The Deion Sanders era of Colorado football started with a bang Saturday after the Buffaloes knocked off No. 17 TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, handing Sanders a victory in his FBS coaching debut after Colorado entered the game as a three-touchdown underdog. But ahead of the 45-42 victory against the Horned Frogs was a must-see locker room speech by Sanders as a new chapter began for the Buffaloes.
Sanders, in the video that surfaced Sunday morning, repeatedly told players that Saturday was "about us" before later declaring the Buffaloes "ain't coming no more;" a reference to the phrase "We comin'" that Sanders frequented in the offseason amid an unprecedented roster overhaul. Sanders then gave the cue for his "theme music" before the Buffaloes went out and recorded a victory that had all of college football buzzing.
"It's not about them, it's about us," Sanders told his team before the game. "This has nothing to do with [TCU], this is about us. This ain't got nothing to with the naysayers, the unbelievers, the haters or the doubters, this is about us. ... We ain't got tomorrow, we've got now. We ain't got next, we've got now. We ain't comin' no more."
Colorado consistently made key plays on both sides of the ball, but it was ultimately the Buffaloes' offense that stole the show. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who followed his father from Jackson State to Colorado in the offseason, threw for a program record 510 yards in the victory as four Buffaloes players finished the day catching for more than 100 yards. That included wide receiver Dylan Edwards and two-way star Travis Hunter, who also had a critical red zone interception in the win.
With potential to crack the AP rankings later this week, Sanders and the Buffaloes now return home to host longtime former conference foe Nebraska in Week 2. The schools last met in Week 2 of the 2019 season at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, with the Buffaloes posting a 34-31 victory in overtime against the Cornhuskers.