After two straight blowouts where the defense surrendered 50-plus points, Buffs Nation is demanding answers. Colorado’s 52-17 home collapse against Arizona was another bad night in a string of bad nights. Has Deion Sanders’ “Prime Time” era officially hit rock bottom?
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A week after being humiliated 53-7 by Utah, the Buffaloes (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) were steamrolled again. This time in front of more than 48,000 frustrated fans at Folsom Field. T
he Wildcats racked up 417 yards of offense, scoring on eight of their first 10 drives. Colorado committed 14 penalties for 110 yards. It was a systems failure on all fronts… Offense, defense, discipline, everything.
As Sanders put it bluntly afterward, “I can only control what I can control.” That control, though, is nowhere to be seen. Especially on defense, where there were glaring problems on three fronts:
Colorado’s run defense is a red zone horror show
Teams are running wild in Colorado. The line of scrimmage looks more like a parking lot than a front seven. Arizona averaged 6.6 yards per play; Utah carved them up for 268 rushing yards a week earlier. The opponents are pushing the Buffs’ defense off the ball with ease.
Coordinator Robert Livingston’s defense lacks the one thing Sanders promised when he arrived: Toughness. There’s no beef up front, no gap integrity, and no physical identity. The defensive line rotation, led by Amari McNeill and company, has been dominated in back-to-back games.
The situational stats tell the same story. Opponents are averaging nearly 4 yards per carry inside Colorado’s own 20-yard line, a brutal sign that the Buffs are breaking where it matters most, in the red zone.
Until the front seven can hold its ground, no amount of “motivation” from Prime or guest speakers like Ray Lewis can fix this.
Communication breakdown
The blown coverages have become almost routine. Opposing quarterbacks are finding wide-open receivers week after week, as mental mistakes and miscommunication continue to plague the Buffs’ secondary.
It was most glaring right before halftime against Arizona, when quarterback Noah Fifita stepped into a pressure-free pocket and found Javin Whatley streaking uncovered for a touchdown with 30 seconds left.
Players like Preston Hodge and the rest of the secondary have the talent, but the unit plays like it’s out of sync. The lack of cohesion suggests deeper issues, poor communication, inconsistent assignments, and an erosion of confidence in Colorado.
It’s no wonder Arizona went 7-for-11 on third down. When your back end doesn’t talk, the front end doesn’t stand a chance.
The Depth is D.O.A. (Dead On Arrival)
Fatigue has become Colorado’s biggest opponent. The starters look worn out by halftime, and the backups aren’t ready to contribute. The transfer portal was supposed to fix that. But so far, it’s delivered flash, not foundation.
By the third quarter against Arizona, the Buffs’ defense was visibly gassed, unable to keep up with a Wildcats offense that scored at will. It’s a depth crisis that’s as much a recruiting failure as it is a conditioning one.
Sanders has brought in star power, but not enough role players to sustain the grind of Power Five football. The result? A defense that collapses late in games and a unit that’s now giving up over six yards per play throughout the season.
Sanders promised change after Utah. Things did change, just that it was for the worse.
The blame just doesn’t squarely fall on Pat Shurmur’s uninspired offense or Livingston’s lifeless defense. It’s on Sanders, the man who hired them, recruited these players, and built this culture.
The penalties, the poor tackling, and the lack of preparation all reflect a team that has lost its edge and leadership. Even the presence of Ray Lewis on campus this week, challenging the players to “believe in each other,” couldn’t jolt them awake.
At 3-6, bowl hopes are fading fast. And if this slide continues, Sanders will have to do more than flush the “darn toilet.”
