Colorado Buffaloes: One Last Home Stand For Colorado's Seniors

After last week's 4th quarter implosion and loss to Arizona State, the Colorado Buffaloes made the walk of shame back to Boulder knowing their season of high promise had denigrated to a season based on delusions of grandeur. 

Chatter on the fan boards ground to a halt this week, as fans (including this writer) sought out new ways to spend their Saturdays. Ways that involve more enjoyment and less disappointment than way too many of the Saturdays of the 2017 season in Boulder.

Tomorrow's game against USC represents the last home game of the year for the Buffaloes, and the last home game ever for the seniors on the roster. Final thoughts on some of these young men:

Michael Adkins - RB
The heart goes out for Adkins. From early on in his career, he has showed flashes of brilliance. Unfortunately, the injury bug was a persistent hindrance that kept the young man from ever really reaching his potential on the gridiron.

Bryce Bobo - WR
Bobo's nickname should be "Amazing!" No Buff fan will ever forget his unforgettable one handed catch against Oregon in the 2016 season. The young man's big hands made spectacular catches seem easy during his time in Boulder. Sadly, Colorado's woes during his stay have kept Bryce largely out of the national spotlight. Fortunately for Bobo, his skill set should play well at the next level.

Shay Fields - WR
Shay earned the nickname "Big Play Shay" due to his speed and ability to get in the open from early in his Colorado career. Even when the Buffaloes were struggling during his tenure, Fields could be counted on for a number of big yardage plays every season. He also struggled at times, making fans wonder if there were some unreported physical issues hindering his play.

George Frazier - TE/DT
Frazier is one of those guys who make us older fans yearn for the olden days. He's a guy who gives his all every play he's on the field, and also a guy who plays both offense and defense. If that seems strange, it's because only a handful of FBS players play both sides of the ball in the specialized world of college football.

Jeromy Irwin - OL
Irwin has been in Boulder for longer than the typical college football player. Sadly, that extended stay was due to several severe injuries that kept him off the field despite his tenacity and talent.

The final three players listed have a special place in the writer's heart.

Derek McCartney - OLB
Anyone with any sense of history knows that Derek is the grandson of the greatest coach in Colorado history, Bill McCartney. He grew up with football in his blood. His NFL father Shannon Clavelle was an all-time great at CU. But as good as his football bloodlines are, Derek is a world class student as well. He finished his pre-med degree in three years and will earn his masters degree next month. Barring a stint in the NFL, Derek will soon take his prodigious intellectual talents to medical school.

Ryan Moeller - DB
Most people have never heard of Rifle, Colorado. That is the small town where Ryan Moeller grew up and became a Colorado high school football legend. Ryan's senior year in high school was what most players would call a career. He rushed for more than 3,000 yards and scored 50 touchdowns in one year. Really.

Despite those gaudy stats, Moeller had to walk on at Colorado instead of being given a scholarship. Back in the days when we could still watch practice, Moeller stood out to the serious football followers. Soon enough, the young man from Rifle had earned a place on the field and also earned a scholarship. Watching the young man go down to injury against Arizona State was one of the lowest points of a disappointing season. Like the last player on this list, Ryan Moeller gave his all every play during his time at Colorado. His influence will be missed.

Phillip Lindsay - RB
Lindsay was such a force of nature during practice for Colorado that he quickly earned the nickname "The Tasmanian Devil" for his intensity. Not everyone remember the roots. Phillip grew up and Colorado Buffaloes fan and surprised many when he committed to Colorado following the disastrous 1-11 season in 2012. He proclaimed that he intended to help Colorado return to winning ways.

Even during his redshirt year, Lindsay stood out and was selected scout player of the year by the Colorado coaches. Over the next four years he became one of the best to ever line up at tailback in Colorado. He is the first running back to ever run for back to back 1,000 yard seasons at CU. Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam didn't do it. And all-time leading rusher Eric Bieniemy didn't do it either. Only Lindsay can make that claim.

Sadly, Lindsay will likely fall short of the all-time rushing record. He's close, but it's a tougher row to hoe than some of his predecessors. Both Salaam and Bieniemy had a stable of future NFL offensive linemen leading their way. Lindsay never had that luxury. His yards were earned the hard way.

More important even than the numbers, however, was the leadership that Lindsay gave the team. He gave his heart and soul every play and every practice, and also on the sideline. A great coach in Colorado's past once talked about they type of player that Lindsay represents. He said those types of players were the key. Give him 20 of those guys and he could beat anyone.

I will be on hand to give these guys my final salute tomorrow. I hope that both the serious and casual fan of Colorado football will appreciate the sacrifice and dedication these young men gave to dear old CU.

Buffs Collapse in 4th Quarter, Lose to Arizona State

Turn out the lights, the party's over. Colorado took a 10 point lead into the 4th quarter and managed to lose by 11 points, 41-30. Actually, the season was never much of a party. Maybe just a surprise party where the guest of honor was smart enough to not show up.

Although the Buffs mathematically have a chance to win another game, they won't. They make the worst rushing teams in the Pac-12 look like Barry Switzer's 1980's Oklahoma Sooners.

One could say that head coach Mike MacIntyre quit on his team by taking away their last chance for a win. The Sun Devils ran it down Colorado's throats all 2nd half, and Colorado was unable to stop them. Despite that, he choose to punt the ball back to ASU with less than three minutes left.

Most of us figured that ASU would run out the clock but Colorado failed to stop any runs and the Sun Devils scored another clinching touchdown.

The score against USC next week will be as embarrassing as the Washington and Washington State games. Mark that prediction. Whatever the line is, the Trojans will probably triple it.

Sadly, a season predicated on promised great success has turned out to be yet another lost season in Boulder. At least it's almost time to hit the slopes. Or maybe go traveling. Anything other than more wasted time.

Colorado Buffaloes vs Arizona State Sun Devils: Battle for the Middle

Sun Devil Stadium is a hard place to win unless you are playing for Arizona State or playing in a bowl game against another team from outside of Tempe.

The only time that Colorado has won there was in the Fiesta Bowl following 1994 season. In Bill McCartney's last game, the Buffs put a serious whipping on Lou Holtz's Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Colorado has never beaten Arizona State in Tempe, and hasn't had much luck against them anywhere overall. Last year's victory in Boulder was the first ever for the Buffs against the Sun Devils. Overall, Colorado is 1-7 against ASU.

The past doesn't bode well for Colorado, so the job of Mike MacIntyre and his staff is to get their team to play for the future and forget the past. The Buffaloes have won five games this year, and need a win in the last three weeks to become bowl eligible.  

With Pac-12 South leader (and #17) USC coming to Boulder next week, the Buffaloes face a tough road to bowl-ville unless they can pull an upset of 4-4 Arizona State. 

The Sun Devils have been up and down all year. They got spanked at home last week by USC, but beat #5 Washington (at home) and went on the road to defeat Utah in the two weeks prior. Early in the season, the Devils also lost to San Diego State and Texas Tech. It's been a tough season to watch for ASU fans.

Likewise, things have been tough in Boulder. After last year's 10 win season, fans of Colorado expected them to once again vie for the Pac-12 South title. Coaches added to the expectations when they proclaimed Colorado would have one of the best offenses in the country.

Then came the season. The Buffs went 3-0 in non-conference games but looked wholly uninspired and far from explosive on offense. After losing their first three Pac-12 games, the Buffs squeaked by Oregon State, a team which had yet to be within 28 points of an FBS team. Then came the 28-0 debacle loss to Washington State to drop the Buffs to 4-4.

The grumblings from the Peanut Gallery at Folsom Field got louder and louder during the season, and became an outright roar during the Washington State loss. The quarterback was benched, and after neither backup QB could do anything either, calls were made for the play-caller (and Co-offensive coordinator) Brian Lindgren to be fired or demoted.

Finally, in week 9, the Buffs finally showed some fire. They were explosive offensively, and cruised to a big win over California. Most fans were willing to recognize the effort and congratulate the team on a well played game. It was good to see the team having fun again.

Throughout this week, however, the facts began to sink in about the Buffs' two conference wins. They were against the two worst teams in the league this year. The Buffs have lost to the middle of the road teams in the Pac-12, and been smoked by the upper level teams. 

Most fans were happy with last week's win, but are unconvinced that it will lead to more wins this year and a bowl game. But they are waiting with bated breath to see how this game goes. 

If the Buffs win, they will be bowl eligible and they will have a fighting chance to finish the season 8-4 and on a four game winning streak entering bowl season. 

If they lose, particularly if they lose badly (which is typical in games in Tempe against ASU), the Buffs could very well finish season 5-7 and on the outside looking in come bowl time. It's an all too familiar place to be with a decade between last year's bowl team and the last time they went bowling.

Buff fans are hoping against hope, but the emotional content from fans seems to be missing. They've had their hearts already broken this year. They are waiting for one more game before they give the Buffs their complete support.

They want their Buffs to win, and hope it comes true. The question remains whether the Buffaloes themselves are going to lay it all on the line and do whatever is necessary to win? Or will they face adversity and a tough road game and cash in their chips? Will the coaches rise to the occasion? Or will they be outcoached once again and lay the fault at the feet of their players?

Let's see who shows up. It's less than two hours until we find out.

Colorado Fans Embarrassed by Coaches in 28-0 Loss to Washington State

An already ugly season for Colorado football fans got even uglier Saturday night at Washington State. It was so ugly it was embarrassing.

But don't misinterpret that as criticism of the players. That goes squarely on the coaches. Coaches prepare the players to play. Coaches call the plays. Coaches make the adjustments. Coaches make the big bucks, and players are full time students with full time jobs playing football as well.

A consistent theme this year is the claim that Colorado has no discipline, leading to numerous penalties. Discipline is a taught trait, and anyone watching head coach (and Chief Embarrassment Officer) Mike MacIntyre absolutely LOSE IT on the sidelines knows that he is incapable of passing on the trait of discipline because he has none. I've raised three kids to adulthood and none of them had the kind of temper tantrum Mac did. Sadly for Colorado football, Mac has done this before.

Another embarrassment is co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren because he calls the plays. Imagine if you will that the rain is coming down in buckets and the wind is gusting up to 40 miles per hour. Or, watch the tape of the game if you want to re-live the horror. 

How does a smart coach get his QB and offense into a  rhythm to overcome the elements? From 50 years of watching football, I can tell you that you throw SHORT passes and run the ball against the grain because it's easier for tailbacks to change direction than big defensive linemen. 

What do you do to make things easier for the defense? You run straight up the middle and throw long passes either deep or to the outside. You might be able to guess which plays were called over and over by Lindgren.

In the first half, Lindgren called 17 runs up the middle. The first six totaled 10 yards, with a long of 4. That means the other five totaled six yards.

Then, thankfully, a seven yarder up the middle. The next four totaled only 6 1/2 yards. Then a 24 yarder (wow!). But then the next five totaled only 5 yards as WSU stacked the box.

How was first half play calling for passes in the horrible weather you ask? Even worse.
Passes:
1 - 40 yards outside (INCOMPLETE)
2 - 13 yards out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
3 - 38 yards to the outside (INCOMPLETE)
4 - 15 yards outside hash (INCOMPLETE)
5 - 10 yards outside numbers (INCOMPLETE)
6 - 8 yard pass out of bounds on 4th and 10. (INCOMPLETE)
7 - 10 yard pass to the numbers (INCOMPLETE)
8 - 9 yard pass complete outside numbers
9 - Pass behind LOS after scramble (INCOMPLETE)
10 - Offensive pass interference
11 - Outside bubble screen complete for -1 (loss)
12 - 2 yard pass out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
13 - 5 yard completed pass to sideline
14 - 7 yard completed pass to sideline to end half

Just a reminder that football fields are 53 1/3 yards WIDE. So "short" passes to the sideline often travel more than 30 yards in the air.

In the horrible weather conditions at Washington State, how many short passes to the middle of the field were called? ZERO!
The only inside pass was off a scramble to the tailback. The rest were deep or outside in high winds and rain.

So, before anyone (you know, like the head coach and QB coach) starts blaming Steven Montez for the lack of production, take a good look at the passes called in horrible conditions. And blame the guys responsible for calling the plays. That would be Lindgren and his boss.

Many fans are embarrassed that these guys get paid with our tax dollars. And we feel terribly for the players.

Several years ago, in similar windy conditions, Lindgren called the same kind of pass plays. This site responded with:

"It's the wind, stupid!"

Now, "It's the WIND and the Rain, stupid!" 

Get Brian Lindgren OUT of the BOOTH so he can see what the weather is like. Or better yet, fire him. We're stuck with MacIntyre and his giant contract, but BL can go. It's been five years and he still can't see what's going on around him. It's embarrassing.

Arizona Preview and Commentary on Colorado Football After the UCLA Loss

It's been a busy week without the normal time available for writing, but one in which my comments were directed at other sites. What follows is some of what was written as commentary on other sites. Some people agreed with me passionately, while others took exception to my attempts at insight.

 Oct. 2

After the loss to UCLA, head coach Mike MacIntyre once again stated that this Buffaloes team would “win a lot of games” this year. Since we’re five games in already, I’m looking for a little context on what qualifies as “a lot of games” when Mac talks.

Is “a lot” 10 games? Eight games? Six games? Or What?

In MacIntyre’s seven full seasons as a head coach, he’s had TWO winning seasons and FIVE losing seasons. More telling than the 2 vs 5 is the drastic differences each represents. It’s really either feast or famine.

In the two winning seasons (one each at CU and San Jose State), Mac has a record of 20-6. In the five losing seasons, Mac has gone 16-46. For the fellow math geeks out there, that means the losing seasons averaged roughly 3-9 (3.2-9.2).

It’s even more glaring when looking at conference games. In the two winning seasons, Mac’s teams went 13-2 during conference games. In the five losing seasons, Mac’s teams went 5-37 against conference foes.

Although the Buffs still have a winning record so far this season at 3-2, they are 0-2 in the Pac-12. With arguably the two weakest teams this year on tap the next two weeks, one wonders if Mac and staff will have the guys ready to play.

For most of us fans, time and games are running out if the goal is to win “a lot” of games this year.

Oct. 3

Mike MacIntyre’s future depends upon this game against Arizona perhaps more than any other since he arrived in Boulder. Arizona is a horrible Pac-12 road team the last several years. Last year they were 0-4 and outscored in the Pac on the road 192-71. In 2015 they were outscored 225-125 on road with a 1-4 record.

The last time Arizona won on the road in the Pac-12 was when they beat Colorado in 2015.

Colorado has looked pretty uninterested and uninspired this year so far. That falls on MacIntyre and the coaches. If they lose this game at home, the rest of the season will be lost. The fans and the players will stop caring.

Colorado needs to win the game and win big to get this season salvaged. If they struggle at home to a clearly inferior team, the rest of the Pac-12 schedule looks like murderer’s row in comparison.

If the Buffs lose, it will be clear that MacIntyre has lost the faith of his team, and that will not likely be restored. The countdown to reality is on.

Stuart at CU at the Game took the prior comment as an indication that I thought MacIntyre would or should be fired if the Buffaloes lost this week to Arizona. That led to the following exchange.

Oct. 4 - Me

Nobody does or should think MacIntyre will be fired. Why would he be fired? Some may be hoping that he wins enough games to be lured away back to his part of the country, and some are hoping he turns things around and gets the Buffs back in the annual bowl extravaganzas year after year. 

Most fans don’t have the same warm fuzzy feelings about the offensive play-caller. BL did a good job against UCLA. But the games in which his play-calling outsmarted a good defense are pretty much non-existent. One good game doesn’t get him off the hook for the years of head-scratching play calls.

The Pac-12 is a tough league to play in, especially on the road. It’s not really a surprise that a struggling UCLA (or any other Pac-12 team) is tough to beat on their home turf.

That said, the Buffs need to take advantage of every opportunity they have. They only play 12 games (and a bowl if they earn it and yearn for it). The key to being a good team is being UP for every game, which is something they have not done this year.

Some of us are concerned that a third straight loss, especially to a horrible road team like Arizona, would portend a likely collapse this season. We are all hoping for an inspired CU team to show up and finally live up to pre-season expectations. If not, we have a mostly lost decade to look back upon and prepare us for our feelings of despair about losing football.

The truth may be that the Buffs are not as good as advertised. And since Mac won’t let anyone watch his practices, he takes the blame when he makes statements that are clearly not true about how good, prepared, and dominating his team will be.

The best coaches I have watched over too many decades had certain traits in common: They voluntarily took the blame when their players were not prepared because it’s why they get paid; and they protected their kids from having blame pushed onto them. These are not NFL players, they are college kids.

If some of us seem too critical of MacIntyre, maybe it’s because we believe that is where the blame should go. Everyone in the press knows Mac doesn’t handle criticism well… but, hey, we’re football fans, not his therapist. He can pay them to work on his feelings, and he can afford it.

Stuart

“Nobody does or should think MacIntyre will be fired. Why would he be fired?”
Your previous post opened with … “Mike MacIntyre’s future depends upon this game against Arizona perhaps more than any other since he arrived in Boulder”.
Not sure how else to read that …

Me

I certainly hope that Mac’s future will go many more years. The implication is that if the Buffaloes lose to Arizona it will signal a downturn from the gains the program made last year. And that if the CU goes on to have a dismal ending to the 2017 it will be hard for Mac to reclaim the faith of the fans and the players.

MacIntyre made a national name for himself last year and was rewarded with National Coach of the Year honors from numerous sources. Considering the general disregard for what Colorado would do THIS year from the media is pretty telling. So far, it seems the prognosticators were more right than MacIntyre about how good the Buffaloes would be, especially the O-line and scoring.

In football, there are watershed moments that portend the future. Before the UCLA game I wrote how a big win or loss (point wise) would be a serious indicator but that a close win or loss like they had would put the pressure on the next two games with Arizona and Oregon State to set the tone for the rest of the year.

Colorado MUST beat Arizona at Folsom if they want to salvage this season. If not, they have a good chance of ending up near the bottom of the Pac-12 yet again. If they don’t beat Arizona, even teams like Oregon State will believe that they can beat Colorado, especially playing at home.

The quote you gave of mine above covers a multi-year period since his arrival in Boulder. I’m just pointing out that trends in football tend to go on for several seasons. The Buffs went from being blown out every game to getting close but still losing. Then they finally started to win the close ones and win some big last year in Pac-12 play. If they start moving the other direction, as a pendulum always does sooner or later, it will be hard to change that momentum.

I’ve written many times in praise of MacIntyre (check my blog), but I feel that when criticism is warranted it should be given. If you want to be the highest paid state employee then you should expect folks to have high expectations. He can’t expect only accolades.

The Colorado Buffaloes will take the field against the Arizona Wildcats in a little over 15 hours. These are my thoughts as to the importance of this game.

Colorado and Mike MacIntyre went 10-2 last year in the regular season. It was the first winning record in a decade. Since that time, the have played in the Pac-12 Championship game, a bowl game and the first five games of this season.

Against top notch opponents to end the season last year, the Buffs were beaten handily and did not look good doing it. In the first three games this season, the Buffaloes did manage to win but looked uninspired and unimpressive in their three non-conference games.

In the first two conference games this year, the Buffaloes have been beaten handily at home by Washington and lost on the road to a reeling UCLA team with one of the worst defenses in the country. The Bruins had been giving up around 45 points per game, and the Buffaloes managed to score around half that amount.

Colorado did seem to be emotionally invested the entire game against UCLA for the first time since last season, but still lost.

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, like Jim Mora at UCLA, finds himself on the coaches hot-seat lists because of poor play by his team. Mora was able to inspire his team to a big win over Colorado. It remains to be seen whether RichRod can do the same thing this week with the Wildcats.

If the Buffaloes can come out and play as a team which deserves to be in the conversation for a Top 25 team and win handily at home against Arizona, it could turn around a season of struggle. A big win could set them up for better things in the second half of the season. 

A win would bring them to 4-2, with a game against Pac-12 doormat Oregon State next week. Another win there and the Buffs would be one win from qualifying for a bowl.

If the Buffaloes come out flat and emotionless like most of the prior seven games, an inspired Arizona could come in and pull off the upset. If that happens, the Buffaloes would fall to 3-3 with the meat of the Pac-12 schedule still ahead of them. A loss here would put a severe hit on their desire to go to a bowl for a second consecutive year.

I described last week's tussle as a "bellwether game" with a big win or loss. The close loss put the Buffs in the position that their backs are now firmly against the wall. Only a win will get them where they want to be. A loss will relegate them to the lower levels of the Pac-12.

It's the first game of October. Will the Buffaloes rise to the occasion to save their season or not?

 

  

 

Day of Reckoning Arrives for Colorado Buffaloes vs Washington Huskies

Last year at this time, the Colorado Buffaloes were three weeks in to what would turn out to be a magical rebirth after 10 straight seasons without a winning record. 

After starting the season with two straight wins, the Buffs traveled to Ann Arbor to take on the Top 10 Michigan Wolverines in the Big House, one of the most storied venues in college football. After a decade of losing football, the crowds in Boulder had dropped to less than 40,000 people for a typical game. At Michigan, the Buffs played in front of 110,042.

Some expected the Buffaloes to come out wide-eyed and intimidated, but Colorado came out swinging. Just over 3 minutes into the game, the Buffaloes held a 14-0 lead in front of a stunned crowd. Those Buffaloes were not the same team that had been routinely routed for a growing number of years.

Although Michigan would come back to win 45-28, the Buffs learned they could play with anyone in any location. It was an important lesson that the Buffs carried through the turnaround regular season. The Buffs had a 10-2 record, and their only other loss was also on the road to USC, and they became Pac-12 South Champions after finishing last each year since they joined the Conference of Champions.

The magical run was rudely interrupted once the post season had begun. In the conference championship game, Washington used Colorado as little more than a speed bump on their way to the College Football Playoffs in a rousing 41-10 beat-down. That poor play continued into the bowl game as Oklahoma State shut down the Buffs 38-8 in the Alamo Bowl.

Maybe it was the higher level of competition, but the Buffs were severely over-matched against the Top 10 Huskies and Cowboys. Although Colorado had moved into the Top 10 at the end of the regular season, those two games showed they were not quite yet an elite team.

Fast forward to 2017, and Colorado was ready to show they were back for good. Season ticket sales rose again and the Buff faithful were growing in numbers and enthusiasm.

The Buffaloes have started the year 3-0 for only the second time this century... but their uninspiring play so far against over-matched opponents has left Buff fans wondering if last season was a sign of better things to come or just an anomaly.

Head coach Mike MacIntyre has steadfastly maintained through spring practices and summer camp that the Buffaloes would be VERY good. He said the offense would be one of the best in the country and the offensive line would be the best in Boulder in more than a decade, and maybe one Colorado's best ever. What is it they say about famous last words?

Three games in, the offensive line has provided sporadic play at best. QB Steven Montez has taken a beating against teams Colorado should have handled easily. The Buffs did win their games, but they looked pretty unimpressive doing so.  

Now Washington comes to town riding high after their Top 10 finish last year and three solid wins to begin the season. Their top players at QB and tailback have spent lots of time on the bench after putting up gaudy numbers and letting the backups finish the game. They come into the game rested and playing very well.

By comparison, the Buffs had to keep their starters in all game to finish the win against FCS Northern Colorado. And they needed a big second half surge against Texas State, last season's consensus choice as the worst team in the FBS.  Their performances have not inspired much confidence, as they have routinely played down to the level of their opponents.

Players and coaches alike have been pointing to this game since the big loss in the Pac-12 Championship as a chance to redeem themselves. All the while, their lackadaisical play and typically horrendous and predictable play-calling have most CU fans unable to fathom a win, even at home.

Some might find it strange that so soon after ANY win was cause for celebration, the Buffaloes now find themselves being criticized for not winning well enough. Such is the price of success.

Now arrives the day the players have been talking about since early December last year. Today is the day the Buffaloes can prove they belong among the elite of the Pac-12 and the country. Or they can continue a string of five games where they were uninspiring in victory AND defeat. 

It's been 294 days since Colorado last played Washington. As the bells ring out each hour until game time, Colorado knows their day of reckoning has arrived.

They need not 
"Send to know 
For whom the bell tolls;
It Tolls for Thee..."
John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions
 

Buffs Move to 3-0 with Win, Concerns Remain With Pac-12 Play Ahead

Sadly, it could be reasonably stated the University of Colorado Buffaloes survived their game against Northern Colorado, the little teacher's college up in Greeley. The final score was 41-21.

The Buffs stretch of 8 straight quarters without giving up a touchdown ended quickly. The Buffs went "three and out" to start the game and punted. UNC got the ball and marched down the field for a touchdown to go up 7-0. The Bears averaged more than 10 yards a play on the drive and their offensive line seemed to push around the Buffaloes. That can't be good with defending Pac-12 Champion Washington coming to Boulder next week.

Just a reminder, the Buffs were whipped by UW 41-10 in the conference title game last December. That game demonstrated that the rejuvenated Buffs were not really top 10 material even though they had just risen to #9 in the polls. The #4 Huskies dominated the game (as did Oklahoma State in the bowl game later in December).

In 2017, the Buffaloes have yet to be ranked. Washington, however is firmly entrenched near the top of the college football world at #6. If the Buffaloes play next week like they have played so far this season, that 41-10 beat-down will seem like a fond memory.

Numerous and dumb penalties, bad blocking and sketchy tackling (in addition to typically puzzling play calling by Brian Lindgren) make Colorado's chances against Washington appear pretty slim. The line hasn't been set yet, but expect it to be in the 17 point range. And if the Buffs don't improve A LOT this week, it won't be that close.

The Buffaloes need three more wins to be bowl eligible. Fortunately, some of the teams on the schedule seem to be really down this year, so that should be do-able. Right now, though, return trip to the Pac-12 Championship game looks like a pipe dream.



 



 

Colorado vs Texas State: In-Game Updates

First Quarter
It's time for Colorado Buffaloes fans to be worried. With five minutes left in the opening stanza, the Colorado Buffaloes look more like the team from 2012 than last year's Pac-12 South Champions. 

Horrible blocking has led to Steven Montez being sacked repeatedly. The blocking has been so bad that it looks like to the QB did something horrible and the line is refusing to block.

If things continue this way, Mike MacIntyre will find himself on the hot seat two games after winning national coach of the year last season. And Co-offensive coordinator and play caller Brian Lindgren has shown that he is still the worst at his job in the Pac-12.

Update:

Special teams saved the quarter for Colorado, but it was bittersweet. Isaiah Oliver fumbled a punt return, but the ball was scooped up by teammate Laviska Shenault Jr., who turned on the speed and took the ball to the house.

Colorado 7 - Texas State 0 

Update:

Colorado goes 96 yards for a TD. Long passes to Shay Fields and Bryce Bobo are the big plays. Both passes, however, were close to being sacks by Texas State. And the Bobo catch was highlight reel.

CU 14 - Tex St 0 

Halftime update: Colorado 14, Texas State 0

Colorado failed to produce anything during the two minute drill. And they wasted an opportunity to score again after the D shut down the Bobcats and forced a punt. To add insult to injury, Colorado had a very good punt return negated by lining up offsides on the punt.

Mac was interviewed on the way off the field and said the team "was making mistakes on the little things" and that they would work on them. Some of us are wondering if blocking is one of those little things? 

Colorado was favored in this game by 36 points. The way they have played has been embarrassing. Even if they put up 40 more points in the 2nd half, this team looks to be seriously at risk of not making a bowl game.

Third Quarter

Lindgren strikes again with his patented call for a one yard pass on third and six. No chance for a first down, so the Buffs wasted an opportunity in the red zone to put six on the board.

Buffs 17 - Bobcats 0

Update

Buffs defense collapsed when they chose to have defensive end/ outside linebacker Derek McCartney cover a running back on a deep route. McCartney was not within 15 yards of the back when he caught the ball. But the Buffs got lucky when the Bobcat tripped after catching the ball. Instead of a TD, they had to settle for a field goal. 

Buffs 17 - Bobcats 3

Update

Isaiah Oliver shows why he is one of the best in the country with an amazing one handed interception followed by an excellent return to get the Buff the ball in Bobcat territory. 

After averaging a paltry 2 yards per carry, the Buffs managed to run it in from the 7 to take a 24-3 lead. 

Update

Buffs finally put together an excellent drive by abandoning the long ball and hitting quick short passes. The drive ends with an 11 yard TD pass to Bryce Bobo. 

End of 3rd quarter: Colorado 31 - Tex St. 3


Another drive stalls, but the new kicker nails a 40 yard field goal.


Buffs 34 - Bobcats 3

Update

Another turnover for the the Bobcats. Buffs go nowhere but kick another field goal to up lead to 37-3. Most impressive is that Colorado chooses to let backup QB Sam Noyer get into the game while a smiling Montez watches from the sidelines. It's good to get some reps to the RS freshman Noyer. Also, it's nice to finally have a QB who doesn't have a tizzy-fit on the sidelines if coaches try to take him out.

Buffs 37 - Bobcats 3

Buffs and Bobcats trade possessions to run out the clock. Noyer shows some skills, but also shows some freshman mistakes. Good to get some reps.

Final score:  Colorado  37 -- Texas State 3

Looking Forward after Colorado Shackles Colorado State 17-3

Going into the Rocky Mountain Showdown, all the experts talked about the offensive shootout that would dominate the game. They were wrong.

The experts also said the Colorado defense would be the weakest link on the team and that they would have to depend on the high powered Buffs' offense to keep them in the games. Wrong again, on several accounts.

The CU defense, built by Jim Leavitt and Mike MacIntyre, continues to be the heart of the Buffaloes. Colorado State came into the game having averaged 50+ points a game over their last half a dozen games. In the last two RMS games, the Rams have scored a grand total of 10 points compared to the Buffaloes' 61. I guess they don't play D like this in the Mountain West.

CSU fans were riding high after the Rams scored 58 points on Oregon State. But OSU almost lost to Portland State at home in their second game, so maybe the win was not as impressive as it looked.

Some fans are wondering if the Buffs purposely took their foot off the gas after taking a 17 point lead early. The D was dominating the Rams, who never really got going on all cylinders. After all, why give Washington good film on the Colorado offense? The next two games are against teams that are severely over-matched, so the 'Dubs can't really learn anything.

If the Buffs WERE trying to score 50 and nothing in the playbook was off limits, Buff fans deserve to be concerned. A sordid history of questionable play-calling is still fresh in the minds of the Colorado faithful. And little from the play calling on display at the RMS eased that concern.

Oh well. The Colorado Buffaloes are 1-0 and that's all that really matters. They will go into the game with Washington at 3-0. The Huskies also have two "gimmies" coming up and will also arrive in Boulder 3-0. It's fitting that the rematch from last season's Pac-12 Championship game will feature two teams that are undefeated.

Buff fans (and Husky fans) should enjoy the big wins coming their way in the next couple weeks. Both teams will find out a great deal on September 23rd at Folsom Field. By then, either Colorado or Washington will be a game up on a primary division rival, since USC and Stanford play next week.

Go Buffs!

Finally, it's TIME for some 2017 Colorado Buffaloes FOOTBALL!

It's almost September. That means it's time for some Colorado Buffaloes football. Getting ready for Friday's Rocky Mountain Showdown, here are some random and not so random thoughts that have been pondered since the Buffs last played.

The most important guy not wearing a uniform for Colorado might very well be strength and conditioning guru Drew Wilson.

Don't get me wrong. Head coach Mike MacIntyre is important as well. But no one on the staff spends as much time with the players as Wilson, and he has done a phenomenal job of turning the CU players into Top 25 caliber players. Under his tutelage, they've come to know what kind of commitment it takes off the field to be a star on the field.

The Buffaloes will be a much more dangerous offensive team this year.

There's too much talent for the team not to excel when they have the ball. Montez is a much better passer than the graduated QB. He's a better runner too, but the offensive coordinators should steer clear of running Montez too much. They have one of the best WR units in the country and a Tasmanian Devil in Phillip Lindsay at running back. Let those other guys do their jobs and let Montez do his and avoid any unnecessary hits the QB has to take.

The DEFENSE will be much better this year than everyone expects.

Everybody from the media on down (maybe that should be up, right?) is of the opinion that the Buffaloes will not be able to recover from losing so many players from their dominant D from last year. Really? Isn't last year's defense the one that all the experts prognosticated would lead the Buffs to finishing 12th in the Pac-12? Yes, it is.

The reason that the Buffs were so much better last season on defense was NOT because of specific players. Strength training and conditioning is what led to the Buffs starting to manhandle folks for the first time in a decade. They had a brilliant defensive coordinator in Jim Leavitt too. His impact here in Boulder will go on for years to come even though he has moved on.

The Colorado Buffaloes are NOT a top 10 team just yet, but they're on their way even if it will take poll voters a couple years to figure it out.

What the Buffs did last year was a big first step.  They beat the teams that they were supposed to beat.  

Against teams that did not end up in pre-bowl Top 25, Colorado went 9-0 last year. The Buffs outscored those teams 362-154. That's an average of around 40-17.
Against teams that did end up in the pre-bowl Top 25, the Buffaloes won only one of five games. They were outscored by those teams 150-73. That's an average of 30-14.

I can't imagine the Buffs will go back to losing to FCS teams, so the next step is winning half the time against Top 25 teams. The next step after that is to win the majority of games against ranked teams.

The CU offensive COACHES need to do a better job with their game day decisions. 

It's great that the Buffs have a really talented QB in Steven Montez, but they could have done a much better job of getting him prepared last year to play. Even though he was only a freshman backing up the starter, he rarely got to play unless the starter was injured. 

Way too often, even with big leads against out-manned opponents, Brian Lindgren chose to pad Sefo's stats instead of getting playing time for the #2 QB. If the Buffs get a big lead, they should let the backups in to get some reps actually running the Colorado offense. That doesn't mean handing off to the third string running back or taking a knee. The point of getting the backups reps is to be ready to go when the game is on the line.

Bad teams try to pad the stats of their players. Good teams know the only stat that matters is wins and losses. Get a big lead, and let the backups get on the field. It keeps them motivated and prepares them for when they are the starters.

The only Colorado team that should be playing in Denver is the Broncos.

Anyone who has read this blog knows that I do not support playing the RMS in Denver. I watch the game but will not EVER go to it in Denver. It takes away from the college feel and would be much better in Boulder and Fort Collins. Denver doesn't care about either team anyways, so why give them money to host the game? And the Denver media only want it in Denver so they don't have to drive.

Let the Games Begin!

 

Colorado Buffaloes End Year On Bottom End in Tale of Two Seasons

The Colorado Buffaloes finally made it to a bowl game after 3287 days, and the rust of nine years certainly showed. The Buffs were manhandled in every facet of the game by Oklahoma State and left the Alamo Bowl field with a 38-8 thrashing by the Cowboys.

Looking back on the game, the result was not really surprising. The  Buffs have certainly moved up in the world of college football, but they are not really a Top 10 caliber team just yet. That time is coming, but today is not that day.

They are most certainly a team in the lower part of the Top 25, and that is heads and shoulders higher than they have been in more than a decade. Over the past 10 or so years (before this season), even marginal teams have put a hurting on the Buffaloes. This year Colorado put a hurting on the poor and marginal teams.

Against teams that did not end up in pre-bowl Top 25, Colorado went 9-0 this year. The Buffs outscored those teams 362-154. That's an average of around 40-17.

Against teams that did end up in the pre-bowl Top 25, the Buffaloes won only one of five games. They were outscored by those teams 150-73. That's an average of 30-14.

It was a tale of two seasons for the Colorado Buffaloes. Against the unranked teams, it was the best of times. Against the ranked teams, however, it continues to be tough sledding.

Some will argue who to fault for the numerical discrepancies, but it's a team game. The offense scored almost 4 touchdowns less against the good teams. The defense gave up an extra 13 points each game.

This writer would point out that turnovers by the offense and special teams led to extra points given up by the Buffs. And some would add that poor execution by the offense often kept the D on the field for extended periods, leading to fatigue. Others might point out that the higher scores given up by the Buffs were after the D gave in to the futility of their task when the offense or special teams quickly destroyed good defensive work.

Football is a game of momentum and passion. Once a unit feels that their work is futile, adrenaline falls and they become a step slower. Sometimes that is all that is needed to give up a big play. And with each big play, the sense of futility gets stronger.

The goal of these Buffaloes going into spring ball should be to maintain their dominance of the lesser teams, and learn how to play well against the Top 25. This is not just on the players, but more pointedly to the coaches.

Colorado's turnaround this year was wholly unexpected by the rest of the country and Pac-12. The Buffs had been so bad for so long that nobody expected their play to be so good. As Pac-12 South champions this year, they better realize that every team in the conference will be gunning for them next season. They better be ready.

The Buffs know now that they can go bowling every year by beating the bad and marginal teams on their schedule. If they want to win championships and bowl games, however, they need to take the next step.

The offensive coordinators and play callers need to realize that good defensive teams and coordinators will shut them down if they are too predictable in their play calling. And they need to be able to adjust their play calling when the opposing defense is doing something specific (like stacking the box) to slow them down. The play-calling cannot rely only on what they WANT to do. The Buffs are not that good yet. They need to attack what the defense is doing, and you don't attack a stacked box by running up the middle.

Another year of working with strength guru Drew Wilson will help immensely. The Buffs did the pushing around this year in the majority of their games, and next year should be even better.

MacIntyre should continue to hone his staff so that all those coach of the year awards he earned will lead to even better days ahead for the Buffaloes.

2016 was an excellent step for Colorado. Beating the teams you should beat is the mark of a good football team. Bowls will be the result as long as they continue to do just that.

Fans are hoping the year has really stoked the hunger to excel for the team. They ended the season with two lopsided losses. They should not want it to happen again and be willing to work hard enough to ensure that it doesn't.

The guess here is that the culture has effectively changed, and that The Rise will continue next year. Go Buffs!

 

Rest In Peace Rashaan Salaam 1974-2016

• Rashaan Salaam -- October 8, 1974 - December 5, 2016

• 1994 Heisman Trophy Winner & Consensus All-American
• 4th Player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season
• Rushed for 3,057 yards on 486 carries for his Colorado career (6.29 yards per carry)
• 1st Round NFL draft pick (1995)
• NFC Rookie of the Year (Chicago Bears)
• Youngest player in NFL history to rush for 1000 yards in a season

Papa George MacIntyre Would Be Very Proud of the Job Done by his Son Mike Coaching the Colorado Buffaloes

If you have followed the career of Mike MacIntyre, you know that the man who most influenced him as a man and a coach was his father, George.

George MacIntyre was a very good man and an excellent coach. He was so good as a coach that he earned the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year award in 1982 while coaching at Vanderbilt. He also earned the Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year awards the same year.

In 1981, Vanderbilt's record was 4-8 (1-5 in the SEC). In 1982, they improved to 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the SEC. Their three losses in the regular season were all on the road, two to Top-5 teams (Alabama and Georgia) and another to #11 North Carolina.

Winning the "Bobby Dodd" is a big deal. Since the award was created in 1976, only two coaches have won it twice. Neither one was Nick Saban, who has only won it once. In fact, the Colorado head coach carries the "Bobby Dodd" coin his father won in his pocket as a constant and solid reminder of excellence in coaching.

Coaching and football is a family affair for the MacIntyre family. Mike played for his father at Vanderbilt. And his son Jay plays for him at Colorado. It's in their genes.

Thirty-four years after his father won the Bobby Dodd COY, Colorado's Mike MacIntyre is now the odds-on favorite for national coach of the year honors. He is proving that lightning can indeed strike twice. The MacIntyre family may soon be very well the holders of TWO Bobby Dodd coins.

National Coach of the Year would be the 2nd time for the University of Colorado in the last 27 years. The first went to the original Coach Mac, Bill McCartney. In 1989, when the Buffaloes went 11-0 in the regular season, he won the Eddie Robinson CoY, the Walter Camp CoY, the Bear Bryant CoY, and the same award from the American Football Coaches Association.

What has Mike MacIntyre done this year? He has led the Buffaloes to an amazing 10-2 record, including 8-1 in the Pac-12. This was after the Buffs had won a grand total of TWO Pac-12 games in the prior three years. The Buffs won the Pac-12 South and will play against Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game on Friday.

Due to his battle with 20 year battle with Multiple Sclerosis, Papa George never got the chance to watch his son as a head coach in person. And during Mike's first three years at Colorado, he had to deal with the diminishing health of his father.  Last season was particularly difficult personally for the Colorado coach, as George MacIntyre died on January 5th of this year.

The lessons that Mike MacIntyre learned from his father and coach have served him well in his career. And the job he has done this year is a fitting tribute to the man who meant the most to Mike MacIntyre's growth as a family man and coach. And to all who have witnessed the amazing feats accomplished by the Colorado Buffaloes this year, it is quite apparent that Papa George would be very proud of his son's accomplishments.

Photo Copyright -- Mark Rubi





 

Rediscovering the Absolute Joy of Colorado Buffaloes Football

After a nightmare decade for fans, players and coaches, football at the University of Colorado is an absolute joy to behold once again. But it was not easy to find the joy, even though the Buffs have made the biggest turnaround in the entire country this year.

What really made the joy pop out to me was watching the students rush the field following the win over the #20 ranked Washington State Cougars. They did not run to the goal posts. They ran and surrounded their young men who represent their school. They bobbed up and down in euphoria and hugged and high-fived everyone they could.

The picture above does not really show the immense emotional impact, but the video's I shot show it all. I got a lump in my throat while watching these students celebrate. It reminded me of some times around 30 years ago when my wife and I were students and in the celebratory throngs.

I was lucky. When I was a student, the Buffs made their turnaround under Bill McCartney in my first year at CU. Mac won coach of the year in the Big 8 for taking a one win team from 1984 to a seven win team in 1985. And the next year we beat Nebraska for the first time in 20 years. The joy we felt was intensely palpable.

Then it dawned on me. For the Colorado students of 2016, the Buffs had not been in as big a game since most of them were in elementary school (or pre-school for some of the younger students). They joy they showed after the big victory Saturday evening was also intensely palpable.

Some writers have penned that the Buffs students should respect the sanctity of the field and not rush onto the gridiron to celebrate. That attitude is BS. After all, WE rushed the field when we were students. We wanted to celebrate with our classmates in the stands and on the field. We wanted to be overcome with joy. And like the students this year, we most certainly were.

The job being done by head coach Mike MacIntyre is phenomenal. All the coaches deserve credit for a turnaround that was three years in the making. Quarterback Sefo Liufau, the unquestioned leader of this Buffs team, has taught his teammates how to have the heart and resolve of a champion.

Sefo Liufau and his teammates deserve to celebrate with their classmates in the stands and on the field. The other seniors like Liufau only have a few more games before their careers are over. They have been through the worst times and through sheer will and determination have brought Colorado football back from the abyss. 

They deserve to revel in absolute joy. They've earned it.

What's Happened to the Pac-12 Predictions in 2016?

Mike MacIntyre's 4th Colorado Buffaloes team entered the season finished to pick last yet again in the Pac-12 South. What else is new? So-called prognosticators in most cases are nothing more than those who review the last few seasons before sharing their "expert" advice.

Before the season, most of the media picked Stanford to win the North and UCLA to win the South. After those two, the next picks were Oregon and USC. The Washington Huskies were the 5th team selected in the Pac-12. Utah won 10 games last year and at one time were ranked #3 in the country, but they were expected to be only the 7th best team in the Pac-12 this hyear.

How has all this panned out? Stanford has stumbled to a 6-3 record while UCLA has collapsed to 3-6, a futile record that they share with Oregon. 

Meanwhile, Washington is 9-0 and ranked #4 in the country. Colorado is 7-2, ranked #12 in the latest CFP poll,  and alone in first place in the Pac-12 South. 

Utah is 8-2 and ranked #15. USC, after a poor start is on a roll and ranked #20. Washington State started the season 0-2, but has since won seven straight to be ranked #23. 

Arizona State and Arizona have had a rough patch unlike any in recent memory. The Sun Devils started the season 4-0, but since then they have lost 5 of 6. They have given up 180 points in their last four games. Arizona is winless in conference play (0-6) and have lost six in a row. They have given up 267 points in Pac-12 games, which is 44.5 per game.

Oregon will not be going to a bowl for the first time since the 2004 season. For UCLA, it will be first season not bowling since 2008. ASU will not go to a bowl for first time since 2010. Arizona has played in 8 bowl games in the last nine years. Not this year, though.

The moral of story, of course, is that the reason they play games is because any team in the conference can win or lose any conference game based on motivation, injuries, turnovers, horrible officiating or just plain luck.

North leader #4 Washington faces perhaps the most dangerous team on their schedule this weekend in USC. And South leader Colorado faces a down Arizona team with a long and proud history of taking down highly ranked teams in Tucson. Washington needed OT to beat them earlier this year. This is a game the Buffs must be prepared to take to the wire if necessary.

And best of all, these things represent the main reasons so many of us LOVE college football.

November 1st Grades of Colorado's Defensive Coaching Staff

Yesterday, we looked at the grades of the offensive coaches for the Colorado coaching staff. Today, the focus moves to the defensive side of the ball.

Jim Jeffcoat -- A+
Defensive Line 

I gotta admit that Jeffcoat has a special place in my heart. We're the same age and both showed up in Tempe, Arizona in 1979. I can still remember the tall gangly young man who grew into one of the finest players in Arizona State history and went on to become one of the best defensive linemen in NFL history.

Jim Jeffcoat has been with head coach Mike MacIntyre for six years, including the last four at Colorado. When he arrived, the Buffs' defensive line was routinely pushed around by Pac-12 offensive lines. Now, those young men under Jeffcoat are controlling the line of scrimmage. As far as defensive rankings are concerned, they have moved from worst to first.

Charles Clark -- A+
Cornerbacks

No coach on the staff has been working with Mike MacIntyre as long as Clark. He was a graduate assistant and Duke and followed Mac to San Jose State and then to Colorado.

Clark is known not only for his position coaching, but also as an outstanding recruiter and has a keen eye for talent. That combination has helped the Buffs upgrade their talent both on the field and on the sideline.

Clark not only works with the corners, but also the nickel backs along with Joe Tumpkin. His charges include Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon, Isaiah Oliver and Anthony Julmisse. The collective work has helped make the Buffaloes' secondary one of the best in the conference and also the country.

Joe Tumpkin -- A++
Safeties

To say that Tumpkin is just a "safeties coach" would be a serious defamation. He is in just his 2nd year with the Buffs, but has a world of experience. At Central Michigan, he coached the entire secondary and was also defensive coordinator. Tumpkin understands how all parts of the D work together to create a cohesive and dominant force.

Tumpkin's knowledge provides excellent guidance to young cornerbacks coach Charles Clark, and together they have put together an outstanding secondary backing up Colorado's front six or seven.

Most importantly, Tumpkin works extremely well with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt to help make the Buffs' D one of the best in the country. Tumpkin is also a great recruiter.

Jim Leavitt -- A+++
Linebackers and Defensive Coordinator

It's hard to find enough superlatives to talk about Jim Leavitt. He is, quite simply, one of the finest defensive minds in all of college football. He also showed his chops as a linebackers coach in the NFL where his unit had two All-Pro players and was a main reason the Jim Harbaugh led 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2013.

In his earlier years, he helped turn Kansas State from one of the laughingstocks of the college football world into a top defense under head coach Bill Snyder. 

Later, he became the very FIRST head coach for the University of South Florida. He built that program from scratch and soon made them a Division 1-AA power. After moving to Division 1 (now FBS), Leavitt led his team to a #2 ranking. It was the fastest any NCAA team ever moved into the Top 10 after joining Division 1.

Jim Leavitt joined the Colorado staff in 2015 just days before the Buffs began spring drills and immediately made an impact. The Buffs had been one of the worst defensive teams in the country before he arrived and had been woeful in creating turnovers. Since Leavitt arrived, the Buffs have created a turnover in EVERY single game. It is the longest streak in the FBS.

 In 2012, the Buffs gave up an astonishing 552 points (46 points per game). In 2014, the Buffs gave up 468 points (39 per game). In Leavitt's first year in Boulder, the Buffs improved by almost 12 points to giving up just over 27 ppg. This year, Leavitt's second, the Buffs are giving up only 18 points per game. Take away the loss on the road to #2 Michigan, and the Buffs are giving up only 14 points per game in one of the highest scoring conferences in the country.

OVERALL DEFENSIVE GRADE -- A++

Chances are, Leavitt will have a number of head coaching offers following this season. Only the fact that both Leavitt and his family ABSOLUTELY LOVE BOULDER do the Buffs have an outside possibility of keeping him much longer.


 




 

Denver Post Misidentifies Phillip Lindsay in Article ABOUT the Colorado Buffaloes Running Back

You gotta hand it to the Denver Post, Colorado's flagship newspaper. Old habits apparently die hard. The Post has been considered somewhat of a joke among Colorado Buffaloes fans for their lack of coverage of the University of Colorado, the state's flagship university for years.

Today, in response to the Buffs' big win at Stanford, they tossed a very backhanded compliment toward the Buffs and Colorado's home grown Phillip Lindsay by writing an article about him.

Kiszla: The king of Colorado for a day: Buff named Phillip Lindsay, not Card named Christian McCaffrey

Lindsay happy to represent state of Colorado

The article featured this photo by Ben Margot of the Associated Press. Photo has been cropped for space.

 
The Denver Post caption to the photo reads:

Colorado’s Nick Fisher (23) rushes against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Stanford, Calif.  

It's been a few years since I was in the newspaper business, but it seems to me that a caption about someone named in the title of the article should not get the name wrong.

Colorado fans were shocked when Mark Kiszla wrote a positive article about the Buffs last week, since he customarily trashes them. Some even joked on some of the fan boards and on the Daily Camera's Buff Zone Chat that an imposter had posted under Kiszla's byline.

Some say it might be a simple mistake, but the Post has been atrocious for years before this season in their coverage of Colorado Buffaloes Football.

To give credit where it is due, however, Nick Kosmider has done excellent work this season as the primary beat writer covering the Buffs. 

One final note -- I posted on the Denver Post comments section shortly after the article was published, and three hours later the caption still identifies Lindsay as Nick Fisher.

Like I said... Old habits die hard.

Remembering My Dad and our First Visit to "The Farm" to see Jim Plunkett -- September 19, 1970

My father Fred and I first stepped foot on "The Farm" (more commonly known as Stanford University) on September 19, 1970 to watch a game between Stanford and San Jose State. 

For years already in my young life, my father had been taking me to Arizona State University football games at Sun Devil Stadium, less than five miles from our home in Scottsdale. Shortly after moving from Arizona to Silicon Valley, my Dad managed to get tickets to see my first college football game in California. He thought was an important game for quite a few reasons.

My father was born and raised in Winslow, Arizona, just south of the largest Indian Reservation in the United States. The Navajo Nation Reservation covers more than 27,000 square miles across a Arizona, New Mexico and into Utah. Also not far from Winslow is the Hopi Nation, whose 6,558 square mile reservation lies within the Navajo Reservation.

My father grew up with Native Americans. The Indians and the Hispanics (my father's background) made up more than half of the population of Winslow. Despite their numbers, neither Hispanics nor the Native Americans (or other minorities like Blacks) were allowed to use the public swimming pool, except for one day per week so that the pool could be drained, cleaned, and refilled before the lighter skinned folks of Winslow used the pool again. Really.

My father also spent his youth working at the family's Hubbell Trading Post on the Navajo Reservation. The trading post's founder Don Lorenzo Hubbell was married to Lina Rubi. To my father, local Native Americans were not only his neighbors, but also his friends, and they made a large impact with how he would live his entire life.

Back in 1970, the nickname of the Stanford athletics teams was the "Indians" -- and the quarterback of their team was a Hispanic/Native American named Jim Plunkett. My Father wanted to see the young man play. It represented a serious change from his youth. He and some of his Hispanic and Indian friends were denied the chance for athletic scholarships to college because of their ethnicity. So, it was Army first, and college afterwards due to the GI Bill.

My father was very excited that one of the best football players in the country was the quarterback for Stanford. And Plunkett was an Indian both in heritage and as a Stanford player. My father was very excited to see the game.

Stanford has opened the season as the #10 team in the country. In their first game, they traveled to #4 Arkansas and beat the Razorbacks 34-28. The Indians jumped in the polls that week all the way to #4 for their game against San Jose State. That day, September 19, 1970, Plunkett led the Indians to a 34-3 manhandling of the Spartans.

Those first two weeks of the 1970 season were just the springboard for Plunkett. After his Consensus All-American season, he won the Heisman Trophy and every other award imaginable on his way to being the #1 overall draft pick in the NFL the following year. My Dad was very proud.

Jim Plunkett was the first player I got to watch in person that would go on to win the Heisman. For that, old and huge Stanford Stadium will always hold a place in my heart. But that place is gone now, having been replaced by a newer, shinier and much smaller version in 2005. Stanford is no longer called the Indians. They gave that up in 1972 because some thought it was degrading. And they are no longer called the Cardinals. That stopped in 1981 because they didn't want folks to think they were birds. They have been the Cardinal (as in the color) since that time, represented by a tree for a mascot. Really.

It would have been so nice for the Buffaloes and the Indians to be on the same field once again. And I wish I could go back in time to see more college football games with my father. C'est la vie. Time goes on.

Go Colorado Buffaloes! 

Update: Final score, Colorado 10-5 over Stanford.

Colorado Buffaloes Dominate Arizona State, 40-16

The Buffaloes of Colorado will wake up Sunday morning knowing that they are still in first place in the Pac-12 South. More than likely, they will re-enter the AP Top-25 after shellacking a ranked Arizona State team.

How important was this win? It's the first time in 23 games that the Buffs have beaten a ranked team. They did it in dominating fashion. And it's the first time since joining the Pac-12 that they have won three games in conference play. And, not only have they won three conference games, they still have five conference games remaining on their publicly stated quest to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

I posted the following on  Stuart Whitehair's "CU at the Game" site in response to some so-called fans comments:
 
Big win and lots of celebration from my birthday suite high above Folsom led to my mistaken post. I’ll take a celebratory mistake any time. Go Buffs!

 Also, very disappointed in the post by “Peter” — Good God, man, we beat a ranked team by 24 points and all Peter can do is complain. My son and I raised some eyebrows walking away from the game toward his apartment by repeatedly screaming “Go Buffs!” and finding very few folks returning our calls. Lots of fair weather fans who did not realize how important this win was to the Buffaloes program, and lots of whiny little bit$#es like Peter who seem offended by the big win.

Congratulations to my Buffs. 

Tonight was one of the most important and enjoyable wins of my 32 years as a Buff fan. Congrats to Sefo, Phillip Lindsay, Bryce Bobo, and an inspired Buffaloes defense led by Addison Gillam that put a serious beat-down on the Sun Devils. ASU got one touchdown off a turnover and otherwise had to settle for three 50+ yard field goals.

Serious notes from the game. The Buffs broke their 23 game losing streak against ranked teams. And Zane Gonzalez is perhaps the greatest place kicker in NCAA history. Last week, he became the all time leader in field goals. Tonight, he became the first ever to kick three 50+ yard field goals in one game. Zane was stupendous and will make an excellent NFL kicker.

I could not be prouder of my Colorado Buffaloes.

 

It's Moment of Truth Time for Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes

Today is the day. 

The Sun Devils of Arizona State are in town. The Buffaloes and Devils are tied for first place in the Pac-1 South. ASU is 5-1, while Colorado sits at 4-2. The winner tonight holds on to first place and controls their destiny the rest of the way out.

Something has to give.

ASU has never lost to CU. The Buffaloes have been dominant in the state of Colorado, winning their 3 games by a combined score of 147-20.

The Buffs publicly stated goal this season is to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Every team in the conference has the same goal, but for the first time since joining the Pac-12, the Buffs are considered as serious contenders. It makes sense. In their first five years in the league, the Buffaloes never won more than a single conference game in any given year. To make a trip to the title game this year, the Buffaloes will have to win more Pac-12 games than they have won in total in their first five years.

Colorado started well, winning their first two against Oregon and Oregon State.

 But then came a hard fought close loss to USC at the Coliseum, another team the Buffs have never beaten. If the Buffs win today, their path to the title game is clearly defined. If the Buffs lose, the chances they win the South are much more difficult, but not impossible. The Buffaloes do not have to play the juggernaut Washington Huskies in the regular season, while USC and Arizona State have to play at UW, and Utah hosts the Huskies.

More importantly, a loss to ASU would force the Buffaloes to travel to Stanford next week with a likelihood of being 4-4 and making ANY bowl game much less secure.

It has been stated over and over in this column that ANY Pac-12 team can beat any other on any given weekend. The coaches in the Conference of Champions are among the best in the country at attacking weaknesses, and ASU's Todd Graham is one of the very best in the Pac-12.

Colorado's Mike MacIntyre and offensive coordinators Darrin Chiaverini and Brian Lindgren did not adjust to USC stacking the box to take away the run until late in the game, and that failure to adjust led to the Buffaloes first conference loss this season.

It's moment of truth time for Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes.

A win defends Folsom Field and keeps the Buffs on track to meet their stated goals. A loss may very well lead them to doubting their ability to win the South. If another loss comes next week, they may start to doubt winning six and going to a bowl game, or settling for a lower tier bowl instead the bigger games that everyone knows and loves.

Make no doubt about it, this game is HUGE for the Buffaloes.