Coach Prime: Buffs Not Satisfied As Northwestern Trip Awaits
September 15, 2026 | Football
BOULDER — Two wins into the season, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders made it clear Tuesday that a good start isn't the finish line he has in mind.
"I'm not here just to have a winning season," Coach Prime said. "I want a winning season, but I want bigger than that. We're here to win it, man."
Colorado (2-0) heads to Evanston, Ill., for Saturday's 5:30 p.m. MT kickoff at Northwestern on FOX, the first of back-to-back road games. Coach Prime expects a physical, disciplined opponent that had two weeks to prepare, and he welcomed the assignment.
"They had two weeks to prepare for us," Coach Prime said. "I like it. Â I like this task for us. I really do."
Don't expect the underdog label to show up in his locker room.
"I don't want to comment on underdogs and none of that, because I'm not a betting man, and I don't think the kids give a darn about that," Coach Prime said. "And I'm not going to use that to propel them. If I got to use that to propel them and get them encouraged to go at it, something's wrong with us."
Coach Prime opened the session by running through the week's honors: quarterback Julian Lewis' Big 12 and Manning Award recognition, wide receiver Joseph Williams' nod from the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, and PFF National Team of the Week selections for defensive end Toby Anene and defensive back Jah Jah Boyd.
He also said Saturday's win over Weber State left plenty to clean up.
"I didn't feel like we were successful a week ago," Coach Prime said. "We could have done better."
Lewis 'Coming'
Asked about Lewis' growth as a leader — including taking his offensive linemen to dinner — Coach Prime returned to a familiar phrase.
"He's coming," Coach Prime said. "You guys made mockery when I said he's coming around the mountain, right? Remember that? He's coming. You can't expect certain things to happen expeditiously, because he hadn't played a lot of football at this level. But he's coming."
The dinner, he said, was the right instinct.
"That's a wonderful way to get relationships started," Coach Prime said. "It really is. But you got to manage those and keep those going, and that's a task, and we got to do that. But I love it."
Up Front, And On The Headset
The offensive line has set the tone for a run game Coach Prime called consistent through two weeks.
"They've been physical," Coach Prime said. "They've been aggressive."
He credited offensive coordinator Brennan Marion's play-calling and paired him with defensive coordinator Chris Marve in his highest praise of the day.
"I feel like we have two of the best coordinators in the game of college football," Coach Prime said. "We really do."
"He's innovative, creative, dawg," Coach Prime said of Marion. "I mean, if you hear the conversations on the headset, he understands what he wants."
'They're Gonna Come In Bunches'
Anene has been a steady source of pressure without the sack total to match, and Coach Prime said that eats at the fifth-year edge rusher.
"He gets frustrated because he hadn't rattled up those sack totals like he desires," Coach Prime said. "But it's not for lack of effort and not for being there. They're gonna come, and when they come, they're gonna come in bunches."
Boo At Corner And Slot
Boo Carter will line up in more than one spot Saturday.
"Boo is going to play corner this week as well as he's going to play the slot," Coach Prime said.
The goal, he said, is value — for Carter and others.
"So any of our guys that we have inside this locker room, we want to find ways to create value for them," Coach Prime said. "And that's what I want to do with not only Boo but some of the others as well."
A Kicker's Swagger
Coach Prime singled out placekicker Elliott Arnold, who handled field goals and kickoffs against Weber State.
"This young man did a wonderful job, not only on field goals but kickoffs, and he got his swagger back," Coach Prime said.
Williams, The Man
Williams, working back from injury, drew some of Coach Prime's warmest words.
"Joseph is a big-time player," Coach Prime said. "He really is."
"So I love what he's accomplishing," he added. "Love who he's becoming as a man — not just a football player, but as a man."
Watch the Press Conference
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"I'm not here just to have a winning season," Coach Prime said. "I want a winning season, but I want bigger than that. We're here to win it, man."
Colorado (2-0) heads to Evanston, Ill., for Saturday's 5:30 p.m. MT kickoff at Northwestern on FOX, the first of back-to-back road games. Coach Prime expects a physical, disciplined opponent that had two weeks to prepare, and he welcomed the assignment.
"They had two weeks to prepare for us," Coach Prime said. "I like it. Â I like this task for us. I really do."
Don't expect the underdog label to show up in his locker room.
"I don't want to comment on underdogs and none of that, because I'm not a betting man, and I don't think the kids give a darn about that," Coach Prime said. "And I'm not going to use that to propel them. If I got to use that to propel them and get them encouraged to go at it, something's wrong with us."
Coach Prime opened the session by running through the week's honors: quarterback Julian Lewis' Big 12 and Manning Award recognition, wide receiver Joseph Williams' nod from the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, and PFF National Team of the Week selections for defensive end Toby Anene and defensive back Jah Jah Boyd.
He also said Saturday's win over Weber State left plenty to clean up.
"I didn't feel like we were successful a week ago," Coach Prime said. "We could have done better."
Lewis 'Coming'
Asked about Lewis' growth as a leader — including taking his offensive linemen to dinner — Coach Prime returned to a familiar phrase.
"He's coming," Coach Prime said. "You guys made mockery when I said he's coming around the mountain, right? Remember that? He's coming. You can't expect certain things to happen expeditiously, because he hadn't played a lot of football at this level. But he's coming."
The dinner, he said, was the right instinct.
"That's a wonderful way to get relationships started," Coach Prime said. "It really is. But you got to manage those and keep those going, and that's a task, and we got to do that. But I love it."
Up Front, And On The Headset
The offensive line has set the tone for a run game Coach Prime called consistent through two weeks.
"They've been physical," Coach Prime said. "They've been aggressive."
He credited offensive coordinator Brennan Marion's play-calling and paired him with defensive coordinator Chris Marve in his highest praise of the day.
"I feel like we have two of the best coordinators in the game of college football," Coach Prime said. "We really do."
"He's innovative, creative, dawg," Coach Prime said of Marion. "I mean, if you hear the conversations on the headset, he understands what he wants."
'They're Gonna Come In Bunches'
Anene has been a steady source of pressure without the sack total to match, and Coach Prime said that eats at the fifth-year edge rusher.
"He gets frustrated because he hadn't rattled up those sack totals like he desires," Coach Prime said. "But it's not for lack of effort and not for being there. They're gonna come, and when they come, they're gonna come in bunches."
Boo At Corner And Slot
Boo Carter will line up in more than one spot Saturday.
"Boo is going to play corner this week as well as he's going to play the slot," Coach Prime said.
The goal, he said, is value — for Carter and others.
"So any of our guys that we have inside this locker room, we want to find ways to create value for them," Coach Prime said. "And that's what I want to do with not only Boo but some of the others as well."
A Kicker's Swagger
Coach Prime singled out placekicker Elliott Arnold, who handled field goals and kickoffs against Weber State.
"This young man did a wonderful job, not only on field goals but kickoffs, and he got his swagger back," Coach Prime said.
Williams, The Man
Williams, working back from injury, drew some of Coach Prime's warmest words.
"Joseph is a big-time player," Coach Prime said. "He really is."
"So I love what he's accomplishing," he added. "Love who he's becoming as a man — not just a football player, but as a man."
Watch the Press Conference
Â
Players Mentioned
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