Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders was not happy with his team or his coaching staff on Friday night after his team dropped its home opener against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 27-20.
Coach Prime didn’t like the play-calling. He didn’t like the execution. But it wasn’t something that’s being held against Pat Shurmur.
As the Denver Post’s Troy Renck relayed, the offensive line’s lack of protection is forcing Shurmur’s hand. That comes from a lack of recruiting wins in the trenches, something that’s beyond Shurmur’s control.
“The Buffs keep saying the right things. But for this team, it’s about doing them. About eliminating the need for Shurmur to be creative by winning in the trenches,” Renck wrote.
“How does this team want to be viewed? How does it want to be remembered? The identity must come from bare-knuckles, not highlights that lead to retired numbers.”
Shurmur was in the hot seat, but Denver’s biggest major newspaper having his back is a good sign for an offensive coordinator who needs to prove he was more than just a Shedeur Sanders whisperer.
As for Marshall Faulk, the Buffs’ new running backs coach helped the room achieve its third-highest rushing total since Coach Prime arrived in Boulder.
Sanders acknowledged the room’s contributions postgame.
“Offensively, you are probably saying they should have run it more,” Sanders said. “You saw what we have been talking about with the offensive line.”
Offensively, there’s a long way to go for the Buffs, particularly at the quarterback position. Kaidon Salter looked jittery, and Julian Lewis may not be willing to wait on the bench all year for a chance if the team looks like they can use him now.
The program might’ve spent nearly $2 million on Shedeur replacements, only to have found none.
But for now, the boat doesn’t appear set to be rocking anytime soon. Sanders believes if his team could’ve made Georgia Tech pay for their turnovers, Colorado could’ve won that game. And he’s right.