Colorado coach Deion Sanders aimed to maintain optimism for the Buffaloes as they approach the final game of the regular season against Utah, despite a challenging 4-7 record in his inaugural season. In a midweek address, Sanders referenced Mount Rushmore in an attempt to inspire the team. However, the former NFL star unintentionally stirred up viral attention by mistakenly placing the iconic monument in California instead of its actual location in South Dakota.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem seized the opportunity to extend a friendly invitation to Sanders and the entire Colorado football team to visit the state’s famous landmark. Noem expressed enthusiasm, tweeting, “If [Deion Sanders] needs to see Mount Rushmore, we’d love to show him. Bring the whole [Colorado] team — we have buffalo herds of our own just a short ways away! Bring [the mascot] Ralphie, he’ll love Custer State Park.”
Sanders admitted to his geographical mix-up, clarifying that he confused Mount Rushmore with the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles. When reporters corrected him, Sanders chuckled and acknowledged his mistake, saying, “Wow, my geography. That’s the Hollywood Sign? That’s what I thought, sorry. Thank you for educating me.”
Colorado, already eliminated from bowl eligibility after a substantial loss to Washington State in Week 12, aims to break a four-game losing streak as they face the Utes in Salt Lake City. Despite the initial optimism surrounding Colorado’s debut season under Sanders, the Buffaloes started 3-0 but struggled in Pac-12 play, managing only one win in their last seven conference games.
The upcoming Saturday game against Utah holds significance as it marks Colorado’s final Pac-12 appearance before the team transitions back to the Big 12 in 2024, along with Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State.