BOULDER — We come not to bury Shilo Sanders. Honest. DJ Giddens already took care of that.
“We can’t give up plays that we know we can make. We can’t (not) play up to our standards,” Sanders, CU’s sixth-year senior safety and son of Buffs football coach Deion Sanders, said during the program’s weekly news conference.
“Especially me. Because I’m the free safety. I’m the locksmith on the defense. I can’t be going out there not being on my game.”
He is. He is. He can’t. And he wasn’t.
Giddens, Kansas State’s star tailback, did stuff to the younger Sanders in three-and-a-half hours last weekend that Michael Jordan used to do to the Cleveland Cavaliers come playoff time.
When the Buffs safety attempted a hit-stick tackle with his shoulder, failing to wrap up or use either arm, the 212-pound Giddens shrugged it off, spun, and kept trucking.
On another attempt, Sanders squared up the K-State back in the hole, 1-on-1. Giddens wiggled and planted hard left, then juked so hard to the right that the CU safety stopped, then slipped and fell to his knees while the Wildcats star zagged the other direction.
Social media went nuts over that last one. And not in a kind way.
“It’s just… disappointing for me, especially the fans,” Shilo said Tuesday. “And I’ve been seeing everybody turn on me and stuff like that. But I’m not worried about (any) of that because as soon as you do good, they’re gonna be right back on your side just how they were when we won (that) UCF game out there in Florida.
“So I’m not really worried about (any) of that. I’m worried about me getting better, worried about contributing to the team and helping us win, and … my role. I can’t be going out there (off) my game. I’m the free safety. If I mess up, everybody’s gonna see it.”
To be fair to Sanders, some context matters here. One, Giddens is the real deal — an old-school big back (6-foot-1) with NFL quicks and an NFL frame. Two, the Buffs safety was playing at game speed, against one of the most physical offenses in the Big 12, for the first time in a month. The Buffs defender suffered an arm injury at Nebraska back on Sept. 7. A little rust is understandable.
All that being said if that rust continues when the Buffs (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) visit mercurial Arizona (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday afternoon … he’s really going start putting his pops in a pickle.
Why? Because CU’s defense looked better, particularly against the run, while Sanders was out.
Especially at UCF, arguably the most complete game of the Coach Prime Era at CU. The scouts at Pro Football Focus, who grade on a “100” scale, assigned Shilo’s replacement/understudy, Carter Stoutmire, a 48.7 coverage grade against the Knights — but a 75.0 grade in run defense.
Point of comparison: In the opener against NDSU, PFF gave Shilo a 73.4 grade in pass coverage and a 74.0 against the …read more
Source:: The Denver Post – Sports
