Deion Sanders Changes Practice Regimen For Unusual Colorado Buffaloes Obstacle

After the Colorado Buffaloes' thumping in Houston, coach Deion Sanders was aghast.

He described an excellent week of preparation, but none of it showed on the gridiron. When questioned about whether it needed to change, "Coach Prime" attributed this lack of translation to an unconventional weakness.

"We normally get our butts kicked at night," Sanders said. "Maybe because we're a morning practice team. We even try to implement and change the schedule to accommodate the young men to give their bodies time, their sleep patterns and all that."

Deion Sanders Shifts Practice To Night

Sep 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on from the sideline during the first half against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

With two 8:15 p.m. MT kickoffs upcoming against the Wyoming Cowboys this Saturday and the BYU Cougars one week later, Sanders appears to have stuck to his word and shuffled the deck. A Deion Sanders Jr. social media post revealed that Colorado took to Folsom Field for a practice on Thursday evening.

But was his assessment accurate, or was it an excuse he's honing into preparation?

Since Sanders arrived in Boulder, the Buffaloes are 6-9 in games with kickoffs at 4:30 p.m. MT or later, as opposed to 8-5 in earlier time slots. In the dreaded 8-8:30 p.m. slot, Colorado is 2-4.

A win over Wyoming appears likely, but with the Buffs' struggles in managing their internal clocks, a shift in practice couldn't hurt. It may help deal with the mental aspect of waiting all day to play, an anxiety that can wear heavily on favored teams facing a foe with nothing to lose.

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Can The Buffs Bounce Back?

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Omar Daniels (9),defensive back Jy Gilmore (14) and defensive lineman Jason Moore (95) tackle Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) in the fourth quarter at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

While their struggles playing later in the day are legit, that's far from a magic pill Colorado can take to save its season. The Buffs sit at 1-2 without a win in all three phases thus far, and their Big 12 schedule looks more daunting with each passing day.

Sanders has to look to his coordinators and leaders to remedy an offense that's without an identity and a defense that's been flat-out left behind. Colorado has struggled to find consistency at quarterback, dynamic replacements at wide receiver or linebacker, a key run stopper, a shutdown corner and many other pitfalls.

Sep 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Latrell McCutchin Sr. (1) defends against Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) on a pass attempt during the fourth quarter at TDECU Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Strengths that could lead to a mid-season turnaround are evident, however. The offensive line has raked top 10 nationally in several advanced metrics, special teams has been nearly flawless and the run game has looked the most productive as it has in the "Coach Prime" era.

But without vocal leaders on each end, the Buffaloes may continue to fall short against more organized, disciplined opponents. This week's game poses as a major get-right opportunity for Colorado, especially on the defensive end.

If quarterback Kaidon Salter can better adapt to defensive pressure and push passes downfield, a sense of confidence could rush back into the black and gold.

BYU is an intimidating foe, especially after they romped all over a proven Buffs team in last year's Alamo Bowl. But a dominant win this weekend could sure up a Colorado team desperate for the faith many instilled in it before the 2025 season.