In a recent discussion with Mark Johnson, Sanders explained that the players are allowed to decide how much film they watch each week, with a recommended target of three hours. The rule is simple: if a player doesn’t put in the required film study, consequences follow. “You don’t watch three hours of film, you’re not playing. You don’t dress. I don’t want to see you until that following probably Tuesday,” Sanders stated, underscoring that accountability starts with preparation and extends beyond game day performance.
Colorado didn’t just rely on players’ word about their study time. The program tracks exact film engagement and even leverages players’ own digital habits to hold them accountable. During a morning meeting, several of the team’s top performers were asked to display their weekly screen time. The numbers were revealing: some players logged five and a half hours, others around seven, with several around four or five hours. Sanders didn’t mince words: excessive time spent scrolling on apps conflicts with the three-hour film rule, and he’s prepared to enforce it stringently.
The enforcement is practical on the field as well. Players who fail to complete their film work can be held out of practice sessions, a consequence Sanders doesn’t hesitate to apply when asked whether preparation translates to on-field performance. “Oftentimes, yeah, and the ones that didn’t watch any, they didn’t get to practice today,” he replied when pressed on the link between study habits and performance.
The Weber State game offered a robust win—52 points—but the victory also highlighted a script of mistakes that Sanders insists cannot be ignored. The team racked up 13 penalties for 107 yards, including three delay-of-game penalties and a false start. While the scoreboard suggested a comfortable win, the penalties painted a different picture: sloppy routines and mental lapses that could derail a game plan if not corrected.
One specific concern was situational awareness. Sanders pointed to a late field-goal sequence in which players lingered on the sideline chatting instead of sprinting onto the field. Such moments, he argued, are exactly why film study is essential. Tape never lies; it reveals missed assignments, penalties, and mental mistakes that the box score cannot capture. He argued that a 31-point win can mask these issues, but video review makes them undeniable.
“I know it seemed like a lopsided win, but when you really look at the film and understand what was supposed to happen on this play or that play, you can’t tolerate that. No, you can’t allow that to continue. You got to put your foot in and on it right now,” Sanders said, signaling that the standard remains high regardless of the scoreline.
Looking ahead, Colorado faces Northwestern with an opportunity to improve to 3-0. Sanders has already made it clear that the Weber State performance will not be treated as a pass for sloppy preparation. Before the week’s end, he reiterated his stance: “We can do better. I’m not ungrateful for the victory, but we could’ve performed better in a multitude of ways, offensively, defensively as well as on special teams.”
Sanders’ philosophy has long emphasized accountability and discipline. The program’s past is a testament to this approach: at Jackson State, he benched a star player for arriving late to a meeting, underscoring that talent and recruitment status cannot override commitment to preparation. In 2023, he held a five-star cornerback off the field due to subpar practice habits, signaling a transparent standard for everyone within the program, regardless of status or pedigree. Even family ties are not exempt from the rules.
The broader message is clear: success in Sanders’ program is measured not only by the scoreboard but by the consistency of preparation, the absence of preventable errors, and the discipline demonstrated in everything from film study to on-field execution. If a player cannot devote three hours to film each week, the implication is that they are not fully bought into the program’s standards—and that will likely lead to consequences beyond the practice field.
As the team moves forward, the emphasis remains on sharpening focus, reducing penalties, and elevating performance across all phases of the game. The goal is not merely to win games, but to win with a level of rigor that reflects the standards of the program and prepares the team for tougher opponents ahead. In Sanders’ view, winning the right way means building a culture where preparation drives performance, and every player understands that the work done off the field is the true differentiator when the lights come on.
