Colorado’s situation went from bad to worse this season after losing by 105 points combined in the last two games. The real deal behind it is offensive struggles and quarterback inconsistencies. Despite playing musical chairs with Kaidon Salter and Ryan Staub, nothing worked for the team. As a result? Fans and Colorado media want the immediate firing of the $800k coordinator to push Julian Lewis’s fate forward.

Well, Pat Shurmur’s worst set-up came against Utah when the Buffs were trailing 43-0 at halftime. By the end of the game, Colorado put up 140 yards and just 38 rushing yards. Kaidon Salter went 9 of 22 for 37 yards with an interception, and even Ryan Staub completed just 4 of 8 passes for 65 yards. The only TD came in the fourth quarter on a Staub run, but it was too late. That’s when fans started questioning how a team could perform under an NFL veteran like him.

Now, if the offense continues to work in this way, things might get tough for Julian Lewis in the coming years. That’s precisely why Buffs reporter Scott Procter urges Deion Sanders to hire a new OC. “It has to be priority number one: getting a creative OC, young, old, experienced, or inexperienced, but a creative OC who can gel and grow with Julian Lewis,” said Procter.

Freshman Lewis came to the Buffaloes with his head held high, ambitious, and a five-star medal on his skill set. With impeccable timing in his passing, Lewis’s ability promised golden days for the Buffaloes, especially under their OC, Pat Shurmur. How the entire situation changes in a matter of months.

Procter continued, “That has to be priority number one this offseason, because as talented as anybody is, you need coaching, you need help, and you need to be prepared. You need to be put in ideal situations, game to game, down to down, and that hasn’t been the case for this offense this year,” he said.

Look, the urge makes sense. Despite messing up against Utah last week, Kaidon Salter’s inconsistency stood out against Arizona. He completed 11 of 15 passes for just 49 yards with just one touchdown, throwing an interception and losing a fumble. That inability to move the offense forced Deion Sanders to bench him for the second time in the season. Enter Julian Lewis, who comes into action. Coming into the game, this guy went 9 of 17 for 121 yards with a TD. He even launched a deep pass to Omarion Miller for 59 yards. But let’s be real: that excellence requires proper coaching, and judging by Shurmur’s development, that seems like a far cry.

As Procter pointed out, “I’m saying, to help this young guy develop the way you want him and need him to, to kind of save this program for where it is it has gone the last couple of weeks. So, that’s my biggest thing. Like I said, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be changes to that coaching staff over the next month before the season ends.” Sure, Pat Shurmur has years of coaching stints as head coach at the Browns and Giants and even served as OC for the Eagles, Vikings, Broncos, and Rams.

However, since coming to Colorado, he hasn’t been able to do much for the team. His inability to call plays often puzzled players, as a viral clip showed Kaidon Salter reacting in disbelief to one of his calls, while in another, Ryan Staub was arguing with the OL. Despite that, Sanders’ trust in them is raising red flags.

Amidst tough times, Deion Sanders finds loyalty among the inner circle

Things are not turning in Deion Sanders’ favor this season, especially with his biggest strength turning into his biggest weakness. OC Pat Shurmur and DC Robert Livingston are both taking the heat now. Despite the urge, Sanders’s deep sense of loyalty towards his people didn’t shake as his core remained intact.

Sanders’ friend Boogie Knight, known as “Boog,” came in behind and backed his mindset of not letting go of them. “You don’t turn on your people; you figure it out with your people,” Boog said on X. True to his form, Deion Sanders backed his staff after their loss against the Arizona Wildcats. “No one will be available tonight,” he said. “It’s on me. Don’t attack the coordinators. Come at me. Don’t attack the players. Come at me.”

Deion Sanders knows what went wrong, and he’s ready to make the changes. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen. It’s on me,” he said. “I don’t doubt me. Let’s get that straight. I. Don’t. Doubt. Me.” It’s not like Sanders didn’t do anything for his team.

He benched the WRs Omarion Miller and Joseph Williams during Utah’s game, changed quarterbacks multiple times in an attempt to find consistency, but to no avail. Now, after a 1-5 Big 12 standing, Sanders needs to pull up his team if they want to replicate their 2024 season’s success next year. Otherwise, he could be the next coach to face the dreaded firing crisis going around in college football.