?Playing Without My Son?: Coach Prime Reflects on Coaching Colorado Without His Star Quarterback Shedeur Sanders

After beginning the season with an impressive 3-0 record, Colorado just lost their final season game against the Utah Utes in a heartbreaking 23-17 defeat. But the atmosphere was different for Coach Prime Deion Sanders as they played at Rice-Eccles Stadium without his star QB son Shedeur Sanders.?

This is the first time Shedeur Sanders has missed a whole game this season. The last injury that he sustained during the Washington State game got in the way of his final game appearance. But this recent defeat renders a final blow to Deion Sanders’ first year as Colorado’s head coach.?

“It wasn’t easy” – Deion Sanders on game without Shedeur Sanders

Coach Prime Deion Sanders has stated in the past that the father-son duo has never played a game without each other. The only exception was the time when they were in Jackson and Deion got hospitalized for a month. That was the only game his son played without him. Deion Sanders said that the last game “wasn’t easy” as it was the first time “playing without my son“.

In the previous 56-14 blowout defeat against Washington State, Shedeur Sanders injured his ankle and arm leading freshman Ryan Staub to take his position as the team’s QB. According to Coach Prime, the 21-year-old quarterback was feeling a numbness in his throwing hand that was hampering his gripping abilities. Fans were concerned if Shedeur Sanders would make it to the game, but it was not to be.?

Colorado falls to Utah in their final season game

Following an injury in the last game against Washington State, Shedeur Sanders sat out the last game as Ryan Staub took his place. Considering his first season as the starting QB, he performed in the last game with 195 passing yards and one touchdown. But it wasn’t enough to secure a win against the Utah Utes who are also playing their fifth-string QB.?

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Walk-on Utah QB Luke Bottari was on fire in his first career start finishing the game with a 60% completion rate and two touchdowns. In the end, the Utes delivered their final 23-17 blow putting an end to the regular season as Coach Prime and the Buffaloes crawled out from the mess with an overall record of 4-8.?

With Colorado losing again in their final season game, they finished 12th in the Pac-12 for the 2023 season. But even as the season ends for Coach Prime Deion Sanders and Colorado on a note we would want to change, it still is an impressive improvement from their dreary 1-11 season record last year.?

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