Colorado held its third spring game under Deion Sanders on Saturday, and afterwards the Buffs' head coach met with reporters to review what he saw from the team this month in addition to looking ahead to the rest of the offseason.

"I think it was a good day for us, based on retirement of [the jerseys of] two gentlemen that has really changed the face and changed the thought process of this whole program, as well as almost getting through the game injury free. I'm waiting for a report on [tight end] Savelle Smalls. I think he might have been banged up a little bit, but that's about it. Everyone else was pretty good, and that's a blessing, because we already have, I think, 15 to 17 guys that are injured right now. So getting through the game just unscathed is tremendous."

"That decision is kind of disciplinary. Things happen for sure, you ask the quarterbacks, then hopefully they tell you, I don't want to put their business in the street. They got a ways to go. They gotta improve. They gotta do some things you guys are so used to [Shedeur Sanders] that you gotta understand that these guys are different. They have different strengths and different qualities about themselves, and we gotta make sure we maximize their potential, utilizing those things. It's hard kind of for Kaidon [Salter] to get a real feel for, because the quarterback is not live [during practice] and he's a dual threat guy. Salter is phenomenal running the football as well. You're going to see that more sooner than later."

"Not really, not really. I really hadn't, because my mind is on making sure we execute some things, making sure we hit our time outs for television. Make sure we put a good product for the country and our fan base to see. Making sure we give our fans hope, as well as the understanding on how we're moving and how we get down. So I didn't really get a chance. I saw them, and I looked in both their eyes. I know they were pleased, they were thankful, and they were proud. And that means a lot to me. I'm one of those type of guys who I'm going to tell you how I feel right off the rip. You know? I'm not gonna really wait, so I give you your flowers now. I'm not gonna wait 20 years down the street then bring you back when you [are] limping, you can barely walk, or because some tragedy happens to recognize your greatness and what you contributed to this program. So I'm thankful that [athletic director] Rick [George] shot a shot and moved on what we all know was inevitable in due time. You know the time frame nobody's going to be happy with. Somebody's always going to have something to say. But the way we are right now, we are [a] 'now' generation. You guys are 'now' people, and this is a 'now' time, and those guys deserve what they deserve right now. So I'm proud of them."

"He's been doing that. That's been every day in practice. I think you guys just had opportunity to see it. But he's been running with the ones, running with the twos. He's been pivoting back and forth, both quarterbacks have, so it gives him an understanding. You got to understand he's still a young man. We don't care about the age and the stage, though, but he's been held accountable for if you're a starter, we're gonna expect you to perform as a starter. Right now, when you were the ones, you got to be a one. We ain't got time to say, 'you coming or you growing?' We ain't got time for that. We want him to execute and understand coverages and make his reason and get the ball out of there, and he's been doing a great job thus far."

"Those guys are better. I think we're better at the defensive line and we're better at the linebackers. It's hard to put that on the [defensive backs] because, you know, Shilo [Sanders] and [Cam'ron Silmon-Craig] and Travis [Hunter], those guys, they've been playing together for a few years now, so that's hard to advance that, but we are going to be tremendous with what we know we got coming to help that secondary. But the pass rushers, we got a couple guys out right now with injuries, we're going to be pretty solid on the defensive side of the ball, and I'm happy about that."

"I'm gonna honor him as well. His swag, the hat he wore, the jacket he wore, I started to wear today, but I wanted to kind of save it for the first game. So his swag, I'm gonna try to recreate that and rock that for our first game. I'm trying not to get in trouble with what I'm about to say, why [do] we wait, man? Why [do] we wait? Wouldn't we have wanted him to see? To be involved in it, to feel it, to feel the love, the respect, the appreciation? Why [do] we wait? See, that's kind of junk that you guys got to run with. Say something about that. He can't enjoy that right now."

Making? Making? How [are] we in the making? This is a new generation. Everything y'all want, you want it right now, and you're gonna get it right now. You don't wait for nothing no more, do we? We want to go? We go to Uber. We want to eat, what we call? Uber Eats? Everything we get is right now. We want something, we order it on Amazon. Right now. We ain't in no waiting generation no more. That's over. That's a wrap on that. Everybody in here is impatient. You download stuff right now, putting it out as I speak. So this ain't that no more, man, let's stop. And I'm sad because I want him to see that. He can't see that. Same thing for Rashaan Salaam, right? How long did we wait? I say 'we,' because I'm a part of CU now. How long did we wait?"

"How many years after his death?"

"So we gotta die to get recognized? Ain't nobody said nothing in the church right now. Everybody got something to say otherwise. Give people [their] flowers while they can enjoy them and they can smell them. That's how I get down. You guys are doing a good job, I always tell you, you guys are doing a good job right now. I don't wait. I'm not built like that."

"I don't know who made plays. I haven't watched the film. I'm just watching both sides and seeing little things on the line and all that. So I'm watching a plethora stuff while I'm out there on the field. I don't know until I really see it, because I'm hearing things and what you said may not add up what I'm hearing in my ear. So I don't know. I can't make a true assessment until I really watch the tape, but I'm proud of their progression, but we want more out of everybody, not just him."

"We're gonna fix that. That's personnel as well as discipline. We're going to fix that. I mean, we, we're so darn disciplined around in here, I don't know why we don't take the disciplinary things on the field. So we're going to fix that. I'm glad you pointed that out. We got to fix that. We We have officials at practice, so we call it then, and they have disciplinary actions when they're offsides or do something stupid to cause us penalty. But we got to be better with that. We would not be the most penalized team in in the Big 12 again, this season. I'm putting my name on that."

"They're good. I like what they bring to the table, but it was a standard set by the guys we're about to send off into the NFL. The standard is set. They just saw those guys work on the field couple days ago for the Giants, you know? So they saw those guys, and they saw them at Pro Day, and how they go about their business. Many guys played with those guys, so they understand the standard. We have great coaching in that room. The sky's the limit for those guys. We just got to get the ball to them."

"Our special teams must be special. And when, when they miss, I just moved it back for them and just challenged them to go even harder, and they made it. Sometimes it's just focus. They sit over there the whole time, then you call them out to do it, and they really weren't mentally in it. So it takes a minute to key it up. But all those guys, and don't forget, our long snapping -- he's doing a great job. These guys are really taking ownership of special teams. They really want to be special. So I love what we're doing. We should kick the ball in the end zone on kickoffs consistently. Now, [former punter Mark Vassett], it's hard to top 'Mate', man, I mean, but we gotta, we call [Greaves] 'New Mate'. We got a 'New Mate,' so we're gonna be good in the punt game as well. And Mata is Mata. 'Buck' is, 45 [yards] and out. He's that guy."

"It was alright. They gotta do better. Because I know what's supposed to happen. I know some things that you didn't know that went on out there. They're alright. They gotta do much better."

"No. Ain't nobody care about that, because I may change my mind tomorrow. So what benefits us to name a guy the? What does that do for us as a team? Nothing. That may do something for you guys, so you can have something to talk about, but that don't do nothing for us. It does nothing for us. I'm not doing that. Matter of fact, I don't even know who's going to be that guy right now, anyway, so I don't have the propensity to do it, because I don't know. They gotta perform with consistency."

"What do you mean new version?"

"Oh, you mean just a new season, because it's not a new version. We [are going to] do what we do. So it's not really a new version of how we plan on executing. Offense is the offense, but we have certain guys with certain gifts, and we got to utilize those gifts. Shedeur, Travis and all those guys had certain gifts. So we got to utilize those gifts. JuJu, Salter, they're different, man. We know what they're good at, and we got to implement that in our offense so we can move the ball consistently. Defensively, the same way. I feel like we're going to be strong up front. We're going to force teams to throw the ball. I don't feel like they're going to be able to successfully run the ball against us. So we got to be more stout on the back end, and you probably going to see that portal jumping on the back end in the next few days."

"Let's start one tremendous defensive tackle, another linebacker or two, two safeties, probably three [cornerbacks], one receiver that's a grown man, that's a dog. [A] couple running backs, tight end, maybe a guard, [offensive] tackle, maybe two centers. I think we got half of that already. You guys just ain't heard about it."

"Let's start one tremendous defensive tackle, another linebacker or two, two safeties, probably three [cornerbacks], one receiver that's a grown man, that's a dog. [A] couple running backs, tight end, maybe a guard, [offensive] tackle, maybe two centers. I think we got half of that already. You guys just ain't heard about it."

"They gotta be consistent. Mr. Branch, I'm on his butt all day long, man, because he's a, you know, he's a Florida boy, and I want to see him successful. He's carrying a lot of things on his heart about, just personal stuff, but he's fighting through it. Which he has to as a freshman. Byard played pretty solid today. Like I said, it's hard to really assess those guys without seeing the film. I know what I seen with the naked eye, but sometimes my eyes play tricks on me. But those guys should contribute, if nothing defensively, as well as special teams."

"Tremendous. God is something else, man. I just knew, anytime we announce the spring game of snow is coming, and after yesterday [when it snowed heavily in Boulder], like, you've got to be kidding me, man. So I started asking, what is the TV responsibility? Is it an hour, hour [and] 15 [minutes]? Because we're going to be out there a minute before they say, you know? We're going to fulfill that obligation and then we're out. But it was beautiful today. I just wish we had a little more support, fan wise. Because I know it's tough when they announced that multiple schools are canceling the spring game, you don't understand how that stuff damages you. Because fans start hearing that stuff and it damages you. And then when we didn't get the green light to play against Syracuse [in a scrimmage], that stuff, it damages things. So we do have a tremendous fan base, but I think we need a little more support when it comes to whatever we do inside the stadium. We should be packing it like it's a game. If you're a real Buff fan, Buff fans show up and show out because we going to do it for you. So do it for us."

"I love him. I love him. He knows he's one of my favorite and he knows I stay on him because I love him that much. I stay on him about class. I stay on him about making sure he make it into breakfast, making sure he's on time everywhere, making sure he gives us maximum effort. Because I see so much in him, and I feel like this is going to be his breakout season. It's going to be his breakout summer. Quency has all the physical attributes. He just has to put it together and turn in solid performances and practice daily so it becomes a habit. But, man, shoot, he looks like Tarzan, you know? And we want him to play like Tarzan, but I love Quency Wiggins. I really do. He knows that, though. He knows that. That's why I'm hard on him."

"All I got to say is Ben, to anybody inside this program, tell me about Ben. They're going to say he works hard. He don't take days off. Smart as a whip. [Doesn't] blow coverages, [doesn't] miss assignments, always in a good mood. I've never seen Ben frown. I've never seen Ben angry. I've never seen Ben hate on anybody. Ben wants to go down there and make a play on the kickoff team. He's a starter on special teams. He's our guy, so rewarding him for what he's brought to us and being consistent. He's a 'OB'. He one of the Original Buffs. He didn't quit, he didn't walk away, he didn't shy away from competition. He's been here. And he didn't ask me for no scholarship. They better not ask me for no scholarship, because I'm gonna ask them for money, like they ask us for NIL money. Give me money. Ben is what this team--it's who we are. Ben exemplifies all those points, and I love him to life. Not just as a football player, but as a human being, so I'm going to help him in every way possible on the field and off the field, so he could soar through life. I love me some Ben, they know that he wants number 10. He ain't getting that, but he, he said 'Ben 10. How did that sound? Coach?' I say 'Ben Win'. Do that."

"It's still 85 [scholarships] ain't it? It's, I think, 105 roster spots. Yeah, we good. I've never hit the climax of our scholarships availability. I always save several, because it ain't 85 kids that can flat out play. So you always gotta be smart and kind of save some just in case you get a windfall of a kid that decommits somewhere and want to commit to us, or want to jump in the portal and come to us. You gotta always save some just in case. And also, I've saved some to reward those that deserve to be rewarded. Ben [Finneseth] don't missed practice, Ben don't miss nothing. And Ben is a, he may not be a 4.0 [GPA], but he's close. Ben is smart. I can't even enunciate what he's majoring in. What is it? Something engineering?"

"Ben brings a lot of stuff to lunch with him. But I don't know about that man. This is most brothers we have had here today. Two questions from a brother? Can we get one more brother?"

"Vacation, I'm out of here tomorrow morning. It's what I'm looking forward to. It's been a long journey. I gotta kind of relax a little bit so I can get geared up with this bull junk we about to go through on Thursday night [with the NFL Draft]. I know it's going to be some some bull junk in the game, but we are prepared for it. We're Sanders and wherever they go over this next week, Shilo as well as Shedeur and some of our Buffs. I'm excited. I'm happy because I know God is ordaining it. He's setting the stage, he's ordering the steps. And I love it. I'm reminded when I was working with the NFL Network, Lamar Jackson draft day. Remember, everybody thought it was a pity party? He ended up going to a better team, the right situation in Baltimore. And look at what has happened. What should be three MVPs, he' got two at the crib, right? And one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the game, and they told him he wasn't a quarterback, he should play receiver. So I love that vengeance, I love that vengeance as well. So I cannot wait, because I know what God has in store for the Sanders. Thank you, God. Bless you all, man, you guys have a wonderful Easter."