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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders congratulates Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham after the Utah Utes victory over the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders gives high praise to Utah's Kyle Whittingham ahead of Week 9 matchup

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 9:17 PM ET

Consider Deion Sanders a big fan of Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham.

"He's a pillar of consistency and one of my heroes in this coaching realm," Sanders said of Whittingham during his weekly press conference. "He's been doing it for quite some time. I wish I could have the tenure here at CU that he's had at Utah."

Sanders, who's in the middle of his third season as head coach of Colorado, has a ways to go before he eclipses Whittingham in total mileage. But he does have a chance to gain an edge in the head-to-head wins column on Saturday, when he brings his Buffaloes (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) to Rice-Eccles Stadium for a date with Whittingham's Utes (5-2, 2-2 Big 12).

To do that, and subsequently snap Colorado's six-game losing streak in Salt Lake City, Sanders' group will have to bottle up one of the most potent rushing attacks in the country. The Utes average 245 yards on the ground per game — good enough for sixth-best in the Football Bowl Subdivision — with their dual-threat quarterback, Devon Dampier, leading the charge at a team-high 442 rush yards through seven games (63.1 per contest).

Whittingham noted during his weekly press conference that Dampier got beat up during the team's loss to BYU the week prior, opening the possibility that backup Byrd Ficklin might get the nod for Saturday's contest.

For Sanders, though, it's more about slowing down what Utah brings to the table as a whole, not so much who lines up under center.

"We're preparing for their scheme," Sanders said when asked how Colorado's preparation might change if Ficklin gets the start. "We'll make adjustments if that happens, and do research and a study on this particular quarterback. But right now, we're just preparing for what they do well; and they do it well."

Dampier has certainly been in command of the Big 12's second-most efficient offense this season, posting a quarterback rating of 83.2 (No. 10 in the FBS) and a completion percentage of 68.7% (No. 2 in the Big 12). His ability to extend plays with his legs would present a different challenge for Sanders and Colorado in comparison to the last time they saw the Utes in Boulder, Colorado, where the Buffaloes ran away with a 49-24 victory at Folsom Field over Isaac Wilson and company.

"I love the quarterback, the physicality," Sanders said. "I like the way the corners play; got some DBs that make plays, a linebacker that's a darn dog. They got something special."

That "something special," as Sanders noted, encapsulates the type of player Whittingham was when he suited up at linebacker for BYU back in the late 70s and early 80s: tough-minded, physical and ultra-competitive.

Fast forward 40 years later, those characteristics are projected onto his football teams.

"Coach Whittingham is one of those ones that you're lucky that you have him as your head coach. And I think Utah understands that."

This article first appeared on Utah Utes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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