Colorado put 52 points on the board and blew out Weber State by 31 points in Week 2, but inside the post-game room, Coach Prime looked like a man who had just lost. Most head coaches would light up after an explosive victory, yet Deion Sanders openly refused to celebrate, making it clear that putting up half a hundred points still fell short of his offensive standard.
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For Sanders, there is no place for mediocrity at Boulder, now more than ever as he plans an explosive comeback after years of hardship. Coach Prime is undoubtedly a legendary defensive player, but he is setting a new identity for the offense. Despite the smooth victory, quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis has a long way to go.
“We only scored 52 points, which should’ve been a lot more productivity and a lot more expectations of the productivity,” he told the media in a post-game session on September 13. “We didn’t get it done what we want to get done. There’s no way that we’re satisfied with the outcome.”
DNVR shared the coach’s comments in an X post on September 13. Coach Prime’s comments highlight the high bar he has set for his team. This perhaps surpasses the expectations fans had of him and his squad after four seasons without a title.
For Coach Prime, this public tough-love isn’t anything new. It’s just how he operates. Throughout his coaching career, Sanders has rarely cared about the final scoreboard; he cares about execution on every single drive.
Inside his locker room, the standard isn’t just winning comfortably; it’s putting up flawless, high-octane drives on almost every possession. When he looks at 52 points, he doesn’t see a blowout win; he sees the leftover points his offense left on the turf due to small mistakes and missed assignments.
In Week 1, the offense led the Buffs in pulling off an incredible upset in the last quarter to win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 14-13. That was not the case this time around.
Lewis was a formidable force from the get-go against the Wildcats. That is why Sanders is upset, since he knew the 18-year-old dual-threat quarterback’s standout capabilities. Especially when Lewis set Colorado production records, proving he is the worthy successor to Shedeur Sanders.
On September 13, Lewis surpassed Deion Sanders’s son and the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback by posting a 311.1 passing efficiency rating in a single half. Shedeur’s efficiency record stood at 281.3.
However, Lewis is trailing behind Shedeur in a different aspect and is likely to catch up real soon. On3/Rivals’ Buffs’ expert Brian Howell shared the list of the longest streaks of passes without an INT in Colorado history:
1. Steven Montez, 2017 – 172
2. Sefo Liufau, 2015-16 – 152
3. Shedeur Sanders, 2023-24 – 145
4. JuJu Lewis, 2025-current – 144
Lewis is the first Buffs quarterback to throw three touchdown passes in a quarter since Sefo Liufau in 2014. He ended the game with 366 yards, four passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. The offense outdid itself, showing Sanders that greatness is within their reach.
Lewis and Co. put up other big numbers too. DeAndre Moore set the tone for the game with his 66-yard touchdown. Second-year QB Joseph Williams added a 63-yard TD, giving the Buffs a 14-0 lead, which was followed by Lewis’ 48-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Campbell. In the opening 15 minutes, Lewis had amassed 212 passing yards, which is now Colorado’s record for most passing yards in a quarter.
In retrospect, Coach Prime might’ve been greedy. After all, 52 points is not a small feat to achieve. Moreover, he may have misplaced the blame entirely on the offense when the defense’s weakness showed on the field.
Week 1 didn’t put the secondary to as much of a test as the Wildcats did. And the performance was concerning. The Wildcats targeted Makari Vickers early, forcing Sanders to adjust coverage to the point that Sanders had to make personnel adjustments.
Yet he fell short. It resulted in DB Boo Carter moving to slot/nickel, whereas Jason Stokes Jr. took over at the cornerback opposite Cree Thomas. The Buffs managed to get their first interception of the season at the hands of safety Randon Fontentte, which also marked his first Colorado interception.
The intention behind Sanders’ stance on the offense’s performance is unknown. While a lack of praise might confuse fans, one thing is clear. Sanders will not celebrate individual victories because his eyes are on the bigger prize.