BOULDER, Colo. — Shilo Sanders faced some hard truths from his coach and father, Deion Sanders, regarding his tackling performance. After his recent comeback from a broken forearm, the young safety admitted to having what he described as the “worst game of my life” during Colorado’s narrow 31-28 defeat to No. 17 Kansas State over the weekend. The Buffaloes’ defense struggled against Kansas State, with running back DJ Giddens accumulating 182 rushing yards and receiver Jayce Brown catching a crucial 50-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes left in the game.
“I’m the Ziploc of the defense, I can’t be going out there, not being on my game,” Shilo declared on Tuesday, reflecting on the team’s need for improvement as they gear up to face Arizona. He acknowledged that he must be more focused moving forward. Following the Kansas State game, his father didn’t hold back in his criticism: “I thought he played horrible. I thought he was rusty.”
This match marked Shilo Sanders’ first action since sustaining a forearm injury requiring surgery during a game against Nebraska on September 7. Although he recorded 10 tackles against Kansas State, he also missed several crucial opportunities, leading to his dissatisfaction with his performance. “I know I played horrible. He knows I played horrible. That’s what happened,” he said candidly.
In the wake of this setback, Shilo Sanders is now prioritizing the fundamentals, concentrating on technique, and the importance of minor details. “I know I’m good at football. I know I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know how to tackle,” he affirmed, expressing his confidence despite the rough outing. He believes that one poor performance shouldn’t define his abilities. “You can’t tell me what I can’t do if I’ve done it already,” he stated.
Acknowledging that his eagerness to make a big impact may have contributed to his tackling struggles, Sanders reflected on the need for patience. “I’m trying to just knock somebody’s head off going full speed,” he said. “But I still have to be patient.”
While he was sidelined, teammate Carter Stoutmire took over his position, and the Buffaloes enjoyed a three-game winning streak, allowing only 20 points in the second halves of those games before succumbing to Kansas State. “You work to get back, then you get back, and you have the worst game of your life, man, it’s really disappointing for me,” he admitted. He expressed his awareness of fans turning against him, although he remained unfazed, recognizing that success would soon have them cheering again.
“I can’t be going out there, not on my game. I’m the free safety. If I mess up, everybody’s going to see it,” he concluded. The Buffaloes’ current record stands at 4-2, mirroring their start from the previous season under Deion Sanders. However, last year ended with a disappointing stretch of six straight losses.
Shilo Sanders emphasized the importance of perseverance after facing an unfortunate game. “We’ve got to keep going with it. We can’t just quit now,” he said firmly. “I can’t just quit now, just because I had the worst game of my life.”