EUGENE, Ore. — He hurried off the field.

Deion Sanders disappeared into the dark tunnel surrounded by his security team and photographers.

No celebration this time, no high fives. No hugs bro. No smiles and waves.

No receipts either.

do you believe? There are no such questions.

We are coming? Think again.

About 20 minutes after the end of, let’s call it, the Autzen Stadium massacre — Oregon 42, Colorado 6 — Prime Time itself nicely summed up this sordid affair.

“It’s a good old-fashioned shot,” he said, leaning back in his chair in front of more than thirty journalists.

It was a snooze from the start, the carnage of a football game more reminiscent of an FBS versus FCS clash, rather than an internal clash between 3-0 football programs. This was bad, the worst you’ll ever see out of a top 25 player.

Let the numbers do the talking. Colorado’s offense didn’t break the 100-yard mark until the fourth quarter, didn’t complete a play of more than 12 yards until there were 16 minutes remaining in the game and allowed seven sacks. The Ducks scored touchdowns on six of their first seven possessions, averaging 7.2 yards per snap and pulling several of their starters with a full quarter to play.

It was bad enough to produce a remarkable statistic: In the first half, Colorado had 23 yards; Oregon State had 22 first downs.

This seemed personal – to the other man.

In a pregame speech that aired on ABC, Oregon coach Dan Lanning fired back at his team by taking aim at the other coach’s glitz and glamor: “Today, we’re talking to our platforms. The Cinderella story is over. They’re fighting for clicks, we’re fighting for wins.” “There’s a difference. This game won’t be played in Hollywood. It’s played on grass.”

By the time he arrived for his post-match press conference, guess who already knew?

“I’ve received messages [about it]Sanders said.

He ignored it. Lanning can hit the ground running because he won. God bless him,” Sanders said. He added that he is a great coach.

And then, in typical Prime fashion, Sanders peeked through the dark shadows to deliver what sounded like a message to all of college football: “You better get me now. This is the worst we’re going to be.”

They were bad. In 34 games as a college coach, Sanders has never lost like that. It was the worst loss for a Sanders-coached team since 2016, when he led a Dallas-area high school, Triple-A Academy, to a 42-0 loss in the playoffs.

Lanning continued, seemingly determined to embarrass the Buffaloes and their high-flying coach. He attempted two two-point conversions in the first half, faked a layup (successfully) and went for two fourth-down attempts in the third quarter while going up by at least 35 points.

At halftime, with Oregon leading 35-0, Lanning quipped to an ESPN television reporter: “I hope everyone who was watching [Colorado] Every week he’s still watching.”

Even Puddles, Oregon State’s mascot, needlepointed Coach Prime. He entered the field wearing a white cowboy hat and gold sunglasses.

“It’s okay,” Sanders said afterward. He asked for this.

“Teams are trying to beat me,” he said. “They’re not trying to beat our team. This is what it really is. It is what it is. I signed up for it.”

Oh isn’t it? Obscene talk. Cameras. Interviews. Tweets. Impudent. Reckless.

In defending his and his team’s approach, Sanders said they were not arrogant. They’re just confident.

Give Sanders credit. He took the tough questions and answered them with upbeat honesty. As a Colorado official began to wrap up the press conference, Sanders waved him off to answer more questions: “I have nowhere to go.”

He described his team as playing like “hot garbage,” talked about evaluating coaches, re-evaluating each position, and lamented the blocking, or lack thereof, of midfielder and son Shader Sanders. Entering as one of the most prolific players in the country, Shedeur threw for 159 yards — more than 100 of them with the game spiraling out of control.

Oregon has done nothing “magical,” Shediur said. There were no real surprises. This wasn’t a planned thing. It wasn’t about talent either, Dionne said.

so what happened?

“They got to the quarterback,” the coach said. “When you get to our quarterback, it’s complete.”

That’s because Colorado struggles with running the football. They were something of a scare during the start of the year with three wins, which came at Autzen Arena in front of 59,889 fans.

The Buffs looked troubled without their two-way star Travis Hunter, who is out at least another two weeks while recovering from a lacerated liver. Shader waved off the impact of Hunter’s absence. That’s not why they lost, he said.

Dion thinks differently.

“He’s the best football player in the country,” Dionne said. “It’s as if you were writing an essay and your pen was missing.”

Maybe Colorado needed that humility? No, the coach said. “That’s like saying you need a car wreck,” he said. “It’s like saying you need to. It’s ridiculous.”

But maybe it’s time to calm down the conversation? Maybe it’s time to cut the cameras and stop the documentary after Prime’s every move?

Not a chance. One loss doesn’t change a man and you probably don’t need to. In fact, the stars will probably be out next Saturday in Boulder more than ever before.

The Buffaloes host a team with more glitz and glamor than themselves: the USC Trojans.

Sanders said there is no time for a pity party. No time to cry. No time to cry. He said he told the team and let’s go.

And then, in the blink of an eye, he was out from inside the trailer that served as the site of the visiting news conference, into the cold Oregon air, to his many fans — even Ducks fans straining to get a glimpse of his every move.

“Prime Minister! Prime!” They shouted in his direction, the camera crew accompanying them and kicking after him.