can handle it, I'll give them the opportunity. My rule is you got to be great at something first. You can't be average on offense and average on defense, and I'm going to give you that luxury. Dominate something first, then I'll allow you to get on the other side of the ball.”
On special teams’ performance tonight
“They did a great job. We focused on that. Tommie’s [Robinson] doing a great job first of all. We focused on putting the right personnel on the field at the right time. Some schemes are different, and we do certain things and. I call the returns, or whether we want to return and then go for the block or be safe, so we could just get the change of possessions. Those guys were hungry today. They went out for it, and I think we almost blocked the punt. We should have. We were close, and we didn't have the block on, so I'm proud of them in that aspect as well. Special teams really are the attitude of your program. When you have bad special teams, oftentimes you have a bad program or a bad defense, because most of the defensive players play on special teams, not offense. Most of the defensive players do that. When you’re looking at the special teams, you're really looking at the attitude of the defense. We just got to figure out how to put the right guys on at the right time so they could produce.”
On the lack of points scored
“We have got to have positive first downs. When you have positive first downs, it makes the game tremendously easier. Pat says it all the time and we just want to get Pat mad. We get a tackle for first down, we get a sack for second down, we need to complete a 25-yard pass on third down and Shedeur pulls out something heroic. We just gotta be more consistent in the little things. We always preach positive first downs to make it easier for us, but we're not doing that. That comes along with not running the ball successfully, and we got backs that could do it. We just got to put a little more emphasis. It’s not like Phil isn't, I mean, he's on their butts every day about being aggressive, being physical, having your pads up onto their pads and moving your feet at the same time. We just got to do a better job.”
On Nikhai Hill Green and LaVonta Bentley together
“They're very physical. They’re lights out versus the run. We need improvement on the pass, you know that. They know that, but they’re lights out going ahead and attacking, and they're making plays. They're making plays tremendously, and they're kind of the heartbeats. Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, he's the guy, he's our defensive attitude. Those guys, they make plays every week, and they're physical, and when we get a lead and we get ahead, they smell blood in their attack. I'm proud of those young men, because they put a lot into what they are right now. They study their butts off too.”
On what you thought of Jordan Seaton today
“He never gives up. He's probably upset with the holding penalties. One of the holding penalties he grabbed the guy, kept his hands inside, and they called it. You can't get on Jordan too much, because the kid is going to be great. The kid is going to be a top five pick when it's his turn to go. He loves the game, practices his butt off, and he's fundamentally sound for probably 95% of the time. He's a freshman and they're going to get him a couple times, but he's going to win a lot more times than he loses. I'm tremendously proud of Jordan.”
On how valuable it is to have an explosive offense where you're capable of making big plays
“We don't give a darn about the statistics afterwards, we care about the results. That's what we really care about. It doesn't factor into what we're trying to accomplish. We're trying to get down the field and put the ball in the end zone. We did that successfully quite a bit today, and we can't take that away from these young men, because you guys understand the progress. You understand that we haven't even put it all together yet, and haven't even played our best game. That should be scary in itself. We are still coming. We never stop coming. We are coming and we ain't nearly there yet.”
On finishing strong
“I'm proud of it. We emphasize finishing strong in practice. When I do signings, I take my first item that I signed and I compare it to my signature on the last. I feel bad if I'm not giving the consumer my best from the front to the back. I have to start well and finish well. I gave them that analogy to let our young men understand that if you're going to start that way, you have to finish that way. We have to start finishing a lot better. The emphasis was on that this week and I think we did a wonderful job.”
On what it means to see one of your players exceed expectations
“I don't think any player could outdo our expectations. We have tremendous expectations. I had a conversation when we ran out and the guys got on their knees and prayed. Quincy Wiggins was in my heart, and I went and hugged him and told him how much I love him, and how much I'm proud of him. He still practices hard, even though he is on the scout team. He goes hard every day to give us the proper look. I was just giving him love, and he looked at me and said Coach, I would never quit on you. He made a couple plays in the game tonight at the conclusion of the matter. That stuff means something to me because I love these young men and that embodies who, what, why and how this program is.”
Colorado Players
Charlie Offerdahl, Jr., RB
On reaction from teammates
“I mean, you know, first of all, all the glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t be here without him. And I sure wouldn’t be here without Coach Prime, and I got to give so much thanks to him, you know, I love him like a second father. And credit to the O line and my teammates. I love them. Love Buff nation.”
On how it feels to be sitting here after the grind over the last couple years
“I mean, it's pretty special. You know that 1-11 season was very rough. All I can say is that The Buffs are back.”
On growth of the offensive line
“I mean, it's been tremendous. From fall camp, to the first week, to now. I mean, they're making strides every day, and you could see what the work they put in and every single day with their coach too. And you know, we're just so grateful for them.”
On his name being called to go in the game
“I mean, just stepping up there, you know, getting right by Shedeur. First thing I said to myself was, ‘for His glory’, you know, give all the glory to God. And sure enough, you know, following my offensive line, I got in there. I didn't know how to celebrate, but yeah, just so hype. It was amazing.”
On nerves and the flip play to Travis Hunter
“You know that play is pretty cool. We call it Heisman. Travis, he's a freak athlete. I wouldn't say I was nervous for either of them. I was more excited, just had to get in that end zone.”
On how fun it is to be a part of seeing Travis Hunter excel
“Yeah, I mean, it's unbelievable. He's a freak athlete, and then we got Shedeur too. He's just an exceptional leader for us. And you know, we're just so blessed to have them on our team, and they're part of the reason why we're here, a big part of the reason why we're here.”
On the growth of the team - the 2022 loss to Utah to beating Utah today
“I had never beaten Utah before this. So that felt real nice to get to get back on them and to score on them and do it in the fashion that we did it. So, it was nice.”
On high praise from high school teammate Connor Swanson
“I love that guy. Talk about work ethic, that's him right there. And shout out to all my Dakota Ridge Boys back home. Man, love all of them. And my dad, he's over there right now, coaching my little brother, and they're winning the playoff game right now. It’s sweet.”
Shedeur Sanders, Sr., QB
On Drelon Miller’s performance
“He gives a different vibe when he gets out there. And the thing that I love about Drelon is he's young, but he listens. On the touchdown that he had, he was on the sideline talking after and he said, ‘That's what I was thinking. As soon as you called that route, I was thinking, as soon as I clear him I'm going to look for the ball. It's gonna be inside.’ It's the small things that we work on and we talk about. Whenever it's actually in the game, and we execute it that way, it's a real joyful moment because he understands the why.”
On making big offensive plays
“Utah is a great team. Their defensive coordinator, I gave him a lot of props today for the problems he was able to put out there and we had to fix, and we had to solve, and we got the hang of it eventually. I was just thankful that we went against the team of this caliber that's able to give our offense a challenge and be able to thrive through it.”
On working through beginning of game struggles
“It just takes me playing better, me taking over a little bit more. That type of stuff is unfortunate. I have, personally, two turnovers myself, fumble and interception. Those types of things can happen. I have to talk with the whole offense and apologize for my performance out there at the very beginning, because I can't put the team in that type of situation. I'm thankful for the defense. I may have to take them out to dinner this week for saving me and saving the team. But when you have a good team overall, it's complimentary football, and when you put all phases together, offense, defense, special teams, we can't be stopped. But it was just one phase that wasn't working early on, and that was the offense, but the rest of phases was there. That's how you know we have a great team, but we can't afford to start off like that. We can't afford to have those type of mistakes and mentally, I got to be better and focus more.”
On defense evolving over the season
“They're confident. There's a lot of different guys that are able to get the job done. They go against us and practice all the time, and we try. Some days, we go good on good and it's really challenging and it's fun. That's the best thing about this year. I feel like football is real fun, and everybody's enjoying it.”
On continuing to get better through the end of the season
“We got to put it together, though. We can't keep saying this week after week and not do it. We got to take more action of what we're saying we're going to do, and personally, I take that responsibility for the offense not coming out ready to go. We're going to watch the film. We're going to understand where we went wrong and figure out how to fix those things and drill the fixes. I'm going to throw so many climb routes with a linebacker falling underneath. This week is going to be crazy so that I never make those types of mistakes again, because if we didn't have a great team and we didn't have those guys that were able to make key stops and plays then we wouldn't be here laughing and playing so I take everything very seriously. The fact we didn't have much success early on, it's a bittersweet feeling to me, but the job is not finished. We just gotta come out next week ready to go.”
On Travis Hunter reversing to get a touchdown
“Just because he scored, I'm going to automatically be on the clip. If you didn't watch me, because y'all was watching what he was doing, I was supposed to catch the ball, but then, I was taking kind of like what he does at receiver. He goes to somebody, he's not open, he squares him up, then he pushes him a little bit and turn around, but I trip. I tripped, and I fell backwards, and the DB landed on me. I was just thankful. I knew he was going to make the right decision in that situation, but that's what I was worrying about. I was trying to get open. I see how hard it is to be a receiver.”
On Will Sheppard scoring in five out of the last six games
“He knows when it's time to eat. He knows when the ball comes, it's his opportunity. You got to make it because there's a lot of other guys that want the ball also. That's the best thing about the offense. Everybody held each other to that standard because if I were to do it and he dropped it, then I would have said, 'Dang bro, I could have went this way with it and this guy was open.' We all hold each other to a high standard, and everybody has to be fed, everybody has to eat, everybody has to score. That's the main thing. That's why we're really waiting on Jimmy (Horn) to finally get back fully healthy so that he can join the party also. All the receivers, it's a good environment overall. We all understand each other, and it's real fun playing with those type of guys.”
Shedeur on his scrambling ability
“Overall, I just had to feel it. I wasn't able to really feel the scrambling part of the game yet. I didn't have that feeling yet. So then we went in half time, I was just like look. I took my tights off, so I felt a little faster. I put the sleeve on my leg. I was like, let's get it. It's time. It's time to get going. So then that's when the scrambling and everything got into the picture. But I watch a lot of football overall, and a lot of quarterbacks that scramble. Like what methods they use if they're running out of time. Like running to the sideline, just seeing what they do. There's a lot of that going on. But in pregame if you don't pay attention, we go through the scrambles. We go through rolling left, throwing right there. Rolling right, setting our feet. It's a lot of stuff like that that we go about and we practice. So it's not really anything new when it comes to game time. Each and every game we improve. I would say because sometimes, due to the route, we all just got to use more common sense. Like okay, this guy needs to go high. This guy needs to come back to the ball a lot of times. Sometimes when two guys are running to the same area, I don't throw it because it's very risky. The DBs are playing both guys. So then we talk about it on the sideline, saying hey look, you can't do this because this guy is playing both of y'all. So if you come downhill, and Travis you go up, then we'll have vertical separation. It's just the body, it's how they turn their shoulders. It's very small details. But everybody has to feel the vibe. Everybody has to feel the energy of each other and just play like a piano.”
Shedeur on Charlie and Travis scoring.
“Oh when Travis scored? It was really supposed to be my touchdown. If i'm gonna be honest he took my shine on that one. I told Charlie though, you gotta let me know you're in. So then I forced the hand off, because we had this pass concept open outside. But something told me just don't throw it. But it was open though. So I was like alright, we're gonna hand it right here. Then that's when he got his touchdown. Then I'm like, there's Charlie in there! We said we were gonna hand the ball off to him this week. It was really exciting knowing that during the play, whenever he scored it, that it was him. He did everything he could to get in that end zone. There was a lot of traffic in there. So I'm really happy for him. I'm excited. That was one of his main goals here. He expressed that during the week, and was able to make that come true. I was really excited for him. Then Travis, that was supposed to be my touchdown. I'm thinking about it, and it's definitely gonna be on the bloopers because I fell backwards. But I feel that I could have ran a better route and got the ball better. But Travis, he made it happen with his scrambling ability. He watched me, by the way. He watched the film on iPads. He watched how I scramble and he applied that to his game.”
Sheduer on trying to get Travis a touchdown
“Yeah but we don't go into the game being like, we need to get Travis the Heisman. Some teams do that for the player. Nah I'm just playing. But no, we don't go in the game like that. It's all natural, and it all happens. We've been working on that for like, three, four weeks. It's about timing with everything. It's not intensely like we need to force Travis to do this. Gotta be perfect timing.”
LaVonta Bentley, Gr., ILB
On mindset of today
“Started with Sunday, Coach being on us, pushing us. It starts as we go. You know, we just got to play fast…everybody's gonna feed off us.”
On bringing out the best in each other
“I mean, we feed off each other. Man, we the oldest linebackers in the room might be the oldest on the team for real, so we know what it looks like and what it takes. And like I said, it starts as we go, and we know we got to hold ourselves to a standard in that room. We’re competing each and every day.”
On defensive mindset after an interception early in the game
“Yeah, don't let them score, that's our job. Like Coach said the whole week, 14-0, first half. So we just faced a little adversity at the beginning. But our job is to stop them, not let them score.”
On how preparation and film study allow them to play how they do
“I'll say, like practice, like it's different here, like Coach gets us right. Go out there, play fast. Feels relentless, and he ain't gonna cut no deals at practice. So I say start that first. As linebackers, we got to be the QB of the defense, and we got to know what's happening before it’s happening.”
On second half offense from Utah
“Yeah, you know, just keep our foot on their necks. Go out there and start fast. That's the biggest thing. Coach challenged us, he said, ‘It's gonna be a defensive game.’ So, we already knew off the bat, like, what we need to do, come in and go ahead.”
On strategy going into the game and how it evolved
“It was simple, just stop the run. That's what they wanted to do. And as a linebacker, that's what we got to stop. So yeah, Coach said, ‘stop the run and let our offense score the points.’”
On coming to CU and building upon championship expectations
“I'll just say, you know, just playing for one another, that's what it starts with. Don't let nobody get complacent and hold everybody accountable. That's the main thing I see on championship teams, and we got that, and we’re just trying to bring everybody along. And, you know, just keep going, keep pushing each other.”
Nakhai Hill-Green, Gr., ILB
On mindset of today
“Just starting early in the week. Our emphasis was to start fast this week. We knew their defense was a good defense. It was really going to be a defensive battle early, and we just knew we had to start fast, and we had to do our job early and get our offense going.”
On bringing out the best in each other
“We're both chasing consistency. You know, this is our last go around. There is no next year for us. So, we remind each other of that every day, and we just push each other, and we just work hard.”
On defensive mindset after an interception early in the game
“Our identity as a defense is either way, we're going to put the fire out. We're going out there either way, if it's on the 20, on the 50, if it's backed up, no matter what, we got to go out there and play to our standards. So, it was really just being us.”
On how preparation and film study allow them to play how they do
“I'll say him first. Tonight, he's probably going to send me a text or send me a clip, ‘Did you see what the team did?’ Like, we get ahead of schedule. So, on Sunday, we already know so much about the team we're going to play just from how much film he watched, how much film I watched. And our staff, us all being on the same page, it helps so much and helps us play faster.”
On his interception today
“First of all, I'm like, there's no way he's going to throw this, because I had a similar play to this. I think it was back in the UCF game, and the quarterback threw it, but he batted it because he was right there next to me. He threw it, I just made a play, and I really wanted to score, but it's God's plan. Hopefully, I get another one and I can score that.”
On how the defense thrives off each other’s big plays
“Really just playing our standard, you know? I mean, we all, either came here last spring or this summer, and we all made a deal with each other that, you know, we're going to play for our brother and play for the guy next to us. And really, I can't let them down. They can't let me down, and it's just a brotherhood, and that's how we look at it, and we're just playing for each other.”
On coming to CU and building upon championship expectations
“I would say, just knowing what it looks like, you know? I mean, if we're in practice, or we're in meetings and I see something, and I'm kind of like, that's not championship standard. I can tell a younger guy who doesn't know what it looks like, I know what getting to a natty looks like. This is what you got to do. This is the work you got to put in. These are the sacrifices you have to make. So, just really knowing what it looks like and having that experience, I think it helps everyone. People even come to me, and they ask me questions like, ‘how was it making it that far?’ Playing in December, late December, January, and I want to be back there.”
Utah Head Coach Kyle Whittingham
Opening Statement:
“First thing I'll say is that's very good football team that we played today. Coach Sanders has done a great job of getting that thing put together. I don't think there's any doubts, the best team we've played this year, certainly the best group of receivers, best quarterback. Quarterback is terrific. Receivers as a group, hell they've got superstar in there, obviously, but as a group, they're really good, and so credit them for the win. As bad as things were, we still had a chance there. In fourth quarter, we got that turnover and had momentum and in their territory and proceeded to turn the ball over again. We had four turnovers, tough to win. Turn the ball over four times, if you want to know what our main deficiencies were, it was that and the inability to run the football. We didn't run the ball anywhere near where we needed to. Disappointing. Defense, we did some good things. Got three takeaways, still lost the turnover margin minus one, but we didn't tackle particularly well enough, and those athletes, they got over there are a big reason for that. I don't want to discount their ability and their skill, because it's a great group. They put together an outstanding group. As bad as things are, there's still two games away from a bowl bid. That's something right there. Our guys, first of all, they're together. They work hard. There's no lack of preparation. Monday through Friday. They're focused. We just can't find a win. That's where we're at. Didn't do ourselves any favors on special teams. Let the punt return for a touchdown. That's two weeks in a row we've had a return for touchdown against us, which is not ideal. We got enough to work on to keep us busy. But I'll say it again. Credit those guys, their coach, their coaching staff, and they're a really good football team.”
On issue with running the ball
“Just from watching it, we didn't get any knockoff on the offensive line, no push inside, and you got to get push inside to open up some creases, and they played very tough at the line of scrimmage, and really couldn't get anything going.”
On losing sixth game in a row
“Right now, I'm in the twilight zone, so I guess that could be. I don't know. It's the most difficult year of my coaching career, hands down. Not even close.”
On what needs to change within the program
“Well, today was the run game. We got to get better overall throw in the football and really defensively, if you just look at sheer numbers prior to this game, number one in total defense, number one in scoring defense, number one in third down defense. We're doing a lot of good things that are probably going to suffer after this game, but our main issues this year have been on offensive side of the ball. There's no secret about that, and we just got to keep recruiting. That's number one, keep recruiting players and try to get things solved. We're just not potent enough on offense. If you look just statistically, as good as we are on defense, we're that far down the ladder on offense in those statistical categories.”
On things coming together during the fourth quarter
“Isaac got a little bit of a rhythm there for a minute, and was connecting on some passes, getting the ball out quicker, going through his read progression quicker. The protection was a little bit better for a period of time. I would say that was the reason for the production spurt that we had there. We had the interception early, which is great, but we didn't capitalize, had to settle for a field goal. That's the first three trips that we got deep in their territory. We had to settle for field goals each time. We've talked about that throughout the course of the year, and it's tough to win games if you're settling for field goals.”
On Isaac Wilson practicing this week
“He practiced about half the week. We didn't know if he's gonna be able to play up until probably last night. We had an indication that he was turning the corner and going to be able to function. Give him credit. He fought in battle. He was not feeling like his usual self, but he hung in there.”
On where Isaac can improve
“We need to get the completion percentage up. We need to get the interceptions down. That's the starting point. We're still right around 50% completion and too many interceptions.”
On Isaac playing faster in the second half
“He started to get a little bit of a rhythm for a little stretch of time there. And he's just a freshman, he's learning as we go. He's the guy that does not lack confidence. My guess is, as a resilient kid, he'll come back and get ready for the next one.”
Utah Players
Carsen Ryan, Jr., TE
On offensive play
“We just came out flat to start the game. You know, I made some mistakes. Everyone made mistakes, and we got to clean that up. We got to come out fast and start strong. We can't keep playing catch up every game. You know, it starts in the running game. We got to make better blocks for our running backs and got to give Isaac [Wilson] more time to throw the ball. And we just got to stop making the same mistakes.”
On the fourth quarter
“I mean, we just, like I said, came out slow. During halftime, we got to step up, we got to make plays, we got to get something going. With all the injuries we've had, people have had to step up. And we got great players. We just gotta keep making plays like we did in the second half all game, and then we'll come out with wins. We just got to start fast.”
On QB Isaac Wilson
“Everyone's got to step up around Isaac and give him the chances he can, because he's a great player. When we all play great and we elevate him, he makes the plays like he did in that second half. He was throwing the ball all around the field and making plays, and we just got to keep doing our part to help him out the most we can, since you know, he's still so young and has a bright future ahead. And we just got to keep making plays right to make his load a little easier.”
Messaging to the team moving forward
“Trying to win… trying to make a bowl game.”
Lander Barton, Jr., LB
On the Defense
“They made more plays than we did, end of story.”
Messaging to the team moving forward
“Keep moving forward, proud of the guys stepping up. It's a hard position to fill, but I mean, people are stepping up, so you just be proud of the guys, and you just got to keep going.”
On how the team stayed locked in
“You can only control what you can control, so we can't really worry about what's going on the other side of the ball. We just, we got to feed off each other. We're going to have each other's back. We handle our job, and that's it.”
Colorado Head Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders
Opening Statement:
“Wonderful win. You’re talking about a coach that I respect so very much, these last two guys that we faced probably are some of my favorite guys and guys I adore. We got one coming up next week that I truly adore. He texts me and he calls me from time to time to keep the spirits going, and I [call] him, but it was a wonderful union before the game. I don't know what the future is for Coach [Kyle Whittingham], but tremendous man, a tremendous leader. I told him I wish I could have half of the career that he's had at Utah. So I don't know what's going to transpire, but that's a good man, great coach. They fought hard. Team has no quit in them whatsoever. They're physical, aggressive. That's who they are, and they lived up to that.”
“Now for us, putting up 49 points, and not playing your best game. I think that speaks a lot about the program and where we are. We got to tighten some things up and get some things together. But we're trending in the right direction. We started off rough. That wasn't indicative to who Shedeur is. I thought he was kind of okay all game long. Then I look at the stats, he's 30 for 41 for 343. Like come on, man. I guess I'm just a hard dad to please at times, as well as a hard coach. But defensively, we did some phenomenal things topped off by Shiloh getting in there at the end and doing what he did with the caused fumble. So God bless that. My highlight of the game, though, is Charlie Offerdahl getting into the end zone. We made that an initiative at the beginning of the week that we're going to get Charlie in the paint no matter what. And the young men on that line, they took that seriously. The staff took it seriously. We only had one attempt to try it, and he got it there on the first one, which was wonderful. So I'm proud of Charlie, of who he is and how he represents this program. He’s a 4.0 student. He's above board on everything, never on anybody's list, and helps everyone that ever endeavors to come to him for advice, for support, for knowledge outside as well as in the running back room. So thank God for Charlie.”
“Thank God for the fans. I think we sold out once again. I didn't see a seat available. I saw that we paid a tribute to Miss Peggy. That was phenomenal. God, I love her life. It seems as though the goal is getting better and better and better because we're so focused and we're so dedicated week to week. Not looking down the street, but week to week. I'm so darn proud of our coordinators, the staff, the young men, the women that’re in this program, the chef cooking his butt off in the kitchen, the training staff, everybody has done a phenomenal job.”
On season high 49 points against best defensive in the Big-12:
“We wanted to really protect our quarterback. Every week we say ‘Let's protect our quarterback. Let's do some things that we don't feel like they can stop.’ We feel like we have the best receiving corps in the country. We can protect the quarterback and then those guys, eventually, are going to get open, especially if we have the assistance of a running game. We showed flashes of having a running game. Isaiah did a phenomenal job today but we got to be more consistent. The sky would be the limit if we can really have consistency. We need to really want and desire and just have passion to run the football at times. I think we're liking that, but prayerfully, we are getting it going. We could do some remarkable things if we have a more balanced offense.”
On breaking seven year losing streak against Utah:
“We don't care about that. We win here so we could care less. I just walked out the locker room, and I'm pretty sure there's a party going on and somebody's rapping. That's how they feel. They feel really good about what they just accomplished, and they should. Every week we want them to be gentlemen and be men. We want you to go out and have a good time, but don't do nothing to threaten what you worked your butt off for in this moment.”
On Coach Robert Livingston’s and defense keeping Utah to 31 rushing yards
“These guys are dedicated. Coach Livingston is doing a phenomenal job, but Coach D. Lewis, they ain't playing as well as dancing. Coach [Andre] Hart at the linebackers position, and Coach Mathis challenged the DB’s to be physical this week, because they're going to have to show up in the run game as well. We know they're on their third or fourth quarterback. We understand that. But we're happy with where we are, and we know where we could be. We're not even where we could be right now. You see the mistakes, you see the little things that we could clean up, but when you look at the statistics. You say “Dang, that was phenomenal.” So I keep reiterating this, I'm so darn proud of these young men and his organization.”
On message to undecided Heisman voters
“I’m not going to give a message to Heisman voters who are undecided. If they can't see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is. It's supposed to go to the best college football player. I think that's been a wrap since week two. So we aren’t petitioning for anybody. We’re not doing that. We’ve got a wonderful display of cameras here, and we’re on national television every week. If they can't see it there is a problem. Don't allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids' success. They’ve got to stop that. Give the kids what they deserve.”
On LaJohntay Wester punt return today:
“We’ve got to dedicate ourselves to the return. We’ve put in a little more work on the return teams and putting the right personnel out there. He could hit, Jimmy could hit it but Jimmy's out right now. He's [Wester] so versatile and so elusive. You see that after the catch when he's playing receiver, but that just shows his versatility. It should take him, make him more impressive to the scouts that are looking for him to get to the next level, which is the NFL.”
On offense making big plays:
“Yes, but we’ve got to be more consistent on defensive plays. We shouldn't give up that much yardage up the seam. They’re running the same darn route up the same every time. The tight end going up the seam. How many times are we going to allow that to happen? We’ve got to get someone on it. We’ve got to hold him up. We’ve got to reroute him. We’ve got to do some things, because Rob is doing a wonderful job. We have to execute as players. We do.”
On Drelon Miller:
“Oh my God. He's like Deebo Samuel. He gives you a variety pack every time you put him out there. He could play the slot, he could play out wide, he could get in the backfield, he could go Wildcat. The kid is talented, and he's a freshman. I thought we didn't recruit those but this kid is a great young man. He was raised properly, has the right influences in his life, and the older players have taken him up under their wings. They make sure that he gets it right. He knows his assignments, his alignments, and the kid practices his butt off every day. So I'm so proud of him.”
On intentionally recruiting different kinds of receivers:
“Everybody makes a big deal over what you recruit and how you recruit. You got to find what you like and try to replicate that. You know what Jimmy [Horn Jr.] brings to the table. You know what LaJohntay [Wester] brings to the table. You’ve got to have three or four guys to bring to the table what Travis [Hunter] brings. You know what all our receivers bring and you go out and try to find that guy, because that's what you want into your room. Not only the game, but the character of our receivers. Will [Sheppard] had a wonderful day as well. Made some great contested catches, and that's the thing we've been asking him. Like every time Shedeur [Sanders] sees him one on one over there, he's going to put it up, and he expects him [Sheppard] to come down with it, and oftentimes he does. I'm proud of him as well.”
On allowing themselves to appreciate doubling last years win total:
“No, not whatsoever, because we expected to be here. A lot of y'all didn't expect us to be here, but we expected it to be where we are. Matter of fact, we expected to be a little better. We dropped a couple that we're not proud of, but that's in the past. So now we focus on one game at a time. We really, truly do. But our expectations aren’t your expectations. Our expectations are our expectations, and we expect a lot out of ourselves. We practice with the type of intensity and passion and love and effort that you can help but be successful in what we do. When we don't do things properly, it shows. We're beating ourselves at times, and nobody is beating us. We're beating ourselves. We just have got to focus on those little things and correct them so we can be flawless. That's the goal. To come out here and be dominant offensively, defensively as well as in special teams. I think two phases we dominated today are special teams as well as the defensive side of the ball. We’ve just got to get the offense. It is hard to critique them. Like I said, I was on Shedeur’s [Sanders], but all day today, and I look up, and he's 30 for 41. I think any coach in the country would accept that.”
Coach Prime on differences in preparation for a morning game
“It's truly different. It really is. I'm thankful that you asked that question, because we're happy and elated when we get an opportunity to play in the morning. Why? Because we practice in the morning. It's a regular schedule for us. Our kids are over here at six something in the morning, getting their bodies warmed up and getting treatment. We have meetings at 7 a.m. and we're on the field practicing, sometimes at 8:30 or 9 a.m. We're probably off the field at 10:30/10:45, so this is really the time that we love. It seems a little early for some of y'all, but I took my walk on campus early, and I think the alcohol consumption was just as enormous as later in the day. I ran by some people, and I was like how in the world do you start that early? You got to pace yourself. We love early games, because this is traditional for us, because that's what we do every day.”
On if Colorado is a two-way U
“Well, a lot of coaches lie, and they tell them, I'm gonna give you the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball, and we never see it. The reason is, first of all, I don't lie. Second of all, I did it, so I know it's doable. I know it can be allowed if a young man has that type of talent. Now, some of these guys, you were like that in high school, but you ain't like that in college. You really need to focus on one thing, but we're fortunate to have three guys. Tyler [Brown] hadn't played defensive yet, but he practices defense every day. Tyler Brown is one of the guys poised to start on the defense next year. He’s so talented; he gives us a lot on the special team to Travis. We attract guys that could possibly play both ways, and if they can handle it, I'll give them the opportunity. My rule is you got to be great at something first. You can't be average on offense and average on defense, and I'm going to give you that luxury. Dominate something first, then I'll allow you to get on the other side of the ball.”
On special teams’ performance tonight
“They did a great job. We focused on that. Tommie’s [Robinson] doing a great job first of all. We focused on putting the right personnel on the field at the right time. Some schemes are different, and we do certain things and. I call the returns, or whether we want to return and then go for the block or be safe, so we could just get the change of possessions. Those guys were hungry today. They went out for it, and I think we almost blocked the punt. We should have. We were close, and we didn't have the block on, so I'm proud of them in that aspect as well. Special teams really are the attitude of your program. When you have bad special teams, oftentimes you have a bad program or a bad defense, because most of the defensive players play on special teams, not offense. Most of the defensive players do that. When you’re looking at the special teams, you're really looking at the attitude of the defense. We just got to figure out how to put the right guys on at the right time so they could produce.”
On the lack of points scored
“We have got to have positive first downs. When you have positive first downs, it makes the game tremendously easier. Pat says it all the time and we just want to get Pat mad. We get a tackle for first down, we get a sack for second down, we need to complete a 25-yard pass on third down and Shedeur pulls out something heroic. We just gotta be more consistent in the little things. We always preach positive first downs to make it easier for us, but we're not doing that. That comes along with not running the ball successfully, and we got backs that could do it. We just got to put a little more emphasis. It’s not like Phil isn't, I mean, he's on their butts every day about being aggressive, being physical, having your pads up onto their pads and moving your feet at the same time. We just got to do a better job.”
On Nikhai Hill Green and LaVonta Bentley together
“They're very physical. They’re lights out versus the run. We need improvement on the pass, you know that. They know that, but they’re lights out going ahead and attacking, and they're making plays. They're making plays tremendously, and they're kind of the heartbeats. Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, he's the guy, he's our defensive attitude. Those guys, they make plays every week, and they're physical, and when we get a lead and we get ahead, they smell blood in their attack. I'm proud of those young men, because they put a lot into what they are right now. They study their butts off too.”
On what you thought of Jordan Seaton today
“He never gives up. He's probably upset with the holding penalties. One of the holding penalties he grabbed the guy, kept his hands inside, and they called it. You can't get on Jordan too much, because the kid is going to be great. The kid is going to be a top five pick when it's his turn to go. He loves the game, practices his butt off, and he's fundamentally sound for probably 95% of the time. He's a freshman and they're going to get him a couple times, but he's going to win a lot more times than he loses. I'm tremendously proud of Jordan.”
On how valuable it is to have an explosive offense where you're capable of making big plays
“We don't give a darn about the statistics afterwards, we care about the results. That's what we really care about. It doesn't factor into what we're trying to accomplish. We're trying to get down the field and put the ball in the end zone. We did that successfully quite a bit today, and we can't take that away from these young men, because you guys understand the progress. You understand that we haven't even put it all together yet, and haven't even played our best game. That should be scary in itself. We are still coming. We never stop coming. We are coming and we ain't nearly there yet.”
On finishing strong
“I'm proud of it. We emphasize finishing strong in practice. When I do signings, I take my first item that I signed and I compare it to my signature on the last. I feel bad if I'm not giving the consumer my best from the front to the back. I have to start well and finish well. I gave them that analogy to let our young men understand that if you're going to start that way, you have to finish that way. We have to start finishing a lot better. The emphasis was on that this week and I think we did a wonderful job.”
On what it means to see one of your players exceed expectations
“I don't think any player could outdo our expectations. We have tremendous expectations. I had a conversation when we ran out and the guys got on their knees and prayed. Quincy Wiggins was in my heart, and I went and hugged him and told him how much I love him, and how much I'm proud of him. He still practices hard, even though he is on the scout team. He goes hard every day to give us the proper look. I was just giving him love, and he looked at me and said Coach, I would never quit on you. He made a couple plays in the game tonight at the conclusion of the matter. That stuff means something to me because I love these young men and that embodies who, what, why and how this program is.”
Colorado Players
Charlie Offerdahl, Jr., RB
On reaction from teammates
“I mean, you know, first of all, all the glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t be here without him. And I sure wouldn’t be here without Coach Prime, and I got to give so much thanks to him, you know, I love him like a second father. And credit to the O line and my teammates. I love them. Love Buff nation.”
On how it feels to be sitting here after the grind over the last couple years
“I mean, it's pretty special. You know that 1-11 season was very rough. All I can say is that The Buffs are back.”
On growth of the offensive line
“I mean, it's been tremendous. From fall camp, to the first week, to now. I mean, they're making strides every day, and you could see what the work they put in and every single day with their coach too. And you know, we're just so grateful for them.”
On his name being called to go in the game
“I mean, just stepping up there, you know, getting right by Shedeur. First thing I said to myself was, ‘for His glory’, you know, give all the glory to God. And sure enough, you know, following my offensive line, I got in there. I didn't know how to celebrate, but yeah, just so hype. It was amazing.”
On nerves and the flip play to Travis Hunter
“You know that play is pretty cool. We call it Heisman. Travis, he's a freak athlete. I wouldn't say I was nervous for either of them. I was more excited, just had to get in that end zone.”
On how fun it is to be a part of seeing Travis Hunter excel
“Yeah, I mean, it's unbelievable. He's a freak athlete, and then we got Shedeur too. He's just an exceptional leader for us. And you know, we're just so blessed to have them on our team, and they're part of the reason why we're here, a big part of the reason why we're here.”
On the growth of the team - the 2022 loss to Utah to beating Utah today
“I had never beaten Utah before this. So that felt real nice to get to get back on them and to score on them and do it in the fashion that we did it. So, it was nice.”
On high praise from high school teammate Connor Swanson
“I love that guy. Talk about work ethic, that's him right there. And shout out to all my Dakota Ridge Boys back home. Man, love all of them. And my dad, he's over there right now, coaching my little brother, and they're winning the playoff game right now. It’s sweet.”
Shedeur Sanders, Sr., QB
On Drelon Miller’s performance
“He gives a different vibe when he gets out there. And the thing that I love about Drelon is he's young, but he listens. On the touchdown that he had, he was on the sideline talking after and he said, ‘That's what I was thinking. As soon as you called that route, I was thinking, as soon as I clear him I'm going to look for the ball. It's gonna be inside.’ It's the small things that we work on and we talk about. Whenever it's actually in the game, and we execute it that way, it's a real joyful moment because he understands the why.”
On making big offensive plays
“Utah is a great team. Their defensive coordinator, I gave him a lot of props today for the problems he was able to put out there and we had to fix, and we had to solve, and we got the hang of it eventually. I was just thankful that we went against the team of this caliber that's able to give our offense a challenge and be able to thrive through it.”
On working through beginning of game struggles
“It just takes me playing better, me taking over a little bit more. That type of stuff is unfortunate. I have, personally, two turnovers myself, fumble and interception. Those types of things can happen. I have to talk with the whole offense and apologize for my performance out there at the very beginning, because I can't put the team in that type of situation. I'm thankful for the defense. I may have to take them out to dinner this week for saving me and saving the team. But when you have a good team overall, it's complimentary football, and when you put all phases together, offense, defense, special teams, we can't be stopped. But it was just one phase that wasn't working early on, and that was the offense, but the rest of phases was there. That's how you know we have a great team, but we can't afford to start off like that. We can't afford to have those type of mistakes and mentally, I got to be better and focus more.”
On defense evolving over the season
“They're confident. There's a lot of different guys that are able to get the job done. They go against us and practice all the time, and we try. Some days, we go good on good and it's really challenging and it's fun. That's the best thing about this year. I feel like football is real fun, and everybody's enjoying it.”
On continuing to get better through the end of the season
“We got to put it together, though. We can't keep saying this week after week and not do it. We got to take more action of what we're saying we're going to do, and personally, I take that responsibility for the offense not coming out ready to go. We're going to watch the film. We're going to understand where we went wrong and figure out how to fix those things and drill the fixes. I'm going to throw so many climb routes with a linebacker falling underneath. This week is going to be crazy so that I never make those types of mistakes again, because if we didn't have a great team and we didn't have those guys that were able to make key stops and plays then we wouldn't be here laughing and playing so I take everything very seriously. The fact we didn't have much success early on, it's a bittersweet feeling to me, but the job is not finished. We just gotta come out next week ready to go.”
On Travis Hunter reversing to get a touchdown
“Just because he scored, I'm going to automatically be on the clip. If you didn't watch me, because y'all was watching what he was doing, I was supposed to catch the ball, but then, I was taking kind of like what he does at receiver. He goes to somebody, he's not open, he squares him up, then he pushes him a little bit and turn around, but I trip. I tripped, and I fell backwards, and the DB landed on me. I was just thankful. I knew he was going to make the right decision in that situation, but that's what I was worrying about. I was trying to get open. I see how hard it is to be a receiver.”
On Will Sheppard scoring in five out of the last six games
“He knows when it's time to eat. He knows when the ball comes, it's his opportunity. You got to make it because there's a lot of other guys that want the ball also. That's the best thing about the offense. Everybody held each other to that standard because if I were to do it and he dropped it, then I would have said, 'Dang bro, I could have went this way with it and this guy was open.' We all hold each other to a high standard, and everybody has to be fed, everybody has to eat, everybody has to score. That's the main thing. That's why we're really waiting on Jimmy (Horn) to finally get back fully healthy so that he can join the party also. All the receivers, it's a good environment overall. We all understand each other, and it's real fun playing with those type of guys.”
Shedeur on his scrambling ability
“Overall, I just had to feel it. I wasn't able to really feel the scrambling part of the game yet. I didn't have that feeling yet. So then we went in half time, I was just like look. I took my tights off, so I felt a little faster. I put the sleeve on my leg. I was like, let's get it. It's time. It's time to get going. So then that's when the scrambling and everything got into the picture. But I watch a lot of football overall, and a lot of quarterbacks that scramble. Like what methods they use if they're running out of time. Like running to the sideline, just seeing what they do. There's a lot of that going on. But in pregame if you don't pay attention, we go through the scrambles. We go through rolling left, throwing right there. Rolling right, setting our feet. It's a lot of stuff like that that we go about and we practice. So it's not really anything new when it comes to game time. Each and every game we improve. I would say because sometimes, due to the route, we all just got to use more common sense. Like okay, this guy needs to go high. This guy needs to come back to the ball a lot of times. Sometimes when two guys are running to the same area, I don't throw it because it's very risky. The DBs are playing both guys. So then we talk about it on the sideline, saying hey look, you can't do this because this guy is playing both of y'all. So if you come downhill, and Travis you go up, then we'll have vertical separation. It's just the body, it's how they turn their shoulders. It's very small details. But everybody has to feel the vibe. Everybody has to feel the energy of each other and just play like a piano.”
Shedeur on Charlie and Travis scoring.
“Oh when Travis scored? It was really supposed to be my touchdown. If i'm gonna be honest he took my shine on that one. I told Charlie though, you gotta let me know you're in. So then I forced the hand off, because we had this pass concept open outside. But something told me just don't throw it. But it was open though. So I was like alright, we're gonna hand it right here. Then that's when he got his touchdown. Then I'm like, there's Charlie in there! We said we were gonna hand the ball off to him this week. It was really exciting knowing that during the play, whenever he scored it, that it was him. He did everything he could to get in that end zone. There was a lot of traffic in there. So I'm really happy for him. I'm excited. That was one of his main goals here. He expressed that during the week, and was able to make that come true. I was really excited for him. Then Travis, that was supposed to be my touchdown. I'm thinking about it, and it's definitely gonna be on the bloopers because I fell backwards. But I feel that I could have ran a better route and got the ball better. But Travis, he made it happen with his scrambling ability. He watched me, by the way. He watched the film on iPads. He watched how I scramble and he applied that to his game.”
Sheduer on trying to get Travis a touchdown
“Yeah but we don't go into the game being like, we need to get Travis the Heisman. Some teams do that for the player. Nah I'm just playing. But no, we don't go in the game like that. It's all natural, and it all happens. We've been working on that for like, three, four weeks. It's about timing with everything. It's not intensely like we need to force Travis to do this. Gotta be perfect timing.”
LaVonta Bentley, Gr., ILB
On mindset of today
“Started with Sunday, Coach being on us, pushing us. It starts as we go. You know, we just got to play fast…everybody's gonna feed off us.”
On bringing out the best in each other
“I mean, we feed off each other. Man, we the oldest linebackers in the room might be the oldest on the team for real, so we know what it looks like and what it takes. And like I said, it starts as we go, and we know we got to hold ourselves to a standard in that room. We’re competing each and every day.”
On defensive mindset after an interception early in the game
“Yeah, don't let them score, that's our job. Like Coach said the whole week, 14-0, first half. So we just faced a little adversity at the beginning. But our job is to stop them, not let them score.”
On how preparation and film study allow them to play how they do
“I'll say, like practice, like it's different here, like Coach gets us right. Go out there, play fast. Feels relentless, and he ain't gonna cut no deals at practice. So I say start that first. As linebackers, we got to be the QB of the defense, and we got to know what's happening before it’s happening.”
On second half offense from Utah
“Yeah, you know, just keep our foot on their necks. Go out there and start fast. That's the biggest thing. Coach challenged us, he said, ‘It's gonna be a defensive game.’ So, we already knew off the bat, like, what we need to do, come in and go ahead.”
On strategy going into the game and how it evolved
“It was simple, just stop the run. That's what they wanted to do. And as a linebacker, that's what we got to stop. So yeah, Coach said, ‘stop the run and let our offense score the points.’”
On coming to CU and building upon championship expectations
“I'll just say, you know, just playing for one another, that's what it starts with. Don't let nobody get complacent and hold everybody accountable. That's the main thing I see on championship teams, and we got that, and we’re just trying to bring everybody along. And, you know, just keep going, keep pushing each other.”
Nakhai Hill-Green, Gr., ILB
On mindset of today
“Just starting early in the week. Our emphasis was to start fast this week. We knew their defense was a good defense. It was really going to be a defensive battle early, and we just knew we had to start fast, and we had to do our job early and get our offense going.”
On bringing out the best in each other
“We're both chasing consistency. You know, this is our last go around. There is no next year for us. So, we remind each other of that every day, and we just push each other, and we just work hard.”
On defensive mindset after an interception early in the game
“Our identity as a defense is either way, we're going to put the fire out. We're going out there either way, if it's on the 20, on the 50, if it's backed up, no matter what, we got to go out there and play to our standards. So, it was really just being us.”
On how preparation and film study allow them to play how they do
“I'll say him first. Tonight, he's probably going to send me a text or send me a clip, ‘Did you see what the team did?’ Like, we get ahead of schedule. So, on Sunday, we already know so much about the team we're going to play just from how much film he watched, how much film I watched. And our staff, us all being on the same page, it helps so much and helps us play faster.”
On his interception today
“First of all, I'm like, there's no way he's going to throw this, because I had a similar play to this. I think it was back in the UCF game, and the quarterback threw it, but he batted it because he was right there next to me. He threw it, I just made a play, and I really wanted to score, but it's God's plan. Hopefully, I get another one and I can score that.”
On how the defense thrives off each other’s big plays
“Really just playing our standard, you know? I mean, we all, either came here last spring or this summer, and we all made a deal with each other that, you know, we're going to play for our brother and play for the guy next to us. And really, I can't let them down. They can't let me down, and it's just a brotherhood, and that's how we look at it, and we're just playing for each other.”
On coming to CU and building upon championship expectations
“I would say, just knowing what it looks like, you know? I mean, if we're in practice, or we're in meetings and I see something, and I'm kind of like, that's not championship standard. I can tell a younger guy who doesn't know what it looks like, I know what getting to a natty looks like. This is what you got to do. This is the work you got to put in. These are the sacrifices you have to make. So, just really knowing what it looks like and having that experience, I think it helps everyone. People even come to me, and they ask me questions like, ‘how was it making it that far?’ Playing in December, late December, January, and I want to be back there.”
Utah Head Coach Kyle Whittingham
Opening Statement:
“First thing I'll say is that's very good football team that we played today. Coach Sanders has done a great job of getting that thing put together. I don't think there's any doubts, the best team we've played this year, certainly the best group of receivers, best quarterback. Quarterback is terrific. Receivers as a group, hell they've got superstar in there, obviously, but as a group, they're really good, and so credit them for the win. As bad as things were, we still had a chance there. In fourth quarter, we got that turnover and had momentum and in their territory and proceeded to turn the ball over again. We had four turnovers, tough to win. Turn the ball over four times, if you want to know what our main deficiencies were, it was that and the inability to run the football. We didn't run the ball anywhere near where we needed to. Disappointing. Defense, we did some good things. Got three takeaways, still lost the turnover margin minus one, but we didn't tackle particularly well enough, and those athletes, they got over there are a big reason for that. I don't want to discount their ability and their skill, because it's a great group. They put together an outstanding group. As bad as things are, there's still two games away from a bowl bid. That's something right there. Our guys, first of all, they're together. They work hard. There's no lack of preparation. Monday through Friday. They're focused. We just can't find a win. That's where we're at. Didn't do ourselves any favors on special teams. Let the punt return for a touchdown. That's two weeks in a row we've had a return for touchdown against us, which is not ideal. We got enough to work on to keep us busy. But I'll say it again. Credit those guys, their coach, their coaching staff, and they're a really good football team.”
On issue with running the ball
“Just from watching it, we didn't get any knockoff on the offensive line, no push inside, and you got to get push inside to open up some creases, and they played very tough at the line of scrimmage, and really couldn't get anything going.”
On losing sixth game in a row
“Right now, I'm in the twilight zone, so I guess that could be. I don't know. It's the most difficult year of my coaching career, hands down. Not even close.”
On what needs to change within the program
“Well, today was the run game. We got to get better overall throw in the football and really defensively, if you just look at sheer numbers prior to this game, number one in total defense, number one in scoring defense, number one in third down defense. We're doing a lot of good things that are probably going to suffer after this game, but our main issues this year have been on offensive side of the ball. There's no secret about that, and we just got to keep recruiting. That's number one, keep recruiting players and try to get things solved. We're just not potent enough on offense. If you look just statistically, as good as we are on defense, we're that far down the ladder on offense in those statistical categories.”
On things coming together during the fourth quarter
“Isaac got a little bit of a rhythm there for a minute, and was connecting on some passes, getting the ball out quicker, going through his read progression quicker. The protection was a little bit better for a period of time. I would say that was the reason for the production spurt that we had there. We had the interception early, which is great, but we didn't capitalize, had to settle for a field goal. That's the first three trips that we got deep in their territory. We had to settle for field goals each time. We've talked about that throughout the course of the year, and it's tough to win games if you're settling for field goals.”
On Isaac Wilson practicing this week
“He practiced about half the week. We didn't know if he's gonna be able to play up until probably last night. We had an indication that he was turning the corner and going to be able to function. Give him credit. He fought in battle. He was not feeling like his usual self, but he hung in there.”
On where Isaac can improve
“We need to get the completion percentage up. We need to get the interceptions down. That's the starting point. We're still right around 50% completion and too many interceptions.”
On Isaac playing faster in the second half
“He started to get a little bit of a rhythm for a little stretch of time there. And he's just a freshman, he's learning as we go. He's the guy that does not lack confidence. My guess is, as a resilient kid, he'll come back and get ready for the next one.”
Utah Players
Carsen Ryan, Jr., TE
On offensive play
“We just came out flat to start the game. You know, I made some mistakes. Everyone made mistakes, and we got to clean that up. We got to come out fast and start strong. We can't keep playing catch up every game. You know, it starts in the running game. We got to make better blocks for our running backs and got to give Isaac [Wilson] more time to throw the ball. And we just got to stop making the same mistakes.”
On the fourth quarter
“I mean, we just, like I said, came out slow. During halftime, we got to step up, we got to make plays, we got to get something going. With all the injuries we've had, people have had to step up. And we got great players. We just gotta keep making plays like we did in the second half all game, and then we'll come out with wins. We just got to start fast.”
On QB Isaac Wilson
“Everyone's got to step up around Isaac and give him the chances he can, because he's a great player. When we all play great and we elevate him, he makes the plays like he did in that second half. He was throwing the ball all around the field and making plays, and we just got to keep doing our part to help him out the most we can, since you know, he's still so young and has a bright future ahead. And we just got to keep making plays right to make his load a little easier.”
Messaging to the team moving forward
“Trying to win… trying to make a bowl game.”
Lander Barton, Jr., LB
On the Defense
“They made more plays than we did, end of story.”
Messaging to the team moving forward
“Keep moving forward, proud of the guys stepping up. It's a hard position to fill, but I mean, people are stepping up, so you just be proud of the guys, and you just got to keep going.”
On how the team stayed locked in
“You can only control what you can control, so we can't really worry about what's going on the other side of the ball. We just, we got to feed off each other. We're going to have each other's back. We handle our job, and that's it.”