CU FOOTBALL

Prime takes blame for CU ‘smelling themselves, getting intoxicated’

Nov 23, 2024, 6:29 PM

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI—The Colorado Buffaloes were rolling as winners of four straight, as the whole college football nation brought their attention back to Boulder, and that may have gotten to Deion Sanders’ team.

Coach Prime diagnosed CU’s issues simply after the team’s 37-21 loss to Kansas—some players simply got way too high on their own supply. It’s that recipe that led to the Jayhawks ‘wanting it more’ as running back Devin Neal went off for nearly 300 all-purpose yards on a Buffs defense that never did get a stop.

“We start smelling ourselves a little bit. That’s what I just told our team,” Sanders said. “We got intoxicated with the success. We got intoxicated with the multitude of articles, and the assumption that we’re this, and the assumption that we’re that, and we did not play cu football, therefore we got our bus kick. It is what it is…They just wanted it more. We were smelling ourselves. They wanted it more. And that’s on me. I can’t let a team that I coach start feeling themselves. Can’t do it.”

 

The Buffaloes have exploded from one win pre-Prime to four wins in year one to a player in the College Football Playoff picture this season. But with a third loss, the hopes are likely dashed and the Big 12 conference is now in chaos whereas it was within CU’s grasp entering the day.

We controlled our own destiny and we fumbled it,” Prime said simply.

Colorado’s offense was mostly fine on the day, as Prime’s son Shedeur Sanders and star Travis Hunter did their thing. Truth is, it was the Buffaloes first beat down in quite some time and all three losses have a standout performance from a running back.

“Well, we tried to handle it in the meetings. Some folks you can’t put behind microphones, and you can’t give them podcasts. You can’t do that because they get intoxicated with the success, and you know who that is. ” Sanders explained further. “So you try your best to eliminate that, but they can’t stop reading the stuff about who we are, that that’s that’s a little tough. So you try to humble everything around you, including yourself…Attention is intoxicating to some people, right? We gotta, we gotta fix that. That’s on me. I gotta fix that.”

Colorado hosts Oklahoma State Friday morning, and they need a win plus some help—and maybe some nose plugs too.

CU Football

Micah Welch #29 of the Colorado Buffaloes...

Trent Finnegan

Pat Shurmur says Colorado’s offense will be similar to last season

The Colorado Buffaloes will have a lot of new faces on the field in 2025, but offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said that there will be a lot of similarities in the offense from a season ago

9 hours ago

BOULDER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 12: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes looks on during the fir...

Trent Finnegan

Travis Hunter has an ultimatum for teams that won’t let him play on both sides of the ball

Travis Hunter proved in 2024 that he's a one-of-a-kind athlete on the gridiron, and the Heisman Trophy winner is making sure that teams know he wants to be playing on both sides of the ball in the pros

11 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders #2 tosses the ball to Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes...

Trent Finnegan

Latest mock has the Denver Broncos adding a talented WR, Buffs’ stars landing in different spots

In this week's latest mock draft from ESPN draft experts, the Denver Broncos are selecting different weapons on the offensive side of the ball while the two CU stars find different homes

7 days ago

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders Big 12...

Trent Finnegan

Colorado stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter shine at CU NFL Showcase in front of NFL scouts

Colorado football stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders put their skills on display for NFL Scouts and personnel at the 2025 CU NFL Showcase

11 days ago

Travis Hunter award...

Trent Finnegan

ESPN analyst says teams will view Travis Hunter as a cornerback in upcoming NFL Draft

Travis Hunter was a superstar on both sides of the football in college with the Colorado Buffaloes, but many draft analysts think teams with view him more as a cornerback than a receiver

13 days ago

Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes, playing for Coach Prime...

Trent Finnegan

New mock draft has Buffs’ stars going high, Broncos adding offensive weapons for Bo Nix

The latest mock draft from ESPN's Field Yates has the Denver Broncos adding offensive weapons in the first two rounds and the two Colorado superstars going in the top five

13 days ago

Prime takes blame for CU ‘smelling themselves, getting intoxicated’