Houston Coach Willie Fritz Addresses Missed Postgame Handshake With Deion Sanders

The Colorado Buffaloes fell to a 1-2 record following a 36-20 loss against the Houston Cougars. Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are now 0-1 in Big 12 conference play after the team struggled to gain momentum. After the game, Houston coach Willie Fritz addressed the win against the Buffaloes.

Sep 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz walks on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders fell to a 1-2 record after suffering a 36-20 loss against the Houston Cougars. With the loss, the Buffaloes are also 0-1 in Big 12 conference play.

The Colorado Buffaloes maintain momentum on the offense, despite having two strong drives in the second quarter. After the matchup, Houston coach Willie Fritz spoke about the win against Colorado and took the time to praise Sanders.

What Houston Coach Willie Fritz Said About Colorado

Aug 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz walks on the sideline during the game against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

“For our Big 12 opener, you know, playing a good squad like Colorado, we’re very happy with the outcome,” Fritz said.

“Coach Sanders, I didn’t get a chance to see him before the game. When I went down to look for him, he wasn’t out there, and when he looked for me, I was down there with our guys. But I got a ton of respect for him and what he’s going through,” Fritz said. “And having just such a positive attitude and all that, you know, I got a lot of respect for Coach.”

Fritz On Preparing For Colorado

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Houston head coach Willie Fritz speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

“The first game of the season, you know, Georgia Tech ran, their quarterback ran the ball a bunch,” Fritz continued. “You’d like to do that five or six times a game, so they either need to pack the box, and now you could open it up to throw it. Or they don’t pack the box, and now you got a really big run play with the quarterback.”

“We tried to run that trick play, and they did a good job of staying with [Conner] Weigman on it. And then Dean [Connors] improvised and ran it down there to the half-yard line,” Fritz said.

“They had some success early throwing the ball out there, quick screens, and we did a good job of hemming it in, you know, really the beginning of the second quarter. When you can turn those into minus plays or line of scrimmage plays and kind of get away from that part of the offense, and that’s a big part of their offense," said Fritz.

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Colorado Buffaloes Struggle To Gain Momentum

Sep 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks on the field before the game against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It was quarterback Ryan Staub’s first start of the season for Colorado, but the Buffaloes offense struggled to get past Houston's defense. Staub had some big plays, but in the end, Colorado could only score 20 points.

The second quarter of the game was when Colorado had their best performance. It took a while, but with just under eight minutes to go in the second quarter, the Colorado offense made a strong drive downfield, getting the run game going. Running back Simeon Price was the first to score for Colorado, with a 38-yard rushing touchdown, keeping the team alive.

With under a minute to go in the first half, Staub put the team on his back, leading the offense on an 88-yard drive. The drive resulted in a touchdown, keeping the score within two points heading into halftime.

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The defense had a couple of big plays, but their biggest weakness was stopping the run. Colorado’s defense allowed Houston quarterback Conner Weigman to pass for 222 yards and rush for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

In addition to Weigman, Houston running back Dean Connors had a big performance, rushing for 89 yards and one touchdown. After the first quarter, Sanders called the defensive performance “hot garbage,” expressing his displeasure with the game. Moving forward, Colorado's defense must figure out a way to stop the run to stay in games.

After suffering their second loss, the Colorado Buffaloes will next face the Wyoming Cowboys on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 8:15 p.m. MT.