Head coach Deion Sanders wants more intensity, passion from CU Buffs

At a crew meeting on Tuesday morning Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders had a simple question for his players Are you underachieving or overachieving Sanders sought his players There s only one answer or the other he noted Related Articles Big fines reprimands CU Buffs for religious slurs by fans during BYU challenge Pac- bowl picks How USC s loss impacts Notre Dame entire CFP process CU s Deion Sanders Buffs cornerbacks gotta play better CSU Rams head coach Jay Norvell turning play calling duties over to Matt Mumme Road ahead gets tougher for Coach Prime s struggling CU Buffs Individually there are particular players who could answer that question differently but as a collective unit the answer is fairly easy At - - Big CU hasn t met the expectations it had coming into this season but hopes to turn that around with a visit to TCU - - on Saturday p m Fox Why the Buffs aren t playing to their foreseen is an answer Sanders is still trying to solve If I had that answer man it d be worth a lot of money because I think a multitude of us coaches are asking that same question he revealed We know what we need to do We just gotta do it We know exactly what we need to do We just gotta do it It s not a mystery CU enters this week coming off a - loss to then-No BYU now No It was the second one-score loss this season to a top- opponent In the opener CU lost - to unranked Georgia Tech which is now - and ranked No I feel like we have a pretty darn good football unit even though the record don t display that Sanders stated Two games to ranked opponents by points in total makes us think Darn a play here and play there we get it going Offensively particularly in the Georgia Tech and BYU games the Buffs haven t come up with enough key plays at key moments Against Georgia Tech quarterback Kaidon Salter led the Buffs to a quick - lead less than three minutes into the challenge The Buffs discovered the end zone just one more time in the last minutes and failed on two crucial drives late in the encounter Against BYU Salter and the offense were impressive in building a - lead less than minutes in In the last minutes CU scored seven points and managed just total yards in its last three possessions all with a chance to win or tie the championship I want them to play like their life is on the line like their careers are on the line like the payment for a car is on the line the payment for a home is on the line like they have children depending on them and specific do Sanders declared of his message to the offense this week I just want them to play with full intensity and passion And when you walk off that field you look back and say I gave my all That s all any coach wants That s all I desire That same message could apply to the defense which has had chosen good moments but not enough BYU had its lowest point total of the season against CU while Georgia Tech had his second-lowest against the Buffs But both teams put together fourth quarter drives to win the battle CU s also been vulnerable to giving up big plays to the opposition Sanders explained he s pleased with the defensive line but added We ve just got to play better at the linebacker position and the secondary We got to play better While players are underachieving Sanders pointed the finger at himself too I am as well because I m part of it he revealed adding that he requirements to be more demanding That s what I ve been the last two weeks more demanding of what I want to see I m going to see what I want to see We re going to do it over and over and over until I see it That goes for practice and Sanders hopes that goes for meeting day too because he still believes the Buffs have likely to get more positive results going forward No one could have explained me we d be sitting where I m sitting right now with the record that we possess because of the talent that we have inside that locker room he announced But I ve learned that talent just don t win games alone It takes heart it takes determination it takes that dawg it takes the knowledge it takes the preparation that want-to and that desire I will take that any day over talent Want more sports news Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver s teams