Coach Prime runs Gus Bus off the road, wrecks UCF’s big day | Commentary

Pump the brakes.

Slow down.

Not so fast.

Not yet, UCF Knights.

Not even close.

Sorry to say, but you are just not ready for Primetime.

Literally, figuratively, athletically.

Deion Sanders — the man who was once known as “Primetime” but now prefers to be called “Coach Prime” — brought his Colorado team to his home state of Florida on Saturday, dominated the Knights and left a big pile of Buffalo chips all over UCF’s coming-out party.

This was supposed to be UCF’s big day – a chance for the Knights to show the nation what they are all about; a chance to run the ball right down Coach Prime’s throat on national TV and set the stage for UCF’s possible run at a Big 12 championship. Instead, the Knights were overwhelmed by a Colorado team that was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 and was a two-touchdown underdog on Saturday.

Let this soak in for a moment:

Gus Malzahn, coming off a bye week in preparation for one of the biggest home games in UCF history, got outcoached by Deion Sanders.

That’s right, the Gus Bus got run off the road by Coach Prime’s Buffalo stampede.

This was the biggest bummer we’ve seen at UCF since, well, last season during another festive day when the Knights blew a four-touchdown lead midway through the third quarter in their inaugural Big 12 home game against Baylor.

The Knights are becoming masters at killing the vibe and ruining their own parties.

This celebration started around 4 a.m. when fans started showing up for Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff Pregame Show, which didn’t go live until six hours later. By the time the lights came on at 10 a.m.,  there were thousands and thousands of rowdy, raucous, sign-toting fans comprising what was said to be the largest crowd ever for Fox’s version of ESPN GameDay.

“That was the most legendary show I’ve ever been a part of,” Fox analyst Mark Ingram said when walking off the set of the Big Noon show.

“That was insanity,” fellow Fox analyst Matt Leinart said.

“The gnarliest, most awesome show we’ve ever had,” host Rob Stone added.

The stage was set for a wild victory celebration later on in the afternoon. Famous UCF alumni such as Brandon Marshall, Latavius Murray and Tacko Fall were there. Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley and many of his players, including Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, were there. Former NFL stars Cam Newton and Terrell Owens were there. Famous entertainer, record producer and hype man DJ Khalid put on a show before the game.

Unfortunately for the Knights, they didn’t take one of Khalid’s most famous songs – “All I Do Is Win” – to heart. Instead, it was Colorado who marched into the Bounce House and did their own version of another Khalid hit, “We Takin’ Over.”

As if Coach Prime doesn’t already get enough hype and hoopla, he came into Orlando, stole the show and, of course, took aim at his perceived critics afterward.

“Ain’t nobody wants to see us win, you know that,” Sanders said when asked if his team got extra motivation from being a two-touchdown underdog. “Ain’t nobody nationally wants to see us get down.”

The Buffaloes did, in fact, get down while UCF did, in fact, fall down. Malzahn talked before the game about “seizing the moment.” Instead, UCF shrank in the moment and withered in the spotlight. The Knights could not have picked a worse time to have their bubble burst for all the world to see.

UCF reportedly had more recruits at this game than it has ever had in its history.  This was a chance to make an indelible impression on many of the best prospects in the state and persuade them that UCF – as Malzahn likes to say – truly is “the future of college football.”

“I’m really disappointed for our fans,” Malzahn said. “We didn’t get it done. We get outcoached and outplayed.”

But why?

How?

What happened?

What happened to UCF’s vaunted running game, which came into the game as the nation’s No. 1 rushing attack with an average of 376 yards per game? Against Colorado’s previously porous defense, UCF managed just 43 rushing yards in the first half and finished with 177 yards.

What happened to UCF’s discipline and attention to detail? The Knights were whistled for four personal foul penalties that contributed to 17 Colorado points. Meanwhile, the Knights committed four more crucial turnovers, including QB KJ Jefferson thwarting a UCF touchdown chance early in the game by throwing an interception into Colorado’s end zone and then committing a game-clinching fumble late in the game that the Buffaloes returned 95 yards for a touchdown.

Give Coach Prime and his team credit. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 28 of 35 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Two-way star Travis Hunter had nine catches on nine targets for 89 yards and a TD and also had a diving interception that came complete with a Heisman pose.

Not yet, UCF.

Not even close.

The lights were bright, the crowd was loud, but in the end, Gus Malzahn and his Knights were left in the shadow of Primetime.

Email me at moc.lenitnesodnalro@ihcnaibm. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen