Mike Sanford’s thoughts following Colorado’s loss to Oregon State
The Colorado Buffaloes football team couldn’t win a second straight game. Interim head coach Mike Sanford kicked things off in style with an overtime victory against Cal the week before.
Unfortunately, the Buffs had no chance against Oregon State in an ugly 42-9 loss in Corvallis.
After the game, Sanford had plenty to say, and most of it was encouraging. Could he be the future head coach for the Buffs? There hasn’t been any movement on that front, although it’s worth noting that Colorado hired a search firm, signaling that a wide search might be coming soon.
Here are some notable comments from Sanford following his first loss as the Buffs’ head coach:
ENERGY
Colorado head coach Mike Sanford Jr. talks to players during the third quarter against Oregon State at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
Coming off a win against Cal, the energy remained positive despite an ugly outing.
“I was pleased with our energy. I just think the minute details of execution were ultimately what let this game get away from us. We’re gonna get back to work on Sunday. We’ve got to learn from these decisions. I don’t think that’s a locker room that’s looking at this and saying ‘Same old, same old.’ I think there’s a lot of fight and a lot of belief. We’ve got to get healthy in the course of a couple of days. We’re not extremely banged up, but fatigued. I think those guys will be returning to play against Arizona State.”
OFFENSIVE MISTAKES
CORVALLIS, OR – OCTOBER 22: Defensive back Skyler Thomas #19 of the Oregon State Beavers tackles running back Jayle Stacks #21 of the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half of the game at Reser Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
The Buffs offense was not very good in this game, and Sanford wants them to capitalize when given the chance going forward.
“I believe that we’re gonna make those plays down the stretch. We’ve got a lot of football left. I’ve got a ton of belief in these guys. This is a locker industry that is fighting and will continue to fight. We’re gonna go get some results that we want throughout the course of the next five weeks.”
ANTHONY HANKERSON UPDATE
BOULDER, CO – OCTOBER 15: Running back Anthony Hankerson #22 of the Colorado Buffaloes celebrates with teammates after a third period touchdown against the California Golden Bears at Folsom Field on October 15, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Hankerson left the game with what appeared to be an injury, and Sanford confirmed as much after the contest.
“It was an injury. That’s a true freshman running back that’s out there. A lot of times, you want that player to have a chance to kind of learn through two to four carries a game and then build it to six or eight. We’ve just got to get better with the football. We’ve emphasized it a lot in practice. Those guys, it’s physical defense and they’re hitting, but we’ve got to take care of the football. I know that Anthony will be fine. He was banged up. dinged up a little bit.”
QB ROOM
Colorado quarterback J.T. Shrout (5) jumps over Oregon State defensive back Rejzohn Wright (2) during the third quarter at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
Ncaa Football Colorado At Oregon State 1952
Sanford started JT Shrout as Owen McCown dealt with an injury and Brendon Lewis entered the transfer portal. Here’s what the Buffs coach said about McCown’s health and the performance from Shrout:
“We’ll kind of evaluate that as we go with Owen. With regards to JT, I think we’ve got to continue to help around him. I thought he did some good things. I thought he responded well to adversity and made some explosive plays down the field. He was good at that. I think with JT, just continuing to get him in a rhythm because you can see the wild throws. They’re there. You can see the pocket presence, the demeanor. He’s a guy that I think will continue to get better as the year goes on as he gets into a groove and a rhythm. We’ll see what happens with Owen.”
STATUS OF VAN WELLS
Oct 15, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Anthony Hankerson (22) celebrates a touchdown carry with wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig (1) and offensive lineman Van Wells (55) in the fourth quarter against the California Golden Bearsat Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Questions swirled about the status of Van Wells, and Sanford cleared those up a bit:
“I think he got caught under a pile and got kind of contorted backwards. There was some pain, some dinged-up, but it was a lot of fear, as well. I think Van’s going to be fine. It was awesome – he was in the tent and they were calling plays for the fourth quarter and he’s in the huddle with us on the sideline, smile on his face, ready to go back in, if need be.”
RB ROOM
Colorado quarterback J.T. Shrout, right, hands off the ball to running back Alex Fontenot in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Air Force Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Air Force Academy, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Buffs running backs group is razor-thin, although Sanford expects some players to make their way back soon:
“I think we’ll have to evaluate that in person. I think there are some guys trending in the right direction to come back and give us depth there. We had Dante Capolungo who was playing scout team safety and corner two weeks ago and Charlie’s shoe came off and Jayle was a little banged up, so we threw Dante out there and he knew what to do. We’ve given him a lot of opportunities to scrimmage in live situations the last two weeks. It’s thin, but I think we’re gonna get some reserves back.”
