“Fall Camp” – October, 2020

LA County: No fans in Rose Bowl/Coliseum – UCLA family members coming to Boulder … Nebraska (labeled one of the “worse teams”) called out for trying to injure Buckeye quarterback Justin Fields … Fresno State dominates CSU, 38-17 …

Dorrell hoping defense will become CU’s calling card … **Senior Sam Noyer named CU’s starting quarterback** … **Video interviews: HC Karl Dorrell and QB Sam Noyer** … Karl Dorrell: “We went with Sam mainly because he’s able to function a little more seamlessly with the offense” …

CU has a 1-4 record on games played on Halloween … 1987: Sal Aunese scores four TD’s in a 42-10 rout of Iowa State … 1992: No. 8 CU v. No. 8 Nebraska results in a 52-7 rout by the Cornhuskers … 2015: CU offense on the field for a record 114 plays, but Buffs still fall to No. 24 UCLA, 35-31 …

Noyer the starter, but Tyler Lytle will play: “I want Tyler to get some time in the games. He’s deserving” … Boulder County approves CU’s Game Day plans; “crowd” of 920 possible for opener … Darian Hagan on running backs: “This group has the potential to be the best that I’ve ever coached” …

CU has a 1-4 record on 10/30 … 1982: Buffs hang with No. 11 Oklahoma for awhile (worth checking out video for CU’s baby blue uniforms … 1999: Mike Moschetti leads Buffs to a 38-24 upset of No. 24 Oklahoma (with game video) …

CU has a 2-3 record in games played on 10/29 … 1994: In a golden opportunity to set up a for a third national championship run in six years, No. 3 CU faced No. 2 Nebraska, but Kordell Stewart & Co. stumble in Lincoln, falling 24-7, setting up Tom Osborne’s first title (after 25 years) …

CU is 3-2 on games played on 10/28 … 1989: CU’s first lead over Oklahoma in 13 years leads to a 20-3 win and CU’s first 8-0 record in 62 years … 2017: Steven Montez and Phillip Lindsay lead Buffs to a 44-28 win over Cal …

CU has a 3-3 record on games played on 10/27 … CU had wins in 1990 & 2001 which led to titles, but two losses standout … 2012: CU was a 47-point underdog to No. 2 Oregon (and was that far behind by halftime) … 2018: CU turns a 31-3 lead into a 41-34 loss to Oregon State …

CU is 3-2 on games played on 10/26 … 1985: Ultimate road trip: Nebraska on Saturday; Den/KC on Sunday (with the KC/St. Louis World Series) … 1996: Hessler & Rosga lead Buffs to come-from-behind 28-24 win over Texas … 2002: Kliff Kingsbury throws 65 passes, with no TD’s (and four INT’s) …

CU returns seven starters on defensive, including the entire defensive line … Reason for optimism? Yes … until you consider that this is a unit which ranked 104th in total defense and 96th in scoring defense in 2019 …

Will Year Two of the Tyson Summers’ defense be a significant upgrade on Year One? (96th in scoring defense; 104 in total defense) … Who will join Nate Landman on the All-Pac-12 team this fall? How many freshmen defensive backs will play? …

CU is 2-5 on 10/25 … CU has five losses on this date to ranked teams, but the one win over a ranked team – No. 3 Nebraska in 1986 – is, in my 40+ years of being a CU fan, THE game … 2019: CU blows two-score lead against USC – Essay: “Loyalty: What it Means to be a CU fan” …

CU is 1-3-1 on 10/23 … Games of Frustration … 1982: 14-14 game at halftime becomes a 31-14 loss to Iowa State … 1993: No. 16 CU forced to settle for 16-16 tie with Kansas State on last second field goal … 1999: Gary Barnett’s first road win at CU is a tough 16-12 win at Iowa State …

CU is 3-3 on 10/22 … 1981: No. 1 Nebraska plays like it, taking out CU, 69-19 … 1994: No. 2 CU sets up showdown with Nebraska with 35-21 win over No. 19 Kansas State … 2016: Buffs become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2007 with 10-5 road win at Stanford …

Finally! After 11 months, we get a chance to talk – really talk – about CU football … The Podcast is a unit-by-unit preview of the CU offense … Brendon Lewis not an option at QB? (But Sam Noyer is?) … Who will be the new star wide receiver? … Will CU (finally) use its tight ends? …

CU has a 2-3 record on 10/21 … 1989: Senior tailback J.J. Flannigan ran for 178 yards and three TD’s, leading No. 3 CU to a 49-17 rout of Kansas … 1995: No. 9 CU rallies to take out Iowa State, 50-28 … 2000: A 23-15 loss to Kansas – Gary Barnett: “We just didn’t have it in us” …

CU has a 1-5 record on 10/20 … 1984: Buffs lead No. 5 Nebraska 7-3 after three, but can’t hold lead (a portend of the ’86 game) … 1990: Buffs dominate Kansas, 41-10 … 2012: Matt Barkley throws for six touchdowns in USC’s 50-6 laugher over the Buffs …

CU is 5-1 on 10/19 … Buffs were undefeated on this date – until they were routed by Washington State last year … 1991: No. 22 CU uses two 99-yard drives to top No. 12 Oklahoma, 34-17 … 1996: No. 9 Buffs take out Kansas, 20-7 … 2002: No. 23 CU routs Baylor, 34-0 …

What will be CU’s offensive identity? … Will anyone challenge Alex Fontenot as the starting running back? … Is the CU receiving corps actually the worst in the Pac-12? … Any reason to believe CU will improve on its 83rd-ranked offensive output? …

CU is 3-3 on 10/18 … 1986: 1-4 CU rolls 4-1 Iowa State, 31-3, setting up the epic 20-10 win over Nebraska a week later … 2008: Freshman QB Tyler Hansen tears off his red-shirt in late October to lead Buffs to a 14-13 win over Kansas State …

CU is 4-1-1 on 10/17 … 1981: A touchdown and two-point conversion in final seconds gives CU an unlikely 11-10 win over Oklahoma State … 1992: Koy Detmer sets school records in a 24-24 tie with Oklahoma … 2009: Tyler Hansen leads Buffs to upset win over No. 17 Kansas …

CU is 2-2-1 on 10/16 … 1982: Victor Scott posts two pick-sixes as CU ties Oklahoma State, 25-25 … 1993: No. 20 CU tops No. 9 Oklahoma, 27-10, as Lamont Warren and Charles E. Johnson team up for the National Play-of-the-Year … 2004: Iowa State (2-3, 0-2) v CU (3-2, 0-2) – for the Pac-12 North title …

CU is 3-3 on 10/15 … Two of the three wins were huge wins for the program … 1994: No. 4 CU takes routs No. 22 Oklahoma, 45-7, to make its pitch as the nation’s No. 1 team … 2016: Buffs make a statement to its fans and the Pac-12 with a 40-16 win over No. 24 ASU …

CU is 3-1 on 10/14 … 1989: The good ‘ol days – a 49-3 rout of Missouri … 2006: CU breaks a ten-game losing streak with a 30-6 win over Texas Tech … 2017: CU proves that is “Less Worse” than Oregon State with a 36-33 road win over the Beavers …

CU has a 3-2 record on 10/13 … 1984: A trick play in the final minute gives CU its only win of an awful season … 2001: Fred Casotti is honored the day after his death – and lends the Buffs a helping hand with a last-minute scoop-and-score to defeat No. 25 Texas A&M …

CU has only three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, who have thrown a combined 47 career passes … Will it be the senior, Sam Noyer? The junior, Tyler Lytle? … Or will the coaching staff take a chance on true freshman Brendon Lewis? …

CU has a 4-1 record on 10/12 … Including a pair or routs of Missouri (38-7 in 1985; 55-7 in 1991) … 1996: Steve Rosga returns an interception 105 yards … 2002: Chris Brown rushes for 309 yards and two touchdowns in 53-29 rout of Kansas …

CU is 2-5 on 10/11 … Including … 1980: Drake 41, CU 22 – one of the most infamous losses in Buff history … 1986: 17-12 win over Missouri turns momentum of ’86 season … 1997: 33-29 loss to No. 20 Oklahoma State drops CU out of the polls for the first time in eight seasons …

The schedule has gone from 12 games to 10 games to seven games … The schedule works out about as well as any Buff fan could have hoped, but will the Buffs be ready? … Plus, could waiting until November to start actually help the Pac-12 get into the CFP? …

Happy Birthday to me! … Naturally, CU is 0-5 on my birthday, including some routs … 1981: Nebraska 59, CU 0 … 1987: Gundy/Thomas/Sanders 42, CU 17 … 2009: No. 2 Texas 38, CU 14 (but at least we got to see Friday Nights Lights in Austin) … 2015: ASU 48, CU 23 …

CU has a 2-3 record on 10/9 … 1982: CU falls to No. 7 Nebraska as Coach Mac claims a rival – and I get to meet Coach Mac for the first time … 1993: On the same day in history 11 years later, Coach Mac ties Fred Folsom for all time wins … 1999: Buffs take out Missouri in overtime, 46-39 …

Buffs 3-4 on 10/8 … 1988: Barry Sanders goes for four touchdowns and 174-yards in 41-21 OSU rout … 1992: CU’s first game at Missouri since 5th down game a Thursday night ESPN affair … 2005: Getting to watch Buffs rout A&M – from the press box …

Buffs are 2-3 on 10/7 … Big wins: 1989 – 49-3 rout of Missouri gives CU votes for No. 1 … 2000 – True freshman Craig Ochs wins first start … and Big Losses: 1995 – 40-24 loss to No. 24 Kansas boots CU from title chase … 2017 – Kahlil Tate #1 – Tate sets an FBS record for rushing yards by a QB, going for 327 yards

Buffs are 4-1 on 10/6, including the infamous “Fifth Down Game” in 1990 (video of CU’s final drive included) … 2001: Buffs thrust themselves into the Big 12 race with a 16-6 upset of No. 12 Kansas State … 2018: Laviska Shenault scores four touchdowns in 28-21 win over ASU …

Buffs are 1-2 on games played on 10/5 … The lone victory was a memorable one, which included a record-setting 94-yard touchdown by Jeremy Bloom (video included) as the Buffs upset No. 13 Kansas State, 35-31 … 2013: Marcus Mariota accounts for seven touchdowns in Oregon rout …

Based on the luck Karl Dorrell and his staff have had the last six months, it would have seemed predestined that CU get the fuzzy end of the lollipop when the Pac-12 schedule was announced. Instead, the Buffs got about as good a schedule as could have been hoped for …

One of a handful of dates between Labor Day and Thanksgiving without a CU victory (0-5) … 1980: A game for the record books, as Oklahoma rushes for 758 yards in 82-42 rout (with game video) … 1997: Yell Practice in Denver the highlight as Buffs fall to No. 21 Texas A&M, 16-10 …

Buffs 2-2 on 10/3 … including an impressive debut at quarterback by Sal Aunese, who led the Buffs to a 29-16 win over CSU in Ft. Collins … Also: Before CU, no team had ever won four straight against Oklahoma in Norman, but in 1998, the Buffs made it FIVE straight road wins over the Sooners (including game video) …

The Buffs have played only three October 2nd games in the past 40 years, with the most memorable a 29-27 win over Georgia in 2010 … The Bulldogs were in position for a game-winning field goal, but B.J. Beatty forced a fumble, preserving a huge win …

Buffs hold a 4-3 record on 10/1 … 1983: Notre Dame’s only visit to Boulder (the same day I took the LSAT nearby) … 1994: No. 5 Buffs take out No. 16 Texas, 34-31, on last second field goal (with game video) … 2016: Buffs rout Oregon State, 47-6, to return to national polls …

CU has an 2-3 record on 9/30, with both victories of historical significance … 1989: In the emotional first game after the death of Sal Aunese, the Buffs dominate No. 21 Washington in Seattle … 1995: Backup QB John Hessler sets a school record with five touchdown pass in rout of No. 10 Oklahoma (with video highlights) …

CU is 2-2 on 9/29, with two memorable games … 1990: Deon Figures interception in the end zone preserves a 20-14 win over No. 12 Washington … 2007: In what would prove to be Dan Hawkins signature win, the Buffs rally to top No. 3 Oklahoma, 27-24 (with video of the game, and of the game-winning field goal) …

CU 3-2 on this date … 1985: 14-13 road win over Arizona gets CU back “among others” in the AP poll … 2018: Mike MacIntyre’s final shining moment, a 38-16 rout of UCLA (with video highlights) … 1996: CU’s first-ever game as a member of the Big 12 is a road win over Texas A&M …

Karl Dorrell and his staff were days away from spring ball when those practices were canceled; days away from Fall Camp when the season was canceled; and hours away from practicing when Boulder pulled the plug … Is it just me, or does it seem that CU (and its fans) can’t buy a break? …

Buffs 1-4 with strange personal stories … 1980: My first home game is a rout by Lee Corso’s Indiana (plus: SI’s story on Chuck Fairbanks’ desk) … 1997: A last second field goal beats Wyoming, while I’m stuck in Syracuse … 2014: Cal 59, CU 56 (2OT): Multiple records set by Sefo Liufau and Nelson Spruce …

A 3-1 record includes familiar names … 1981: Jim McMahon and Steve Young lead No. 11 BYU to a win over CU … 1987: Sal Aunese subs for Mark Hatcher, leading CU to victory over Washington State … 1998: A Darrin Chiaverini 44-yard reception leads to game-winning field goal over Baylor …

Fitting under the circumstances … CU is 0-3 on 9/25, including: 1982: CU’s record v. Wyoming falls to 21-2-1 after 28-14 loss to the Cowboys … 1993: “The Brawl” game v. No. 3 Miami … 1999: Buffs get a shot at Rick Neuheisel nine months after he left CU … but can’t close the deal …

Has it been only a week? Last week, the Big 12 and Pac-12 announced there would be no fall football … A review of the chaos, including its effect on the CU roster, coaching staff, and the Recruiting Class of 2021 …

Links to the week that was … CU athletic director Rick George (and Neill Woelk) call for a unified voice in college football … Justin Fields (and others) call for Big Ten to reconsider postponement … How are Karl Dorrell (and his team) faring with the news of the cancellation of fall sports? …

Let’s talk football! With CU’s revised schedule out, it’s time to talk about how the revisions affected CU’s chances at a winning season … Also, CU gets its Class of 2021 quarterback, and how #WeAreUnited may play out in the days and weeks to come …

The Athletic: Winners and Losers from revised Pac-12 schedule … The revised 2020 schedule certainly does Karl Dorrell no favors … and yet, if the Buffs can get to the bye week with their sanity, the back end of the schedule has opportunities …