No Desperation, Says Coach Prime: Colorado Takes Its New Ground Game to Tempe as a 3.5-Point Underdog

By Cam Sutton, RF Sports Radio Colorado voice

Buffs fans, the losing streak is over, and Coach Prime spent the weekend making one thing clear: do not call his team desperate. Fine. But the next three weeks will decide whether Colorado's season ends with a bowl push or a long winter.

The facts

Colorado (3-5, 1-4 Big 12) plays at Arizona State (4-4) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain, 6:30 Central, at Mountain America Stadium on ESPN2, per the AP preview and the Sun Devils' schedule. Arizona State opened as a 3.5-point favorite, per the AP.

The Buffaloes beat Kansas State 27-24 in overtime on Halloween to snap a five-game losing streak. Isaac Wilson completed 14 of 21 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, and Richard Young ran 24 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns, per Sports Illustrated's Buffs site. Colorado's scoring offense ranks 117th of 138 teams at 21.0 points per game, per SI.

"I don't think these young men are desperate," Sanders said, per SI. "The main thing I told them to do is go out there and have fun today, and it's impossible to have fun when you get your butt kicked." He also pushed back on outside talk about his locker room: "They're locked in and they're focused. And they're on a mission to win."

After Tempe, Colorado hosts No. 17 Houston on a Friday night, then plays at Cincinnati and closes at home against UCF, per SI.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: I do not care what word you use, the math is the math. At 3-5, Colorado needs three wins in four games to reach six. That means winning on the road against a team favored to beat it. Call it what you want, but Saturday is close to a must.

The good news is Colorado finally found an identity. When the Buffs ran for 222 yards against K-State, Wilson looked comfortable. He did not have to carry the offense, and his line of 14-of-21 with no picks is exactly what a game manager should look like.

The concern is the scoreboard. Twenty-one points a game will not win in Tempe at night. Colorado needs a couple of explosive plays in the passing game to keep the safeties honest, or the Sun Devils will load the box and dare Wilson to beat them.

And Sanders' message matters. A team that plays loose plays faster. Let us see if the fun lasts on the road.

What to watch next

Watch the injury report and whether Young stays the lead back. For Saturday's overtime win, read our Nov. 1 K-State-Colorado recap, and follow the Buffs on our Colorado Football page.

Radio question: is Colorado's new running game real enough to win in Tempe, or does it need Wilson to make bigger plays through the air?

Sources: AP News - Arizona State takes on Colorado in Big 12 action; Sports Illustrated - Deion Sanders' comments on Colorado team mentality speak volumes after latest win; Sun Devil Athletics - 2026 football schedule; NCAA.com - Colorado vs. Arizona State game page, Nov. 7, 2026.