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Colorado Daily – Colorado State Week
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September 16th – Game Day!
… CU in a few minutes …
*Video: Lee Corso’s 400th headgear pick: Colorado*
From BuffsTV …
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ESPN Intro to GameDay
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Game Day! – “We still grinding. Still got so much to prove”
From the Daily Camera … The Buffs certainly didn’t need Norvell’s comments for motivation, but it didn’t hurt.
Fueled by outside criticism all offseason, the Buffs are off to a surprisingly hot start, one that has led to ESPN essentially taking over CU’s Business Field for live shows on Friday. The Buffs are at the center of the college football world and aiming to prove people wrong every time they step on the field – rivalry game or not.
“I feel like for us, we just prepare the same whether it’s a rivalry game, whether it’s a regular game,” Domineck said. “All of them are not regular games. It’s basically our championship from week to week. We’re always trying to go 1-0, so the preparation never changes. We always prepare the same way, whether it’s going in for extra film, focusing on what we need to focus on throughout the week. The preparation is always going to stay the same.”
So is the spotlight, which has shined on CU every week this season and will continue to do so. The players have not only embraced it, but thrived.
“We always got to come out with that type of edge on our shoulder,” receiver Xavier Weaver said. “Everybody’s coming out looking at us, regardless if we coming out for warm-ups, we coming out for the game. Everybody wants to see something. We got cameras on us 24/7, so we got to come out with that type of energy or else we’re gonna play flat.”
Given the energy and hype around the program, and the extra motivation provided by Norvell, it’s not likely the Buffs will come out flat against the Rams. Their goals go well beyond the 2-0 start and well beyond this matchup against their in-state rivals.
“We still grinding,” defensive ends coach Nick Williams said. “Still got so much to prove.”
Asked on First Take what fans can expect Saturday night, CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders smiled and said, “It’s gonna be legendary. Let’s just say that.”
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September 15th
… CU in a few minutes …
*Video: ESPN’s Rece Davis and Desmond Howard talk CU*
From Nikki Edwards …
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Neill Woelk’s Keys to the Game
From CUBuffs.com … For the first time this season, the Colorado Buffaloes find themselves in the role of a heavy favorite Saturday when they play host to rival Colorado State in an 8 p.m. game at Folsom Field (ESPN).
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ 18th-ranked Buffs (2-0) are solid three-touchdown favorites over the 0-1 Rams, who opened the season with a 50-24 loss to Washington State, then took last weekend off to recover.
But it’s a good bet Coach Prime won’t allow his team to overlook this one. All he has to do is remind the Buffs that they were in the Rams’ position just a couple weeks ago — and heavy underdog Colorado shocked the college football world by knocking off then-No. 17 TCU on the Frogs’ home turf.
The Rams obviously would like nothing better than to dial up a similar result on national television.
The Buffs will do their best to make sure such a scenario doesn’t unfold.
On paper, there are plenty of reasons why the Buffs are such heavy favorites in the 92nd meeting between the two programs (a series that Colorado has dominated, 67-22-2).
For starters, the Buffs have unveiled one of the nation’s most-potent pass offenses. In two games, quarterback Shedeur Sanders has thrown for 903 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions while completing nearly 80 percent of his throws (69-for-89). Sanders has a bevy of talented receivers, with three — Jimmy Horn Jr., Xavier Weaver and Travis Hunter — all with at least 14 catches.
That’s not a good sign for a CSU defense that gave up 466 yards passing (556 total offense) in the Rams’ opening loss.
Meanwhile, CU’s defense took a big step forward last week in a 36-14 win over Nebraska, holding the Huskers to just one touchdown until NU managed a meaningless score in the final minutes.
But one factor that can’t be overlooked in this one is the rivalry aspect. Funny things can happen in such games and the Rams have had two weeks to get ready. The Buffs need to make sure there’s no funny business at Folsom.
Our weekly Fast Five:
1. Get on the scoreboard early. A week ago, the Buffs gave Nebraska some hope when CU’s offense stumbled and punted on its first four possessions.
There’s no reason for a repeat performance against CSU. Colorado needs to punch the Rams in the mouth early, take the wind out of their sails and get what is sure to be a frenzied Folsom Field crowd worked up to a fever pitch.
The most likely scenario, of course, is that the Buffs strike through the air. Sanders and Co. will no doubt have their opportunities to produce against a CSU defense that struggled mightily against the pass in its opener.
But this also might be a time for the Buffs to work on another aspect of their offense. Which brings us to …
2. Establish the run game. If there’s anything that’s been lacking in CU’s offense thus far, it’s been a consistent ground attack. Colorado has rushed for just 113 yards in two games while averaging only 1.7 yards per attempt.
Granted, those numbers are greatly skewed by CU having allowed 12 quarterback sacks for a loss of 97 yards. Still, this wouldn’t be a bad time for the Buffs to turn their attention to the trenches and pound out some good old-fashioned rushing yards. The Rams will be running on the adrenaline of the rivalry — and the Buffs can empty that tank in a hurry by hammering CSU into submission early.
… Continue reading story here …
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DL Jordan Domineck: “We definitely are coming together as a defense”
From the Daily Camera … Throughout his college football career, Jordan Domineck has routinely made big plays in the opposing backfield.
Last Saturday in a 36-14 rout of Nebraska, the Colorado senior got back to doing what he does best.
Domineck had 2.5 tackles for loss against the Cornhuskers and the defense had six TFLs overall – just one week after having none against TCU. It’s something he hopes to repeat when the 18th-ranked Buffs (2-0) face in-state rival Colorado State (0-1) on Saturday at Folsom Field (8 p.m., ESPN).
“It felt pretty good,” Domineck said. “That was really a point of emphasis we were consistent on throughout the week like, ‘Hey, we didn’t get as much production as we wanted to, especially up front. We didn’t show that we could be a dominant force up front.’ So that was our main emphasis of last week was just being more physical, playing on their side of the ball. That was our goal. That was our mission going into the game and it worked out in our favor.”
… Assistant coach Nick Williams said he loves having Domineck’s experience and leadership in the room.
“He’s up here late night watching tape,” Williams said. “The more tape he watches the more he studies his opponent, the faster he can play, which will ultimately (lead to) the more plays you will make. He practices and he approaches this thing like a pro. He’s been a part of big-time games and he knows what’s required of him. He knows in three or four months, he won’t be in college anymore, so you’ve got to do extra and the guys that do extra without me pushing them, it’s a beautiful thing to watch. It’s like poetry in motion.”
… Continue reading story here …
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September 14th
… CU in a few minutes …
“Live from the CU Business Field” – ESPN’s Friday schedule
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OC Sean Lewis: “There’s a lot of freedom, and (Coach Prime) is like, ‘Hey, I hired you for a reason. Go. Take ownership of it’
From The Athletic … This offseason, Colorado brought in 51 scholarship transfers looking for a fresh start in Boulder, but one of Deion Sanders’ biggest pickups was a 37-year-old former three-star quarterback recruit who played in the Big Ten and didn’t arrive through the portal.
Offensive coordinator Sean Lewis has worked wonders with what had been one of the worst units in college football. Through two weeks, the Buffaloes are averaging 40.5 points per game, up from 15.4 in 2022, a mark that ranked 127th out of 131 FBS teams. Under Lewis’ direction, Colorado’s 453 passing yards per game ranks second in the country, and the offense is averaging 10 yards per attempt (16th in the FBS). The Buffs sit No. 3 in the country in plays of 30 yards or more with 10; they only had 16 such plays in all of last season.
“I think Sean Lewis is a great offensive coordinator,” said Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule after Colorado beat the Huskers 36-14.
It’s still early, but at this point it’s no stretch to say Lewis has made as big of an impact as any new assistant this season.
For most of Colorado’s newcomers, going to work with Coach Prime seemed like a no-brainer, but for Lewis, it was a lot more complicated than that.
… Colorado would need to pay the $750,000 buyout to Kent State in order to hire him, but before Lewis decided to make the jump to Boulder, he had to consider that becoming an assistant again meant giving up perks that come with being the head coach. The potential changes to his schedule were a critical factor for a coach with a 7-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
“Coach (Sanders) and I had talked a lot about family and how important family is to him,” Lewis said. “There were things that I could do as a head coach with my young family that he assured me that I’d be able to continue to do, and not a whole lot of head coaches are open to that.”
That’s why it meant so much to Lewis that the day after Colorado beat Nebraska, he was present at his son’s first flag football practice to support him.
… It’s been a surreal rise. Lewis has gone from life in the MAC to the biggest story in sports right now, with sellout crowds, national TV audiences and celebs everywhere he looks around the facility. Two days before Colorado played Nebraska, Lewis was sitting down in the cafeteria eating lunch with Terrell Owens and Colorado legend Kordell Stewart. “Everywhere you look around, there’s someone with a gold (Pro Football Hall of Fame) jacket or done some amazing things,” he said. “It’s pretty cool just as a football fan.”
Working for a coach with an aura like no one else in football has been an eye-opener for Lewis. As folks both inside and outside the sport try and decipher exactly why Sanders has defied expectations at Colorado, Lewis sees one thing that stands out.
“I love how he is authentically himself,” he said. “When you’re 31 and you’re the youngest head coach in the country, you probably walk into some rooms and think, OK, I got to act a certain kind of way, but as I’ve learned and grew there, and it’s been reaffirmed here, that you’ve just got to be true to who you are as you make decisions. Coach takes complete ownership of everything that is going on, and he does it his way, unapologetically, which is awesome. The way he’s able to, in this day and age, put the kids in the best light and give them a stage and a platform to maximize all the things that they can do, I think that’s really empowering.
“This staff has done a tremendous job, and kudos to Coach for putting people in place and saying OK, do your thing. There’s certain things that he wants and that we’re gonna give him. There’s a lot of freedom, and he’s like, ‘Hey, I hired you for a reason. Go. Take ownership of it.’ It’s really cool, and it’s really empowering. I don’t want to let this guy down. I don’t want to let the kids down. I don’t want to let anyone on our staff down, so you pour into it and you go.”
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So much for “great respect”: CSU coach Jay Norvell gives Coach Prime a receipt
Tweet from THE Ram U … Great CSU Coach’s Show tonight. Jay Norvell with the line of the decade… “I told ESPN, when I talk to grownups, I take my hat and glasses off.” Love it! Jay showed his passion for this game. Rams are hungry. Go earn it!
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September 13th
… CU in a few minutes …
“Born to Lead: The Sal Aunese Story” to be aired on Rocky Mountain PBS Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. MT
… If you have never seen this film, or, if you are like me, and haven’t seen it in awhile, mark your calendar and watch this inspirational film …
From Colorado PBS … Born to Lead is the story of Sal Aunese, The University of Colorado’ s star Quarterback who died of stomach cancer in 1989 and how his team promptly dedicated their season to him, (Which ended in CU’s national championship win). Through reflections from friends, family, and teammates, as well as rare archival footage, Born to Lead chronicles Sal’s rise to the top of his teams most valuable players and his valiant battle with the disease that took his life in 1989. Reminiscent of such poignant films of the past such as Brian’s Song and Rudy, Born to Lead is a rousing story of courage, friendship and living life against the most brutal of obstacles.
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*Video: Defensive ends coach Nick Williams meets the media*
From Nikki Edwards …
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Mel Kiper: Shedeur Sanders could be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft
From YardBarker.com … Shedeur Sanders has played himself into the 2024 NFL Draft conversation but according to one draft expert, he could be the headliner in 2025 if he decides to stay at Colorado.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. moved Sanders up to third on his list of top quarterback prospects in the class of 2024, behind Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, per On3, and said he could rise even higher if he waits to declare until 2025.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “Monday Blitz,” Kiper said that Sanders, “right now, is a guaranteed high first-round pick.”
“If he stays at Colorado, we’ll be talking about him next summer like we’re talking about Caleb Williams right now – No. 1 pick guaranteed,” added Kiper.
It’s impossible to argue against his point unless you believe Williams is seriously considering playing his senior year in 2024 at USC.
Sanders has answered all doubts about how his game would translate to the FBS over two weeks. He was outstanding in two seasons at FCS Jackson State, completing 68.4 percent of his attempts while throwing for 6,963 yards and 70 touchdowns with only 16 interceptions.
He quickly answered whether he could play well against FBS competition by setting a Colorado program record with 510 passing yards in his debut against TCU. In Saturday’s home opener against Nebraska, Sanders was 31-of-42 for 393 yards and two touchdowns.
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September 12th
… CU in a few minutes …
ESPN College GameDay to originate from Business Field
From ESPN … ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot is back for its 37th season and will be live from Boulder, Colo., ahead of the ‘Rocky Mountain Showdown’ between the University of Colorado and Colorado State (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). The show will originate from Business Field on CU campus – the show’s fourth trip to Boulder all time.
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Buffs may start a true freshman at center v. CSU
From the Daily Camera … Colorado might be going with a backup plan at center this week.
Late in Saturday’s 36-14 rout of Nebraska at Folsom Field, CU starting center Van Wells left the game with an undisclosed injury.
On Tuesday, head coach Deion Sanders said Wells is “healing,” but also hinted that backup center Hank Zilinskas, a true freshman from Cherry Creek High School, could get the start when the 18th-ranked Buffs (2-0) face Colorado State (0-1) at Folsom Field on Saturday (8 p.m., ESPN).
“The thing about it, this is a game you know it’s next man up,” Sanders said. “(Zilinskas) came in and did a great job and we didn’t miss a beat. … We have the depth that we need. We could always use more but I feel like we were OK at that position. We’re OK, but hopefully Van gets better soon.”
Senior Landon Bebee, who started at right guard, can also play center.
… Continue reading story here …
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*Video: Coach Prime’s Tuesday Press Conference*
From DNVR …
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Another huge ratings bonanza for Buffs: 8.73 million watch Nebraska game
… CU/Nebraska behind the top ten matchup between Alabama and Texas … and not by much …
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Nebraska game introduced Tar’Varish “Chick” Dawson to the Buff Nation: “Some people gotta wait their turn”
From the Daily Camera … In a season-opening win at TCU on Sept. 2, Colorado receiver Tar’Varish Dawson played just 10 snaps and totaled nine yards on three catches.
Playing among a talented group of receivers, there was nothing about the opener that suggested Dawson was due for a big game the next week. But, that’s exactly what happened, as he was one of the stars of CU’s 36-14 rout of Nebraska on Saturday at Folsom Field.
Dawson caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown and also ran for an 8-yard touchdown in the victory, which propelled the Buffs (2-0) to No. 18 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25.
The public may not have expected it, but the Buffs did.
“One thing about the receiver group, it’s all family,” quarterback Shedeur Sanders said. “The first thing we did when we all got together is tell them, like, ‘Hey, don’t be in your feelings about nothing. This may be your game, this may not be your game. Everybody’s got to stay level headed.’”
“When you’ve got a lot of talented guys, some people gotta wait their turn,” Sanders said.
Dawson, nicknamed “Chick,” got his turn on Saturday. In two seasons at Auburn, he played in only four games, catching two passes for 30 yards, but already has six catches this season with the Buffs.
“Chick knew his time was coming and he told me, ‘I got you, bro,’” Sanders said. “I worked with him over and over and over, so now he got the exact look that we wanted and he did what he was supposed to do.”
One of the fastest players on the team – if not the fastest – Dawson caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Sanders with 2 minutes, 35 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Buffs a 10-0 lead and spark the offense.
Dawson’s 8-yard touchdown run on an end-around with 10:45 to play in the game, gave the Buffs a commanding 29-7 lead.
“Chick has really been in the playbook,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. “He’s a Fort Myers (Florida) boy, so you know I have a vested interest in him. I wanted to see him do well. He’s my homeboy coming from the hometown.”
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September 11th
… CU in a few minutes …
Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan named Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week
From the Pac-12 …
OFFENSIVE LINE: Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, Jr., LT, Colorado (Davis, Calif.)
- Graded out to a 91.6 on PFF for pass protection against Nebraska, as he allowed just one pressure on 55 plays for a pass block efficiency of 99.1 percent.
- Also graded out to 76.5 percent for run blocking and 84.0 percent overall by PFF.
- Has a season pass block grade of 90.2 by PFF, 13th best in the nation, third in the Pac-12 and eighth in Power 5.
- Only the second time a Colorado player has won this award since it was created in 2019, with Arlington Hambright honored in Week 11 of that season.
Also nominated: Justin Dedich, C, USC; Matteo Mele, C, Washington; Tanner Miller, RG, Oregon State; Ajani Cornelius, RT, Oregon; Garrett DiGiorgio, RT, UCLA; Jonah Savaiinaea, RT, Arizona; Keaton Bills, LG, Utah; Leif Fautanu, C, Arizona State
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Kickoff time for CU at Oregon set
From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes football game at Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. MT/12:30 p.m. Local and be televised nationally by ABC, the Pac-12 Conference announced Monday morning.
The full schedule of Pac-12 games is below:
Saturday, September 23, 2023
12:30pm PT / 1:30pm MT – Colorado at Oregon (ABC)
12:30pm PT / 1:30pm MT – UCLA at Utah (FOX)
4:00pm PT – Oregon State at Washington State (FOX)
4:00pm PT – Arizona at Stanford (Pac-12 Network)
7:30pm PT – USC at Arizona State (FOX)
7:30pm PT – Cal at Washington (ESPN)
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Coach Prime: “It’s not believing in me, it’s believing in what we’re capable of doing”
From The Athletic … The magenta-colored T-shirts donned by the folks whose job Saturday morning was to pass out the booze told any naysayer or skeptic or heels-dug-in doubter that Boulder has gone full Deion, full Prime, full Prime Time. “WE COMIN’” was the all-caps message on the back of the Folsom Field beer vendor shirts, and you can assume it will stay that way throughout the fall.
That’s been the mantra of the Colorado Buffaloes since Deion Sanders took over what was arguably the most downtrodden and irrelevant Power 5 football program in America last December. Yes, the season is still astoundingly young, yes, and goals aren’t reached when the temperatures are comfy and the sun still dips down after 7 p.m. But what Sanders has accomplished so far goes beyond the 2-0 start, beyond the Top 25 ranking, beyond running rival Nebraska back east to the plains.
College football’s fixation with Sanders is unlike anything we’ve seen, but more important than the clicks and the eyeballs is the buy-in the school and community have accepted with Sanders’ era in full tilt. You can argue that when the beer vendors prep for the in-state Colorado-Colorado State showdown next weekend, the all-caps message could read: “WE HERE.”
Because the Buffs are back in Boulder for the people of Boulder. For the alumni base that chose to skip donating chunks of change or chose to skip going to Folsom Field altogether. It takes a lot to revitalize a dormant and once-prominent place. When Sanders stepped off his golf cart that took him to the set of FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff, he looked like an old fighter walking to the ring.
Instead of tapping his gloves together, he limped down the pathway created for him as TV producers prepared him to walk on stage. There is no inner showman within Deion Sanders. It’s always out, always on display, and it’s an ability that should not and will not be underestimated by anyone paying attention.
Fans belted out cheers of “SKO BUFFS!” as Sanders took his time getting to the set.
This was before the drubbing of Nebraska. Before Folsom Field was, as FOX analyst and former Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt said on the broadcast, humming at an energy level he’s never seen before. That was before fans false-started rushing the field and then did the damn thing anyway because it’s been so long since Boulder was a sustainable piece of the college football conversation.
They, as Sanders has posed to media members, believe. The bar of belief isn’t operating at its full capacity just yet.
“More and more young men as well as coaches are believing,” Sanders said in his 20-minute-long postgame news conference. “I think we’re up to probably 80 percent now of young men in that locker room as well as staff and support staff truly believing what we’re capable of doing. It’s not believing in me, it’s believing in what we’re capable of doing.”
… Continue reading story here …
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September 10th
… CU in a few minutes …
The Sink featured by ESPN: “There hasn’t been this much energy here in 25 years”
From ESPN … Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, the line to get into The Sink started to form. By 6:45 a.m., roughly 100 people were wrapped around the block, waiting for the iconic 100-year-old bar and restaurant to open its doors for what promised to be a historic day.
“There hasn’t been this much energy here in 25 years,” said Mark Heinritz, who took ownership of the beloved Boulder institution in 1992.
As fans waited outside, some traded undergraduate stories. Others heckled red-clad Nebraska fans. Mostly, though, they shared their amazement of the moment. Less than a year after Colorado finished one of the worst seasons by a Power 5 football team in the last few decades, there was a palpable predawn buzz for the Buffaloes’ home opener under coach Deion Sanders.
“We bought [The Sink] two years off the national championship and it was intense,” Heinritz said. “People showed up right off the bat; they’re ready to go. They would get up on a Saturday, we would fill right up and be busy all day. And through, let’s call them the hard years, that dissipated quite a bit.”
For now, those days are over.
Even for an establishment like The Sink, which is so engrained in the local community that it has an exhibit at the Museum of Boulder, Saturday was special. This is a place that has been featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Man vs. Food,” and welcomed the likes of Anthony Bourdain and President Barack Obama. But those visitors didn’t necessitate Heinritz opening four hours early to serve breakfast beers.
By 7:20 a.m., the place was so crowded they had to briefly stop letting people in, and inside it might as well have been 2 p.m., as servers deftly navigated the standing-room-only bar area, carrying trays of shots and pizzas.
“I tell you what,” Heinritz said. “The [athletic director] makes one of the most important economic decisions for the city of Boulder. It’s night and day between Deion Sanders’ potential and a 1-11 team. Night and day. The restaurant’s sales are incredible. We’ll go from just having some extra business on a Saturday to where we’ll actually get business Friday and Sunday. It turns into a three-day deal.”
The Prime effect has been felt all over town. On Pearl Street, Boulder’s eclectic brick-paved downtown strip, all kinds of shops and restaurants have bought into the craze. One clothing store offered a 21% discount on a single item, as an homage to Sanders’ number in the NFL. Prime Time merch is everywhere.
All of that came without a ball being snapped at Folsom Field.
… Continue reading story here …
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No. 22 Colorado 36, Nebraska 14: National media game stories and columns
CUBuffs.com … Game Story … Defense Sets Tone, Offense Catches Fire As Buffs Rout Nebraska
CUBuffs.com … Woelk: Coach Prime’s Buffs Showing Great Resiliency
Daily Camera … Game Story … No. 22 CU Buffs continue fast start, rout rival Nebraska
Daily Camera … Rooney: CU Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders punches back, leaves Cornhuskers seeing red
ESPN … Buffaloes ‘impose our will’ in dominant win over Cornhuskers
CBS Sports … Game Story … No. 22 Buffs surge in second half, improve to 2-0 in Deion Sanders era
CBS Sports … Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders breaks out Deion Shuffle, calls out Matt Rhule after win over Nebraska
The Athletic … How Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, defense capitalized on Nebraska’s mistakes to improve to 2-0
The Athletic … Deion Sanders’ Colorado looks, acts and plays like Prime Time in win over Nebraska
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WR Xavier Weaver setting records: “Our receiver corps is great. It’s hard to stop all of us”
From the Daily Camera … Presumably, Xavier Weaver will drop a pass at some point. Or miss an assignment. Or face the sort of adversity common in a long, demanding football season.
Right now, though, one of Colorado’s many newcomers at receiver is making it look easy.
Weaver provided a security blanket for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as heavy pressure limited CU’s effectiveness offensively for the first two and a half quarters. By the end, however, No. 22 CU had a comfortable 36-14 rivalry victory against Nebraska, and Weaver owned another performance that put his name beside a little history in the Buffaloes’ record book.
A transfer from South Florida, Weaver finished with 10 catches for 170 yards. One week after being part of a quartet that gave CU four 100-yard receivers in the same game for the first time in team history, Weaver on Saturday became the first CU receiver to post 100-yard games in his first two contests with the Buffs.
Weaver’s 170 receiving yards was the 18th-best single-game mark in program history.
“We got higher standards,” said Weaver. “Our receiver corps is great. It’s hard to stop all of us. We got too many weapons on the field at once. It’s hard for the other team to play man. We practiced this coverage all week and just had to get a feeling of it and get rolling. Once it started rolling, we didn’t stop.”
Weaver caught four passes for 49 yards in the first half but, like CU’s offense as a whole, he broke loose in the second half.
Weaver was the recipient of Sanders’ longest completion of the game, hauling in a 41-yard strike on third-and-10 on CU’s second drive of the second half. That march ended with Weaver’s first touchdown with the Buffs, as Sanders, while rolling to his left, delivered a fastball for a strike to Weaver in the corner of the end zone that gave CU a 20-7 lead.
… Continue reading story here …
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18 Replies to “Colorado Daily – CSU Week”
Tennessee just made my excrement list
Prime is a hype machine of untold power. Sheesh commercial after commercial. Even though he was a star before he got to Boulder it is currently on a fast accent. This ain’t now meteor crashing into the ground.
No where else could he do what he has done and is going to do! CU is a God send to his brand. And I am gonna say he won’t be leaving for a while if ever.
This year is a Brand refresher. Hype off the field!! Build the on field momentum Get to a bowl game minimum! Next year get into the playoffs.
Go Buffs. The brand always the brand.
Note: Got the tv’s on. Watching ESPN college game day. Watching Fox big Noon kick off.
Amazing
Both in Boulder.
Nice crowds at each of them
But fox has the Gronk
Under a previous article I described why this has all the characteristics of a trap game.
No more
Norvell is a loser and will continue to be a loser.
In the past you hardly ever heard one coach disparage another, It was almost politeness to the other extreme. Did the Bimbo/Saban squabble break the ice? Is this another negative symptom of the money control now? Is sports following the example in politics when you have nothing to stand on you resort to personal attack?
I feel bad for some of the CSU players who have to be embarrassed by their own coach. Kids in general arent real fond of faux “grown up” talk. Maybe I’m still a kid. Hope so, I will live longer.
Everyone knows that I am a CU guy through and through and all will find it strange that I would ever defend anything CSU. I hate CSU with the chants, cannon, and everything else. I agree that Novell’s “hat and sunglasses” comments were strange, disparaging, and a complete turnaround of all of his prior comments. However, I think he probably needed something in an attempt just to fire up his team. With all the CU hype around this game, I just don’t think Norvell could just “roll over” with all of his comments, or his team would probably just “roll over” too, perhaps not thinking their HC game them any chance. Also, it takes the limelight/pressure away from his players, who may make a comment, and then the media just runs with that.
The comment was made at Prime, who is a grown man + celebrity and can take it. “Hat and sunglasses” and the cowboy hat is just who coach Prime is and we all know that. It is not like he was attacking Prime’s tactics in building this team, demeaning what Prime has accomplished (2-0, CU is the center of the college football universe), calling CU/Prime a fraud, or calling out a player. I just feel in the overall scheme, especially with Rhule’s earlier comments, this comment was sort of minor (actually really obvious); compared to what some other coaches (Narduzzi etc…) or the negative media pundits have or are saying. I’m sure there will be worse things to come.
On another board, I heard a commenter saying Norvell’s comments were really attacking Prime’s kids grandmother (i.e. Prime’s mom) and the new school; but IMO that is taking things too far. Another poster wrote an open letter to Norvell? Sure it is bulletin board material, but that just happens all the time in College football throughout time. The media and even game needs something to add hype and intrigue.
In the past, we did not have Media/Social Media hanging on every word that a coach/player says; which I think sort of drives the bus these days. Even if we go back to our CU glory days (1986-95ish), you don’t think opposing coaches (or even Coach Mac) were taking shots at opposing coaches or even players? They were, however it just did not have the coverage that we have now.
Rather than getting caught on a hot mic in practice or a meeting, Norvell made it on the public stage. What is the difference? It would have been the same comment or even worse just made public by the media/social media storm, then Norvell would have had to explain/walk something back in a press conference? Why not just do it once publicly and take the heat.
IMO, any love-fest between coaches is really fake except maybe AFA where you have a tough system to play against and sustained success as an underdog. These coaches have to recruit against each other not only in high school but now the transfer market too. Modern college football (1985-present) has always been a cut-throat industry, with coaching disparaging each-other all the time (negative recruiting?).
CSU has to play the rest of the season and try and turn a bleak program around. CU has the same thing coming off a 1-11 season, but also the vast makeover and we have Prime who has taking college football by storm. IMO, Norvell just rolling over (maybe both coach and team) without a snap even being played does not set up CSU for any type of success for future games that they can compete/win. If Norvell completely rolled over (the full out love fest), he could lose his team (i.e. the players may not think that you have their back) and then collapse. Finally, with all the intense coverage, it is not like Norvell could just be silent.
For what it is worth. Go Buffs. Go rout CSU, and then let Prime/Norvell make up after the game. In terms of negative comments toward CU, Prime and maybe players, I’m sure there will be only much worse things to come, especially if CU keeps winning or is a success.
Like Prime said “its personal”
but it seems to me its a lame way to psyche up your players.
It might give em a chuckle is all. That to me makes it all the more personal.
And of course coach love fests are phony. I recall Lou Holtz, at that “weak sister” ND of course, whining away to the press about how his team hasn’t been shaping up and the opponent will probably beat em with a shovel. You know Holtz was, and Norvell is, saying much different things in the locker room.
I heard a story about how Bart Starr used to compliment the guy who put a hard hit on him. I imagine it wasnt as much about sportsmanship as it was to throw him off his game.
Several years back, as far back as the Broncos were relevant, they called their season the revenge tour. Anyone else the Buffs need to put in their place besides Lanning? (USC. of course to get that first win.)
Bama is going to steal Prime
and now Shedeur is going to be the first overall pick
The hype is getting way out of control after only 2 games
Shedeur might be the first round pick etc but c’mon Kiper. I’ve always been annoyed by Kiper. To his credit he has weaseled his way into wealth by doing basically something anyone who follows the game can do ….witness the plethora of mock drafts, which like the rest of the media parrot each other mercilessly. And he is a real an arrogant pos and right now he is just pandering to the hype to try and be part of it.
Maybe its just me getting nervous about things being built up so big that the ol harder they fall thing happens. The first one that comes to mind is that con woman with her bogus blood test machine. The Buffs arent bogus but is way too early to tell exactly how good they are going to do. When they beat Dan “the mouth” Lanning then maybe I will take all this hysteria seriously
I don’t know, man. I’m trusting my eyes. 70%+ completion rate, when the other team knows you can’t run the ball very well, is pretty good. Even against air. And as Howell pointed out, in the second half of the nebraska game, he was closer to 90%.
Dude has the football IQ to read and react quickly and accurately, and the physical tools to go with it. Just like his Dad said.
Yes, no doubt it gets real walking into Autzen, but so far, there’s little reason to doubt what Shedeur’s capable of doing, in college, and beyond.
He looks like a generational talent, to me.
Go Buffs
You could be right about Bama or any blue-blood stealing Prime, however if Prime wants to build an Ivory Tower and capture an entire school community, state, or college football’s imagination, CU has some special qualities about it.
Prime could go to one of those power schools in a tougher conference and come close, but the heat would probably be on him after a few down seasons, or in Bama’s case just 2 losses in a year and no championship game. With OSU, Michigan and Penn State it is all about winning those tough games to make the CFP. Look at how the heat was on Harbaugh before he made the CFP, just by virtue of the many attempts to beat OSU without breaking through. Prime’s natural landing spot in college would be in Florida (he would be immediate King in that State), but if they are not the best Florida team year in and year out and in the CFP with success, the Prime shine could wear off quickly.
Also, it is not like Prime is just another coach. With huge college football salaries and Prime’s own media/apparel market, money is not the end all be all. Also, with CU capturing the imagination that is not guaranteed everywhere. I do not think Prime is just a normal coach chasing an upward trajectory with more prestigious job after job–he wants an Empire. Brian Kelly bolting from ND to LSU was much more than about money, it was about where he thought he could win it all. If Prime bets on himself and after a few seasons feels he could win it all in CU (that means he is very successful), Prime might just decide to stay for a while. He will have his Empire. After his kids graduate he could just keep those not in the NFL in Boulder and really prove his overall coaching talent in years 3-?.
Some say it would be the NFL calling, but how many good/great college coaches (Saban? Meyer?) have gone to the NFL and then are sent back to the college ranks after unsuccessful stints. They are vastly different jobs and leagues.
Shedeur is definitely special, but college heroics have not always translated into wildly successful NFL careers, MVPs and Superbowls. Also, we are two games in, and the adversity (which will come) has not hit yet. He won the opener on the road, but does that mean he is an unstoppable road warrior? That is yet to be seen. Matt Barkley looked like a can’t miss and so did many USC QB’s (Palmer, Leinart, Sanchez), but none of them were Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning. In April 2012, Barkley was touted as the #1 pick in the draft, played his senior season and went in the 4th round of the 2013 draft. Barkley bounced around to 10 teams and is recently out of the NFL. Palmer looked to be the best, but one knee injury (year 3) and although he had a decent career was never really the same.
What a difference a QB makes, huh?
Dabo minus Deshaun and Trevor? Not so great.
Nick minus first round NFL draft pick QBs? Not so great.
Ryan Day without a first round NFL draft pick QB? Not so great.
Pick a Pac team? Great QBs. Probably the best conference in the country.
Deion’s trick? Who’s up next once Shedeur’s drafted (whether after this year or next)?
He’ll figure it out.
Go Buffs
Restaurants & Bars and the whole city is doing better because of the “Prime Effect”! Two kick off shows in Boulder this Saturday.
On a day the Buffs play CSU… at night!
What’s going to happen if they win the next two? The next home game against USC in Boulder will be insane, how much media will be there then? Hotels and restaurants and Pearl Street will be packed, gas stations and stores will be busy too.
If this keeps up the Prime Effect will help the whole community and they better all come together with the University to keep Prime around as long as possible.
Zilinskas looked like he did well, to me, on Saturday. Wow. Talented depth. What a concept.
Go Buffs
How many under the radar weapons do the Buffs have? When teams key on the top three, the fourth player can play & score too; keeping the other team guessing who’s going to get the ball. It will be really good for the backups to get meaningful reps this week against the Rams.
I’m betting Prime wants to keep McCaskill under wraps until Oregon so he can spring him on them with no film. Does Prime give McCaskill a few carries this week to shake the rust off or save him as a surprise for Oregon?
If healthy, I can definitely see McCaskill and/or Smoke getting some carries.
You would want them to get a feel for being back and playing … and in front of friendly fans and a porous defense.
If nothing else, to get something on film to give Oregon coaches something else to worry about and have to spend time preparing for …
I think you’re right there, and a good tune up and a confidence boost in front a home crowd could go along way before rolling into Oregon.
Your second point is really spot on now that I think about it. I was thinking not to show too much while giving a few warm up carries, but hell if both were to go off along with everyone else on the Buff’s offense, well I guess the Buffs can load up Oregon’s plate with too much Buffalo “good stuff” to digest and maybe make them sluggish.
Nice that Tank got the Award. Kinda makes you wonder how the other guys graded out. Then again it seems the WRs weren’t all that successful getting open
Anyone old enough here besides VK and exazBuff that remembers Tulagi’s? Tom’s Tavern?, the Broken Drum?
I probably spent more time in the Sink than I did in class. I lived a couple blocks away in one room rentals on Penn and Pleasant.
probably over a decade after Redford but I had a night job as a janitor in a university office building across the street from the Sink. No, I never went over for a beer during working hours. I couldnt afford to lose the job or funds for a beer.
I lived in a one bedroom rental on Pleasant too… what a bunch of dumps, but lots of great memories! 😉
The Dark Horse got mentioned during the pre-game too.