Deion Sanders didn’t like what he saw after Colorado’s 41-7 loss to Northwestern, and it wasn’t just the scoreboard.
The Buffaloes were already reeling from a rough night in which they fell behind 21-0 by halftime after three first-half turnovers, but Sanders said he also noticed some players laughing afterward. That reaction, in his view, crossed a line.
“You did see a couple of guys that I just got on, because I don’t understand how much - how you can have joy in a loss, especially when I’m upset and I’m walking right behind you,” Sanders said. “I don’t understand that.
I can’t never understand that because I want to win every darn thing.
“And I can’t understand how in the world - do you find joy, or you could find a laughing matter, when I’m right behind you walking in. I don’t understand that.”
Sanders said he spoke to those players and made it clear there would be consequences. “I addressed it and I’m gonna put my foot in it, not on it.”
Colorado entered the game 2-0, but the Wildcats quickly took control and never let go. Julian “JuJu” Lewis finished 19 of 29 for 168 yards and one touchdown, with his 50-yard strike to Joseph Williams accounting for the Buffaloes’ only points.
The box score had a few bright spots. Colorado finished with 348 total yards, JaQuail Smith ran for 91 yards, and Williams led the receiving group with 88 yards. But none of that changed the bigger picture: the Buffaloes couldn’t protect the ball, couldn’t build offensive rhythm, and couldn’t respond once Northwestern seized control.
That’s the part Sanders is trying to clean up before Big 12 play begins against Baylor. He said there were “some guys fighting through it, offensively and defensively,” but the message coming out of this loss is about accountability as much as execution.
Colorado has a quick reset ahead, and how it handles Baylor will say plenty about whether this team can tighten up after its first major setback.
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Colorado Faces A New O-Line Concern In Crucial Road Test
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There is a little more uncertainty elsewhere, too, with wide receiver Danny Scudero still working toward possible game participation. For Colorado, the setup adds one more layer of pressure to a matchup where protection, communication and depth up front already loom large, and the final availability picture could still shape how much flexibility the offense has once the game plan starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Coach Prime Just Revived Colorados Biggest Program Question
Deion Sanders future at Colorado has become a financial question as much as a football one, which is exactly why the topic never really goes away around Boulder. Since taking over, Sanders has gone 18-21, and the university doubled down in March 2025 with a five-year, $54 million extension that was funded through athletic department revenues.
Now the school is staring at a projected $27 million athletic department deficit for the 2025-26 fiscal year, and that only sharpens the stakes around any possible coaching change. Colorado would owe as much as $33 million to fire Sanders without cause, depending on timing, a figure that keeps the programs biggest question from being purely about wins and losses. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Lewis Has Colorado Fans Dreaming Bigger Than One Hot Start
Julian Lewis gave Colorado fans plenty to talk about with a record-setting outing against Weber State, completing 17 of 23 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. It was the kind of performance that can light up a fan base in a hurry, and it also offered a glimpse of how dangerous the Buffaloes can look when the offense is clicking under Brennan Marions system.
Joel Klatt pointed out that Lewis is still early in his development and should keep getting better as he gains experience in the offense. The next stretch will tell a lot more about where things stand, with Northwestern and Baylor on deck to provide a much tougher test than Weber State did. [Read more 🡒]