Matt Rhule says he never disrespected Colorado, invited Shedeur Sanders to join prayer

Matt Rhule responded to Shedeur Sanders’ comments after Nebraska’s loss to Colorado. After the game, Sanders said he wasn’t a fan of Rhule or the program due to disrespectful comments towards his father, head coach Deion Sanders.

Rhule denied any wrongdoing or comments directed towards Sanders in that manner. He also defended why Nebraska took to midfield pregame in Boulder, which Shedeur did not like.

Rhule offered his side and explanation, saying it was a moment of prayer.

“Rhule says he’s ‘never disrespected an opponent a day in my life,’” Sam McKewon of the Omaha World Herald wrote on Twitter. “Said the pregame moment at CU was a pregame moment of prayer/ask for blessing that everybody stay safe. Said he invited Shedeur to prayer as well.”

Shedeur Sanders led Colorado to victory over Rhule, 36-14. And he didn’t hold back after the game.

“It was extremely personal,” Shedeur Sanders said. “We go out there and warm up, you’ve got the head coach of the other team trying to stand out in the middle of the Buff. It’s okay if, like, a couple players do it, it’s fine. Like, just enjoy the scenery.

“But when you’ve got the whole team trying to disrespect it, I’m not going for that at all. I went in there and disrupted it. So they knew I’m for real. The Buffaloes mean a lot to me. Personally, that’s what I was saying pregame and that’s when I knew it was just extreme disrespect.”

Matt Rhule denies any disrespect towards Colorado, Deion, Shedeur Sanders

That’s when Shedeur Sanders claimed Rhule had plenty of things to say about Deion Sanders prior to the matchup.

“The coach said a lot of things about my Pops, about the program,” Shedeur said. “But now that he wants to act nice? I don’t respect that because you’re hating on another man. You shouldn’t do that. It was just — all respect was gone for them and their program. I like playing against their DC. I like playing against them. But the respect level, it ain’t there because you disrespected us first.”

Rhule’s team kept it close early on, but ultimately couldn’t get themselves into the game. That led to a rout by Colorado and Sanders.

With the Huskers at 0-2 early on the season, Rhule is likely focused on moving forward rather than looking behind as he tries to rebuild the program.