Deion Sanders endured his toughest year as Colorado’s head coach. The Buffaloes finished 3-9 in the 2025 season. Their season ended with a 24-14 loss to Kansas State on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas.
Building on their early struggles, the Buffaloes ended the season in a way Coach Prime did not want, losing five straight games and dropping seven of their last eight. Sanders accepted responsibility for the losing record and pledged to lead a strong comeback next season.
Deion Sanders Speaks Out on Colorado’s Rough 2025 Season
In his last postgame press conference of the season, with the Colorado Buffaloes no longer bowl eligible, Sanders acknowledged Colorado’s standing in the final game. However, they ultimately fell short against a better Kansas State Wildcats team.
Reflecting on the game, he insisted that his Colorado players’ effort against Kansas State demonstrated what they were capable of throughout the entire season. The former NFL star praised Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson for helping his team be in a position to win the game. Johnson went 10 for 17 for 115 yards for Kansas State despite the difficult situation on the field.
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Sanders paid tribute to the fans, who continued to support the Buffaloes despite a down season, and the media, who continued to cover the game until the end of the season despite the team’s second-half slide. He promised to turn the season around next year.
“You don’t have to go easy on me. I’m a big boy. I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Sanders said. “And when I win, I don’t mind a clap. When I lose, I don’t mind a boo. I played this game. I know this game like the back of my hand. I love this game. I love all the ups and downs and ins and outs about it. I’m built for every last bit of it.”
“But if anybody’s built to reconcile and to get this back on course, it’s me. Trust me when I tell you. This was the Last Supper,” he added.
Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter went 14 of 25 for 172 yards with one interception, and Micah Welch ran for 20 yards and scored both touchdowns for the Buffaloes, who were visibly affected by the departures of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Colorado’s most notable win of the season was a 24-17 upset of then-No. 17 Iowa State, but the team absorbed big losses to Utah (52-17), Arizona (52-17), and Arizona State (42-17).
Deion Sanders Pledges To Work Harder During The Offseason
Sanders admitted that the fans and the school deserve better than the 3-9 record they had this season. He promised that he and the coaching staff would work right away to plot a monumental comeback and get the players who would help them dominate the Big 12 Conference and the nation next season.
“This fanbase, this school, and everybody deserve much better than this. They expected much better than this,” he said. “I expected much better than this. We’re gonna give them much better than this, starting tomorrow.”
Another factor that will help the Buffaloes’ efforts next season is freshman Julian Lewis, who opted to redshirt the rest of the season after playing four games. Lewis threw for 589 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions before he was replaced by Liberty transfer Salter, who completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,242 yards with 10 TDs and six interceptions.
Omarion Miller was the team’s top receiver this season with 687 yards and eight TDs, while Micah Welch, Salter, and Dallan Hayden performed the bulk of the rushing duties, combining for 917 yards and eight touchdowns.
The long offseason begins tomorrow for Colorado, as Sanders and the coaching staff will plot their course for a monumental bounce-back season with Coach Prime at center stage.
