Internal communication gaps, rising penalties, and volatile player conduct fuel scrutiny in Boulder as Coach Prime prepares his squad for a showdown against 12th-ranked Texas Tech.
“I haven’t talked to JuJu,” Sanders said in a press conference after the Baylor game. “I talked to Isaac.”
That quote from Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders came on Tuesday. The game was played on the previous Saturday. It is peculiar that the head coach had not spoken to a starting QB at any point. Perhaps this is normal inside the walls of rooms we are not permitted into. However, it does beg the question, why is Sanders having quarterback room conversations without one of his quarterbacks? Even if Isaac Wilson is going to start vs. Texas Tech, why not share that information with Julian Lewis or both of them at the same time? This isn't normal on any level.
“I’m not going to say lack of discipline”
Sanders was asked about the uptick in penalties. He claimed it's not a discipline problem. When most of those penalties are pre-snap penalties, holds and pass interference calls, how could it possibly be anything else? When a team does not commit these sorts of penalties, they are called a ‘disciplined team’. Whenever a team has this problem, it is universally considered a discipline problem. Not disciplined enough to not commit those penalties.
“Boo is the last guy I’m worried about”
This response came after being questioned about Boo Carter being almost involved in a post-play physical altercation with an opposing player for the second consecutive week. No one is worried about Boo Carter the player. The hero of week 1 is objectively one of the Buffaloes’ best players. This, however, is about the extracurricular. In either game, had he engaged as it looked he might, he could have been looking at an ejection or potentially more unwanted, preventable penalties. Those seem like factors that should concern the head coach.
Colorado welcomes Texas Tech to Boulder this Saturday. That game is wildly important for the remainder of this season. It is also the first of back-to-back games against ranked opponents in the top 15 nationally. Go 0-2 over the next couple of weeks and the outlook moving forward will be grim. Split those games and there is at least optimism. Win both of those games, as unlikely as that seems, as the outlook on the season looks dramatically better.
No. 12 Texas Tech vs. Colorado will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will broadcast on FOX. This will be the first time the Buffs host the Red Raiders since 2010, when the two schools were originally Big 12 foes.
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