Coach Prime on season finale: “We’ve got to finish”

The Colorado Buffaloes (4-7, 1-7 Pac-12) enter this week’s season finale against No. 22 Utah (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12) on a five-game losing streak. But you would never guess it listening to Coach Prime’s weekly press conference Tuesday. Upbeat and in good spirits following last week’s 56-14 drubbing at the hands of Washington State, Prime tackled a slew of questions from reporters with a smile on his face. But when asked how he and the staff were keeping the team focused on trying to get a win this weekend, he answered with a simple message and theme his team has adopted each week: “We’ve got to finish”.

Finishing Coach Prime’s first season with a win at Rice Eccles Stadium will be no easy task. The Buffaloes have dropped six straight to their Pac-12 rivals including a 63-21 defeat last season in Boulder. The last time the Buffaloes won in Salt Lake City? You’d have to go all the way back to November 25, 2011, the first season Colorado and Utah faced each other as members of the Pac-12. The Buffaloes upset the Utes 17-14 that day to snap a 23-game road losing streak.

Asked how he’d rate this season should the Buffaloes defeat the Utes Saturday, Coach Prime paused for a few seconds, then carefully exclaimed: “We didn’t accomplish what we wanted, but we accomplished what we needed. I think hope was instilled tremendously in this city, in the student body, within this team and within this building. And you see the direction that we’re headed.” Coach Prime went on to elaborate about the impact he, his staff and the team have had on the sport. “We pretty much put a mark in college football and what we’re going to do from here on, it will never be the same. I promise you that.”

He closed with a heartfelt message, urging Colorado fans to give things time. “Colorado Buffaloes fans, I love you and I appreciate you. We’re going to win. Just put your seatbelt on, because the ride is going to get a little shaky, a little bumpy. But we’re going to win. The climax that we gave you early on, we’re going to get you back there because I know you liked that ride didn’t you.”

Colorado vs. Utah game time is set for 3:00 PM ET Saturday and can be seen on Pac-12 Networks.

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