Deion Sanders has brought in the NFL energy. Last year was disappointing for the Buffs and Coach Prime. While the team did improve from the 1-11 run to a 4-8 run, the offense left much to be desired. Shedeur Sanders was marked as the most sacked QB because of the abysmal O-line and Deion had a tough time keeping up with the rest of the games on the schedule. However, one aspect which doesn’t get enough attention is the defense.

The defensive line was awful. Giving up almost 35 points in 4 of their first 5 games. So, Deion did what Deion had to do. On the September 20th episode of DNVR Sports, the main discussion was the risk Coach Prime took, that is changing CU Buffs’ entire trajectory. “When Sean Kelly left for Auburn, Coach Prime had a big decision to make, and he took a massive risk trusting the defense to a first-time play-caller,” DNVR host mentioned. Coach Prime had brought in Cincinnati Bengals coach Robert Livingstone to take up Kelly’s role and boy oh boy, is it paying off.

This year the Buffs have only allowed 13 of 40 3rd downs (32%). Huskers, a team that has arguably the best scoring defense right now, also has the same percentage. The moment Shilo Sanders was out of the game because of his injury, Carter Stoutmire stepped in without skipping a beat and held the pace. Yes, it is true that the Buffs lost that game but from the 3rd quarter, we could see the defense getting much stronger and allowing much fewer plays.

“Livingston’s ability to find players and develop them is showing up already. He understands the traits needed to play safety, and Carter is a great example of that,” Scott from DNVR mentioned. Going from 35 points in the first 4 games to not even allowing opponents to reach 30 points is a huge improvement for the team and all the credit goes to Livingstone. However, right now, the offense remains the main concern.

The season opener against NDSU was the first red flag and the loss to the Huskers was the second red flag. During both games, we saw the O-line allowing Shedeur to get locked out way too many times. It was so bad against the Huskers that the Buffs were on negative rushing yards during the first 2 quarters of the game. It felt as if Deion’s revamping the entire O-line with 6 new offensive linemen just wasn’t good enough. However, the Rocky Mountain Showdown bore witness to the winds changing.

Can Deion Sanders finally relax?

While the game against the Rams did start off slow, the 2nd quarter was when all the explosive plays began. Shedeur Sanders managed to lock in 4 TDs, and Travis Hunter had one heck of a run. With 2 touchdowns, 13 catches, and 1 defensive interception, Hunter managed to change the entire feel of the game. However, you also gotta give the offense some credit.

This time around, they did everything right. Shedeur was well protected and there was more than enough pressure on the Rams’ QB. The only touchdown that the Buffs allowed was deep into the 4th quarter. Before that, they managed to lock in the Rams’ QB with ease. So, it looks like the Buffs are finally on the right track. Let’s just hope this pace remains as the September 22nd game against Baylor inches closer.

But do you know what else you should keep an eye on other than the next Buffs game? The EssentiallySports Think Tank interview with Doug Sanders.