Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) arrives to play the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders arrives at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., to play the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on his walk around the field before the Buffs played the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders talks with his son Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes safety Jahquez Robinson (8), left, and Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) tackle Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) in the first quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) gets past Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) for a touchdown in the first quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) celebrates his touchdown against Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) in the first quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) under pressure from Oregon Ducks linebacker Jamal Hill (9) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks running back Bucky Irving (0) hops over Colorado Buffaloes safety Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig (7) in the second quarter for a first down at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) catches a pass for a touchdown against Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Jay (4) in the second quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) catches a pass for a touchdown against Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Jay (4) in the second quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) gets hoisted in the air by teammates after a successful two-point conversion against the Colorado Buffaloes in the second quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) gets sacked by Oregon Ducks linebacker Mase Funa (18), left, and Jamal Hill (9) in the third quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) under pressure from and sacked by Oregon Ducks defensive back Evan Williams (33) in the third quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) looks to the referee after getting sacked by the Oregon Ducks in the third quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) on the bench late in the third quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. Colorado Buffaloes offensive tackle Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan (69), left, sits next to Sanders. The Buffs lost 42-6. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders walks away from a huddle with his team during a stoppage in play against the Oregon Ducks in the second quarter at Autzen Stadium September 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes running back Dylan Edwards (3) Oregon Ducks defensive back Khyree Jackson (5) in the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) gets helmet twisted on a face mask penalty on Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Jordan Domineck (44) in the third quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Traeshon Holden (5) gets a first down against Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) in the third quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) on a keeper under pressure from Oregon Ducks defensive tackle Popo Aumavae (50) in the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado wide receiver Xavier Weaver (10) gets wrapped up by Oregon Ducks defensive back Trikweze Bridges (11) and linebacker Emar'rion Winston (32) in the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
The Oregon Ducks celebrate to the song “Shout” during a stoppage of play at the start of the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes running back Anthony Hankerson (9) stands on the sidelines late in the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. The Buffs lost 42-6. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks off the field after losing to the Oregon Ducks 42-6 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) arrives to play the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
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By Andy Cross | across@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED:
Getting your player ready...
EUGENE, Ore. — Even at 3-0, darlings of the nation, Deion Sanders warned those jumping onto the Buffs Bandwagon — some seats might’ve just come open, by the way — that CU was still about a half-dozen or so “dawgs” away from where he wanted the program to be.
On Saturday, it became painfully clear, right away, that most of those missing pieces are along the offensive and defensive lines.
The Buffs allowed 240 rushing yards — 161 in the first half alone — and 522 yards of total offense to the , who scored on five of their first six possessions, led 35-0 at the half and cruised to a 42-6 win over the No. 19 Buffs.
“I think that was a good old fashioned butt-kicking,” Sanders, the Buffs’ first-year coach, said after suffering his first loss at CU and largest margin of defeat ever as a college coach. “No excuses. No nothing. Their coaches did a heck of a job preparing their team. Obviously, we didn’t. I mean, that was a really good, old-fashioned butt-kicking.”
