Colorado Daily – USC

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Colorado Daily – USC

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October 8th – GameDay!!

… CU in a few minutes … 

Buffs in search of a victory … and respect 

From CUBuffs.com … Earlier this week, Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre was asked about the process of earning respect around the Pac-12 as his Buffaloes continue to travel the road back to relevancy.

MacIntyre’s response went squarely to the heart of the subject.

“How many times has Colorado played USC? Ten. How many times have they beat them? Zero,” MacIntyre said. “We have to earn our respect, there’s no doubt about it. It’s fun to do something that’s never been done. Hopefully we can do that.”

Indeed, despite a 4-1 overall record, a 2-0 mark in the Pac-12 and a No. 21 national ranking, there are still more questions than answers about the Buff this season. They’ll have the opportunity to provide another answer Saturday when they meet the Trojans (2-3, 1-2) in a 2 p.m. game at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network and broadcast by KOA radio.

MacIntyre’s math is correct. The Buffs and Trojans have met 10 times in their history, and each time the Buffs have come up short. The list includes five games at the Coliseum, as well as five games since 2011, CU’s first year of competing in the Pac-12.

Only a handful of the games between the two teams have been close. In their first four meetings as Pac-12 brethren, the Buffs lost by an average of more than 28 points per game.

But Colorado closed the gap a year ago. CU jumped out to a 17-3 lead in Boulder before the Trojans scored 24 unanswered points and hung on for a  27-24 win.

Now the Buffs believe they have the chance to take the next step.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 7th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Tweet of the Day … From CU running back Phillip Lindsay: “I can care less about the hype…. But when you look into the eyes of my soldier’s you know it’s real!!! #WEHUNGRY #DOGS #BUFFS”

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CU may have picked up its first commitment from the Class of 2018

Alijah “A.J.” Allen – Ath

Just the facts … Committed October 7th (Allen is saying so, and his high school coach has tweeted out his congratulations) … Allen is a 6’3″, 180-pound athlete Buena Park, California Rivals bio  Scout bio 

What others have to say about Allen … Allen is already rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals, but is not yet rated by Scout. Allen attended the CU camp in June, and, though still just getting started on his junior campaign, was ready to commit. Allen attends the same school as did current Buff Josh Tupou.

Last season, as a sophomore, Allen had 23 receptions for 293 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Allen played defensive back and posted 49 tackles (33 solo).

Wells had other offers from … no other known schools, though there was interest expressed by Cal and Purdue.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights from Allen’s sophomore season

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Drew Litton on No. 21 at USC

From the Daily Camera …

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Neill Woelk posts his Five Keys to the CU/USC game

From CUBuffs.com … It’s not often a team changes its offense dramatically in midseason, but that’s exactly what USC has done this year after inserting quarterback Sam Darnold into the starting lineup two weeks ago.

Saturday, the Colorado Buffaloes will see that new offense when they square off with the Trojans in a 2 p.m. game (Pac-12 Networks) at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The Trojans are no doubt a different team with Darnold in the lineup. After failing to surpass 250 yards passing in their first three games, they’ve averaged 309.5 yards over the last two. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has been the biggest beneficiary, hauling in 15 catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns in that span, but Darnold has also spread the wealth, as wideout Deontay Burnett nearly doubled his season production in the last game, grabbing seven catches for 93 yards.

But the offensive switch hasn’t just affected the passing game. With the Trojans going to more of a spread attack and getting playmakers into space, it’s opened up their running game. Running back Justin Davis has put together back-to-back 100-yard performances, running for 126 in a narrow loss to Utah and adding 123 and a touchdown in last weekend’s win over Arizona State. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Darnold is also a threat to run, making it even tougher on opposing defenses.

How the Buffs answer that challenge will be a big part of whether they’ll end USC’s 10-0 winning streak in the series. The keys to Saturday’s game:

… Continue reading story here …

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October 6th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU receivers excited about chance to take on a defense which emphasizes man-to-man coverage

From CUBuffs.com … When it comes to defense, wide receivers like nothing better than to line up and see man-to-man coverage in their faces.

It is perhaps the truest test of their skills. One receiver, one defensive back — and may the best man win.

Saturday afternoon, No. 21 Colorado’s wide receivers will see plenty of that when they square off with Southern California in a 2 p.m. game at the Los Angeles Coliseum (Pac-12 Networks). They’ll see an ultra-talented USC secondary, led by preseason All-American cornerback Adoree Jackson, and a defense that loves its Cover 1, man-to-man scheme.

It is a testament to Trojans’ confidence in their defensive backs — and a challenge to Colorado’s receivers.

“They feel they can match up and play man-to-man most of the game,” Buffs offensive co-coordinator and wide receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini said. “Our receivers are excited for the challenge. You’ve got to love that as a receiver.”

Playing man-to-man coverage instead of zone in the secondary allows a team the luxury of utilizing an extra defender to put pressure on the quarterback, something USC did with great frequency in last weekend’s 41-20 win over Arizona State. The Trojans recorded three quarterback sacks in the game.

… “I think our guys are read for it,” Chiaverini said. “They’ve been working hard, they’re playing at a high level right now. I told all of our receivers, you want to make a name for yourself than you do it on national television against Cover 1. We’re excited for the opportunity.”

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Addison Gillam: “real close” to returning to former status

From the Daily Camera … With Kenneth Olugbode and Rick Gamboa playing at a high level at inside linebacker, Addison Gillam has had a tough time getting on the field this season for the Colorado Buffaloes.

The junior is taking advantage of his opportunities, though, and making it tougher to keep him on the sidelines.

“He played well Saturday (against Oregon State) and he’s getting better and better,” CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “He’s able to put more and more plays together. He’s a big part of our football team and he’ll be a bigger part as the season goes along.”

… Through three games, Gillam was on the field for just 39 defensive snaps and he registered only four tackles.

… On Sept. 24 at Oregon, he was on the field for just 16 snaps, but made six tackles. Last week against Oregon State, he played a season-high 30 snaps and recorded seven tackles, a pass defense and a quarterback hurry.

“He’s real close (to returning to his dominant form),” MacIntyre said. “He has shown flashes of it.

“He’s building it up and it’s good to see.”

… Continue reading story here …

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CU Offensive line: “They’ve been through the hard times and now they just want to win”

From CUBuffs.com … While not surprised by the line’s play, CU head coach Mike MacIntyre is no doubt pleased with their play.

“They’ve played well all year,” MacIntyre said. “They’ve played well enough in all the games for us to have a chance to win. But I do think Saturday the pocket was really clean. We made it very comfortable for the quarterback and they gashed some holes.”

Saturday, the Buffs will see a talented USC defense that might be playing its best ball of the season. In last week’s 41-20 win over previously unbeaten Arizona State, the Trojans recorded three quarterback sacks after being blanked the two weeks prior. USC also held the Sun Devils’ high-powered offense to just 75 yards on the ground and 228 yards in the air.

In five games, the Buffs have given up just eight sacks — less than 2.0 per game, a big improvement over last year’s 3.15 per game. They’re also allowing just one sack for every 20 pass attempts, well ahead of last year’s one for every 11.36 attempts.

“I think we’re playing confidently,” Adams said. “They go out there believing they are going to play well, and they’re playing well together. It’s a good group of guys and they like each other and play well with each other. There’s some cohesion there and there’s no ego in that bunch. They’ve been through the hard times and now they just want to win.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 5th

... CU in a few minutes …

Man with a machete shot and killed at CU’s Champion Center

From the Daily Camera … Police shot and killed a machete-wielding suspect inside the Champions Center at the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field this morning after they say the man refused to drop his weapon.

Campus police, at a morning news conference following the officer-involved shooting, said they did not know the man’s motive for entering the athletics center with a weapon.

A source close to the investigation told the Daily Camera that the suspect was a white male who appeared to be a “religious zealot of some kind” and who had been overheard talking about “looking for sinners” and referencing the commandments.

Emergency responders were alerted around 9:15 a.m. that a man with a machete had entered the Champions Center, the newly expanded athletics and sports-medicine facility west of Folsom Street on Stadium Drive on CU’s Boulder campus.

Police said the incident began with some kind of altercation in the parking area outside, during which “one of the people involved did brandish a sharp weapon and was menacing with it,” CU police spokesman Scott Pribble said during a morning news conference. “At some point, he went inside.”

The source told the Camera that the suspect had written some apparently religious messages on cars in the parking lot and was talking about commandments inside the building.

Officers from the CU and Boulder police departments responded to the Champions Center and confronted the suspect.

“We just know that he was directed to put the weapon down and refused, and it was at that time, for public safety, that we believe the shots were fired,” Pribble said.

… Continue reading story here …

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Coach MacIntyre post-practice talk with media

Mike MacIntyre on Addison Gillam, Kenneth Olugbode, Nick Price and turnover drills

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation:

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ESPN: CU carrying momentum into Coliseum to face USC

From ESPN … “No” is something that the Colorado Buffaloes had grown accustomed to over the last decade.

As in:

• No, the Buffs aren’t going to a bowl game.
• No, the Buffs aren’t going to be competitive in the Pac-12 South.
• No, we’re not that worried about Colorado.

But put a period next to “No” and everything changes.

As in:

No. 21 Colorado comes screaming into a Pac-12 South showdown this week with USC carrying as much momentum as any team in the country.

Colorado is ranked for the first time since November 2005 on the strength of its 4-1 start, which includes a 2-0 mark in Pac-12 play after a 47-6 stomping of Oregon State last week.

… Mac’s Men are legitimate players in a Pac-12 South that is seemingly up for grabs. The Buffs are the only team in their division without a conference loss, so the rest of the division is chasing them. For sure, this is new territory for Colorado. But the players hardly seem fat-headed or overly brash.

“How we prepared for Oregon State is the same way we prepared for Oregon, the same way we prepared for Idaho State and Colorado State,” said running back Kyle Evans, who is second on the team with 214 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. “Next week we play USC and we are going to prepare the same way. It’s about getting ourselves better. It really doesn’t matter about the decal on the other team’s helmet.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 4th

... CU in a few minutes …

Tuesday Press Conference Quotes

From CUBuffs.com …

Opening Statement

“Our guys are excited about playing USC; they’re a heck of a football team. Playing in the Coliseum, it’s an unbelievable place in American history. In football, it’s a phenomenal place to play; it’s a great venue and a special place. They’ve got a good football team. Since they put Sam Darnold in at quarterback – he’s an athlete making plays – they changed their entire offense in the past two weeks. They’re moving the ball and getting the ball to their playmakers. Their offensive line is huge and big and athletic. Defensively, they’ve got athletes on that side of the ball that can make plays. I’ve been impressed with Adoree’ Jackson and impressed with their two inside guys, Stevie [Tu’ikolovatu] No. 96 and Rasheem [Green] No. 94. They’ve got some good football players. They played really, really well last week against Arizona State.”

On Team Being Ranked No. 21

“We talked about it for maybe five seconds, maybe. Basically what I said is they’ve earned the right to be acknowledged for what they’ve done, but it means nothing Saturday. We have to keep proving it week after week after week. It’s what got us here, our work ethic and believing in Colorado football. They have to keep doing that exact same thing. I think it’s nice for those young men for as hard as they worked to be acknowledged for something. It’s just a blip right now.”

On Players Being Ready To Play In The Coliseum

“A lot of these kids have played there before. We’ve played in a lot of great venues and a lot of great places. They see themselves as a Pac-12 football team; that’s what you do, you go play in places like that. USC wants to beat us and we want to go there and beat them. That’s what it’s all about.”

On The Quarterback Situation

“We’re going to play it out through the week, then see how healthy Sefo [Liufau] is. It’ll really be a game-time decision again on how we do it all. Sefo’s health is the biggest key in it.”

On Development Of Ahkello Witherspoon

“He’s always had excellent athletic ability and done a lot of excellent things. He’s just gotten better at his trade is the best way to explain it. He’s more focused. He’s matured like our whole football team. His best attribute – of course besides his length – is his great ball skills. He really has great depth perception at judging a football and has phenomenal hands. When he’s around the guy, it’s a 50-50 ball whether it’s going to be ours or theirs. He has such length that he can get it away. He’s an excellent cover guy.”

On Defending USC’s Juju Smith-Schuster

“Juju is a heck of a player. He’s big, he’s powerful; he had a heck of a game last week. He’s going to make some plays, we’ve just got to make sure he doesn’t get too many big plays. We’ve got to be able to handle that and understand that they’re going to make some plays, because they’ve got some good football players and so do we. We can’t let him run wild on us.”

On Whether Sefo Liufau Will Start If He’s 100 Percent Healthy

“We’ll see. It all depends on his health, and if he’s ready to go we’ll be ready to play him.”

On Whether He Agrees With Sefo Liufau That He Is 100 Percent Healthy

“No. He’s the toughest sucker in the building. He’s going to say that no matter what. He said that two weeks ago. The trainers will evaluate it, we’ll evaluate it, he’ll evaluate it and we’ll make sure. I don’t want put him out there if he’s not fully ready to go.”

On Play Of Steven Montez

“We knew he had the ability, we’ve seen him do it in the spring and in fall camp. He was able to play a little bit in a few games. The Michigan game, when he got thrown in there in that situation, Sefo had been playing so well. We got behind, then their defense kind of feasted on us a little bit. That was a tough situation to put him in. I knew he would play well against Oregon. Did I know he would do that well? I wouldn’t say he would play that well, but I knew our team would rally behind him. Our receivers made some phenomenal plays to help him. I was really pleased with what Steven did. I think Steven is a heck of a quarterback. I feel like we can definitely win with Steven playing for us at quarterback against anybody we play.”

On Attacking USC’s Defense

“Clancy Pendergast is an excellent defensive coordinator. I know Clancy pretty well. Last week he did a lot of blitzing, a lot of safety blitzes. It kind of reminded me of the days of the Dallas Cowboys and Mike Zimmer, because he worked for Mike Zimmer and so did I. That’s how we know each other. He was bringing safety blitzes from the boundary a tremendous amount, which is a Zimmer trademark. That was the first time they’ve done that that much. I expect us to see some of those types of blitzes in this game. We’re going to have a little bit different offense than what Arizona State does, so that dictates what you do with their schemes a little bit. He’ll definitely have an arsenal up his sleeve. He’s got some really good players to utilize in his defense.”

On What Is Concerning About USC’s Punt Return Team

“Yeah, No. 2 Adoree’ Jackson. That’s who concerns me. He does it. They do a good job blocking, but in one game he let the ball hit a couple times and he baited the team and caught it, made a guy miss, then made three more guys miss and went to the house. He’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s fearless back there as a punt returner. We’ve got to cover well and punt it well. We’re definitely working on stopping him. He also returns kickoffs. He does a good job with that. We’ve got to know where No. 2 is and go get him.”

On Having A Lot Of Players From California

“We’ve talked about it already; we talked about it Monday, first thing, in our meeting. A lot of guys are going home, a lot of family. I wanted to get all their tickets and all that stuff out of the way early this week and be honed in for a business trip to go win a football game. That’s what our goal is. I said after the game, after we win, we can spend a lot more time with them. It’s an early kickoff, thank goodness, so we can hang out a little longer and let them see their families. The whole key is to go down there and win the football game. Just like USC, they’re preparing for us to come in there and beat us. It’s a business trip. Our guys will be ready for that. We do have a lot of California kids on our team and we always will, especially playing in the Pac-12.”

On How Long It Takes To Turn Around A Football Program

“It’s a process. Sometimes you walk into a situations where the cupboard’s kind of full and the league you’re in is down a little bit and you hit it at the right time. To really build a program and build it with integrity and build it with character and develop the type of young men you want to develop and stabilize it for the foundation for years to come, it definitely takes a while. You can’t build a house overnight and have a bad foundation, it falls apart. It definitely takes time to do that.”

On Coach Darian Hagan

“Darian believes with his heart and soul that Colorado gave him a phenomenal opportunity and he really grew up here. He put blood, sweat and tears on that field; he put in a lot of time here investing into young people. He believes in the University of Colorado; he loves the Boulder area. He has a lot of friends here. He’s totally invested in the program, but also in the city. He’s intertwined in Colorado football. When you say Darian Hagan, everybody thinks Colorado football. You don’t always think that about everybody you see. When people say Mike MacIntyre, they don’t automatically think Georgia Tech football; I wasn’t the player that Darian Hagan was. That intertwines him, endears him to Colorado and endears him to the people of Colorado. When you hang around Darian, he’s always smiling. He’s just a happy-go-lucky guy that makes everybody happy and I think that’s contagious.”

On Importance Of Team Playing Up-Tempo

“We’re going to go in there and play Colorado football, fast and tough, that’s what we do and that’s who we are. If everybody said, ‘What is y’alls identity?’ Fast and tough, that’s what we think, so that’s what we’re going to do. They’re big and physical and athletic. It’s going to be a heck of a football game. We’re definitely going to need to score points to beat them for sure.”

On Play Of Terran Hasselbach

“Terran has made strides all along since Derek McCartney going down, Terran backed him up. That’s given him another role. He’s stepped up in his role and done well. That’s key for any team to be successful. That’s something that we talk about all the time. When your number’s called, step up, next guy up. So far this season, guy’s number’s that have been called have stepped up. We’re going to have to do that throughout the season. We have seven really tough football games ahead and there’s going to be a lot of guys names that you’re not saying now that I hope you’re saying a lot of when they get their chance to step in, because I think they have experience and are good athletes.”

On Team’s Depth

“It helps a tremendous amount. The game of football compared to most sports – you always have injuries in every sport, there’s no doubt – but you always have a few each game. Every game is its own season within itself, because we have a different team that we’re putting on the field, just like USC has a different team than they put on the field last week. It might be a special teams spot, it might be a lineman, it might not be the marquee guy everyone’s talking about. It changes week-to-week. The depth at those positions is key to sustain and be successful, especially in the gauntlet of games that we play.”

On Team Earning Respect From The Pac-12 And USC

“How many times has Colorado played USC? 10. How many times have they beat them? Zero. So, we have to earn our respect, there’s no doubt about it. It’s fun to do something that’s never been done. Hopefully we can do that. I think you always need a little bit of a chip on your shoulder in whatever you do. I think it gives you an added advantage.”

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… Quotes from wide receiver Shay Fields and linebacker Rick Gamboa can be found here …

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Sefo or Steven … Starting quarterback for USC another “game time” decision

… (Translation: We know who will start, but we don’t want the USC coaching staff to know) …

From CUBuffs.com … Here’s how it went Tuesday – and it’s how it will go until No. 21 Colorado lines up for its first offensive play on Saturday against Southern California in the LA Coliseum:

Reporter to Sefo Liufau: “Is your ankle 100 percent?”

Liufau to the cluster of reporters gathered around him: “I think so, but I’ll just go day by day and see how it feels.”

Of course that’s what Liufau would say, Mike MacIntyre – Liufau’s coach – noted with a laugh about an hour later when asked if his starting quarterback’s injured right ankle was 100 percent healed.

Said MacIntyre: “No. He’s the toughest sucker in the building. He’s going to say that no matter what. He said that two weeks ago. The trainers will evaluate it, we’ll evaluate it, he’ll evaluate it and we’ll make sure. I don’t want put him out there if he’s not fully ready to go.”

So, it could mean a third consecutive first snap for redshirt freshman Steven Montez, who has passed for 626 yards and six touchdowns in his first two career starts. He replaced Liufau in the second half of the Buffs’ 45-28 loss at then-No. 4 Michigan three weekends ago, then started in consecutive Pac-12 wins against Oregon (41-38) and Oregon State (47-6).

Both QBs have practiced for the first two days of preparation for the Trojans, with Liufau noting, “I can’t complain, I’m practicing more and more each day. It feels great . . . I think two weeks ago I couldn’t really walk. Well, I could walk, it was just kind of tender. The week after it got a little stronger and it’s really strong this week. I’m pretty positive about it. I’ve been through a lot worse injuries so I can’t be too down on myself.”

If Liufau is able to play against USC, it would be a return to face the defense that cost him the most of the final month of the 2015 season. In the Nov. 13 loss (27-24) to the Trojans he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his left foot, shelving him for the remainder of the season.

“I think it’s a little funny,” he said of the possibility. “Hurting myself against them and having the possibility of returning this week against them is ironic, I guess, for lack of a better word. It’s kind of a weird phenomenon, but we’ll see what happens this week.”

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October 3rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Tweet of the Day … From defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt: “3:12 am. Can’t sleep. Thinking about our game and USC. Yes, wife kicked me out of the room again. Kept bothering her talking about football!”

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Colorado coaches see quarterback dilemma as a nice problem to have

From CUBuffs.com … CU head coach Mike MacIntyre isn’t sweating (the issue of playing Sefo Liufau v. Steven Montez). In fact, MacIntyre wouldn’t even call the situation a “problem” after Monday morning’s practice.

Rather, MacIntyre said, “I don’t call it a problem. I call it a great thing. You’ve got two quarterbacks you know you can win with. That’s really good. There’s a lot of schools that don’t know that (feeling), or wish they did.”

Another coach who will spend the week dissecting, analyzing and discussing the Buffs’ options will be quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren.

“It’s an interesting situation,” Lindgren said. “We’ve got to be able to determine as a staff who gives us the best chance, who’s the best guy and who gives us the best chance to win each Saturday. We have to evaluate the health of Sefo and see if he’s 100 percent, and if he is 100 percent, we’ve got to make that decision.”

One thing Lindgren said probably won’t happen is anything resembling a quarterback rotation. A former college standout at Idaho (he once set the NCAA FBS record for single-game total offense for a sophomore), Lindgren knows quarterbacks aren’t fond of any such scenario.

“As a player, you never wanted to be out there and then give guys different drives,” Lindgren said. “Pick one guy and roll with it, and I think those guys would tell you the same thing. You want to be the guy or you want to be the backup; you want to know those roles going into the game. I think we’ll be pretty clear with what we decide.”

Lindgren also said the CU staff would discuss all the possibilities throughout the week. They’ll continue to watch Liufau and Montez in practice and closely monitor Liufau’s health. MacIntyre has said repeatedly if the senior isn’t 100 percent, they won’t play him.

… Continue reading story here …

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Nick Price named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week

During the past four seasons (2012-15), Colorado collected a total of just three Pac-12 Player-of-the-Week awards. The Buffs have now had three in five weeks this season, with Price joining quarterbacks Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez.

From the Pac-12:

Special Teams: Davis Price, Fr., PK, Colorado

• The freshman from Evergreen had his first career placekicks in CU’s 47-6 win over Oregon State, and in the process, set the CU record for the longest field goal made by a freshman as well the longest first career field goal made (54 yards)
• The previous record for longest field goal by a freshman was 52 yards by Will Oliver versus California in Boulder on Sept. 10, 2011, and the previous long first make was 53 by two others.
• He scored 11 points overall (5-5 PAT, 2-2 FG), and had four of his eight kickoffs go for touchbacks after joining the team as a walk-on this past June.

From CUBuffs.com …

Colorado true freshman place kicker Davis Price was named the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

Price, from Evergreen (Colo.) High School, becomes the first Colorado player to earn the special teams honor since the Buffs joined the Pac-12 back in 2011. The last CU player to receive a special teams player of the week honor was kicker Aric Goodman back in 2008 (Big 12) after hitting a game-winning field goal to give Colorado a 17-14 overtime victory over No. 21 West Virginia.

Price had his first career placekicks in CU’s 47-6 win over Oregon State, and in the process, set the CU record for the longest field goal made by a freshman as well the longest first career field goal made (54 yards). The previous record for longest field goal by a freshman was 52 yards by Will Oliver versus California in Boulder on Sept. 10, 2011, and the previous long first make was 53 by two others.

The 54-yard field is tied for the third longest in the nation this year (behind two from 55-yards), and is the longest in 2016 by any freshman.

He scored 11 points overall (5-for-5 PAT, 2-for-2 FG), and had four of his eight kickoffs go for touchbacks after joining the team as a walk-on this past June.

Price is the third Buffalo this year to receive Pac-12 Player of the Week accolades, following up quarterbacks Steven Montez (Sept. 26) and Sefo Liufau (Sept. 5). Just five weeks into the season, the three Buffalo selections have matched the most honorees Colorado had in any of its first five seasons in the Pac-12 (also had three in 2011).

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Uniform combo for USC game:

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Coach MacIntyre talk with media

Coach MacIntyre talks about USC, the Buffs playing with “quiet confidence”, the status of Sefo Liufau, and the use of Ryan Moeller at linebacker …

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation:

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Game Time for CU v. Arizona State set 

From CUBuffs.com … The Arizona State at Colorado football game on Saturday, Oct. 15 has will kick off at 6:00 p.m. MDT and will be televised nationally by the PAC-12 Network.

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The Pac-12 TV schedule for that day:

12:30pm PT – USC at Arizona,  FOX

1:00pm PT/2:00pm MT – Utah at Oregon State, Pac-12 Network

4:30pm PT – Stanford at Notre Dame, NBC

6:00pm MT/5:00pm PT – Arizona State at Colorado, Pac-12 Network

7:30pm PT – UCLA at Washington State, 7:30pm PT ESPN or ESPN2 (Network flex picked 6-days out)

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USC: Big win over Arizona State brings back a renewed sense of optimism 

From ESPN … Players sign with the USC program with the expectation to compete for national titles. That effectively creates a strong sense of entitlement when it comes to winning and can make stretches like their first four weeks of the season even tougher to deal with than at other places. The players who have been in the program the past few seasons have done well to deal with more than their fare shares of adversity, but it’s fair to wonder if there’s a breaking point — where enough is enough and they simply go through the motions.

That potential is still there, but after USC’s comprehensive destruction of Arizona State on Saturday, those immediate concerns were replaced with a renewed sense of optimism.

According to Davis, USC was as dialed-in at practice last week as they have been in a long time and a lot of the credit should go to Helton.

“Coach Helton came into the game saying, ‘This is where the new year starts,’ ” Davis said. “Whatever happened in the past is the past and we know we still have one of the best teams. We have one of the most talented teams and it’s just a matter of us putting it all together and I’m glad we took a step in the right direction this week.”

Davis was a big part of the turnaround. A week after he rushed for 126 yards on 10 carries, he followed it up with another electrifying performance. Davis finished with 123 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown and caught two passes for 38 yards as the Trojans offense looked explosive in quarterback Sam Darnold’s second start. Darnold completed 23 of 33 passes for 352 yards and connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster for three touchdowns.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 2nd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Pac-12 lines for Week Six … Colorado a 5.5-point underdog

From Vegas Insider … Colorado opened Sunday as a four-point underdog to USC (2:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks), but the line quickly moved to 5.5-points.

Other Pac-12 lines:

— Oregon … a 9.5-point underdog at home to Washington

— Utah … a 9.0-point favorite at home against Arizona

— Stanford … an 11-point favorite at home against Washington State

— Oregon State … an 11-point underdog at home against California

— Arizona State … a six-point underdog at home against UCLA

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Pat Rooney: Though an enviable problem, QB dilemma must be resolved for CU Buffs

From the Daily Camera … It is a welcome problem to have, and one that almost is an embarrassment of riches for a Colorado Buffaloes football team on the cusp of breaking a streak of 10 consecutive losing seasons.

Yet it is a question that must be considered by the CU coaching staff, maybe as soon as this week if senior Sefo Liufau is declared fully recovered from the ankle injury he suffered two weeks ago at Michigan.

Return the starting quarterback job to Liufau? Or hand the keys to the offense to the red-hot hands of Steven Montez?

It is a decision that may not necessarily have a wrong answer, given the elite level both signal-callers are playing at. Yet with the schedule’s degree of difficulty about to increase, it nonetheless is a decision that will impact CU’s quest to land a spot in the Pac-12 Conference title game — a destination that seemed like a pipe dream just a few short weeks ago yet feels more reasonable every time the upstart Buffs hit the field.

… Continue reading story here …

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Trojans “charmed the doubters” in 41-20 rout of Arizona State

From the Los Angeles Times … The breath was deep, and long, and cleansing.

Whew. USC is not the worst team in college football history.

Ahh. USC may have discovered a quarterback, rediscovered a running game, and remembered how to tackle.

Sigh. USC has a chance to be fun again.

On a night that appropriately began in a swelter and ended in a breeze, the Trojans charmed the doubters in a half-filled Coliseum on Saturday night with 41-20 win over Arizona State.

They needed this. For the love of JuJu, they really needed this.

After beginning the season with a 1-3 record, with each loss progressively worse, with each drama progressively more ominous, the Trojans stepped onto the field against the unbeaten Sun Devils as if walking into quicksand.

Then suddenly, they found their footing. They found their discipline. They found a talent that had never been questioned by showcasing schemes that were no longer baffling.

They found a leader and, believe it, Sam Darnold is the real deal. They found receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who should never be allowed to get lost again. They found a pressure defense that knocked out Arizona State’s quarterback Manny Wilkins and essentially ended the game at halftime.

“That September I don’t want to remember, to be honest with you,” said Coach Clay Helton afterward. “This was an important game for us. Yes, there is a lot of relief.”

… Continue reading story here …

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This post, about the USC game, from the 2016 Season, is filed under Article.
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