Colorado Daily – Stanford Week

November 9th – Game Day!!!

… CU in a few minutes …

Matchup to watch: Stanford offensive line v. CU’s front seven

From CUBuffs.com

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Colorado’s front seven against Stanford’s offensive line. The Cardinal has given up 20 sacks this season while also struggling to establish any kind of consistency in a run game (just 119.3 yards per game on the ground). But Stanford is still averaging more than 34 minutes per game time of possession, 10th best in the nation.  If the Buffs can halt Stanford’s run game and force the Cardinal to the air, CU can limit Stanford’s possession time and give the Colorado offense some extra opportunities with the ball.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Colorado linebacker Nate Landman. Lost in last week’s defeat at UCLA was the CU junior’s best game of the season, a performance that included 15 tackles and two sacks. If Landman has another day like that against Stanford, it will be a big piece in keeping the Cardinal’s offense in check.

THE SERIES: Stanford leads the all-time series, 6-4, including a 3-1 edge in Pac-12 games. The Buff, however, won the last encounter, a 10-5 win in Stanford in 2016..

Read full game preview here

Ralphie will not run for the second straight game

From CUBuffs.com … Thank you for your support of Colorado Athletics with your purchase of tickets to today’s football game vs. Stanford.  We wanted to make you aware in advance that Ralphie will not lead the team out for the second straight game today.

“The decision for her to run each game is made with the utmost of caution, and Ralphie’s well-being is always our number one priority, along with the safety of her handlers,” said John Graves, program manager.

“Based on her temperament at her Friday practice last night, we just are not comfortable with Ralphie running today.  However, she is in great health and will still appear in her pen at Ralphie’s Corral for pregame festivities.”

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November 8th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Big recruiting weekend on tap for Buffs

From the Daily Camera … Get recruits to visit the Colorado campus and first-year Buffaloes head coach Mel Tucker is convinced they’ll like what they see.

“It’s obvious to everyone who sees our place that we have a great environment, our expectations are high,” Tucker said. “That’s reflected in our facilities and the commitment to excellence in every area of our program.

“When players meet our coaches and our support staff and see the sincerity, the synergy and just the compassion and how much we care about our players on and off the field, it’s something that people want to be a part of. That’s how we’re going to build our program. We have a lot to sell here. And so that’s why I’m very excited about our future.”

While this season has not gone as planned, the Buffs (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12) have a big weekend coming up. In addition to hosting Stanford (4-4, 3-3) for the annual homecoming game, the Buffs are expected to have more than 30 high school recruits visiting the campus.

According to 247Sports.com, among the recruits will be four on official visits: four-star running back Ashaad Clayton from New Orleans; four-star defensive end Jason Harris from Gilbert, Ariz.; three-star defensive tackle Jordan Berry from Harbor City, Calif.; and three-star outside linebacker Toren Pittman from Frisco, Texas.

Purdue commit Christian Gonzalez, a four-star safety from The Colony, Texas, is also expected to be in town, along with six players who have already committed to CU. The CU commits include receivers Keith Miller and Brenden Rice; running back Stacy Sneed; safety Joe Perkins; offensive lineman Carson Lee; and 2021 commit Kaden Dudley.

Continue reading story here

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November 7th

… CU in a few minutes …

Tim Lynott settling in at center: “It feels a lot better every game”

From the Daily Camera … It took five seasons, and a little shuffling, but as a senior Tim Lynott discovered a new home.

It isn’t yet senior week for Colorado football. That begins next week, after the Buffaloes attempt to get back in the win column Saturday with 2019’s penultimate home game against Stanford at Folsom Field (1:10 p.m., Pac-12 Network).

For Lynott and his classmates, in many ways this week marks the beginning of the end of their CU careers. Lynott had endured just about every up and down the game has to offer during his time in Boulder, and a rough 2019 season for the Buffs has at least given Lynott a personal highlight as the first in which he could operate full-time at his favored position, center.

Assuming Lynott takes the field at his familiar spot at Folsom on Saturday, it will be the 43rd start of his career. Until this season, most of those starts were at right guard.

“I’ve gotten really used to it. It feels a lot better every game,” Lynott said. “Usually I play better at the end of the season, and I feel like with this position I’m getting better each game. I’m grading out well and getting better at communication with the guys. We’re having one solid group right now, for the most part. I like it a lot. I’m improving, and everyone is improving on the line as well. It’s been real comfortable for me.”

Continue reading story here

Gary Barnett, Jenny Simpson headline star-filled roster of CU Hall of Fame inductees

Related … “Jenny Simpson leads the pack for Olympic sport standouts in 2019 CU Athletic HOF class” ... from the Daily Camera

From the Daily Camera … It’s been a long time since Gary Barnett had to come up with a game plan or worry about giving a pregame speech before leading his team to the field.

Old habits are hard to break, however.

Now the color analyst for Colorado football radio broadcasts, Barnett, 73, gets some of the same feelings before a game that he did when he was coaching.

“I get nervous,” he said this week. “Two hours before, when the bus normally would arrive, I’m mentally arriving. We go on the air then, but the build up to it, on Friday I have a game face on. Saturday morning, everything is laid out, I know exactly where I’m going, what time I’m going to get there. I’m still playing each game; I’m still coaching each game, but I’m doing it upstairs.”

Barnett still brings the same passion to the game that he did as a coach, and it’s that passion that helped him carve out a Hall of Fame career.

On Thursday night, Barnett will be one of 10 CU legends inducted to the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. Half of the 2019 Hall of Fame class were associated with the football team.

Continue reading story here

Buffs defense prepares for balanced Stanford offense: “I think we’re improving a lot”

From CUBuffs.com … While the most-important statistic of all may not show it, the Colorado Buffaloes’ defense has continued to make strides the last few weeks, despite battling injuries.

Colorado still hasn’t held an opponent under 30 points this season. But the Buffs’ defense has kept CU in games, including last week’s 31-14 loss at UCLA. After giving up 17 points in the first quarter — with one Bruins touchdown coming after a Colorado turnover — the CU defense came up with four straight stops, including an interception in UCLA territory.

But the Colorado offense wasn’t able to fully capitalize on those opportunities. CU managed just one touchdown and a pair of missed field goals in that stretch, opportunities that could have pulled CU to within 17-13 (at least). But after those missed chances, the Bruins finally put the game away with another touchdown late in the third quarter, then one more in the fourth.

“I think we’re improving a lot,” said Buffs defensive coordinator Tyson Summers after Wednesday’s practice. “Anybody that comes to practice and knows what we’re doing and is here day in and day out is able to see that. Over the last three or four weeks, I think you’ve seen steady improvement … but what we’ve got to be able to do is get over the 10 percent.”

That “10 percent” are the instances when the Buffs allow an explosive play or a third-down conversion to keep an opponent’s drive alive.

Explosive plays — gains of at least 20 yards — have no doubt been an issue for CU’s defense. Colorado has allowed 53 explosive plays this year, with 18 of those resulting in touchdowns. Against the Bruins, the Buffs yielded just four of those plays, but two went for scores.

Continue reading story

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November 6th

… CU in a few minutes … 

*Video: DC Tyson Summers talks Stanford*

From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com:

Homecoming week details released 

From CUBuffs.com …  It is Homecoming week at CU and there are plenty of activities for fans and alumni between now and Saturday’s football vs. Stanford (1 p.m. at Folsom Field).

THURSDAY
CU athletics will induct its 15th Hall of Fame class with 10 Buffs legends from five different sports and a trailblazer in administration in the group. All 10 individuals have played an important role in CU’s athletics history, which spans over a century. The event on Thursday is sold out.

FRIDAY
The Homecoming parade and pep rally will take place at 7 p.m. on Pearl Street in Boulder. The Alumni Association will set up a spirit tent across from the Boulder Courthouse lawn at 6:30 and fans can grab a free pom-pom to cheer on the students, athletes and marching band during the parade.

SATURDAY
Tailgating starts at 10 a.m. on the Duane Lawn on campus with Ralphie’s Corral, the Official CU Tailgate. All are welcome to the family-friendly event featuring concession-style food and drink. Get there early to see Ralphie up close, the CU Marching Band and Spirit Squad.

The football game vs. Stanford kicks off at 1 p.m. Alumni can receive discounted tickets to the game: https://fevo.me/cuhomecoming.

For more details and events this week, visit www.colorado.edu/homecoming.

DL coach Jimmy Brumbaugh on Alfano signing: “Talent is just a word … but he has all the intangible things”

From the Daily Camera … Jimmy Brumbaugh has yet to have the opportunity to work with Antonio Alfano, but Colorado’s first-year defensive line coach can’t wait to get the former five-star recruit on the field in Boulder.

“It’s a blessing,” Brumbaugh said Tuesday of adding Alfano, who signed a financial aid agreement with CU this week and plans to enroll in January. “Any time you recruit size and speed, he has those qualities. I always tell guys, talent is just a word. And now we need to put the fundamentals to it, but he has all intangible things to make him a good player.”

Alfano was rated the country’s No. 1 overall recruit in the 2019 class by 247Sports.com and he signed with Alabama. After enrolling in January, he went through spring practices and fall camp with the Crimson Tide.

Alfano hit some adversity at Alabama, however, and did not appear in a game.

Continue reading story here

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November 5th

… CU in a few minutes … 

*Video – Mel Tucker’s Tuesday press conference*

From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com: … “I’m challenging our coaches and our players to step up … Everyone has to do their jobs … We have to get more guys, on both sides of the ball, on the same page … I’m really committed, and engaged, on getting this program to where it needs to be … We have the ability to play better, in all three phases … There is nothing that I haven’t seen on tape that isn’t correctable … “.

Transcript of Mel Tucker’s Tuesday press conference (including comments on Antonio Alfano)

From CUBuffs.com

Opening Statement
“Really solid practice today, real good work and a good physical practice. I’m really excited about the direction of our program and our shift in culture that will allow us to be successful both now and in the future. There are certain things that have to happen for you to have a successful program. Obviously recruiting is a big part of that, and I know there was some buzz last night on social media about Antonio Alfano transferring from Alabama. I’m just really excited about him, I expect him to be an impact player. However, I expect everyone on our roster to be an impact player. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, a walk on or a scholarship player, you have to be a star in your role.”

“Football is the ultimate team sport and we have to have a discipline to do our jobs on a consistent basis. All of our coaches and all of our players understand that consistency and performance is how you become successful. Playing complementary football and everyone doing their job at a high level on a consistent basis on and off the field will give us our best chance to be successful. That’s our goal, that’s what we’re striving to do every day. Looking at our last our last game, I have to ask myself, ‘how can we grow, what did we do right, and how can we get better, what direction are we going in?’. I saw some very positive things from a lot of guys, and we’re going to build on those. I also saw some things that need to be cleaned up. Where we need better execution on both sides of the ball and special teams. That’s why our practices, our meetings, everything that we do is so critically important. Culture is how you behave, how you live day to day. It’s also as a work in progress, but I’m really excited about the direction we’re going.”

On What Stanford Presents On Both Sides Of The Ball
“Stanford’s a physical football team and they hang their hat on being able to run the ball and stop the run. Just how fundamentally sound they are, just their overall operation is strictly business with a lot of really good players. They’re extremely well coached and our preparation is going to be critical. Having the discipline to do our jobs on a consistent basis at a high level is what’s going to be needed this weekend.”

On How He Thinks The Offense Can Fix Their Recent Struggles
“We’re challenging our players, our coaches are challenging our players. I’m challenging our coaches to step up to create and produce more and better execution on a consistent basis. Again, in order to have efficiency on offense or defense, everyone has to do their job. If one guy doesn’t do his job on a particular play, you’re going to lose that down. We have to get more guys on both sides of the ball and special teams on the same page at a high level on a consistent basis in order to get what we want, and that comes through practice, teaching, motivating and development. That’s what it’s all about.”

On If He Expected A Decline As A First Year Head Coach
“I don’t believe in self-imposed limitations. So for me, it is what it is and you work every day to get the results that you want. My experience has been that in the first year of a program, there’s going to be tremendous challenges, and that’s what I’m built for. Nothing surprises me, and I’m really committed and fully engaged on getting this program where it needs to be.”

On The Impact Tony Brown Has Had This Season
“Tony Brown is one of our more disciplined and consistent performers. He’s been that way since spring ball all the way through fall camp and he’s rolling that into the season. From game one all the way till now. He does his job at a high level, he’s very dependable, he’s steady, and he’s become a leader for us. He’s a guy that you can count on and that’s why he’s having success.”

On The Recent Special Teams Struggles
“Offense, defense, and special teams have to play complementary football. We have the ability to play better in all three phases and so that’s where our practices come in. That’s where we’re looking to grow and get better execution. There’s nothing that I’ve seen on tape in games that’s not correctable. I feel like we’ll be able to execute on special teams. We have to have a really good week of practice”

On QB Steven Montez Having Three Different Coordinators And QB Coaches In Three Years
“Steven answered this question before and he’s handled the change well. He’s embraced Jay Johnson and our offense. He takes coaching, and he’s had a certain measure of success in this offense. There’s some things to build on, there’s areas to grow, and we’re going to continue to do that. That’s for all of our players. When you have coaching changes, differences in philosophies, a shifting culture, there’s always going to be some areas where you need to adjust and get better and grow, so that’s part of it.”

Regarding Recruiting and New 5-Star Alabama Transfer DT Antonio Alfano

On What He Remembers About Recruiting Alfano To Georgia
“He was a very highly recruited player, and rightly so. He’s a very dynamic player that can do a lot of different things. Those recruiting battles are hot and heavy. I remember him going through the process and looking for the best place for him, and consequently he expressed interest to come to our place. He sees the vision. He knows what I’m all about and what our goals are here, and he wants to have an opportunity to be successful on and off the field and we were able to make that happen.”

On If Alfano Will Be Eligible In 2020
“We’ll see. Obviously there’s rules, transfer rules that we’ll have to address. But this is a good start.”

On If He’s Excited About The Potential Future Of The Defensive Line
“Coming in the door in December there was one thing that was obvious, and that was that we had to get bigger and stouter and more explosive in our offensive and defensive lines. We’ve made a conscious, deliberate effort to do that through recruiting. We have a lot of young players on both sides of the ball on our offensive and defensive lines. Recruiting is going well and we expect to add to our roster in the trenches. In order for us to play the type of football we need to play we have to be strong in our offensive and defensive lines.”

On Recruiting High Level Players To Boulder
“Boulder is a very impressive place. Every recruit that comes here, and their parents, their relatives, or whoever comes with them, they always comment on how beautiful Boulder is. They love the environment. Environment and expectations are really the two key factors in setting the stage for success. It’s obvious to everyone who sees our place that we have a great environment. Our expectations are high, and that’s reflected in our facilities and the commitment to excellence in every area of our program. When players meet our coaches and our support staff and see the sincerity, the synergy and just the compassion and how much we care about our players on and off the field, it’s something that people want to be a part of. That’s how we’re going to build our program. We have a lot to sell here and that’s why I’m very excited about our future.”

On What Landing A Player Like Alfano Can Mean For Future Recruiting
“In my experience recruiting is momentum does play a factor when you’re looking to build a strong class. First and foremost, you’re looking for high character guys that are in alignment with what you believe in as a program, both on and off the field. Those guys are attracted to each other in recruiting. It’s a very small world in recruiting and everyone knows everyone. These players talk, their parents talk, they text, direct message, they see each other in camps and showcases. The word gets out about head coaches, coordinators, facilities, and everyone’s looking for the right fit. I believe and we believe that Boulder is a very, very attractive place for the top recruits in this country and we’re aggressively recruiting those players.

On Meeting Alfano For The First Time
“I had some really good conversations with Antonio about his future and his goals, his aspirations. They’re totally aligned with what we want to do here in our program, both on and off the field. So like I said, I’m really excited about him coming to Boulder and being able to flourish and reach his goals. I believe that he’ll be a better person, a better student, and a better football player as a result of deciding to come here. We’re going to work together to help him reach his full potential.”

CU press release on the signing of Antonio Alfano

From CUBuffs.com … Antonio Alfano, the top-ranked recruit in the 2019 recruiting class by 247Sports, signed a financial aid agreement with the Colorado Buffaloes and will join the team in January, coach Mel Tucker announced Monday on Twitter.

A defensive lineman from Colonia, N.J., listed at 6-4 and 285 pounds, Alfano signed with Alabama but did not appear in any games this fall and entered the transfer portal in October.  He was the top-rated defensive end in the 2019 recruiting cycle by numerous outlets and a consensus five-star prospect.   He was listed as the No. 1 prospect on the Top247 and No. 5 recruit on the Rivals100 list.

“I was honored to be recruited by Alabama and Nick Saban and have nothing but positive things to say about them,” Alfano said. “I wanted to be successful today and tomorrow and I believe what Coach Tucker is building at Colorado gives me the best opportunity to do that.”

Alfano was ranked as the No. 1 strongside defensive end by 247Sports and the 247Composite and was the listed the No. 5 prospect on the 247Composite.  Rivals ranked him the top defensive tackle prospect and the fifth-rated player nationally.  ESPN tabbed him as the top defensive tackle prospect and he was the No. 86 player on the ESPN300.  PrepStar listed him as the No. 2 defensive tackle and No. 24 player in the nation.  He played in the All-American Bowl high school all-star game in San Antonio, Texas.

He earned first-team all-state honors following his senior season when he recorded 76 tackles, including 28 for a loss with 10 sack, adding 10 quarterback hurries and six forced fumbles in 2018 for Colonia High School and coach Tom Roarty.  He also played offense for the Patriots and cleared the way for an offense that generated 2,575 rushing yards in 10 games.

Mel Tucker: “Where we want to go, it’s a hard road, but I’m very confident that we’ll get there”

From the Daily Camera … Fixing the Buffs goes beyond the quarterback position in the eyes of Tucker, though.

“Coming off of a really tough game, I’m still very, very excited about the direction of this program, in terms of changing the culture, understanding what’s important, things we have to do on a day-to-day basis to be successful,” he said. “We didn’t get the results we wanted last week, however, there’s opportunities to grow from it.

“We have to have the discipline to do our jobs on a consistent basis. Consistency and performance is how you become successful. And until we do the things that we need to do to be consistent, we’re not going to get where we want.”

Tucker said he understands there is going to be negative energy in the locker room during a five-game losing streak, but added, “We have to focus on the positive. It’s not easy to do. What our goals are, where we want to go, it’s a hard road, but I’m very confident that we’ll get there.”

Continue reading story here

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November 4th

… CU in a few minutes …

Mel Tucker: “We’re going to have to step up and do a better job coaching, do a better job playing”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado Buffaloes coach  Mel Tucker isn’t one to sugarcoat a situation.

When the Buffs returned to practice Monday in the wake of a 31-17 loss to UCLA — CU’s fifth straight defeat — the message was simple. The burden is on everyone, from the head coach on down, to continue to step up their game.

“I’ve talked to the coaches and the players,” Tucker told the media after practice. “We all understand what’s required. We’re going to have to step up and do a better job coaching, do a better job playing.”

One of the essential elements, Tucker said, is that the Buffs’ top players put forth top performances, and it starts in practice. If the Buffs (3-5 overall, 1-5 Pac-12) are going to end their skid Saturday in a 1 p.m. matchup against Stanford (4-4, 3-3), they will need a solid week of preparation.

“One of the big keys is that your good players play good,” Tucker said. “That’s performance and that’s behavior. In order to do that, preparation is going to be key for us. Everything that we can do to get ready, we’re going to do. It’s going to be a relentless effort from our coaches and our players.”

Tucker’s confidence in his team hasn’t wavered. With three games remaining, there are still opportunities ahead to create some success, beginning with Saturday’s game against the Cardinal.

“We didn’t get the results that we wanted last week, however there’s opportunities to grow from it,” Tucker said. “That’s really what my focus is. We have to have the discipline to do our jobs on a consistent basis. Consistency and performance is how you become successful. Until we do the things that we need to do to be consistent, we’re not going to get where we want.”

… Continue reading story here …

*Video – Mel Tucker post-practice talk with media*

From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com: “It’s a hard road, but I am confident we will get there … Changing the culture an every day process … Football is the ultimate team sport. You need to have all eleven players execute on each play …”

Pat Rooney: Last three games should be played with an eye on the 2020 season

From the Daily Camera … Barring some unforeseen off-field drama or a particularly catastrophic bottom-falling-out situation, Mel Tucker almost assuredly has a much longer leash on turning things around at Colorado than a calendar year from now, November 2020.

But that should be the deadline on Buffaloes fans’ enthusiasm. One year removed from yet another listless road show, this time at the Rose Bowl. And no one within the CU program needs to look further than across the line of scrimmage to the team that handed the Buffs’ their latest embarrassment to find a second-year coach who at least is starting to give his fan base reason to believe.

… Not that the Buffs won’t go out and give their best to get back in the win column down the stretch, but the remaining three games of the 2019 season should be tackled with an eye toward 2020. On defense that process perhaps already has started, as the Buffs should return most of a rotation heavy on underclassmen, some of whom were playing offense when they arrived at CU just a few months ago. On that side of the ball there’s probably nowhere to go but up.

Continue reading story here

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November 3rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance: CU a 3.5-point underdog to Stanford

From VegasInsider.com

Pac-12 lines … 

Oregon State … a 10.0-point underdog at home to Washington … Friday, 8:30 p.m., MT, FS1

Colorado … a 3.5-point underdog at home against Stanford … Saturday, 1:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks

Arizona State … a 1.0-point underdog at home to USC … Saturday, 1:30 p.m, MT, ABC or ESPN

California … a 7.5-point underdog at home against Arizona State … Saturday, 5:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks

Idle … Oregon; Utah; Arizona; UCLA …

Neill Woelk: Eight Takeaways from the UCLA Game

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado coach Mel Tucker has been here before.

Late Saturday night, as his Buffaloes trudged out of their Rose Bowl locker room following a 31-14 loss to UCLA, Tucker noted it’s not his first time with a first-year coaching staff.

Neither is it his second or third. Matter of fact, going back to his high school days, it is the eighth time Tucker has been part of a program in its first year of a new coaching staff.

The general rule of thumb?

 It is seldom an easy transition.

“It’s usually very, very difficult,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of things that need to change. That’s what I’m here to do. We’re going to get it right. It’s a tough time for us right now, but I know what needs to happen … There’s ups and downs and you have to stay the course, make adjustments along the way and keep chopping.”

No doubt, Tucker’s first year in Boulder has been particularly vexing because of the season’s trajectory. After three wins in the first four games, including two over then-ranked teams, expectations — inside and outside of the program — soared.

But then came some bumps in the road, which turned into potholes, which turned into major detours — and now, the Buffaloes have veered off track with another lengthy losing streak as the calendar turns to November.

There is no quick fix. As Tucker noted Saturday,  “You can’t sprinkle dust on them, you can’t wave a magic wand. It’s really, really difficult and I expect it to be.”

But what Tucker can do is continue to build on the fundamentals he has been installing since he arrived and continue to identify players who are willing to put in the work required to turn Colorado’s fortunes around.

That message is constantly being delivered.

“I’m looking for guys that are going to compete, continue to fight, work to get better, do what we ask them to do,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of film study, a lot of corrections that need to be made. We have to have a really good week of practice. We’re going to continue to look for guys that have the type of behavior on a consistent basis that we need to get this job done.”

In the big picture, that job is turning around the fortunes of a program that has spent the last decade wondering whether the light in the tunnel is an oncoming train.

But the immediate task is figuring out how to reverse the current trend and end a five-game skid. Thus, our takeaways from Saturday’s game:

Continue reading story here

 

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20 Replies to “Colorado Daily – Stanford”

  1. Long ways for me attend homecoming……but if VK shows up at the tail gate party with a smoker and 2 grills….handing out sliders, brats and bbq chicken with boutique tequila margs and golf club shaped swizzle sticks…….well maybe some one can videotape it for me.

    1. I will be there. Hitting most every tent on the practice fields. And a couple of other ones that start at breakfast.

      Stu………….you coming? You going to the law school shindig?

      Go Buffs.

      Note: This could be the weekend I take, from its most reverend and distinguished and honored place on the mantel next to the hole in one plaques. one of my most prized positions:

      An authentic “CU AT THE GAME HAT” and wear it to the game……………….eh????

      How many of you have one of those eh?

      See ya there

      1. Send me a pic with you and your “CU at the Game” hat – spread the Good Word!
        But, sadly, no, I will not be down for the game. The Federal Court, in its infinite wisdom, scheduled hearings for next Friday.
        I will be down for the Washington game (glutton for punishment that I am) to cheer for the seniors playing their last game at Folsom.

      2. VKBerlin,

        I too am a member of the prestigious “CU AT THE GAME” hat club. I’m a runner (well, I’m a middle-aged guy who trundles along at a 9 minute per mile place so “runner” might be generous) and wear my hat quite often on my morning runs. Will be rooting for the Buffs from afar (here in NJ) this weekend.

        Seeing Barry Helton on the list of this year’s HOF inductees made me think of my freshman year, 1985. We played Oklahoma State at home on what was, if memory serves, a pretty gray, raw November Saturday. Thurman Thomas was their star running back and Leslie O’Neal was their defensive star. At one point in game when Buffs had to punt from fairly deep in our own end (the open end of the stadium), long snapper almost snapped ball over Helton’s head. He leaped and got his fingertips on the ball, which kept it from sailing by him completely. It bounced a couple of times on Folsom’s artificial turf. He grabbed it and moved to his right to punt but by then Cowboys were all over him. He feinted by faking as if he was going to boot the ball with his right foot, took a few steps back to his left, and punted it with his left foot fifty-plus yards.

        1. Adam Kenny, I remember that play, it was down near the North East side of the field. I was clear up on the South West side and all of us were looking around and asking each other did we just see what we thought we saw.

          That was about the time when it seemed that CU was starting to get players that would make good football plays, as that progressed the “good times they started rollin’.

        2. Cheering those Mighty Buffs on from anywhere. If you are in you are in.

          Where that hat. For Stu…………………..4 more years…………4 more years.

          Buffs

  2. I’ve come to the realization that it’s next to impossible for the offense to get better on a weekly basis…because our defense is so undermanned. Practice is basically a walkthrough for our offense (esp. the Oline) so when we get to game day it takes our offense a bit to get back in the correct gear after coasting all week.
    No challenges during practice, there is no improvement.

    1. Good point, though I think you’re focusing on the wrong part of the defense. The secondary being third and fourth stringers probably makes Montez feel great in practice.

      Defensive line has been ok this year. Pretty decent against the run, though no team with non idiotic coaches is bothering to run the ball against us when throwing the ball is easy money.

  3. Wow
    Mel just stuck it in the eye of Rooney and everyone else in here who have given completely up on the season and want to bench Montez in favor of bench rider experience ahead of next season.
    Dont get me wrong. I’m not about to go to Vegas and put money on the Buffs winning the remaining 3 games but if I am Mel I do the exact same thing. We need those 3 to get to a bowl and the chance is still there. You never give up as long as the chance is still there and Steve still gives the best chance…..passing and running…..of course the rest of the team is going to have to do their part as well……including the coaches

  4. Next year??! What happened to the adage of college coaches needing 4 years to turn a program around?? Especially one that has been as poor as Colorado has been for the last several years. I get the sense that Tucker is going to be the best HC we have had since Barnett. It’s going to take time, but I see him making progress in recruiting, and that’s where it all starts.
    Patience everyone, PATIENCE!

  5. …”Buffs fans may have considered not having Oregon State and a potential win on the schedule as an unfortunate nuance in 2019. Instead the Buffs may have dodged a bullet as second-year OSU coach Jonathan Smith, with former CU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren calling the offensive shots, have won three of its past four, with all of those wins on the road. The Beavers hung 56 points at Arizona on Saturday. Sure, the Wildcats have a bad defense, but so does Washington State and UCLA. Fifty-six points is like an entire season of road work for these Buffs.

    Kelly and Smith have given the fan bases of struggling programs reason for optimism in the second half of their second seasons. By November 2020, Tucker needs to do the same…”

    Wow, sounds like Pat Rooney is throwing some shade at the anti-Lindgren crowd…… never easy being a Buff fan…

    1. I was always a big Lindgren defender, as many of you might remember. So I guess this is my chance to say “I told you so”?

      Two years ago when we forced Lindgren out of Boulder, we all celebrated by saying that maybe now that he’s gone, CU can stop going from “great on offense at the start of the year to terrible on offense at the end of the year”. Then, last year, we kinda blamed Klayton Adams and Chev for being first time playcallers, and the entire MacIntyre wheels-falling-off-the-bus things, etc, etc.

      But throughout the last two years, Oregon State has been solid on offense and getting better. Is it that Jonathan Smith, as an offensive guy, understands how to support his offensive staff? Or is it that maybe the problems on offense were related to Montez more than we wanted to admit?

      1. I was 50/50 on Lindgren and wasn’t terribly sad to see him go but also thought he got more blame than was deserved. I also thought we would see some improvement on offense after he left. I haven’t really seen it. I really don’t want to dredge up the Lindgren argument again (who the hell does?) , my post was more about Rooney–he seems to like throwing a spanner in the works– which is fine, he’s not paid to be a CU cheerleader like Woelk. I will say that those wanting to fire Jay Johnson (yes, we are already seeing that in year 1 of HCMT) should consider what message that will send to the young QB recruit people have ridiculously anointed as “the savior.” Be assured that the vultures are already circling around him because of CU’s crap 2019 season and will point out that this would be the 4th offensive coordinator in 4 years if Johnson is fired. Other programs will be telling him “Why would you want to go to a program that has that much instability at the QB coach/coordinator position?” Same goes for any grad transfer. If HCMT really is going to change the culture then replacing coordinators every year isn’t the answer. Yes, Alabama can do it because those dudes get hired elsewhere and there is a system in place that doesn’t miss a beat. CU can only dream of being that program.

        1. Absolutely agree on not firing Jay Johnson. He hasn’t been great but it’s also not all his fault, and installing a new system and having players understand and buy in to his philosophy, much less developing synergy with players, takes time.

          That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see *some* turnover on the staff. No idea who, though.

      2. I was a big Lindgren foe as anyone who has been around since he was here will know. You cant blame the play calling, which was maddening, predictable and mentally challenged, on Montez. As you mentioned though, It wasn’t much different under Chev. This makes me wonder how much Mickey had to do with it. I havent watched any OSU games but it does appear Lindgren has been set free.
        Having said all that I am not advocating canning Johnson. he has had some brain freeze moments, one of them that probably did cost the Buffs a game, but overall he has been an improvement over the last 2 years.
        BTW, regardless of who is t blame, crappy play calling and schemes arent lost on the players and has to have an effect on their morale.

        1. Maybe it’s more about the personnel that “set him free?” It’s always amazing how coaches who got booed out of CU (at least by fans on this site) go elsewhere and seem to not be so bad, huh?

          It’s my belief that it’s rare that a coordinator doesn’t know what their counterpart is trying to do to them on any give down and distance, play call, etc. In the NFL, there’s a “little” more of a chess match b/c usually execution isn’t an issue. Their pros.

          In college? It’s all about who makes fewer mistakes on the plays that are called.

          Certainly, coaching plays a role in that. But ultimately, players gotta make plays, and win their matchups. I don’t care if that’s power, spread, pistol, or some hybrid/”multiple” offense, or 4-3, 3-4, 3-3-5 or whatever defense.

          It’ll be interesting to watch the next three games, see what levers the staff pulls and how they work to “change the culture” going into next year. Staff, personnel, et al.

          It’s probably not all as bad as it looks right now, but three of the last four games have looked pretty friggin’ bad.

          Here’s to hoping they figure it out, sooner, rather than later. The last thing I want to see is another roll of the “new staff” dice in three or four years.

          Go Buffs.

          1. bad play calling is bad play calling. The players have no decision with play calling. …and we had bad play calling in spades.

  6. I’m betting on Oregon state to cover vs Washington. How are they a ten point dog at home with the year they’ve had?

  7. The question still remains why early success, for the 2nd year in a row, has turned into a later season debacle. The 2 blowouts were bad enough but the 2 close losses hurt more. This team should be at 6 wins right now if they knew how to handle air force and could close out the 4th qtr.

    1. Seems like it has to do with the easy non conference slate vs tougher pac 12 schedule. Pac 12 is tough. There isn’t any Kansas or Iowa state or Baylor like we used to beat up in the old days. Oh wait, we are the pac 12’s Kansas. Hashtag sad.

      Go Buffs

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