Deion Sanders didn’t spend much time sugarcoating what Colorado is walking into this weekend.
Fresh off the bye week and back in front of reporters Tuesday, the Buffaloes coach made it clear that the challenge posed by No. 11 Utah sits at the top of the list, even with No.
10 Texas Tech ranked higher in the AP Top 25 Poll and the Red Raiders drawing plenty of attention in the Big 12. Sanders said his team is staring at what he considers its toughest matchup of the season when Utah comes to Folsom Field on Saturday.
Sanders had plenty of praise for Utah coach Morgan Scalley, and he didn’t hold back on the respect factor.
"He (Scalley) was a dog when he played, he was an unbelievable coordinator. Now he's a tremendous head coach.
Utmost respect, utmost respect. . . . He's replacing a legend, man.
That's not easy, and he hadn't missed a beat," Sanders said.
He then turned to the Utes themselves, describing a defense that comes at opponents from every direction and thrives off the pressure created by Utah’s offense.
"Gonna be a daunting task, offensively, there. They get after it there defensively, they get after it there there.
They really feed off of, because they scoring points offensively, so the defense is pinning their ears back, they're going at you, they blitz and they're coming from North, South, East and West. And they're really a darn good football team, probably the best team we're gonna face this season," the Colorado coach continued.
The matchup comes after Utah dropped its game against Texas Tech before the bye week, and it will be the second ranked opponent to travel to Boulder and face the Buffaloes. The numbers only reinforce why Sanders is bracing for a rough night.
Utah is averaging 42.8 points per game on offense and owns the best scoring defense in the Big 12, allowing just 13 points per game. Colorado’s offensive issues have only added to the concern, and the Buffs may have trouble generating much regardless of who lines up at quarterback.
That quarterback situation has been unsettled from the start. Julian Lewis opened the season as Colorado’s starter, but the staff turned to Isaac Wilson in the loss to Baylor.
Freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne has also seen action, completing eight of his 12 pass attempts so far this year. Sanders said Wilson will be starting again instead of Julian Lewis.
The betting market is reflecting the gap, too. DraftKings Sportsbook lists Utah as a 15.5-point favorite, with Colorado sitting at +525 on the moneyline and Utah at -720. DraftKings also has Colorado’s team total at 16.5 points, a tough number to look at when the Buffaloes have averaged just 9.0 points per game over their last three games.
In Other News...
Colorado Fans Are Paying A Premium For One Home Game
Colorados home date with Utah is shaping up to be the priciest ticket on the Buffaloes schedule, a sign of how much weight this matchup carries in Boulder. The start of Family Weekend only adds to the draw, and the combination of rivalry interest and broad demand has pushed the game well above Colorados other home dates against teams like Texas Tech, Kansas State, Houston and UCF.
The secondary market has only reinforced how hot the game has become, with fans willing to pay a premium just to get in the door. For Utah, it is another reminder that road games in this matchup tend to bring a little extra edge, even before the teams take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Faces A Familiar Isaac Wilson Problem Against Utah
Colorados quarterback situation has a familiar Utah wrinkle heading into the matchup, with Isaac Wilson now lining up for the Buffaloes after transferring out of Salt Lake City. Utah defensive staffer Morgan Scalley talked this week about Wilsons arm talent and the challenge he brings, a conversation that naturally carries extra weight when a former Ute is on the other sideline and a former Utah cornerback, Jason Stokes Jr., is there too.
Scalleys larger point was less about one player than about the matchup itself. Utah knows Wilson well enough to have a feel for what he does best, and Colorados offense will have to work as a unit if it wants to avoid letting familiarity become a problem. For Wilson, the stage is set for a game against the program that helped shape him, with plenty of eyes on how he handles the old connection. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Has Even More Reason To Watch Colorado This Week
Colorados week leading into Utah got a little more interesting after Deion Sanders was asked about the booklet of offensive plays Texas Tech fans said they found at the team hotel before the game. Sanders brushed off the episode and even raised questions about whether the pages were a real script at all, turning what could have been a bigger distraction into another bit of noise around a Colorado team already trying to steady itself.
For Utah, the more relevant development is at quarterback. Isaac Wilson, the junior who transferred from Utah, is set to start against his former team after making his first career start for Colorado in the loss to Texas Tech. His return to Salt Lake City adds another layer to a matchup that already had plenty of intrigue, with the Utes now watching both the opposing sideline and a familiar face under center. [Read more 🡒]