Key Points:
- Colorado has fallen to 3-5 after a humiliating 53-7 loss to Utah in Week 9.
- Deion Sanders brought in NFL legend Ray Lewis to speak to the team.
- Colorado has lost three out of its last four games.
Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have hit a rough patch in what is the Pro Football Hall of Fame corner’s third year coaching in Boulder.
The Buffs are heading into their Week 10 matchup against the Arizona Wildcats (4-3), sitting at 3-5 on the season, and having lost three out of their last four games. Although there were moments against BYU and TCU where Colorado had chances to win, the most painful of the three losses had to have come against the Utah Utes this past Saturday.
With the team riding high off a win over Week 7 No. 22 Iowa State and coming off a bye week, the Buffs went into the Rumble in the Rockies with the hopes of upsetting another top-tier Big 12 rival. Instead, Utah and true freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin ended up embarrassing the Buffs, blowing them out 53-7 in a game that saw Colorado down by 43 points at the half.
With the season hanging in the balance, Sanders leaned on an NFL connection of his and had former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Ray Lewis speak to the team ahead of its Week 10 meeting with Arizona.
Ray Lewis gives Colorado players a reality check
Lewis, known for his tenacity and undeniable passion, made it clear to the Colorado players that, regardless of who is coaching them, if they are unwilling to put in the work on their own, they will not see results.
“I don’t care how many gold jackets (Hall of Fame coaches) you got in this room,” Lewis said. “If you do not do your part, faith without works is dead. Now, we got to get busy, and getting busy requires one thing…Get your (expletive) up and get moving every day of your life.”
While the modern athletes are dealing with a whole new monster of criticism when it comes to social media, it’s hard not to be inspired or listen to someone of Lewis’ stature. The NFL legend is a two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time All-Pro and was a part of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team.
Colorado will be tested as its quest for bowl eligibility continues
While Utah did most of their damage on the ground, rushing for 422 yards in the Week 9 win, Arizona is home to one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12, in Noah Fifita.
The former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year has had a major resurgence this season after throwing 18 touchdowns and 12 picks a year ago. The Southern California native has tossed for 1,829 yards and 17 touchdowns to just four interceptions this season, while completing 66% of his passes.
According to ESPN BET, the Wildcats are 4.5-point favorites despite the game being in Boulder, with ESPN’s Matchup Predictor giving Arizona a 57.9% chance of winning.
With both programs chasing bowl eligibility and running out of time for that sixth win, this game is crucial to say the least. The game will kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET and air on FS1.