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The spotlight hasn\u2019t shined as bright on Arizona State as it has on Colorado, and the results to this point haven\u2019t been the same.<\/p>\n
Yet, in many ways, CU and ASU are in similar positions as they prepare to meet in Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday (4:30 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network).<\/p>\n
Both programs hired new head coaches last offseason and both went through major roster overhauls.<\/p>\n
CU\u2019s Deion Sanders brought in 87 newcomers, including 68 new scholarship players, 40 of which were transfers. CU led the country in all three of those categories. Second was ASU, with 78 newcomers and 40 new transfers under first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham.<\/p>\n
So far, Sanders and CU (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) have had more success than the Sun Devils (1-4, 0-2), but both come in looking to get on track. And both head coaches expressed respect for each other this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was assembling a staff once upon a time,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cI\u2019m not gonna tell you (where), but (Dillingham) was a part of it and we communicated quite a bit and I was happy with every step that he\u2019s taken because I know he\u2019s that guy. I know he\u2019s been more than capable. So when I saw him get this opportunity, I was ecstatic.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is great for that program. He\u2019s great for college football. He\u2019s a tremendous mind offensively; tremendous mind, but he\u2019s gonna be a great head coach, man. I have the utmost respect and love and admiration for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dillingham added that he met Sanders in 2019 when Dillingham was at Auburn and recruited now-CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a lot of respect for (Coach Prime) and he\u2019s done a phenomenal job,\u201d Dillingham said. \u201cThey\u2019re building something there and he\u2019s gonna do a great job there and he already is.\u201d<\/p>\n
CU started 3-0 and vaulted to No. 18 in the national rankings before back-to-back losses to Oregon and USC. ASU, meanwhile, got a narrow win against Southern Utah of the FCS in the opener and has lost four in a row.<\/p>\n
The Sun Devils have battled numerous injuries, including at quarterback, but Sanders said he has no doubt Dillingham will have them ready.<\/p>\n \u201cThey play tough, they don\u2019t give up; there ain\u2019t no quit in them,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cI mean, that\u2019s who he is. They\u2019re building something that\u2019s going to be tremendous. You\u2019ve just got to keep watching the story and see how it unfolds. But you can\u2019t take a team like that lightly whatsoever. Negate the records, negate all that nonsense and understand this team is building something and they\u2019re gonna be phenomenal. I believe in coach Dillingham tremendously.\u201d<\/p>\n Both teams come into this week looking to snap conference losing streaks. CU has lost eight consecutive Pac-12 games, the longest current streak in the conference. ASU has lost six in a row since its 42-34 win in Boulder on Oct. 29, 2022.<\/p>\n Shedeur Sanders has been one of the top quarterbacks in the country this season, completing 74.8% of his passes for 1,781 yards, 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions. It\u2019s no surprise to Dillingham.<\/p>\n \u201c(During the recruiting process in 2019), I got to meet with him on a whiteboard and he was phenomenal,\u201d Dillingham said. \u201cSuper smart as a 16-17 year old. \u2026 An unbelievable throwing session out in the indoor field for a camp session. It was unbelievable. Seeing him put it together here in college doesn\u2019t shock me. He\u2019s an older version of what that 17-year-old was.<\/p>\n “He\u2019s always poised. He\u2019s very hard to get uncomfortable. He\u2019s always comfortable. \u2026 He doesn\u2019t get rattled. He\u2019s very poised, very confident and can make every throw, extends plays. He\u2019s a really, really, really, really, really good football player.\u201d<\/p>\n CU brought Alton McCaskill IV in as a transfer from Houston during the offseason, projecting him as its lead running back. That hasn\u2019t happened yet.<\/p>\n McCaskill missed the 2022 season because of a knee injury and didn\u2019t play in the first three games this year. In the last two weeks, the 2021 AAC freshman of the year has played sparingly, with six carries for 22 yards.<\/p>\n On Thursday, running backs coach Gary Harrell, the Buffs\u2019 associate head coach, joined the Buffaloes Primetime Radio Show and gave an update on McCaskill.<\/p>\n \u201c(Coming off the knee injury), we wanted to make sure we took care of him, that we did not put him in harms ways,\u201d said Harrell, who filled in for Coach Prime, who was under the weather. \u201cHe didn\u2019t move very well (early on). He was very frustrated, trying to force the issue, so we kind of slowed him down.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think right now he\u2019s to the point where he can make the right cuts off the knee. He knows the system. We want to continue to build his confidence, but it was good to get him in a game setting to get hit and get a good feel before we move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n McCaskill is also just a sophomore and Harrell said the coaching staff is thinking long-term with his health.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very intrigued to see, once we get him to that point, how he\u2019s going to help us in the run game,\u201d he said. \u201cWe feel good about him, but we just have to bring him along slowly. He\u2019s a dynamic player.\u201d<\/p>\n Broncos releasing veteran OLB Randy Gregory, Sean Payton confirms, bailing on five-year contract after just 10 games<\/li>\n Keeler: Who is CU Buffs football sensation Omarion Miller? A kid with Snoop Dogg in his corner and a father and grandpa forever in his heart<\/li>\n Denver has 3 of the best budget-friendly restaurants in the U.S.<\/li>\n Coors family teams up with real estate firm to transform 100-year-plus industrial site<\/li>\n Lauren Boebert escorted out of "Beetlejuice" musical in Denver after "causing a disturbance"<\/li>\n Coach Prime TV series: Colorado film office may provide half a million dollars in tax rebates<\/li>\n "Nomadic" short-term rental host sues Denver, cheered on by others<\/li>\n Kiszla: Cutting Randy Gregory essential step in cleansing Broncos locker room of losing culture<\/li>\n 3 of our favorite bites from Michelin-recommended restaurants in Denver<\/li>\n Colorado's 150th-anniversary license plate featuring Pikes Peak is fastest selling in state history<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nCU Buffs’ Deion Sanders misses weekly football coaches show Thursday for health reasons<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nCU Buffs football highs and lows from the 2023 season<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nCoach Prime said it: Best quotes and highlights from CU Buffs football coach Deion Sanders<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nFreshman WR Omarion Miller focused on building off breakout performance for CU Buffs<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nCoach Prime TV series: Colorado film office may provide half a million dollars in tax rebates<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/BUF-L-CUFB-ASU-01.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPraise for Shedeur<\/h4>\n
McCaskill update<\/h4>\n
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