—
Colorado Daily – Minnesota Week
—
September 18th – Game Day!
Scouting report: Minnesota players to watch
From the Daily Camera …
5 Players to Watch
- WR Chris Autman-Bell, Sr.: A leg injury has kept him out this season, but he could return this week. He was the Gophers’ top returning receiver, catching 22 passes for 430 yards and a touchdown in 2020.
- CB Coney Durr, Sr.: The most experienced player on the defense, he has started 32 of his 44 career games. Minnesota’s top cover corner, he has five tackles this season.
- QB Tanner Morgan, Sr.: A third-year starter, he has a 19-9 career record and is among the top quarterbacks in school history, ranking fourth in career touchdown passes (49) and sixth in passing yards (6,345).
- RB Treyson Potts, So.: Last week, he took over the starting role after the Gophers lost star Mohamed Ibrahim to injury. He gained 178 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries against Miami of Ohio.
- LB Mariano Sori-Marin, Sr.: Among the better linebackers in the Big Ten, he leads the Gophers with 16 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Minnesota offense: It all starts with the run game, even with Ibrahim out for the year. The Gophers will often use six or seven offensive linemen t power their way down the field. “Number one challenge is handling the run game,” CU defensive coordinator Chris Wilson said. “A big, strong physical front that likes to lean on you, likes to move the ball and then they set their RPOs and their play-action game off there. They do it out of a lot of window dressing, but a very, very good team.” The Gophers also have a good quarterback in Morgan and solid receivers.
Minnesota defense: Ten starters, including the top nine tacklers from 2020, returned, but it’s been a unit that has struggled. The Gophers gave up 30.1 points (70th nationally) and 415.9 yards (72nd) per game last year, and those numbers are up this year to 35.5 and 418.0. Against the run, the Gophers rank 118th in the country in rushing yards per carry (5.45) and 118th in pass efficiency defense (168.69 opponent quarterback rating). They’ve also given up a lot of big plays, including seven of at least 30 yards so far this year.
… Continue reading story here …
–
—–
September 17th
… CU in a few minutes …
Pat Rooney: It’s okay to admit it – this game could dictate the direction of the 2021 season
From the Daily Camera … It is just the third game of the season, and win or lose the Colorado Buffaloes still will have ample opportunity to dictate their own course through the 2021 season.
Yet after a near-miss against one of the top teams in the nation, and with the start of what is likely to be a wide-open race in the Pac-12 South just around the corner, it’s not an exaggeration to say that by sunset on Saturday, the Buffs and their fans will either have their hopes dashed or bask in the victorious validation for their optimism.
Win, and bowl eligibility might be the least of CU’s goals in what could be an underwhelming Pac-12 South. Lose, and the upset bid against then-No. 5 Texas A&M becomes a mirage, and the Buffs once again will have to take the hard road toward bowl eligibility.
It’s a heavy burden to assign a game in the middle of September, but the result of Saturday’s showdown could impact the critical weeks to come. If they win, the Buffs travel to Arizona State high on confidence before hosting a USC team navigating an early-season coaching change. Following a bye, two very winnable games follow at home against Arizona and at Cal before visiting No. 4 Oregon.
–
—
This just in: “They’ll try to run the football. We try to do the same”
From the Daily Camera … Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim solidified his spot as one of the nation’s best running backs with his performance against Ohio State in the season opener.
Unfortunately for Ibrahim and the Golden Gophers, he left that game near the end of the third quarter with a season-ending injury.
Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell, however, is still expecting to see a Minnesota offense intent on running the football when the two teams match up Saturday at Folsom Field (11 a.m., TV: Pac-12 Networks).
“I think offensively this team will try to run the football just as much as we try to,” Dorrell said. “They’ll try to run the football. We try to do the same, so it’s going to be a good physical matchup, which is what we would expect.”
Ibrahim had 163 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters against Ohio State, but his backup, Treyson Potts hasn’t been too bad, either. Potts gained 34 yards against Ohio State and then racked up 178 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-26 win against Miami (Ohio) last weekend.
… Continue reading story here …
–
—–
September 16th
… CU in a few minutes …
CU NIL – Support Nate Landman with purchase of “The Hammer” t-shirt
Offered by the DNVRLocker website …
–
—
Dave Plati’s depth chart makes ESPN
“Fun & names: Colorado lists TV, movie characters as starters”
From ESPN … The Colorado Buffaloes’ depth chart contains a bunch of characters — from TV shows and Hollywood movies. Even a few singers, too.
Just part of the plan not to reveal anything along the lines of position depth since Minnesota doesn’t either.
So the fictitious “starter” Saturday for Colorado (1-1) against the Gophers at quarterback will be Paul Crewe from “The Longest Yard” instead of Brendon Lewis. At cornerback, Ron Burgundy of “Anchorman.” At long and short snapper, Stan and Kyle from “South Park.” Jimmy Buffett (position: “reefer receiver”) along with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr (“Beatlebacks”), also make the lineup.
All just fun and names — until kickoff at Folsom Field when the Gophers (1-1) try to extend their nonconference winning streak to 21 straight. It’s the longest active streak in the nation, ahead of Iowa (13), Kentucky (12) and Alabama (10). Minnesota hasn’t lost an out-of-conference game since Sept. 3, 2015, against TCU.
“It’s a tremendous challenge for us,” Colorado coach Karl Dorrell said.
For Minnesota, too. The Gophers have a healthy respect for a Buffs team they’re facing for the first time since 1992. Colorado leads the all-time series 3-0.
“They’re really good,” said Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, whose team lost to Ohio State in the opener before rebounding against Miami (Ohio) last weekend. “They’re physical. You can tell they really like playing for each other. They’re a connected football team, a really good football team.”
… Continue reading story here …
–
—
Brady Russell: “I still have all the confidence in the world in Brendon”
From the Daily Camera …Through his first two starts, Lewis has completed a solid 58.5 percent of his passes (23-for-40) but has posted just 191 passing yards — an average of just 4.8 yards per attempt and 8.3 yards per completion. Mustering just 89 yards through the air isn’t going to win many games, let alone against the No. 5 team in the nation, as was the case last week against Texas A&M.
“I think our passing game looked awesome in camp and it looked good and practice too,” senior tight end Brady Russell said. “There’s just been miscues here and there that haven’t lined up so we haven’t had a great pass game so far, actually in games, but I still have all the confidence in the world in Brendon and what he can do. I have confidence in the O-line, I have confidence in myself in the tight ends to protect Brendon when he’s back in the pocket. So I think that’s something that will come along.
“But it’s also something that we want to be able to rely on our run game because last year it was so good and this year, it should be the same way. We want to be able to control the game with the run. So it might seem like our pass offense is struggling when in reality it’s because we can rely so heavily on the run game as well, which I think is important for a young quarterback.”
–
—
Dorrell: Lewis has taken care of the ball, “Now he has to grow and have his anticipation be faster”
From CUBuffs.com … When called upon to throw, Brendon Lewis has been fairly efficient. He has completed 57.5 percent of his passes (23-for-40) for 191 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
But CU’s longest pass play in the first two games has covered just 23 yards — the only completion for at least 20 yards.
Now, while not giving up turnovers is still a critical issue, Dorrell wants his quarterback to take the next step and begin taking full advantage of a solid group of receivers and tight ends.
“He has been taking care of the football,” Dorrell said. “That’s a really great trait for a quarterback. On the other side of it, you want a guy that does take some chances and believes in his receivers and will put the ball in the right spot at the right time. Those are the things he has to continue to develop.”
Of course, it’s a fine line between being aggressive and being careless. But Lewis has not shown a tendency to force throws into coverage, and now his coaches would like him to trust his ability just a little more while also trusting his receivers.
“He is definitely doing some of the things very well like taking care of the football,” Dorrell said. “Now he has to grow and have his anticipation be faster.”
… Continue reading story here …
–
—
CU to honor Buff Olympians at halftime
From CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado will honor its four Olympians who competed on the cross country and track & field teams this Saturday, September 18, during halftime of the Minnesota vs. Colorado football game at Folsom Field, which is slated for an 11 a.m. start.
Emma Coburn, a three-time Olympian, competed at her third Olympic Games in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and was joined in Tokyo by Val Constien, a 2019 graduate, who made her first Olympic team in the steeplechase.
Another first-time Olympian on the track for the Buffs was Joe Klecker. The 2020 graduate made the Olympic team in the 10,000-meter run.
Morgan Pearson was a member of the cross country and track & field teams, but qualified for the Olympics in the triathlon. Pearson started competing in the triathlon shortly after graduation and was the only one of the four to medal in Tokyo, anchoring the mixed relay to a silver medal.
In addition to the four Olympians, the CU Athletic department will welcome back more than 200 former athletes for the 2021 CU Track & Field and Cross Country reunion, which will run Friday, September 17-Sunday, September 19.
Friday’s events include a golf tournament, tour of the athletic facilities and luncheon and a welcome event on Friday evening. Saturday’s action will start at the football game where the former athletes will be able to mingle at Ralphie’s Corral before cheering on the Buffs at 11 a.m. in Folsom. Former members and their families will come together for a dinner hosted by the Alumni C Club following the game.
–
—–
September 15th
… CU in a few minutes …
P.J. Fleck on CU: “They love to play football; you can tell”
From the Daily Camera … Earlier this week, Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck said he’s been impressed in watching film of the Buffs as he prepares to bring his team to Boulder on Saturday.
“They’re really good,” Fleck said. “Very physical on defense, really good tacklers. Their linebacking corps is really talented. They love to play football; you can tell. They keep everything in front of them.
“On the offensive side of the ball they’ve got two really good backs. They’re physical. They’ve got a young quarterback that can run around and create, as well as throw the football down the field.”
More than anything, Fleck said he seems team camaraderie.
“You can tell they really like to play football and they like playing for each other,” Fleck said. “They’re a connected football team, a really good football team. You can see that come off on the film.”
–
—
**Video: DC Chris Wilson talks about his defense and preparing for the Gophers**
From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation … On transfer linebacker Robert Barnes: “It was great for him to get out on the field against A&M. He’s a real leader” … “We control the controls. We rarely talk about the opponent” … On returning defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson: “He is working his way back into football shape. He’s so motivated. Right now, he’s our best scout team guy – and he volunteered for that” … “No one in the locker room thinks that they can’t get better. There’s a lot of work, and they are buying into the process” … “This is a blue collar team. What we talk about has nothing to do with stars; nothing to do with logos” … Defensive lineman Terrance Lang (injured against A&M) “He’s great. He had a great practice today” … “Minnesota is a great team talent-wise, and very well coached” … On linebacker Nate Landman: “You get what you earn. It’s nice to see his hard work paying off. It’s contagious for the rest of the guys. There are no short cuts” … On improvement of cornerback Christian Gonzalez: “Fundamentals. Attention to details. He’s always had great talent, but he now understands the importance of technique” … “We’ve had a great week of practice. I haven’t seen any drop off” …
–
—
Dorrell on La’Vontae Shenault: “He does have a chance to come back”
From the Daily Camera … In the 19 months since he was hired as the head football coach at Colorado, Karl Dorrell has given receiver La’Vontae Shenault several chances to make up for mistakes.
On Tuesday, Dorrell said he’s not ready to give up on the talented third-year freshman, who has been suspended indefinitely for violating team and athletic department rules.
“He does have a chance (to come back),” Dorrell said. “I believe in that. I believe in rehabilitation. But he’s got some stipulations that he’s going to have to show us that he wants to be back.”
Shenault, who began his latest suspension last Saturday, missing the Buffs’ 10-7 loss to Texas A&M, has been suspended three separate times by Dorrell in the past year.
As a college coach and mentor to young men, Dorrell shared his philosophy on dealing with players who make mistakes, even those with multiple violations.
“Part of my culture, the culture we’re building here is that we are in the education business,” he said. “We are into helping men mature to become great young men, very respectful men. There is going to be the ebbs and flows of guys are getting their wrist slapped when they’re making mistakes or they get a suspension, things like that.
“My job is still that the bottom line is when they’re done in school here and they’re done with their eligibility and they’re moving on to whatever is the next level or (being a) professional in a career from a business standpoint is for them to be fully functional as humans and understanding tough moments and understanding that life’s not fair.”
… Continue reading story here …
–
—
Safety Chris Miller to be back in the lineup Saturday; Broussard “is fine”
From the Daily Camera … Last week was a tough one for the Buffs physically. Safety Chris Miller didn’t play against Texas A&M because of an injury, while defensive end Terrance Lang and running back Jarek Broussard both limped off the field during the second half.
On Tuesday, Dorrell said all three are doing well.
“(Lang and Miller) practiced today; they just have some soft tissue injuries right now that we’re trying to nurse them through,” he said. “(Lang) is a little nicked up, but we expect he’s going to be ready to go. Chris, he had a little bit of a soft tissue injury. … It’s hard for him to play in a game like that when he’s not full speed, but he’s made a lot of progress this week. We expect him to be back and ready this week.”
Dorrell said Broussard, who didn’t return after being tackled on a screen pass midway through the third quarter, “is fine” and practiced Tuesday.
–
—–
September 14th
… CU in a few minutes …
Karl Dorrell: “The test we went through last week told us we can battle in those types of trench-type games”
From CUBuffs.com … If there was one overarching positive to be gleaned from the Colorado Buffaloes’ narrow loss to Texas A&M last weekend, it was this:
Karl Dorrell‘s team can line up and go head-to-head in the trenches with the big boys.
That is a trait the 1-1 Buffs will need to continue to display the rest of the season, beginning with Saturday’s 11 a.m. home game against 1-1 Minnesota at Folsom Field (Pac-12 Network). The Gophers are a prototypical Big Ten program, averaging nearly 200 yards per game on the ground while limiting opponents to just two rushing touchdowns in two games this year.
“The test we went through last week told us we can battle in those types of trench-type games,” Dorrell said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “We need to move forward understanding that really, every game from this point forward is going to be very similar. We’re going to play the USCs, the UCLAs, all those people that really have some good fronts and we’re going to have to compete with those guys. I believe our team is ready for that.”
The Buffs did indeed prove they can battle toe-to-toe in the trenches against the then-No. 5 Aggies. CU played A&M even the entire afternoon, rushing for 171 yards while holding the Aggies to just 97 yards on the ground.
That effort certainly got the full attention of Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, whose Gophers had a third-quarter lead on Ohio State in the season opener before falling, 45-31, then beat Miami (Ohio) last weekend, 31-26.
“They’re really good,” Fleck said Monday. “Very physical on defense. Really good tacklers, their linebacking corps is really talented. They love to play football, you can tell. They keep everything in front of them. On the offensive side, they have two really good backs … They’re physical. You can tell they really like playing for each other. They’re a connected football team, a really good football team. That’s the impression you get from watching them.”
That is, of course, exactly the type of culture Dorrell has been trying to instill since he arrived in Colorado. Tuesday, he said he could see those efforts paying off — particularly on defense.
“As a program and as a team, the emphasis on playing hard and playing for each other is really evident,” Dorrell said. “You see that when you put the tape on. This defense, they know what their identity is … That’s the style of play I was used to when I was here 20 years ago (as an assistant) and that’s the style of play I will continue to stress as long as I’m here — a really aggressive, tough-edged defense that makes you earn everything you get.”
… Continue reading story here …
–
—
CU “Depth Chart” a must read
Big Ten teams do not release depth charts in advance of their games. To keep it all fair, CU media relations director Dave Plati has had some fun with this week’s CU depth chart. My limited ability to download prevents me from posting this week’s depth chart, but you can find it here.
But, if you don’t want to click on the 2021 “Minnesota game” depth chart, here is the 2016 “Michigan game” depth chart.
Enjoy …
–
—
**Video: Karl Dorrell’s Tuesday Press Conference (Plus TE Brady Russell and DL Na’im Rodman)**
From YouTube, courtesy of BuffsTV …
… Tight end Brady Russell …
… Defensive lineman Na’im Rodman …
–
—
Buffs keenly aware that offensive improvement is necessary
From the Daily Camera … On Saturday, Dorrell’s Buffs (1-1) will face Minnesota (1-1) at Folsom Field (11:30 a.m., TV: Pac-12 Networks) as they try to get the offense, engineered by freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis, going.
A&M, of course, deserves some credit. The Aggies had one of the best defensive teams in the country in 2020 and they return most of those players. Several of them will play on Sundays in the near future.
Nevertheless, the Buffs’ offense was almost nonexistent in the second half, gaining 54 yards on 21 plays.
“I just think they were beating us, one guy every time,” tight end Brady Russell said. “I don’t know who was losing; probably me sometimes. We couldn’t come and have 11 people working on the same page all the time. I don’t think there’s any one thing you can blame it on.”
… Although CU did put 35 points and 281 rushing yards on the board in a 35-7 win against Northern Colorado on Sept. 3, it wasn’t a great performance against an overmatched opponent.
Lewis, a freshman who had never started a game before this year, has exceptional talent, but he’s off to a slow start in the passing game. Through two games, he has completed 23-of-40 passes for 191 yards, one touchdown and one interception. CU hasn’t had as few as 191 passing yards in a two-game stretch since late in the 2006 season.
There is more talent on offense now than there was in 2006, but these Buffs haven’t found a rhythm yet.
“I think we just need to execute better,” Lewis said. “We have all the tools and all the weapons and (offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini) calls a good game, so we’ve just got to execute more and get the ball down the field.”
The message from several players after the game was similar: the plan was sound, but the execution was not.
“We’ve got a lot to fix — a lot in every area,” Dorrell said.
“We’re not where we need to be right now. … We’ve got to get better and for us to be the team that we need to be we must get better in a hurry.”
–
—–
September 13th
… CU in a few minutes …
La’Vontae Shenault suspended
Press release from CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado wide receiver La’Vontae Shenault has been suspended indefinitely for violating team and athletic department rules, head coach Karl Dorrell announced Monday.
Shenault, a third-time freshman due to the NCAA four-game redshirt rule and then the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA for the COVID-19 pandemic, began serving his suspension last Saturday when CU played Texas A&M in Denver. The 6-2, 190-pounder from DeSoto, Texas, caught two passes for 23 yards in the season opener against Northern Colorado.
–
—
Pac-12 After Dark: Kickoff time set for CU at Arizona State
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s game at Arizona State on Saturday, Sept. 25, will kick off at 8:30 p.m. MDT and will be televised by either ESPN2 or ESPNU.
The full Pac-12 schedule that day:
Saturday, September 25, 2021
12:30pm MT / 11:30am PT – Washington State at Utah, Pac-12 Network
3:00pm PT – UCLA at Stanford, Pac-12 Network
6:30pm PT – California at Washington, Pac-12 Network
7:30pm PT – Arizona at Oregon, ESPN
7:30pm PT – Oregon State at USC, FS1
7:30pm PT / 8:30pm MT – Colorado at Arizona State, ESPN2/ESPNU
–
—
Bowl projections: CU getting some positive reinforcement for close loss to A&M
From CBS Sports …
- College Football Playoff … Oregon v. Alabama (Cotton Bowl)
- Rose Bowl … UCLA v. Ohio State
- Alamo Bowl … Arizona State v. Texas
- Las Vegas Bowl … USC v. Northwestern
- Holiday Bowl … Utah v. Boston College
- Sun Bowl … Stanford v. Virginia Tech
- Los Angeles Bowl … Colorado v. Boise State
From ESPN … Mark Schlabach
- College Football Playoff … Oregon v. Alabama (Orange Bowl)
- Rose Bowl … UCLA v. Iowa
- Alamo Bowl … Arizona State v. TCU
- Las Vegas Bowl … Utah v. Indiana
- Holiday Bowl … Stanford v. North Carolina
- Sun Bowl … USC v. North Carolina State
- Los Angeles Bowl … Colorado v. San Diego State
- Hawai’i Bowl … Oregon State v. San Jose State
From ESPN … Kyle Bonagura
- College Football Playoff … Oregon v. Georgia (Cotton Bowl)
- Rose Bowl … UCLA v. Iowa
- Alamo Bowl … Arizona State v. TCU
- Las Vegas Bowl … USC v. Wisconsin
- Holiday Bowl … Utah v. Miami
- Sun Bowl … Colorado v. Pittsburgh
- Los Angeles Bowl … Stanford v. Nevada
- Hawai’i Bowl … Washington State v. Fresno State
–
—–
September 12th
… CU in a few minutes …
Buffs moving on: “You have to put it in the rearview. We’ve got Minnesota next week. That’s all I’m thinking about”
From the Daily Camera … There was disappointment on the faces of Colorado coaches, players and staff members who slowly walked to the team busses at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday evening.
There were not, however, any signs of a team hanging its head after a crushing, 10-7 loss to then-No. 5 Texas A&M.
Although they didn’t win, the Buffaloes did enough to knock A&M down two spots, to No. 7, in the latest Associated Press poll on Sunday, while boosting their own confidence a bit.
“It’s a confidence booster for us, for sure,” safety Isaiah Lewis said after the Buffs (1-1) went toe-to-toe with the highly-touted Aggies (2-0). “We never want to lose a game. We were expecting to win this game. We’re taking that same mentality into every single matchup that we get.”
The next matchup will be Saturday when Minnesota (1-1) visits Folsom Field (11 a.m., TV: Pac-12 Network) to wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule.
It might take a while for the Buffs to get over the missed opportunity against A&M, but they left Denver ready to turn the page.
“We have no choice,” running back Alex Fontenot said. “You have to put it in the rearview. You can’t just dwell on the past. We’ve got Minnesota next week. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
CU went into the game against A&M as a 17-point underdog and not only covered the spread – easily – but nearly won the game. The result served notice to the remaining 10 teams on the schedule that the Buffs won’t be an easy out.
“Obviously, we don’t want to lose but it’s what they say is a ‘good loss,’” cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. “It shows we’re not a team that people just look at and cross off their schedules. You come to play us, we’re going to come, no matter who you are. You play football, we play football. It’s the same thing.”
… Continue reading story here …
–
—
Judge for yourself: Karl Dorrell’s postgame press conference
From YouTube, courtesy of BuffsTV …
–
—
Neill Woelk: Guaranteed, the Colorado Buffaloes woke up Sunday morning knowing they let one get away
From CUBuffs.com … Guaranteed, the Colorado Buffaloes woke up Sunday morning knowing they let one get away.
While more than a handful of teams in the nation would have been quietly satisfied with taking the No. 5 team in the country down to the wire, Karl Dorrell‘s Buffs aren’t in that group.
The Buffs are, quite frankly, a bit ticked off. While almost no one gave them a chance to beat Texas A&M, the Buffs went into the game not just believing they could win — they believed they should win.
Now, after coming up agonizingly short in a 10-7 loss, the question is how they will focus that emotion.
The guess here is that Dorrell will make sure that passion is channeled toward improvement. CU’s head coach has been the definition of calm, measured focus since the day he took the job, and that atmosphere has become a building block of Colorado’s culture.
No doubt, Saturday’s game should serve as a reinforcement of the confidence the Buffs carried into the game. But with that confidence will come the need to improve — which Dorrell made very clear in his post-game press conference.
“We have to get better,” he said. “There’s no excuses. We’re not where we need to be right now … and for us to be the team we need to be, we have to get better in a hurry.”
The good news is the Buffs don’t have to wait long for their next measuring stick. Big Ten foe Minnesota will visit Folsom Field on Saturday (11 a.m., Pac-12 Network) and the Gophers should provide exactly the kind of challenge CU needs: a solid team in the trenches with a good running game not prone to mistakes, and an opportunistic defense.
What we learned from Saturday’s game:
1. Chris Wilson‘s defense is legit. Here’s a safe bet: every A&M opponent the rest of the season will be using Colorado’s defensive scheme from Saturday as a blueprint. The Buffs shut down the Aggies’ vaunted running attack, kept their highly touted wide receivers in check and made A&M work for every yard gained.
When Wilson took over CU’s defense, he wanted to make the overall scheme easier to execute by reducing on-field calls and checks. He also wanted to make sure and utilize Colorado’s best players to their maximum potential.
We saw the effects of both against the Aggies. Linebacker Nate Landman had an outstanding day (10 tackles, two for loss and two pass breakups), no doubt bolstering his Butkus Award candidacy. Meanwhile, cornerback Christian Gonzalez showed why he is a rapidly rising star in Pac-12 circles (six tackles, two for loss) and outside linebacker/rush end Carson Wells continues to be a force in sealing the edge.
But the biggest takeaway is that the Buffs matched up with A&M’s speed and size and played them dead even down to the end. That’s a big, big plus in CU’s overall program development.
… Continue reading story here …
–
—
Dan Rooney: CU showed it should be ready to contend with each and every team on its schedule
From the Daily Camera … Karl Dorrell made it clear moral victories won’t be a crutch to lean on during his regime at Colorado when he abruptly pulled the plug on the post-Alamo Bowl virtual press conference last winter.
Dorrell wasn’t at all inspired to discuss the bright spots of a season that defied expectations in the face of a lopsided loss that night against Texas. And so on Saturday, when the dust settled from a backyard brawl of a football game more reminiscent of Dorrell’s playing days in the mid-1980s than the fling-the-ball-around-the field modern game, neither the Buffaloes nor their leader wanted to talk about the near-miss that very nearly gave CU a monumental upset victory against the fifth-ranked team in the nation.
Moral victories may be for losers and suckers, but they exist nonetheless. And the Buffs and their fans can take solace that Saturday’s performance showed CU should be ready to contend with each and every team remaining on its schedule.
The 10-7 loss against Texas A&M at the Broncos’ Empower Field showed a Buffs team going toe-to-toe with a team expected to breeze through Mile High in its quest to eventually crash the College Football Playoff. Maybe the Aggies still have that run in them. But the bigger revelation on Saturday was the Buffs serving notice they should be a factor in the Pac-12 South.
… Continue reading story here …
–
—
Team Rankings: Buffs now projected for 6-6 season and a bowl bid
From Team Rankings.com …
Final Record5.7 – 6.3 | Bowl Eligible52.8% | Undefeated0.0% |
| Current | Projection | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | overall W | L | T | conf W | L | T | overall W | L | T | Win Conf |
| Oregon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 10.4 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 46.6% |
| Stanford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 3.8% |
| California | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 3.1% |
| Washington | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 4.8 | 7.2 | 0.0 | 2.2% |
| Oregon St | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 1.1% |
| Wash State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.8 | 6.2 | 0.0 | 4.2 | 7.8 | 0.0 | 0.4% |
| South | overall W | L | T | conf W | L | T | overall W | L | T | Win Conf |
| UCLA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 9.1 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 21.4% |
| Arizona St | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 7.8 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 5.8% |
| Utah | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 0.0 | 6.8 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 7.0% |
| USC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 6.3% |
| Colorado | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 0.0 | 2.5% |
| Arizona | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1.2 | 7.8 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 9.9 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
–
—–
58 Replies to “Colorado Daily – Minnesota”
Well that wasn’t great.
Go Buffs, please
Chev .. Bye Bye
Well, seems this season is on track for… terrible.
Again.
4-2 covid year was another flash in the pan.
I have never seen a QB who doesn’t throw the football on the majority of the pass plays. The receivers are not covered that tight, Lewis just cannot make decisions.
Buffs need to figure things out fast. This game is on the verge of getting away. The offense reminds me of 2006. Bad.
Watching the game
2nd quarter
Buffs defense is getting whipped…………..mostly
Buffs offense……………………… THE BUFFS DO NOT HAVE AN OFFENSE.
NO O BUFFS
CU BUFFS 27 – MINN 12 GO BUFFS !!!!!
I have a feeling we are going to own lots of t-shirts….
I bought my Landman T-shirt! Everyone should as well. We need to make sure that our super stars get some cash from NIL so we can keep them and recruit them. Besides, this is gonna be one of those guys we are talking about 20 years from now. Get a shirt so you can say you knew he would be great!
Right on RobO
Just bought mine too. And I’m not one to spend much on a t-shirt, but for Landman I didn’t even need to think about, went right to the site when I saw it at 6am and then I saw your post.
If this poorboy can buy one, the rest can too, let’s see a long list here of supporters of Nate!
RobO dropped (kinda) the challenge, let’s “get after it!”
Got the shirt
Buffs
I’m just gonna say this right now!
THE BOWL BOUND BOLDER BUFFS HAVE NEVER LOST WHEN “LiL RAPHIE” RUNS
Buffalo Up
And
If the game would have been played at Folsom (as it should have been)
It would have been a sell out
The students would have been there and been so wild
Lil Ralphie would have run
The Buffs would have won.
That’s my story and I am sticking too it
“It would have been a sell out” … true, but with no A&M fans?
Were you there for the 2019 Nebraska game?
Very much a sell out … very much not all CU fans.
Ya I was, but it would have been different
15,000 screaming students. Different students this year. After a game one win? Big opponent.
The nebraska game ain’t the a&m game. Not the same kornholer kobs
Buffs last year…………..now a 1st game win…………now a big game………..Buffs would have showed up
Buffs
The Buffs in 2019 were 1-0, coming off of a 52-31 thumping of CSU in Mile High – with all of the students there having a good time. They were there for Nebraska.
Plus, there was the memory of the 2018 win in Lincoln … and yet, Folsom was (to be generous) 50% red.
Same Buff fans who sold their seats to Huskers would have sold their seats to Aggies. Would like it if it were different, but an A&M game in Folsom would probably have been 40% maroon.
What was the % at Mile high?
Love it! She is a sign of our program. She is small, agile, quick, and stronger than you expect. But soon she will be a juggernaut……
So I thought o would post this link here.
https://www.si.com/college/2021/09/13/oregon-split-zone-rpo-triple-option-success-ohio-state
So for those of you asking about our play calling, this is one of CU’s base running plays we have been running since last year in Chev’s offense. We run it often. It doesn’t work as well as Ohio State has been running it but it isn’t bad (see Broussard’s production). But to get this to work all of the parts have to be working or the defense has to have flaws. A&M did not have many flaws and we were not executing perfectly…..
That is a good article. Thanks for sharing.
In Case you missed it
KD Nixon
had 1 reception
for
five yards.
Buffs
Who is KD Nixon?
I thought he was your cousin. You talked about him all the time. Just likeyour uncle wilner
Wrong guy. Pretty sure he’s Richard’s long lost grandson.
Go Buffs
You can tell there is a new defense by the depth chart
No BeatleBack
No Sunken Linebacker
No ODD safety
Addition of
Roamer dude
“Improvise, adapt, overcome”
Go Big Buff D
With the Addams Family leading the backs on the left side John Cockolstoy should have a field day against the the Gophers defense
I’m surprised to see Ted Striker’s switch from backup QB to backup left tackle. Hopefully Roger Murdock picked the right week to quit sniffing glue.
Go Buffs
Too many subs. “They looked tired”? Really. Prior press conferences told A&M limited play book. Lewis had 1 year to learn it? “Need to get better” ? 3rd and 1 4th and 1. Empty backfield? “ take the points dude. Running game should have told what to do.” I will do it again”. Sorry for the team.
Can we wait until we see Lewis get his QB legs under him before we expect some great play calling? I think everyone who is complaining about Chev, isn’t fully considering that the plays being called are being called because of a new inexperienced QB; who they are trying to keep things simple for to limit his mistakes and bring him along (hopefully) quicker than if pushed outside of his natural progression.
Lewis shined in the bowl game, a game he didn’t start and a game where he wasn’t expected to do well in compared to all of the mental baggage of being THE guy up front. His first game was against a defense he knew nothing about and he was unprepared for the 3-3-5 that he saw, adjustments were made and there was improvement in the 2nd half… but he’s still a freshman QB.
A&M was a 17 point favorite and a #5 ranked team that has the 2nd longest winning streak behind the team that beat them, Alabama . As, RobO has pointed out, some of the plays that were called were good calls… if executed, and some of those plays went bad because of a missed block (or blown up one) or someone other than Lewis not executing their assignment.
So, how can we expect some fantastic play calling to magically fix youth and inexperience, while going up against a TOP contender. Keep in mind the data population is relatively small with only two games; one an against an unknown (scouting wise) defense, and the other a national contender for the top 5 spots. I’d say the Buff’s defense played way outside of expectations and the offensive struggles against a team of 4& 5 star recruits (3 deep I remind you) were partly because THEY ARE A TEAM OF FUTURE NFL DUDES!
And no creative play calling is magically going to be successful against an A&M or Oregon and etc. if the whole team can’t execute their assignments. So, why expose those plays until they are perfected in practice? And we don’t see that so we don’t know who is or isn’t executing and why those plays aren’t being called, but I bet we see more when our team and the QB get there.
That is where the coaching is heading, otherwise how do you explain that the Buffs who were considered a 5th place team in the conference is talking about a 3 point loss to A&M while being top of the conference in total defense? Lewis has had one TO and missed some good opportunities, but HE’S a freshman and he’ll get better.
And, the team will get better, more confident, and then will put it all together and execute better too.
Those Buffs could be clicking on all cylinders at the right time.
Beat Minnesota (by 17 or so) and all will be good going into conference play.
And the way the PAC12 is playing the Buffs could be in the top 3 (of the whole conference) in the next 3 weeks; and beat USC for the first time too!
Even with experienced players and a QB with his feet under him predictable and a dull playbook/calling will also hold anyone back. ….ok Alabama can get away with dull plays it because of their 5 star lineup but the timing of the play calling is still outstanding.
And Chev hasn’t shown any imagination or even state of the game awareness for years.
…..Shannon Chiv ? is that you ???
none of what you say explains 4th 1 or the anemic 2nd half.
The 4th and 1 call is easy to explain….. on 4th and 1 CU has been running a Qi sneak for years. Since Sefo. We run it all the frogging time. So much so that Jimbo’s d coordinator was totally prepared for it. When we called it on 3rd and 2 we got 1 1/2 tards, like we almost always do. He’ll last year Noyer was getting 4 or 5 on them. Consistently, and we were not creative and we were really successful. One of the best defenses in the country watched our tape, saw our tendencies and devised a defense against it. As soon as they saw we were going for it they put 4 dudes between the 2 guards and pinched. It was planned, they knew what we were going to do and had a plan for it, but then you say, why didn’t we do something else? Becuase it was working 95% of the time in the past! Our success rate with the qb sneak has been astronomically high. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. What should have happened is Lewis walks up to the line sees their alignment and either checks out of the play or calls time out. But he is a freshman so he runs the play and gets stuffed. Lewis will have different instructions next time, he will know what to look for and how to deal with it. And when you say we should not have been relying on the an sneak so much, go look at 4th down successes against us that were not an sneaks. The ratio of success is much much lower. Chev is calling a play that works, we got outschemed there but I bet everyone learned….
It works?
Twice in a row it works? Oh ok
So yur saying predictability and scheme have something to do with winning? Shocking
Buffs
At the end of the day Lewis is just simply not executing even some of the basic plays. Great example: the throw to Broussard that got his RB injured was a three step drop plus a two-second wind-up to throw what should be a super-fast hot-route/alert, but instead took unacceptably long.
Another example: early in the game Lewis took a sack in a five-wide set, where he clearly didn’t understand that the line was shifting left,which means he needs to look right to see hot-routes and uncovered blitzers. Instead he stared down a guy to his left and got blasted.
Obviously TAMU decided in the second half to just cover Lewis on every zone read and took away that part of his game too.
So if you have a QB that (A) can’t throw a fast hot-route correctly and (B) won’t throw downfield and (C) is being completely covered on zone reads….I’m not really sure what the OC can do. More weird trick plays?
nore trick plays?
I didnt see enough conventional plays
Bingo. And a lot of people scoffed at my concerns about B-lew. I do think he’ll get better. He’s apparently a hard worker. He also clearly used to rely on just being a superior athlete in high school, which doesn’t fly anymore. He’s learning he has to rely on his ability to read and react quickly and accurately, and throw accurately, if he wants to be the guy running the show. But again, the bright spot is he doesn’t seem to make “bad” decisions. He’s just not that quick and accurate in making the right ones. Yet. And when he does, the ball hasn’t bounced his way (drops, bad pass interference call, etc.). The margin for error is very, very small. But he’s just getting started. Literally.
I hope he doesn’t struggle with that against de gooophers, whose defense is not nearly that of A&M. I’m guessing we’ll see more improvement. There was a lot of improvement from UNC to A&M, although we may not see it by looking at the scoreboard and stats.
Go Buffs
I still scoff
and you didnt watch the game.
Right. Ok.
Go Buffs
come on ep, I know you and Eric/”earache” have your disagreements but, he right regarding Lewis still coming along and RobO is correct regarding other players missing assignments and blown up blocks… by future NFL dudes. So it may not be the time to open the play book until they get a few fundamentals down first,
And keep in mind that they were playing a pretty good SEC team, not a chop liver team. Look at the mistakes the highly touted QBs at UCLA & ASU made in their freshmen year, they made some big mistakes… AND the next year too.
Two games in and part of the bowl game and a new freshmen QB and a pretty young offense* is doing less than we desire and yet they have a chance to win the next three games. If they grow into that team then they will be a top PAC12 team!
So, I’ll wait for this week’s game. And, if they win, next week’s game… and if they win… the next week’s game and you get the picture.
But I do think they can win the next three games and those games, win or lose will tell us a lot.
I’m just looking for a larger population of data than two games, that’s all.
AND, I think we’ve all been [pleasantly] surprised with KD considering the whole last year, the late hire, a record of 5-3 (4-1 in conference) to date with all of the obstacles he had, enough to give him a couple of more games and to get more data.
*compared to teams like UCLA that are loaded with super seniors and super juniors due to the pandemic. While CU has 3? super seniors?
Sheesh,
Do you mean players made mistakes? Unbelievable.
Now do coaches………….if you dare
Buffs win
Teach better. Have better plays. The last one you mention was not a good play. Nor a good call at the time. Have a method to your dumbness.
Chev time…………. From Brian Howell rewind
In their last 13 games against Power 5 opponents, dating back to Week 6 of the 2019 season, the Buffs have averaged 20.5 points per game. Take out the 48 they scored against UCLA in the 2020 opener and that number is 18.3 in the other 12. The Buffs have been held to 20 points or less in seven of those 13 games
And who was the OC during that time frame? Had qb’s you and earache liked? But same result.
You can blame it on the kid, and he has a way to go. But the fault lies where it lies.
Buffs
I unironically miss Brian Lindgren
He’ll be in town in a while.
You can say un-good-bye to him.
Don’t make me bring out his offensive stats in pac 12 play
Buffs
Seriously?
They had a modicum of success at O when Smith took over which I would credit to him first as he was a real QB and a pretty good one. Recently though OSU’s O has come back to earth.
Teach better. Got it. How many offensive coordinators have the Buffs had in the last 20-25yrs? I guess they were all bad coaches and teachers and play designers and callers. Heck, look at DJ at Clemson. Sadly, I think they had a bye last week, so we couldn’t see how he did in week two, but we’ll get more insight this week. Dabo and his OC look a lot less like offensive geniuses without the generational talent of Trev taking the snaps, so far, no? And that’s with a five star physical monster who actually played a couple games last year. Brendon’s on the learning curve. And, all things considered, doing OK. He needs to do better. I believe he will. I know the staff is coaching and teaching the crap out of him. Or into him. And by crap, I mean, how to read and react accurately.
Go Buffs
And that’s with a five star physical monster who actually played a couple games last year
That’s the point……….coaching
Note to both of you.
Find something new to debate.
I am with ya Stu. But DJ has the same coaches Trevor did. Why the different results? Allow the Berliner to reply, and he gets the last word.
Go Buffs
BS
Write yur Real Mac hate speech. The world is waiting.
Last word.
Buffs
Note: Why do you always bring up other teams and coaches. Stick to the subject at hand.
After watching Karl’s postgame press conference, go watch Jimbo too — he gives the buffs credit and doesn’t make excuses either.
Respect.
Not coach speak
Went and watched the beginning and copied the trans, he opened with:
“First and foremost, Colorado played a heck of a football game. They’ve got a very good football team. They were a lot of the reasons why we had issues today. I mean, we can sit here and say we blame it on ourselves, but they did a really, really good job physically and schematically, doing a really good job of playing and coaching and played hard. And they played a heck of a game. And we were very fortunate to come out of that one.”
A really good job “schematically” I think is the word he used… oh, yea there it is right up there!
These Buffs are BUFF on defense and the offense will get better.
Defense schematics
Go Buffs
Neill Woelk: Guaranteed, the Colorado Buffaloes woke up Sunday morning knowing they let one get away
First look is in the mirror in the coaches meeting room.
Start their.
Finish with the team
Go Buffs
MaulMinnehaha
You trust Karl, right? You love the guy. You think he’s the guy for the long haul, right?
So maybe you could sit back, enjoy the ride and trust he will do his job? Since all your griping in the world won’t do crap inside those walls, nor inside this site.
We know. You will spend the next 12 weeks calling for chev’s head. Got it.
And just a few short years ago he was your favored son. My how time flies.
Go Buffs
Respect his earned. He earned it. Then he lost it. Fact!
Perhaps the peter principle has hit em.
Maybe go back and focus on recruiting and teaching the receivers. Clearly his efforts on the receivers has been perhaps lacking as he struggles with his ego.
Griping is a big word for you. I don’t gripe or complain just point out the obvious ahead of most. i.e. WackMack.
When you are behind the curve you point the finger. Look at your thumb. There is the truth.
And yes I will point things out whether you like or agree or even read it.
Net no never mind!
And Yup I am along for the ride with HCKD! He is everything wacmac is not. You can look it up.
Anyway, keep your promises! Write why you hate the Real Mac
Go Buffs.
Buffsbowlbound…………..write it down
No hate for McCartney. Just an objective observer who takes the good with the bad, and not a raving lunatic. No wonder you won’t come clean with who you are.
Go Buffs
hahahahahaha
Yur a joke.
Buffs.