Copyright Boulder Daily Camera
Amid the worst two-game stretch of his coaching career, Colorado’s Deion Sanders hasn’t lost confidence in himself to turn things around. Following the Buffaloes’ 52-17 loss to Arizona on Saturday – the worst loss at Folsom Field in his three years as head coach – Sanders said, “I never doubt me. “I don’t doubt me. Let’s get that straight. I don’t doubt me. Next question. The confidence level of me doing this job, I’m built for this. I don’t doubt me.” Having that same confidence in those around him is a different story, though. Saturday’s loss put the Buffs (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) on the brink of elimination from bowl eligibility. To get a postseason berth, the Buffs have to win their last three games, but that would require a quick and dramatic recovery before a trip to West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) on Saturday (10 a.m. MT, TNT). Unfortunately for the Buffs, there are more questions than answers after back-to-back blowout losses. “I have no idea,” Sanders said Saturday when asked how the Buffs were blown out at home by an average Arizona team. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen. It’s on me. Straight up on me.” A Pro Football Hall of Famer who often won as a player, Sanders later said, when asked how often he’s not had the answer during his athletic life, “I’m not going to say I don’t have the answer. I have the answer. I have the answer.” While that’s a contradiction, on the surface, what he said next was a clear indication that he’s also trying to protect the mental state of his team as he strives to fix the Buffs’ woes. “I’m trying my best not to say what I want to say,” he added. “And I’m trying my best not to give everything but I’m trying to be transparent because you deserve that. You all deserve that. “I don’t give a darn about the criticism. I’m telling you, it’s on me. Criticize me. I’ve been criticized since when I came out the womb. … So, it’s on me.” While Sanders doesn’t have a problem with criticism directed at him, his actions and words have also indicated that he knows his team doesn’t have the same type of thick skin as their head coach. This season, Sanders has gone out of his way to avoid criticizing assistant coaches and players, even those struggling, such as quarterback Kaidon Salter, who was benched on Saturday. Sanders didn’t make any players available to the media after Saturday’s game because he wanted all the heat to go to him. Twice in his postgame press conference, he spoke about protecting the mental health of his players. “The main thing is mental health and making sure our guys mentally and spiritually are right,” he said. “We have a wonderful representation for those two avenues and these are some strong kids, man.” Later, when asked about the development of freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who came off the bench Saturday, Sanders said, “I’ve got to protect him. I can’t throw him out there and he’s not fully ready and now you’re jumping all over him and now we’re in a mental health situation. I don’t want that for none of these young men.” Lewis played well off the bench Saturday. Sanders was non-committal on a starter for this week, but Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports has reported the Buffs are “expected to make a change” and give Lewis is his first start on Saturday at West Virginia. For now, Sanders, in the first year of a five-year, $54 million contract extension, is taking the burden upon himself, as the Buffs try to salvage their season. “I’m not doing my job on either side of the ball, including special teams,” he said. “I know what the situation is. I know what the problem is, and I’ll fix it.” Notable Safety Tawfiq Byard will sit out the first half of Saturday’s game against West Virginia because of a targeting penalty against Arizona. “It’s going to affect us, but we’ve got to prepare for it,” Sanders said. … With the Buffs giving up 53 and 52 points in the last two games, this is the first time since at least his childhood in Florida in the 1980s that Sanders has been on a team – as a player or coach – that gave up 50 points in back-to-back games.
