Colorado Daily – Air Force Week

September 10th – Game Day!

… CU in a few minutes … 

Five Air Force Players to Watch

From the Daily Camera

• QB Haaziq Daniels, Sr.: A 19-game starter, he has thrown for 1,726 yards and 11 touchdowns and run for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career. Last week, he threw for 109 yards and ran for 107.

• S Camby Goff, Jr.: Recorded his first career interception last week and also had three tackles. A year ago, he had 42 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

• WR Dane Kinamon, Jr.: Big-play threat had an 80-yard touchdown reception last week, as well as a 71-yard touchdown run. Scored seven touchdowns on only 47 touches last season.

• FB Brad Roberts, Sr.: Posted 114 yards and a touchdown on eight carries last week – the 10th 100-yard game of his career. He ranks 13th in Air Force history with 1,927 career rushing yards.

• ILB Vince Sanford, Sr.: A year ago, he had 17 tackles for loss (15th nationally) for a total loss of 116 yards (4th nationally). He finished with 9.5 sacks and 59 total tackles.

Falcons notables

• In the past few years, the Air Force offensive line has called itself the “Diesel,” which according to AFA, “represents an attitude of toughness and a willingness to block regardless of position.” The Diesel helped AFA lead the country in rushing in 2020 and 2021 and the Falcons are currently leading the country after 582 rushing yards last week.

• The Buffs and Falcons have played just once (in 2019) since 1974. However, they did meet almost every year from 1958-74. Air Force won the 2019 meeting, but has never won back-to-back games against the Buffs.

• Air Force is 67-23 at Falcon Stadium during Calhoun’s tenure, including 13-3 since the start of the 2019 season.

• Before the season, the Falcons were projected by media to finish second in the Mountain West Conference’s Mountain Division, behind Boise State. The Falcons are seeking their first division title since 2015.

• Quarterback Haaziq Daniels ranks fifth in Air Force history for winning percentage by a starting QB (.684, 13-6). He’s also top-10 in passing efficiency (3rd, 155.10) and completion percentage (10th, 51.9).

Continue reading story here

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September 9th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Report: J.T. Shrout to start against Air Force 

From tweets …

From Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera … A source of mine has confirmed this to me. Looks like JT Shrout will get his first start with the #cubuffs tomorrow

Brent Biggerman, Colorado Springs Gazette … Source has told me Colorado will start J.T. Shrout at QB tomorrow at Air Force over Brendon Lewis. This had widely been expected, but apparently the players have been informed.

Neill Woelk’s Keys to the Game (hint: Stop the run)

From CUBuffs.com … After a second-half collapse last week that turned a one-point halftime deficit into a 25-point loss to TCU, the Colorado Buffaloes (0-1) need to rebound in a hurry.

Saturday’s matchup at 1-0 Air Force (1:30 p.m., CBS) offers that opportunity — but if the 0-1 Buffs are going to bounce back, they will need to be at their best.

The Falcons boast the nation’s leading rushing team, a unit that won the national rushing “title” the last two seasons before opening with 582 yards on the ground last week in an opening 48-17 win over Northern Iowa.

But AFA is more than a ground-consuming option attack. The Falcons also boast a stout defense, one that last year finished fourth in the nation in total defense and 16th in scoring defense. While they are relatively small up front, they boast an overall active front seven that utilizes multiple fronts and can get to the quarterback, stop the run and generally disrupt an opponent’s offense.

Our weekly Fast Five keys for CU success:

1. Stop the run. We’re clearly stating the obvious here, but the Buffs can’t afford to allow the Falcons to put their rushing attack in high gear.

It means CU’s defenders — in particular linebackers Robert BarnesQuinn Perry and Josh Chandler-Semedo — will have to be disciplined in their approach. AFA’s attack forces mistakes by the defense — an overreaction or missed assignment —  then takes advantage.

Another critical factor will be CU’s defensive ends setting the edge and forcing plays inside. If the Falcons get outside with room to run, they will break big plays.

Overall, it means sound, disciplined football from every defender.

Continue reading story here

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September 8th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU relying on veteran transfers Tommy Brown and R.J. Sneed to get over opening loss

RelatedCUATG Podcast interview with R.J. Sneed II

RelatedCUATG Podcast interview with Tommy Brown

From the Daily Camera … Beyond a coaching staff that needs to find a way to press the right buttons Saturday at Air Force (1:30 p.m., CBS), CU’s ability to bounce back from a season-opening loss to TCU will have to come from within. And that offensive experience received a huge boost last week as two graduate transfers, receiver RJ Sneed and offensive lineman Tommy Brown, made their Buffs debuts after weathering injuries over the summer.

Brown, whose 29 appearances at Alabama between 2019 and 2021 included two games in the College Football Playoff championship, battled a preseason knee injury but started at right guard against TCU, logging 55 snaps. Sneed, a receiver from Baylor, is coming along a little more slowly in his recovery from a foot injury (nine snaps against TCU) but expects to become a bigger part of the offense in the near future.

“It was incredible,” Brown said. “Playing on Friday was kind of like being in high school again. Friday night lights is incredible. I enjoyed going out there with my brothers and battling. Obviously it didn’t go the way that we wanted, but I think there were things that were really good. And there were things we had to fix. And if we just fix those things, it’s a different game.”

… A foot injury suffered during CU’s spring showcase limited Sneed over the summer and preseason, but he got his toes wet with the Buffs against TCU, recording two receptions for 17 yards. While Dorrell insists on playing it coy as to whether Lewis or JT Shrout will get the starting nod at Air Force, CU’s quarterbacks likely will look to get more use out of Sneed as the weeks unfold.

“With coach Dorrell and knowing (receivers) coach (Phil) McGeoghan is going to be there and their background in the NFL, that was my big picture — two coaches that coached receivers in the NFL,” Sneed said. “They could help me out and make the next step.”

Continue reading story here

Fourth-year sophomore offensive lineman Austin Johnson glad to be in the lineup: “It’s just the start”

From the Daily Camera … Austin Johnson’s time is finally here.

While Friday’s season opener didn’t go well for the Colorado football team, the 38-13 loss to TCU provided a significant personal moment for Johnson, who started for the Buffaloes at center and also played some snaps at right guard.

“It was great, man,” the 6-foot-4, 300-pound offensive lineman said. “It was a dream come true. It was a lot of hard work that paid off, but it’s just the start.”

Since coming to CU in 2019, Johnson has not only had to bide his time and learn, but deal with adversity. Nicknamed “Big Salsa,” he missed the 2020 season with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon and has dealt with other injuries along the way.

Johnson played a total of 26 offensive snaps during his first three seasons at CU. Against TCU, he played 56 snaps.

“I knew I was gonna be a little nervous going into the game, of course,” he said. “It was more kind of a confidence thing, trying to see where I’m at and really see, like. I belong. If I can block the nose from TCU, then I can block a lot of noses in the (Pac-12). It was more just a confidence booster and you just gotta go.”

While Johnson got the start at center, he rotated with Noah Fenske. Generally, when Fenske went to center, Johnson shifted over to right guard. Tommy Brown played the bulk of the game at right guard.

“I felt good,” Johnson said. “In high school, I played right guard and then transferred to center when I got here. I was comfortable with either.”

Continue reading story here

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September 7th

… CU in a few minutes … 

*Video: Karl Dorrell’s final meeting with press before Air Force game*

From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com … Dorrell: Good week of work. We’re really getting ourselves ready to play … Respect for the Air Force players who, like at other academies, have many more obligations as students than players for other teams … We’ve got to get better each week, improving our game … AFA gives you different looks on defense, they have some unique fronts … They will make you earn everything you get … We have to play really clean, disciplined football … It’s already a hard enough offense to get off the field, so we can’t assist them in any way (with mistakes and penalties) … Rotating center and guards as there is versatility there, and equal talent … J.T. Shrout broke out of the pocket too early, because the protection was, for the most part, pretty good … Freshman punter Ashton Logan (who had his first career punt returned for a touchdown): He did pretty good. He’s pretty hard on himself, so I don’t have to beat him on it … Reluctantly agreed that Shrout did an “admirable job” coming in during tough situations: We’ve just got to keep getting better … “Good possibility” that both quarterbacks will play on Saturday …

Nigel Bethel glad to be back on the field at cornerback: “I felt like a better player, for sure”

From the Daily Camera … Nigel Bethel Jr. played only 17 snaps in Friday’s season opener, but that was enough to put a smile on his face.

“I got a feel for it again,” said Bethel, a junior cornerback for the Colorado Buffaloes. “I’m excited and just happy to be back. Happy to get the rust off.”

A year ago, Bethel was excelling as CU’s No. 3 cornerback and part-time nickel back. But, in the sixth game, he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

“It was terrible, man,” he said. “I mean, I kind of got down mentally, but it didn’t last too long. I got back up because it happens to everybody. You’ve just gotta get better.”

While missing the final six games of last year was tough, Bethel said the more difficult aspect of the injury was “not being able to compete for a spot this offseason.”

… Bethel has been impressed by the young group.

“A lot of them are like way ahead compared to when I came in,” he said.

Still, it was Bethel getting the call off the bench Friday. Behind Moore and Reed, Bethel and Oliver (seven snaps) were the only other corners to play.

… “I feel great, man,” he said. “I can’t really complain right now.”

Read full story here

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September 6th

… CU in a few minutes … 

*Video – Senior linebacker Robert Barnes: “You have to be keyed into your assignment. You’ve got to be selfless”*

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsReport

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September 5th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Buffs begin preparations for Air Force: “We feel that we’re going to get ourselves back on track with a good week of practice”

From CUBuffs.com … The challenge doesn’t get any easier this week for Karl Dorrell‘s Colorado Buffaloes.

In short, there’s no time for licking the wounds of a 38-13 loss to Texas Christian in last Friday’s season opener.

Instead, the Buffs must now turn their full attention to preparing for Saturday’s game at Air Force (1:30 p.m., CBS) and the Falcons’ option-oriented ground game, which has produced the nation’s leading rushing attack the last two seasons.

The AFA attack is one employed by only a handful of teams around the nation, and it causes problems for teams that seldom see it. In the last three seasons, the Falcons have lost just eight games — five against conference opponents and three versus Army or Navy. All are teams that see the Air Force offense every season and thus know how to prepare.

Against Power 5 teams who don’t see the option-style offense often, the Falcons have fared well. They are 3-0 in those contests since 2019, with a regular season win over Colorado and bowl victories over Louisville and Washington State.

Last week, AFA opened the season with a 48-17 thumping of Northern Iowa. The Falcons put up 691 yards total offense, including 582 on the ground. Air Force averaged 9.4 yards per rush and had five players with at least 77 yards rushing.

That’s not exactly comforting for a CU defense that gave up 275 yards rushing last weekend to TCU — with 261 coming in the second half, when the Horned Frogs scored 31 unanswered points to turn a close game into a runaway.

“It’s going to be really important for us to shore up our issues and work on some game planning aspects of how to stop probably the top rushing offense in the country right now,” Dorrell said at his Monday press conference. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us, but I think our guys are excited about it. Given how we played last week, we feel that we’re going to get ourselves back on track with a good week of practice and hopefully show that improvement on Saturday.”

Continue reading story here

Linebacker Quinn Perry: “We just have to be fully invested”

From the Daily Camera … Dorrell said after the game he didn’t know who would start against Air Force as the Buffs try to get their sputtering offense rolling

“We’ll figure it out,” Dorrell said. “I have good enough coaches to figure it out.

“We’ve got to get better with the rhythm offensively. We didn’t have that kind of consistency. So that’s an area to me that I think is really important for us to address this week is you’ve got to play a team like Air Force that takes a lot of time off the clock. So you’re going to have to take advantage of your opportunities. And we need to be much better next week.”

Then, there’s that run defense, which was great in the first two quarters Friday and awful in the last two.

“It was just a lot of small mistakes,” safety Trevor Woods said. “On defense, one small mistake can lead to a big play and those add up. We’ve got a lot of things that we need to fix – and we’re gonna get back to the film room and see how it is.”

The Buffs are no stranger to trying to bounce back from a defeat, as they are now 4-11 in their last 15 games, dating back to December of 2020. Considering the level of optimism within the locker room going into Friday, however, that was one of the most disappointing losses of Dorrell’s tenure, and it will be a busy week in Boulder as the Buffs try to recover.

“We just have to be fully invested,” Perry said. “I think that we have to tighten up a couple of screws and, I mean, just finish (a game) at the end of the day. That’s really what we’re looking to do now – just finish.”

Read full story here

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Dorrell: “Nowhere to go but up”

From the Daily Camera … Getting embarrassed at home in the season opener wasn’t exactly what Karl Dorrell and the Colorado Buffaloes had in mind after an offseason of building optimism.

Still, the Buffs have plenty of games ahead of them and they’re looking to turn the page quickly from the 38-13 loss to TCU on Friday at Folsom Field.

“It’s one game down and 11 to go,” Dorrell said after Friday’s humbling defeat. “We know that in that locker room, we can get a lot better. I’m sure that’s what their mindset is right now from what we just talked about.

“There’s nowhere to go but up. We’re going to continue to work and hopefully get better and get ready to play a really good Air Force team.”

“Part of that’s on me and on Quinn, on (Terrance) Lang and all the leaders because the speed of the team is the speed of the leaders,” Russell said. “So, there’s something we’ve got to do differently in order to get the team to operate and …I think there’s some stuff ingrained in guys from the past and what this program has been and we’ve got to find a way to take that out of their mind.”

Continue reading story here

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September 4th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Neill Woelk’s Takeaways: “Two different QBs doesn’t appear to be the right way to completely utilize all the weapons available”

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado coach Karl Dorrell didn’t sugarcoat things in his press conference following Friday night’s 38-13 loss to Texas Christian.

The Buffaloes, Dorrell conceded, have plenty of areas in which they need to improve — and not a lot of time to get it done. The Buffs return to action Saturday at Air Force, where they will face a Falcons team that opened with a convincing 48-17 win over Northern Iowa. AFA finished with 691 yards offense, including 582 on the ground.

For 30 minutes Friday night, there were plenty of promising signs for the Buffaloes, especially on defense. TCU’s only score in the first half came via a 60-yard punt return and while the Buffs’ offense couldn’t get to the end zone, the Buffs were at least eating up yards and clock and they trailed by just one, 7-6, at intermission.

The general consensus was that with a few halftime adjustments, Colorado could put itself in position to get a much-needed opening win.

Instead, it was the Horned Frogs who made the adjustments and the Buffs never countered. TCU dominated the final two quarters with 31 unanswered points, leaving CU with plenty of questions and a week to find the answers.

Our first week takeaways:

1. Explosive plays are still the difference. A year ago, CU gave up nearly twice as many plays of 20-plus yards as it recorded (59-30).

The discrepancy Friday night was even more pronounced. After Colorado had a 3-1 edge in explosives in the first half, the Horned Frogs ripped off nine in the final two quarters while limiting CU to just one more for a final 10-4 edge in those drive-defining plays.

That’s a ratio that has to be reversed. The Buffs missed tackles, missed assignments and simply found themselves in the wrong defensive sets too many times in the second half. TCU spread Colorado’s defense out, then took advantage of superior speed at the quarterback position and in the backfield to wreak havoc on the Buffs.

… 3. Quarterback situation. Yes, this is perhaps the biggest issue on the minds of CU’s fans.

Dorrell and his staff stayed with incumbent starter Brendon Lewis and while he was relatively efficient, he never took the Buffs to the end zone. Lewis completed 13 of his 18 attempts for 78 yards (6 yards per completion), with a long of 25. He did finish as CU’s leading rusher with 42 yards, including the Buffs’ longest run of the night, a 24-yard scamper.

Backup J.T. Shrout seemed to inject some life into Colorado’s offense at moments, but he also had his share of mistakes. Shrout completed 13 of 23 attempts for 157 yards (12 yards per completion) and also directed Colorado’s only touchdown drive of the night, a foray into the end zone at the very end of the game that finished with a 23-yard scoring pass to freshman wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.

This is an issue that needs to be settled. Dorrell said he and his staff would evaluate the situation and move forward.

… 8. Maintain confidence. Granted, it’s difficult to find those silver linings in a 25-point loss.

But with 11 games to go, the Buffs can’t afford to let one bad game — actually, one bad half — turn their attitude south. Colorado had a good fall camp and the Buffs have talent in plenty of places.

They need to regroup this week, focus on the task at hand and put together a solid performance Saturday.

Read full story here

*Video: Mark Johnson and Gary Barnett*

From BuffsTV …

CU had no answer when TCU switched to the run: “Obviously we were going to be short in the run fits”

From the Daily Camera … Colorado managed to keep TCU’s passing game in check, but couldn’t stop the run in the second half of a 38-13 loss at Folsom Field in the season opener.

TCU ran for 275 yards and four touchdowns – with 261 yards and all the touchdowns coming after intermission.

“We really committed to running the ball in the second half, made a couple of adjustments on what we were doing and guys did a great job making plays,” said Dykes, who was making his debut with TCU after spending the previous four years at SMU.

In the first half, CU dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for 22 minutes, 8 seconds. TCU ran just 18 plays and gained 67 yards before intermission. The Horned Frogs had just 14 rushing yards at that point.

On the first play of the third quarter, Kendre Miller had a 22-yard run. Four plays and three TCU penalties later, Emari Demercado sprinted untouched up the middle of the field for a 43-yard touchdown run.

TCU used a trio of running backs, but also got 103 rushing yards from its three quarterbacks.

“They definitely saw that we were in more of a split safety defense, so they wanted to up to QB run game, because obviously we were going to be short in the run fits,” CU linebacker Quinn Perry said. “That was the biggest factor that they did.”

Read full story here

Rooney: Has Dorrell already lost the locker room? – “Some dudes mentally checked out at halftime” 

From the Daily Camera … CU’s sudden and stunning second-half collapse in a 38-13 in a loss against TCU — a team with its own quarterback questions playing its first game on the road under new coach Sonny Dykes — exposed a team in crisis. Overdramatic for game one? Usually, yes. But for Dorrell and the Buffs, this was the same stuff, different season. And if nothing changed over the course of an entire offseason, there is no reason for Buffs fans to have faith anything will change before next week’s daunting challenge at Air Force. Or beyond.

It wasn’t a pretty first half against TCU, but who thought it was going to be picturesque football from either side? This was supposed to be a brawl and, indeed, it was a one-point game at halftime. Yet it might as well have been game over.

“Some dudes mentally checked out at halftime,” CU linebacker Quinn Perry said. When that one-point deficit soon ballooned to a very surmountable 17-6 TCU lead, tight end Brady Russell observed, “too many heads drop. I saw way too much defeat when we were still very, very much part of the game.”

This is an indictment of Dorrell far beyond the indefensible decision to send quarterback Brendon Lewis back on the field to start the second half, or the decision to punt on fourth-and-five in TCU territory late in the third quarter that all but waved the white flag. It was opening night with a vibrant home crowd against a very beatable foe. If guys were checking out already, it will be a long season by the end of September.

Continue reading story here

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September 3rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Dorrell on quarterbacks: “We’ll watch the tape and assess both of them”

From CUBuffs.com … While there are plenty of issues Karl Dorrell‘s Colorado Buffaloes will need to address in the upcoming week, foremost on most people’s minds is what the Buffs will do with their quarterback position.

Brendon Lewis got the starting call in Friday night’s 38-13 loss to Texas Christian while backup J.T. Shrout played one series in the first half, then several in the fourth quarter.

Lewis finished 13-for-18 for 78 yards and led CU to a pair of field goals. Shrout finished 13-for-23 for 157 yards and produced Colorado’s only touchdown of the night, a 23-yard scoring pass to Jordyn Tyson with 1:13 left in the game.

“We’ll continue to work through it,” Dorrell said after the game. “We’re going to get some film evaluation on both and see what we do from this point forward.”

Dorrell said both quarterbacks had good moments and both made mistakes. Lewis also finished as CU’s leading rusher, picking up 42 yards on eight carries, with his long pass of the night a 25-yard completion to Daniel Arias on CU’s opening drive. That march ended at the TCU 15-yard line when Colorado came up short on a fourth-and-1 try.

Shrout’s long pass of the night was a 35-yard toss to Arias that helped the Buffs move from deep in their own territory late in the first half. He then moved Colorado into what could have been scoring position before a holding penalty pushed the Buffs back into their own territory.

“We’ll do what’s best moving forward,” Dorrell said. “I don’t think Brendon played poorly. He made a few plays. He did some things with his legs. He had some throws. He wasn’t perfect, though, and neither was J.T. We’ll watch the tape and assess both of them.”

From the press conference … On how he addresses criticism of his belief that Lewis is different and better this season: “Well, I think he’s different and better. We didn’t have an idea of what he would look like today, but everything he has shown in the offseason up to this point, he looked really well. He did really good things. We’ll evaluate the quarterback thing now that we have a healthier room. We’ll do what’s best moving forward, but I didn’t think Brendon played poorly. He made a few plays. He did some things with his legs. He had some throws. He wasn’t perfect, though, and neither was J.T. We’ll watch the tape. We’ll assess. We’ll get a chance to fix and address some things and get ourselves ready to play this week. But I will say for our fans, there’s jitters in everybody in that first game coming back. Maybe it was too much pressure on him. Who knows? But I’m confident that he’s a better player. I still feel that he’s a better player than last year. So I still will tell that to my fans, or lack of fans.”

On where they go from here with the quarterback situation: “We’ll continue to work through it. We’ll continue to work through it. I think we’re going to have to get some film evaluation on both and to see what we do from this point forward. I don’t have an answer right now, right after the game, but we’re gonna definitely have some discussion on that.”

*Video: Karl Dorrell Post-Game press conference*

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51 Replies to “Colorado Daily – Air Force Week”

  1. Sorry VK
    it time to criticize one coach….Darrin Sanford. No creativity, no imagination, no misdirection, same ol woody hays plays. …and same ol red zone paralysis. When you are down on talent you have to do something to give them a leg up. Instead Stuart used the proper cliche. Sold a bill of goods.
    And the QB, not Lewis this time, was well over 3 seconds getting rid of the ball. Same ol late developing cardboard routes. Not his fault either. I’m trying to think of a QB on any team that would look good in this offense. Still Shrout reminded me of Drew not a lock with the Broncos. Live arm but too live…all over the place. He had some receiver drops but lucky as hell he didnt get at least 3 more picks.
    On the flip side AF used very little of their usual misdirection. They didnt have to. The Buffs “deep” D line reminded me of one of the those beaded string curtains. Once the AF RB, Roberts, shrugged off the beaded curtain he timed his cuts perfectly.
    The Buffs are like a massive backhoe digging a massive hole even deeper. And now I have to pretend I’m rooting for the Huskers.

    1. Cause Karl doesn’t fight for this team. He just accepts anything. I said the same thing. It was clear. He looks like a zombie on the sidelines. Zero emotion like he knows what he’s doing. I’m leaving this team after 30 years. Boulder is to hippy and doesn’t care.

  2. Morning,

    Cold rainy up here.

    At the cafe. Just me

    Then we are off doing something.

    Anyway.

    I guess if you assume the players were just told today, so you can criticize the coach and brag on yourself yur just being you.

    But then earaching what you want to be earaching is being as expected.

    Any chance to criticize HCKD is a boon to some.

    Uh Oh wife is here.

    OUT
    Buffs

  3. Shrout is the starter. If Dorrell gives him a fair shake I don’t think we will ever look back. Shrout’s arm and our wide recievers will keep us in this game. The only question is can the defense stay stout for 60 minutes. My hope for the season returns with the start of Shrout. Not sure 6 wins is possible as I thought TCU was necessary for a real shot, but I think people are going to be excited about seeing what this offense can do with Shrout when he is not backed into a corner or trying to overcome a 14 point deficit.

  4. I told a friend that we would find out what CU’s potential would be in the second half of the TCU game. What we found out was—- We got “Out-coached” if you didn’t notice. Wiley ‘ol Sonny Dykes took it to us.

    We found out – just like Joe Robinson – said in his post, so I’m not looking forward to a USAF Second Half Blitz as we saw in the TCU game……we’ll see it immediately. Troy Calhoun won’t lose by being beaten coaching…..when USAF loses it’s usually the fact they didn’t have an equal amount of size and talent.

    Don’t waste your valuable gas driving down from Denver……after the F-16’s fly over – pre-game – your excitement will be concluded.

    Just sayin’…… and, hoping I’m wrong.

  5. Hear me out, I get why HCKD is on the fence still. If you look purely at stats, efficiency and performance, Lewis has a slight upper hand (Yes, Shrout did great against backup players. However, Shrout looks like a better Pro QB and brings some energy with him. I could see him throwing 3 TD’s if he played the whole game along with 3 pick 6’s. So Dorrell has a hard choice, someone that will do OK but won’t loose the football game or someone who could be spectacular but run us into the ground. That’s why he is the head coach, he should make the decision and stick with it. After last weeks performance, what have we got to lose?

    1. Agreed. And I am pretty sure he sees them every day. Also pretty sure he and Sanford both played and coached at a reasonably high level. Yet? We know better. Sure thing.

      Gotta have a qb. I think they got one. He’s just a string bean. With zero experience at this level.

      In the meantime, jt and Brendon both need more game reps.

      Go Buffs

    2. What are you babbling on about? You have no idea how JT will play but a very good idea how Lewis will play. To whom are you referring that won’t lose football games? All I see are losses in Lewis’s wake. JT May be no better but won’t be worse. The choice for HCKD is hard only because he makes it so.

    3. The problem I have with the decision is how he is handling both QB’s. Lewis had all of last season and one game in this season. It’s ok, he’s still young with little experience…eyes rolling. JT has been out a year and it’s he’s rolling out early. The players know who should get the start and that’s why they checked out early in the game regardless of what coaches believe. Players usually know before the coaches who the team has trust in.

  6. Sounds like we’ll see both QBs again. I’m ok w/ that. They both seem to need more live game reps. Mildly curious as to who they give the start to, and whether they go by quarter, series, “gut feel” etc. in terms of their rotation. If they’re going to run both guys, I say go by quarter, unless someone’s clearly on a roll and just runs w/ it into a dominant performance.

    Go Buffs

    1. I always post a lot. Stu has to slow me down once in a while.

      But the ache of the ear turns up the accelerator when the negativity needle turns hot.

      extra oil for the swivel.
      anway his pot kettle fave is so funny

      I am expecting to see the Buffs look exactly how I expected the Buffs to look in game 1 not like the actually looked like in game 1

      1. Yeah. I’m not a frequent poster. Nope. Not me.

        Dude.

        You and I probably make up 80% of the posts here (kinda sadly). Usually because you can’t not include me in some semi veiled swipe in most of your posts, which of course, I just have to respond to. To keep it real.

        Can’t wait to see which coach you think should be fired first.

        Go Buffs

        1. Easy Choice

          WACMAC.
          should have listened to me

          He will always be my first choice. Oh wait flimflamman makes it a tie.

          Both of them were fakes.

          HCKD is not a fake.

          But you loved em both. Mirror up

          Go Buffs

          1. I love them all, my friend. Ok, love may be too strong a word. But you get the point. They get to Boulder and work their asses off to pull my alma mater’s football program out of the ashes. It hasn’t worked, except for one season, in the last 20-ish years. That doesn’t mean they’re bad coaches, or bad people. It just means their efforts were not rewarded in the win column.

            So, we’ve seen how many coaches fail at turning the wins around? We’ve seen top coaching targets decline the job, over and over.

            Meanwhile, how many NFL players have the Buffs moved into the league? My point is, and always has been, without the players, nobody’s going to turn this around. No system. No in-game adjustments. No trickeration on game day. No amount of “belief” will get it done. The Bad News Bears is a movie.

            Get some recruiters, and build the recruiting department.

            MacIntyre was decent at finding, and evaluating talent that others overlooked, and getting them to Boulder. Exhibit A, 2016. Exhibit B, more players drafted than in a long time. Exhibit C, at least one really good season, and then competitive – albeit heartbreaking – 5 and 7 seasons. Oh, the glory days of 5 and 7.

            Karl? I like him. He knows football. I like his recruiting profile. Have said that many times. He’s just got a lot, a lot, of very young and inexperienced dudes. IF he can keep them, and the staff, believing and not leaving, 2023 will feature a good batch of returning production, with what I think is an elevated talent level, that “should” be able to get to 6 wins.

            You? You love the coaching roulette. Who’s head you gonna call for next?

            Go Buffs

          2. Leaving tonight for the two day camping trip. Er cabin trip. My wife thinks camping out is staying at a holiday inn rather than the grand Hyatt. It’s gonna be a rough couple of days.

            The coaches stay in the job as long as they can execute. Some stay longer like wacmac who stayed 3 years too long.

            I was hoping the flimflam man was the answer. He was a fake. I was hoping wacmac was the answer. He was incompetent. I am hoping HCKD is the answer and he gets as many years as FFM and wacmac got.
            That is it. Nothing more. The carousel is driven by results. At this point HCKD is way ahead of both of them.

            Go Buffs Beat the Zoomies.

        2. For a while I had the pet theory that you and VK were actually the same person, trolling people by arguing with yourself.

  7. Buffs begin preparations for Air Force: “We feel that we’re going to get ourselves back on track with a good week of practice” Uh ok. Believe it when I see it.

    1. Right? We’re all Phil Connors and it’s groundhog day in our own little football hell. Do they even hear themselves? How refreshing would it be for someone on the team to just once say what we’re all thinking? This team is small and slow, and untalented, and would probably struggle in the Big Sky conference. Misery accomplished, I guess, for all the folks who have assiduously worked to diminish the football program in the wake of the scandaI™. I can’t imagine what it’s like for Stuart to have to document this dumpster fire in perpetuity.

  8. Stu, I saw you before the game and I was surprised Lewis started. My surprise is becuase we got exactly what I expected out of a Lewis run offense. And when we came out in the second half with Lewis are we really surprised the defense just folded….I really don’t understand why Shrout isn’t our starter. If Dorrell can’t see what is right in front of him then he is not the coach to lead us out of this.

  9. I have heard this before The plan the plan the plan….
    As this senior engineering manager use to say at every quarterly review when it was his turn to present his projects status and asked by the CEO his position on where they were…………..

    WE HAVE A PLAN………….WE ARE WORKING HARD…………..WE ARE ON SCHEDULE.

    Never brought a product to market in 3 years…………..smart guy…………….moved to advisory role

    1. Sounds like doubt creeping in. And don’t get me wrong, evolving opinions based on new information is a good thing.

      Nevertheless, Rick and Lance were turned down by a handful of candidates last time around. Would a search firm have done better? Maybe.

      As brutal as this year may be, I say give Karl 2023. Rick and Lance too. Or, full house cleaning after this year. And again, I don’t want to see that. Just hoping for some competitive football. Not sure this roster gets us there this year. Offense is complicated. Diverse? Multiple? Yep. Also complicated. Defense? Damn.

      I do think they have some talent. Just young and inexperienced.

      Karl’s job is now to keep them believing and not leaving.

      Go Buffs

      1. the ol handful. Sheesh. Yur still pissed wacmac is not coaching.

        No creeping doubt ms doubtfire, just observing. Some interesting dynamics internal for sure.

        Anyway just keep cheeering your real school beaver babes, and trolling the Mighty Buffs.

        You may say you went to CU but…………..a political science major? No wonder yur a flipflopper.

        Anyway go buffs.

        I expect the changes in qb will fire up the team.

        HCKD made one mistake………………..starte blew in the second half.

        Thats past now so will see if the even have a qb.

        1. They have one. He’s just a 170lb freshman. We may see him sooner than anticipated.

          Hopefully jt or Brendon can at least get a little mojo going, so they don’t have to trot the kid out, just yet.

          Go Buffs

  10. Unlike some fans who are down on the coach and athletic director, I saw progress on Friday. As mentioned in an earlier post, I can see the rationale for starting Lewis. His Run/Pass/Option abilities are first rate. However, he does take too long to make decisions on his throws in game situations. Moving on to Shrout likely changes game plans, but is needed.

    Concerning Coach Dortell’s handling of the quarterback change, he probably did not want to crush the confidence of Lewis during the first game of the season. He was hopeful, and that hope did not materialize. He will make the change for game two. Unlike others who have posted, I admire his decision to minimize criticism of Lewis. Although he could have been scathing, he simply will not throw players under the bus. We see and have seen other coaches do just that. This is a positive trait and one I am sure players appreciate.

    Coach Dorrell won at UCLA and won his first year at CU in 2020. H cue a competitor and, I hope, turns it around this year. These next few weeks are key in doing so. The adage of the biggest improvement happens between the first and second game is critically important with this team.

    When it comes to recruiting, he has a plan in identifying players he thinks can win at CU. These are two and three star players. Once winning with them, he then wants to recruit three and four star players, and improve from there. Just as with his quarterback decision, he has a plan for recruiting. These plans can be disputed, but it is not as if he is someone who should be abandoned out of hand as some are doing after one half and a few controversial decisions.

    He IS a competitor, he has waited for this second head coaching opportunity, has implemented thoughtful plans, and does know how to coach. Most importantly in my view, he does NOT throw players under the bus in public. I so much hope the remainder of the season has many successes or this principled individual and dedicated players such as Russell.

    1. I believe you are correct.

      Those people don’t know. They hope for failure………….don’t let em kid you. Selfish cause they don’t like the guy………….sheesh.

      I never liked wac mac but never wished the Buffs to not win …………..ache breaky achy

      Go Buffs

    2. I hope you are right. Right now I’m experiencing how much worse the Dorrell cool-aid tasted coming up than going down. Hopefully this illness passes quickly.

      PS, hallelujah RE Shrout starting!! Now just crossing my fingers as tightly as I can.

  11. Dorrell: “Nowhere to go but up”… he certainly ain’t no Winston Churchill that much is certain.
    Is there a win on the schedule? If so, I can’t see it

  12. Ya gotta admit, Well no you don’t
    But lotta fans saying they are done..

    Nah I don’t believe it. The hope is too much.

    Buff revival.

  13. I hate to say it but HCKD isn’t the answer. Shrout outplayed Lewis and that he thinks they had similar games is ridiculous. If Shrout started that game different outcome, even if we lose.

    1. Karl wants precision in running the offense. Neither really did that. Owen is his next man up. Just 6’2” and 175 (which means like 170, at best).

      Gonna be bumpy.

      Shrout bails the pocket and improvises. Has one hell of an arm.

      B-lew waits for routes to materialize. But runs the offense.

      Qb matters.

      Go Buffs

  14. I am done with football. I won’t be watching another game this season. If you can’t fix it in 20 years, you are not trying.

  15. Ugh. The thing that really rustles my jimmies about Dorrell : how much he’s getting paid and the needless contact extention he was given.

    This team would have been better off promoting Summers or another one of Tucker’s assistants to Head Coach. Or Chev. At least Chev was a leader. Might have been a terrible coordinator but at least he was passionate.

  16. Dorrell is a nice guy and a mediocre coach, but he is not a leader and the players need one, particularly during adversity

  17. HCKD talks about reviewing film and then deciding on the QB! Absurd. As if there wasn’t already 12+ games of history on Lewis! Even a Cornholer fan sees the stupidity in this reasoning. I don’t see another win on the schedule if HCKD continues with his ostrich imitation

  18. Roll Tad, roll…MBB is our now ‘flagship’ program, EVERYONE needs to lean in (as the comment boards are showing folks are moving on from FB).

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