Deion Sanders Says Colorado Played Like 'Hot Garbage' in 'Butt Kicking' vs. Oregon

Oregon led Colorado 35-0 at halftime en route to a 42-6 win, and Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders didn't mince words in his postgame press conference.

"A good, old-fashioned butt kicking," Sanders said, per David Ubben of The Athletic. "No excuses. Their coaches did a good job preparing their team. Obviously, we didn't."

Sanders also said his team played like "hot garbage," per Ubben.

"That surprised me," Sanders added. "I didn't expect that."

Oregon dominated Colorado from the opening kickoff and never looked back, amassing 378 yards from scrimmage to Colorado's 23 by halftime.

Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who's considered one of the best defensive backs and returners in NFL history, coached Jackson State from 2020-2022 and led the Tigers to a 25-6 record and two SWAC titles.

He then left JSU for a Colorado team that went just 1-11 the year before. Sanders' Buffaloes entered this year with a tremendous amount of attention and hype, and the team met it and then some after a 3-0 start which included a season-opening upset win over No. 17 TCU.

Sanders overhauled the roster through the transfer portal and brought along two superstars in his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and two-way athlete Travis Hunter to CU. They looked sensational through those three games, and CU entered the Oregon matchup riding an incredible high.

But Oregon leveled Colorado with a first-round knockout on Saturday. Now the Buffaloes must figure out how to respond to this adversity.

For his part, Sanders still has a bright outlook for the future.

"You better get me right now," Sanders said postgame. This is the worst we're going to be."

He also told reporters that he's encouraged his team to move forward and not throw themselves a "pity party."

"Get your butt up and let's go," Sanders said. "We ain't got time to have a pity party. Ain't nobody walking around the locker room with napkins and tissues."

It'll be tough enough without Hunter for at least two more games due to a lacerated liver, and the team's offensive line and defensive struggles are hurting a team with great talent at the skill positions.

Moreover, the Buffaloes have five other Top 25 teams left on the ledger in USC, UCLA, Oregon State, Washington State and Utah.

But Sanders appears up to the challenge. All things considered, a 3-1 start is impressive considering that this team has already tripled its win total from last year with eight games still remaining.

He also had a message for any naysayers who said that his confident team needed to be humbled.

"It's not something we needed," Sanders said. "That's like saying we needed a car wreck. It's like saying you needed that. That's stupid."

Sanders will look to lead CU to a bounce-back performance Saturday when his Buffaloes host reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams and the No. 5 USC Trojans on Saturday at noon ET.