It’s not ‘personal’ anymore: Deion Sanders praises rival coach Matt Rhule before Nebraska game

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A 12 months ago Deion Sanders made the adjustment with fellow coach Matt Rhule and Nebraska personal.

This season we have heard nothing but praise.

The Colorado coach praised his rival just days before the Buffaloes traveled to Lincoln, Neb., for the ultimate meeting between the teams for the foreseeable future. Sanders said he felt the 2 were a part of the identical coaching fraternity because they arrived at concerning the same time and each were tasked with turning around their programs.

Both coaches struggled of their first 12 months — Sanders and the Buffaloes finished the season with a 4-8 record, while Rhule and the Cornhuskers went 5-7.

“I have a ton of respect for Matt Rhule,” Sanders said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “He’s in what I call our coaching class. … So I root for that class of head coaches that came in last year. He was a professional, he did a phenomenal job, maybe not what he aspired to do, but he’s got a ton of experience and I love what he’s accomplished in his college coaching career.”

It’s a stark contrast from last season, when Nebraska’s theme of the week for the Buffaloes was, “It’s personal.” It was a nod to the history of the rivalry and the Buffaloes’ attention for Lincoln’s critical comments this spring. Rhule, particularly, drew the Buffaloes’ ire when he said he was excited to coach the players he inherited when he took over this system, while others seemed more concerned about players coming through the transfer portal.

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Things heated up in early September last 12 months when Shedeur Sanders led Colorado to 36-14 victory over Nebraska. Before the game, Shedeur Sanders took offense when Rhule gathered his players during pregame warmups Buffaloes midfield logo. Sanders got here up and broke up the huddle.

On Monday, Rhule sidestepped a matter about whether the game was in a roundabout way a clash of cultures.

“I think they have a culture of competition,” Rhule said. whose team defeated UTEP 40-7 behind the massive afternoon of prized recruit Dylan Raiola. “They go out recruiting and get the best players they can. They do well in school. They don’t get in trouble off the field and they compete. I respect that in what they do.”

Colorado and Nebraska were longtime rivals when each played in some version of the Big 12. The Cornhuskers moved as much as the Big Ten in 2011, and the Buffaloes made the run to the Pac-12. But Colorado returned to the Big 12 this season.

Deion Sanders has already begun preparing his team for the noise that awaits him from the ocean of ​​red within the stadium. Sanders also said long snapper Camden Dempsey, whom he calls “The Governor,” has addressed the team.

“I’m pretty sure you won’t see anyone on the team in red this week because he’s kindly let us know that’s a no-no,” said Sanders, whose team beat North Dakota State 31-26 in its season opener. “I love it. I think that’s what college football is all about, whether we’re in the same conference or not. It’s an incredible rivalry, and I’m looking forward to it.”