Deion Sanders Laments Colorado's 2nd Losing Season in 3 Years, 'Not Who We Are'

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders believes his team is better than is reflected by their 3-7 record in 2025.

The Buffaloes lost 29-22 to West Virginia on Saturday in a defeat that technically eliminated the program from bowl eligibility.

"This is not who we are. We better than this, and they deserve better than this," Sanders told reporters after Saturday's loss. "I want better than this. I feel like I've coached better than this. I feel like we got players that are so much better than what the production that we're putting out."

Sanders continued, "So then you've gotta identify the coaches, that's us. And that starts with me. Because I feel like we've got the nucleus inside the locker room that we should be getting it done.

"I don't think we've played a team that's athletically and physically better than us. I really don't. I stand on that."

Colorado went 4-8 in the program's first season under Sanders, then improved to 9-4 in 2024 behind quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

The 2025 team has already clinched a losing season, with the program's only conference win coming on Oct. 11 against No. 22 Iowa State.

The Buffaloes have now lost three straight games, although Saturday's result marked the program's closest result in almost a month. Colorado entered the game having been outscored 105-24 in back-to-back losses at Utah and against visiting Arizona.

Sanders decided to change things up ahead of the matchup with WVU by turning to freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who is set to burn his redshirt by starting the Buffaloes' final three games of the season.

Colorado had the chance to take the lead Saturday after picking off WVU quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. on back-to-back drives. The Buffaloes, however, were only able to get one touchdown out of that pair of interceptions.

The team got another shot at a potential tying touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but was forced to settle for a field goal after Lewis threw a third-down incompletion.

Sanders' all-time record as the program's head coach will now fall to 16-19. More than half of those wins took place in 2024.

That has still marked an overall improvement for Colorado's prospects prior to 2023. The program went 1-11 before hiring Sanders away from Jackson State.

Sanders is currently signed through 2029 thanks to a five-year, $54 million extension he signed ahead of the season, per ESPN's Heather Dinich.

The third-year head coach is earning $10 million this season and is currently working under a $12 million buyout, Dinich reported.

Sanders will look to prove his team has more depth than has been displayed on the field so far when Lewis returns to Colorado for the first home start of his career during a Nov. 22 game against visiting Arizona State.