Coach Prime has high expectations for the Buffaloes next season
Deion Sanders thinks the Buffaloes will have a winning record next season with the talent level on his Colorado squad.
Sports Seriously
BOULDER, Colo. – The weather was so wet and rainy here Saturday that Colorado’s famous bison mascot wasn’t allowed to run.
Ralphie was kept off the football field for her own safety, lest she slip and hurt herself. But that didn’t stop head coach Deion Sanders from rolling out an early version of his second team at Colorado in the Buffaloes’ annual spring intrasquad game at Folsom Field. He even addressed the poncho-wearing crowd before the game and renewed his vow to go to a bowl game this year for the sake of Colorado’s 99-year-old superfan, Peggy Coppom.
“God bless all of you,” he said into the stadium microphone. “I would be remiss not to start our season out… without acknowledging the beautiful Miss Peggy. Where are you at girl? Where’s Peggy? Peggy, wherever you are, we love you. “We appreciate you and our goal is we’re going to get you to a bowl game, lady.”
Using an unconventional scoring system, the offense beat the defense, 29-24, in an abbreviated glorified practice. Sanders’ quarterback son Shedeur Sanders threw the first touchdown of the game, which used a running clock and lasted only two quarters for scrimmage play. He rifled a 19-yard pass to one of the new transfer teammates he helped recruit to the team – LaJohntay Wester from Florida Atlantic.
The offense later widened its lead on a 40-yard run by Isaiah Hardge, a cornerback who was playing running back to make up for recent defections at that position in the transfer portal.
Unconventional scoring system
The game was the 15th and final practice of the spring season for Colorado. It pitted the first-team offense against the second-team defense and the first-team defense against the second-team offense.
A touchdown counted for six points, as usual, but a 20-yard play also counted for two points. A drive of eight plays or more was worth one point.
On defense, a takeaway counted for six points, a pass breakup counted for two, a sack was worth three, a three-and-out possession counted for one and a blocked kick was worth three.
The defense later came back to chip away at the league with key stops, including a three-point sack by defensive tackle Shane Cokes.
After two quarters, the practice switched to seven-on-seven drills with a running clock.
No attendance was immediately announced, but about 24,000 tickets were distributed for the game.
Coach Prime’s big weekend
Deion Sanders served as one of the judges at a talent show Thursday where 20 groups and performers competed for a $4,200 cash prize in front of a small but energetic crowd at the CU Events Center. The free-admission show featured a number of creative and uplifting music and dance performances, but a poor sound system and technical difficulties often marred the event titled “Prime’s Got Talent.”
The competition ended in a two-way tie between a country music band and a young woman whose song and guitar performance was so disrupted by glitches with the sound system that Sanders thanked her for her patience and perseverance. The winners’ names were not available. Each received $2,100 in cash on stage.
Other judges included former NFL receiver Terrell Owens and the NELK boys, who are known for their pranks and YouTube videos. Rapper Boosie BadAzz also performed as a special guest at the end of the show.
A concert performance by Lil Wayne was scheduled to follow the spring game Saturday at the same campus arena.
