Colorado Daily – Texas A&M

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Colorado Daily – Texas A&M

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September 11th – GameDay!

… CU in a few minutes … 

Rooney: Buffs have nothing to lose against No. 5 Aggies

From the Daily Camera … All it takes is one big win.

And with the possible exception of Oregon, depending on how a huge weekend unfolds for the Ducks, Colorado probably won’t have a chance at a bigger victory this season than on Saturday in Denver.

At Empower Field at Mile High, the biggest game of the still-unfolding Karl Dorrell era kicks off against fifth-ranked Texas A&M. One year after a shortened 4-2 season full of promise but devoid of signature wins, and one week after a ragged but one-sided opening win against Northern Colorado, the Buffs have an opportunity to send shockwaves across the college football landscape.

What exactly would an upset victory do for the national profile of the program? CU doesn’t play UCLA for another two months, but the Buffs can look to Westwood to answer that question.

Ten months ago, when the Bruins limped out of Folsom Field after a season-opening CU victory, former Oregon mastermind Chip Kelly was squirming on the hot seat at UCLA. Last week, the Bruins knocked off then-No. 16 LSU in the Rose Bowl, suddenly becoming the Pac-12’s national darlings.

Kelly entered the season with a storm of questions swirling around his job security. This past week, we were treated to these headlines:

• “After Five Straight Losing Seasons as a Coach, Chip Kelly is Back.” (Sports Illustrated).
• “Is UCLA Experiencing a Chip Kelly Renaissance?” (247Sports.com).
• “Is UCLA Football Finally on Track With Chip Kelly?” (ESPN).
• “Chip Kelly, UCLA Announce Return in Dominant Win Over No. 16 LSU.” (Also Sports Illustrated).

Obviously the situations aren’t exact parallels. The Buffs aren’t getting the fifth-ranked Aggies on their home turf at Folsom Field, as the Bruins did with LSU. And certainly there isn’t any sort of hot seat simmering around Dorrell. But in terms of abruptly altering the profile of an entire program, the opportunity is similar.

… Continue reading story here ..

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Rick George contract extended through 2026

From the Daily Camera … Colorado’s board of regents on Friday unanimously approved a new contract and raise for athletic director Rick George.

With the new five-year deal, which runs through June 30, 2026, George will receive $1 million annually in base and supplemental salary. Under the new contract, which replaces the deal he signed in 2019, George will receive a raise of $150,000 per year.

Regents voted 8-0 in favor of the deal, with Chance Hill not present.

In addition, George, who was officially hired on Aug. 12, 2013, will receive a payment of $100,000 within 15 days of the agreement becoming final. That is in recognition of George deferring or declining incentive payments of at least $695,000 throughout his tenure at CU.

Most of the incentives written into George’s extension in 2019 remain in place on the new contract. That includes a $50,000 bonus if attendance for football games at Folsom Field averages at least 44,000 this year and $50,000 if home attendance for men’s basketball reaches at least 7,400. There are also incentives for meeting academic and fundraising goals.

George’s contract includes a new incentive of $100,000 if the university eliminates the athletic fee currently being charged to undergraduate students. CU’s athletic fee of $28.50 per semester has not changed since its inception in 1980 and there is no timeline for eliminating the fee.

Also new to George’s contract is retention payments. He will receive $100,000 if he is still employed by CU at the end of his third contract year (2024) and $250,000 if still employed at the end of his fifth contract year (2026).

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September 10th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Buffs ready for “measuring stick” game against Aggies

From the Daily Camera … On Saturday, the Buffs (1-0) face No. 5 Texas A&M (1-0) at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver (1:30 p.m., TV: Fox). It is, in essence, just another football game, but it’s also an opportunity for CU to add a brick to the wall and get a potentially program-altering victory.

“You do want to go in the game and treat it just like Week 2, and coming off a good one last week,” linebacker Nate Landman said. “We’re wanting to expand on that and treating this as just another game. Yeah, there’s that added big game feeling playing in the Broncos stadium and bringing in a top-10 team.

“I think the biggest thing for us is just to treat this as a game that will put us back on the map and this program back where it used to be.”

In terms of preparation and the need to play good, fundamental football, this game is not any different than facing Northern Colorado last week or any other opponent on the schedule. The Buffs are, however, aware of the opportunity in front of them.

“(A&M) is a highly ranked team that’s been successful for several years,” head coach Karl Dorrell said. “It’s a great measuring stick for us to compete with a ranked opponent. I think those are really, really great challenges that you want to have your team face. Right, wrong or indifferent, those are the opportunities that we want to get ourselves to be in week in and week out. So we’re embracing that. We’re embracing the challenge of what this is going to be and we know we have to play well.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Empower Field GameDay Info (No Ralphie VI)

… Tweet from the Ralphie handlers … Ralphie VI will not attend the CU vs. TX A&M game in Denver on Sat. Sept. 11. She did a fantastic job at her Folsom debut and we do not want to deviate Ralphie from her normal run pattern this early in her training. She’s looking forward to seeing you Sat. Sept. 18 vs. MN @ 11AM … 

From CUBuffs.com … Empower Field at Mile High will play host to the University of Colorado’s home football game against Texas A&M University on Saturday, Sept. 11. The kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time.

Parking lots open at 9:30 a.m. and stadium gates will open at 11:30 a.m.  Fans should be aware that on-site stadium parking will be sold out before gameday. Vehicles without permits should avoid the stadium area in it’s entirety and park offsite at Ball Arena (formerly known as Pepsi Center). A limited number of permits may still be available for purchase at Ticketmaster.

Be aware of the stadium’s clear bag policy and prohibited items.

All fans are reminded that mobile ticketing is in use. Fans must download the Broncos 365 app to download their tickets to their mobile device.

For more information on how to do this (or transfer your tickets or parking permit to someone else) visit www.denverbroncos.com/mobiletickets.

Students who have purchased sports passes will receive their tickets electronically. For those students who do not have a student sport pass, which are sold out for the 21-22 season, they can buy a discounted student ticket for the game. That opportunity will be emailed to students on Thursday morning. A limited number of student buses are available on a first come, first served basis and will leave the CU Events Center at 10:30 a.m. Students are required to bring their Buff One Card for entry to the bus and the game, and there are no backpacks permitted. MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED ON THE BUSES.

Ralphie, the University of Colorado’s live mascot, will not attend the Colorado vs. Texas A&M football game in Denver on Saturday, Sept. 11.  Program Director Taylor Stratton was pleased with her runs vs. Northern Colorado, however does not want to deviate Ralphie from her normal run pattern this early on in her training. The team looks forward to Ralphie’s second game on Saturday, Sept. 18 against Minnesota at 11 a.m.

Ralphie’s Corral will be located in Lot C on the west side of Empower Field at Mile High and will open at 10 a.m.  The bar service will close at 12:30 p.m.

COVID-19 Protocols: Empower Field at Mile High has implemented several health and sanitation practices following guidelines from the State of Colorado, City of Denver, NFL and health officials. Empower Field at Mile High and the stadium staff will also be playing their part by implementing a few additional safety measures.

• Vaccinated patrons are not required to wear a mask while unvaccinated individuals are strongly encouraged to wear one.
  • Policies may be adjusted based on the latest local requirements and in accordance with all NFL protocols.
• Tailgating is permitted; however, we ask that all fans review the Empower Field at Mile High tailgating policies prior to arrival.
• Empower Field at Mile High will be as touchless as possible from the entry process to restrooms to concessions. The stadium is now a cashless venue.
  • Payment options through mobile devices (ex: Apple Pay) and traditional scan/chip options for credit/debit cards at all points of sale will be implemented.
  • Mobile ordering will also be expanded this season. Aramark debuted several self-service kiosks in 2019, and recently installed additional point-of-sale touchless concession options throughout the stadium.
  • Cash-to-card machines are available on each level of the stadium for fans who don’t have a credit card.
  • Empower Field at Mile High is entirely mobile-friendly and transitioned to mobile ticketing fully ahead of the 2018 season. The stadium is one of the most WiFi connected in all of sports.

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Neill Woelk’s Five Keys to the Game

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado coach Karl Dorrell called Saturday’s matchup with fifth-ranked Texas A&M in Denver (1:30 p.m., Fox) a great opportunity for the Buffaloes.

But if the Buffs are going to take full advantage of the opportunity, they will have to be at — or near — their best in all three phases of the game. The Aggies are loaded with talent throughout their roster and have earned their No. 5 ranking for a reason.

Not to say the Buffs can’t produce what would be considered a major upset (they are double-digit underdogs). But to do so, they will have to create some havoc on defense, be consistent on offense and eliminate some of the silly mistakes they committed in their season-opening win over Northern Colorado last weekend.

Granted, that’s a formula for a win just about every week, but the difference Saturday is a dramatically reduced margin for error. There will be precious little room for mistakes.

Thus, our weekly Fast Five Keys for the Buffaloes:

1. Establish a run game early. This may take some patience, as the Aggies have a formidable front seven that will be focused on making the Buffs go to the air. They’ll likely load the box and dare CU to throw.

But the Buffs don’t want to get behind the sticks and find themselves in third-and-long situations early. A&M had five sacks last week in its win over Kent State and would no doubt love to put CU in obvious passing situations, especially with a freshman quarterback at the helm.

If CU’s offensive line can get a consistent push early and put together some time-consuming drives, it will accomplish two things. One, it will allow QB Brendon Lewis a chance to find a comfort zone. Two, it will take its toll on a team unaccustomed to altitude.

While A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said he doesn’t expect altitude to be a factor, it was obvious he’d done his research on the topic. (Fisher, by the way, was an assistant coach with Florida State in 2007 when the Seminoles played in Boulder). Fisher said the Aggies will have oxygen on the sidelines; if the Buffs can make them go to their masks on a regular basis it will be a psychological edge in their favor.

2. Force the Aggies to throw. This is much, much easier said than done. A&M has a big offensive line, anchored by All-American tackle Kenyon Green, who helped pave the way for a 303-yard rushing game by the Aggies last week. A&M also has a pair of outstanding running backs in Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane, both of whom surpassed 100 yards in their opener.

But the Buffs somehow need to make A&M go to the air. Aggies freshman QB Haynes King is talented, but he also threw three interceptions last week, keeping the game close until the third quarter. Colorado needs to force the Aggies into passing situations, then disrupt the pocket and hopefully create a turnover or two.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 9th

… CU in a few minutes … 

QB Coach Langsdorf on the sidelines; OC Chiaverini in the booth

From the Daily Camera … A long-time quarterbacks coach and former coordinator, Danny Langsdorf coached last season from the press box and would have conversations with starter Sam Noyer on the phone in between series. This year, Langsdorf believes his presence on the sideline will be impactful.

“It’s a lot different sitting with him in between series and recapping the series and drawing up looks and giving him reminders and just kind of recapping the drive,” Langsdorf said. “I think that part of it is helpful for him. I hope it is.”

Offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini and tight ends coach Bryan Cook are coaching from the press box, along with quality control coach Matt Butterfield. Langsdorf trusts the coaches who are in the box to relay information that he can then give to Lewis.

“I do think with a young quarterback, it’s good to be right there, looking them in the eye and helping them calm down and just talking through some things and not getting too emotional,” Langsdorf said. “It’s a good situation that we have to be able to really talk and I can draw some things for him that he can kind of say, ‘Ok, that’s how I saw it,’ or, ‘I didn’t see it that way.’ So I like that part of it. It’s been really good.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Four-star defensive end Justice Finkley chooses Texas

… Not sure if you have been following the recruiting battle for four-star defensive lineman Justice Finkley. Recruited by over 40 schools, Finkley, from Trussville, Alabama, had finalists of Colorado, Alabama, and Texas. The Buffs were in the running due to Finkley’s family ties to CU and Boulder, as well as the fact that Finkley has indicated that he wants to be a neuro-surgeon, keeping CU in the running due to its higher academics. In the end, however, Finkley chose the Longhorns. 

The announcement was made live on CBS Sports TV. There was hope for the Buffs in that there were two hats on the table – one for Alabama and one for Texas – giving Buff fans hope that the CU hat was under the table. As it turned out, CU didn’t even get the benefit of having a hat on national television for the announcement … 

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Bowl projections: CU slotted for LA Bowl

From the San Jose Mercury News … The bowl projections will be a weekly fixture on the Hotline, allowing us to place current performance in context with postseason eligibility.

Keep in mind that teams must finish with a .500-or-better record to qualify for a bowl berth. Every non-conference win provides additional cushion for league play.

Non-conference record/minimum conference record required:

3-0/3-6
2-1/4-5
1-2/5-4
0-3/6-3

Here we go …

Rose Bowl (vs. Big Ten)
Team: UCLA (2-0)

Alamo Bowl (vs. Big 12)
Team: USC (1-0)

Las Vegas Bowl (vs. Big Ten)
Team: Arizona State (1-0)

Holiday Bowl (vs. ACC)
Team: Oregon

Sun Bowl (vs. ACC)
Team: Utah

LA Bowl (vs. Mountain West)
Team: Colorado
Comment: We have been somewhat skeptical of CU’s postseason prospects — the schedule is very difficult — and weren’t overly impressed by the opener. But it’s a zero-sum game, and the North looks awful. Which means there are victories available for the South. The Buffs only need five more.

ESPN Bowl 
Team: Cal

At-large bowl
Team: Oregon State

Non-qualifiers: Stanford, Washington, Washington State and Arizona.

… Read full story here …

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Passing game looking for improvement: “It’s important to me to get playmakers the ball”

… Related … “Montana Lemonious-Craig becoming reliable weapon for CU Buffs” … from the Daily Camera

From the Daily Camera … Freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis was making his first career start last week and the Buffs didn’t have him do too much as a passer. He was 10-for-15 for 102 yards and threw a touchdown to fellow freshman Montana Lemonious-Craig.

“(Lewis) is going to get better and I believe our receivers are going to be there for him when those things occur,” Dorrell said. “We threw the ball 15 times; it wasn’t a lot of throws. I think we left some plays out there in those 15 times, so we just have to get that timing continually worked on as we progress through the weeks of practice and training. I feel that those things are really going to come along pretty soon here.”

Lewis knows the value of getting the ball in the hands of his top receivers, although he’s doesn’t want to force the ball to them if the play isn’t there.

“It’s important to me to get playmakers the ball and all those dudes you named are very good playmakers,” Lewis said. “But I do try to limit turnovers because turnovers lose you games. I don’t like throwing interceptions … but I do need to take more chances and have a little bit more trust in my guys because they’re really good at what they do.”

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September 8th

… CU in a few minutes … 

**Video: QB coach Danny Langsdorf talks about Brendon Lewis** – “We want him to be aggressive but not careless”

From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com …

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Despite having an already young team, CU played 10 true freshmen in game against UNC

From the Daily Camera … On Saturday, the Buffs will face fifth-ranked Texas A&M (1-0) at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. Although it’s unknown if the youngsters will get a chance to play against the Aggies, they did play and get their feet wet in Friday’s season-opening, 35-7 win against Northern Colorado.

“It was encouraging,” head coach Karl Dorrell said. “Those young guys that did get a chance to play on both sides of the ball, I felt that they played and competed pretty well. I feel good about the depth. It’s young depth, but for their first time getting on the field in a college game, I think they had passing grades with what they’ve done.”

CU had 10 true freshmen debut on Friday, including three cornerbacks: Kaylin Moore, Nikko Reed and Tyrin Taylor. At one point late in the fourth quarter, there were four true freshmen in the secondary and they helped to keep UNC out of the end zone. The Bears had first-and-goal at the Buffs’ 8, but didn’t score after three incomplete passes. Moore had a pass breakup on one of those plays.

True freshman receiver Chase Penry also caught his first career pass, while kicker Cole Becker went 5-for-5 on extra points.

“I think the secondary played well and played pretty well in some tough circumstances in the red zone or getting close to the red zone and keeping them out,” Dorrell said. “I believe it was an invaluable experience for those guys to get a chance to get their feet wet.”

… Continue reading story here …

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September 7th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Landman: “A game that can put us back on the map”

From CUBuffs.com … When the Colorado Buffaloes came up short against Texas in last season’s Alamo Bowl, head coach Karl Dorrell called the game a measuring stick for his program.

Now comes the next one, a 1:30 p.m. Saturday matchup with fifth-ranked Texas A&M at Empower Field in Denver (Fox).

“It’s a great opportunity,” Dorrell said. “It’s a highly ranked team that’s been successful for several years. It’s a great measuring stick for us to compete with a ranked opponent and those are really great challenges you want to have your team face. Those are the opportunities we want to get ourselves to be in, so we’re embracing the challenge of what this is going to be.”

The 1-0 Aggies, coming off a 41-10 win over Kent State in their season opener, no doubt provide a challenge for the 1-0 Buffs, who knocked off Northern Colorado, 35-7, in their opener.

A&M boasts powerful big men in the trenches on both sides of the ball, a talented array of skill position players and an urge to improve on last year’s 8-1 finish and Orange Bowl victory (the Aggies’ only loss came at the hands of Alabama).

But while it is no doubt a big opportunity for the Buffaloes, it is by no means the end-all to the season. No matter what happens Saturday, CU will still have 10 regular season games remaining, including a nine-game Pac-12 schedule.

That means they want to go into this game striking a balance between the opportunity at hand and not attaching too much importance to one-twelfth of the schedule.

“You want to go into the game and treat it like Week 2, coming off a good win last week and wanting to expand on that,” linebacker Nate Landman said. “There’s that added big-game feeling, playing in the Broncos stadium and a top 10 team.

“The biggest thing for us is just to treat it like a game that can put us back on the map and this program back where it used to be.”

… Continue reading story here …

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**Video: Karl Dorrell Weekly Press Conference** (with Nate Landman and Brendon Lewis)

From YouTube, courtesy of BuffsTV … Karl Dorrell … QB Brendon Lewis may be even more comfortable starting against A&M than he was against UNC, since last Friday was his first start .. DL Mustafa Johnson has been reinstated, and can begin practicing, and can play “when he’s eligible to play” (reported as a four-game suspension) … LB Robert Barnes didn’t play against UNC (soft tissue injury) but will be available for Texas A&M … OL Frank Filip is ahead of schedule. He is practicing and may be available for Minnesota game … Invaluable experience for younger players to get on the field v. UNC … “Great opportunity” to play A&M – “A great measuring stick for us” … “We can’t have the penalties we had last week” …

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Building depth: 27 Buffs got at least one defensive snap against UNC

From CUBuffs.com … Thanks to building a three-touchdown lead in the third quarter Friday in a 35-7 win over Northern Colorado, Karl Dorrell‘s Colorado Buffaloes had the opportunity to give a number of backups a chance to get at least a few snaps down the stretch.

That kind of action always proves valuable as the season progresses. You can’t replicate game-day speed in practice, and every rep in a game gives players at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots on the depth chart invaluable experience.

That kind of experience can be a difference maker if and when they are called upon to contribute in critical situations.

Here’s one more look at a few numbers from the UNC game before we dive headlong into Saturday’s upcoming matchup with Texas A&M at Empower Field in Denver (1:30 p.m., Fox):

—  A total of 27 Buffs got at least one defensive snap against the Bears. Four — DB Mekhi Blackmon, LB Nate Landman, DB Mark Perry and DB Isaiah Lewis — played 47 defensive snaps with DB Christian Gonzalez right behind with 46.

— A number of newcomers and young players got double-digit snaps, including true freshman DBs Kaylin Moore, Trevor Woods, Tyrin Taylor and Nikko Reed. That’s good news for a secondary needing to build depth, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some of these young DBs get a little more time in the future..

— CU is no doubt working toward a defensive line rotation that will keep fresh legs in the trenches throughout the game. Friday’s game saw Na’im Rodman get the most action, playing 42 snaps and finishing with two tackles, including one for loss. Other D-linemen getting time were Terrance Lang (39 plays), Jalen Sami (20), Janaz Jordan (25), Jayden Simon (18), Justin Jackson (15) and Ryan Williams (4).

… Continue reading story here …

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September 6th

… CU in a few minutes … 

A total of 19 Buffs make NFL opening day rosters

Press release from CUBuffs.com … With the 2021 NFL season still a week away, a total of 19 former Colorado Buffaloes have made either their team’s active 53-man roster or landed a spot on the practice squad.

After three preseason games, teams cut down to the 53-man limit on Aug. 31 and then over the next few days signed players to their practice squads, which remain at the expanded 16-player limit established in 2020 due to the pandemic.

At least 13 Buffs will be suiting up for the NFL’s opening weekend with All-Pro David Bakhtiari opening the 2021 season on the PUP (injured) list and five Buffs landing on practice squads.  Teams are also more free to active players to and from the practice squad than in the past.

Here’s a look at the 19 players who open the 2021 season on an NFL roster: 

Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Bengals: After a change of scenery from Dallas to Cincinnati, Awuzie is determined to prove his worth as a reliable number one corner in the NFL. Awuzie has shined in camp and looks to be a valuable asset to the team’s defense this season.

David Bakhtiari, OT, Packers: Bahktiari was recently voted as the 36th best player in the NFL by his peers, a bump up from 62 the previous season. It is still unclear when we will see Bakhtiari this season, as he is rehabbing from an ACL injury he suffered last december. He will start the season on PUP list for the Packers.

Ken Crawley, CB, Saints: Despite suffering a minor injury in the Saints second pre-season game, Crawley is still expected to start at cornerback Week 1 against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers after having an impressive training camp.

Mason Crosby, K, Packers: Going into his 15th season as the leading scorer on the league’s oldest franchise, Crosby looks as strong as ever and even got an opportunity to punt in a Packers preseason game after punter J.K Scott went out with a leg cramp. Crosby’s punt traveled 41 yards.

Kabion Ento, CB, Packers: The former Buffs receiver enters his third season on the Packers the same place as his first two there, on the practice squad.  His rookie season was spent learning the ins and outs of his new position and his second season he was injured and remained on the practice squad.  He had flashes in the 2021 preseason, including an interception against the Texans.

Arlington Hambright G, Bears: Hambright enters his second season with the Bears after playing nine games as a rookie in 2020.  Like his rookie season, he opens the 2021 season on the Bears practice squad.

Phillip Lindsay, RB, Texans: After two seasons in his hometown of Denver, Lindsay signed with Houston and will be sharing the backfield with other veterans like Mark Ingram, David Johnson, and Rex Burkehead.

Steven Montez, QB, Lions: Montez signed with Detroit’s practice squad on Sept. 1 after spending his rookie season and the 2021 training camp with Washington.  The Lions third-string QB is out with a thumb injury, opening the door for Montez to potentially be activated to the team’s active roster.

Daniel Munyer, C, Titans: Munyer made the Titans 53 man roster as a center but on Friday he landed himself on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury and is expected to be out for at least four weeks.

Isaiah Oliver, CB, Falcons: The former second-round NFL pick and versatile corner finished his 2020 season with 70 tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack for the Falcons. He enters his fourth year in the league, all with the Falcons.

Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jaguars: Shenault shined in the Jaguars final preseason game with three catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. His standout moment was when he caught a screen pass from Trevor Lawrence and proceeded to bull-through four Cowboys defenders for a 20-yard gain. Many believe he is poised to have a breakout season with the Jags under new head coach Urban Meyer. As a rookie last season he had 58 catches for 600 yards and five touchdowns.

William Sherman OT: The sixth-round draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by New England spent training camp but didn’t make the 53-man roster.  He was shortly thereafter added to the team’s practice squad.

Jimmy Smith, CB, Ravens: The veteran Ravens corner suffered an ankle injury last week and Coach John Harbaugh is hopeful that he will begin practicing next week, if not he should be back by early in the season.

Nate Solder, OT, Giants: After opting out of the 2020 season due to health concerns, Nate Solder plans to return for his 10th NFL season and hopes to give the Giants offensive line a needed boost that they were missing last season.

Davion Taylor, LB, Eagles: Taylor has been bothered by a calf injury and is considered week to week. The second year linebacker earned a spot on the Eagles roster at inside linebacker.

Tedric Thompson S, Titans: Enters his fifth season in the NFL and has bounced around a bit this summer after starting 2020 on the Chiefs finishing 2020 on the Browns. He was signed and waived by the Broncos and is currently on the Titans roster. He has played in 37 career games with 16 starts and has three inceptions and 93 tackles in his career.

Josh Tupou, DT, Bengals: Before opting out of the 2020 season, Tupou was a blockade in the middle of the Bengals defensive line at 345 pounds. Tupou looks to be refreshed after a season off, and aims to assist the Bengals in their run-stuffing efforts inside.

Juwann Winfree, WR, Packers: The 2019 sixth-round pick of the Broncos has played in a total of five NFL games. He was signed by the Packers in 2020 and appeared in two games. Like Ento he was recently released by the Packers despite some speculation that he would win a spot on the roster.  A shoulder injury derailed his chances as he did not see any preseason action and after not making the 53-man roster, he was signed to the Packers practice squad on September 1.

Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Steelers: Witherspoon who was slated to be one of the top cornerbacks for the Seahawks this season but was just traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 3 for a 2023 fifth round draft pick. The 26-year-old spent the last four seasons with the 49ers. He adds some needed cornerback depth to the Steelers. He has 117 career tackles with 4 interceptions but is yet to fully establish himself in the league

Delrick Abrams Jr., Tony Brown, Devin Ross and Alex Tchangam were all on training camp rosters and potentially could surface on a practice squad or 53-man roster throughout the season.

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Buffs looking to up their game: “We have to play five times better”

From the Daily Camera … Colorado didn’t need to go through a film session after Friday’s opener to know it has to be better.

The Buffaloes didn’t play well and still rolled past Northern Colorado, 35-7, on Friday at Folsom Field. That got the job done against a team projected to finish last in the Big Sky Conference, in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Up next? CU goes from the Big Sky to the big time.

The Texas A&M Aggies, fresh off a 41-10 win against Kent State, come to Denver on Saturday for a matchup at Empower Field at Mile High (1:30 p.m., TV: Fox).

“I’m extremely excited,” receiver Dimitri Stanley said of facing the sixth-ranked Aggies, who are on the shortlist of legitimate national title contenders. “But in all honesty, we have to play five times better than we did tonight. I feel like we made a lot of stupid mental errors and got a lot of stupid penalties on ourselves, which isn’t good for any team at the end of the day. Especially against a top 10 team like A&M, we’re definitely going to have to eliminate those.”

Folsom Field was super-charged with energy after remaining empty during 2020. That could have caused the players to be amped up, too, but linebacker Nate Landman said that’s no excuse for the penalties.

“We’re going to be playing in bigger games and that stuff can’t happen in bigger games,” Landman said. “That’s how you lose games. If that kind of stuff happens next week, we can’t give any advantage to that team or any team we’re playing. Maybe that extra energy may cause those penalties but we’ve got to be better and we’ve got to be mature about playing defense and offense the right way and not causing those penalties.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Safety Chris Miller glad to be back on the field (41 snaps v. UNC; 57 snaps all of last year)

From the Daily Camera … A fifth-year junior from Denton, Texas, Miller got the start at nickel back and was credited with four tackles. Like a lot of starters, he sat the last part of the game but wound up playing 41 snaps and made his presence known when he was on the field.

It was a big deal because Miller played just two games and 57 snaps a year ago. He injured his shoulder in the opener and played just 14 snaps the rest of the year.

For Miller, it was the latest in a long line of injuries, including an ACL tear, a torn hamstring, a fractured thumb and two shoulder injuries.

Although he is one of CU’s most talented defensive backs and he’s now in his fifth year with the Buffs, Friday was just the 12th game of his career. It was his first full game in two years.

“Honestly it felt really good just to be out there contributing somewhat because really it’s basically my first full game since 2019,” he said. “So it felt really good to be back out there playing my role and doing whatever I can do for my brothers.”

Of course, for Miller, the hurdle to clear is not necessarily playing a game, but being able to get through a full season. He had a season-ending thumb injury during his second start of 2018 and had a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game of 2019. It was a shoulder injury in the 2020 opener that derailed that season.

… Continue reading story here …

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Brendon Lewis: “I made a couple of good plays …But I felt I could have done better reading, going through my reads”

From the Daily Camera … In the lead-up to Friday’s season opener, Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell expressed his confidence that freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis is going to play well this year. He also knew it wasn’t going to be a seamless transition from backup to starter.

“I think he’s going to have a big-time year, but he’s going to do a few freshman things here and there,” Dorrell said last month.

In Lewis’ starting debut Friday, he did some freshman things here and there, but he also helped the Buffaloes to a 35-7 win against Northern Colorado at Folsom Field.

“I was pleased,” Dorrell said of Lewis’ performance. “I’m pleased in a way that he felt uncomfortable in certain things. … In a lot of those issues that he was dealing with in the game, things weren’t open. He’ll tell you, though, that he missed a few today, but I felt he did a really good job of managing the game.”

Lewis completed 10-of-15 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 44 yards on eight carries. He was sacked twice, but avoided turnovers.

Three of Lewis’ incompletions came on plays where he scrambled and threw the ball away to avoid a sack, so he was on target with most of his passes. There were plenty of receivers he didn’t find, however.

“I made a couple of good plays, extending plays and stuff,” he said. “But I felt I could have done better reading, going through my reads.”

… Continue reading story here …

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September 5th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Videos of Ralphie VI – Enjoy!

From BuffsTV

With the crowd noise and the Chris Fowler intro video … 

And the Chris Fowler intro … I can’t get enough of this … 

And on the history of Ralphie, from 9News …

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(Punt returner) Dimitri Stanley CU’s best offensive weapon in Week One

From the Daily Camera … Eventually, Northern Colorado figured out Friday that punting in the direction of Dimitri Stanley wasn’t a good idea.

Until they did, however, the Colorado sophomore enjoyed his best game as a Buffaloes’ punt returner. The fourth-year receiver caught just one pass for seven yards in the 35-7 win against the Bears but finished with three punt returns for 68 yards, including a career-long of 27 yards.

“Some of my teammates were saying that on the sideline. They were like ‘They’re going to stop kicking to you in a second,’” Stanley said after the game. “I’m like, ‘I hope not,’ because there was just a lot of plays to be made on the field out there. I think I could have made a couple more, could have gained a couple more yards, but I’m happy with that first game back punt returning”.

Stanley has been the Buffs’ primary punt returner the past two years but had never broken free as much as he did against the Bears. Coming into this year, he had 17 career punt returns for 122 yards, an average of 7.2 yards. His longest was 26 yards.

His three returns from Friday all now rank among his top four: 27, 22 and 19 yards.

“He’s a really good player, a dynamic kid, and he enjoys returning punts,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said. “We enjoy having him back there. We had some good field position because of the efforts that he made in the punt return business.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Friday night was a memorable party – but now the work begins

From the Daily Camera … It was a festive Friday night at Folsom, and that alone was worth the price of admission after the COVID-19 pandemic trials of the past year and a half. But the schedule gets nastier in a hurry for the Buffs, beginning with the week two showdown against No. 6 Texas A&M in Denver, and CU will need to quickly correct the mistakes made by a quarterback who showed his age and an overall lack of discipline that led to 12 penalties accounting for 118 yards.

That flag-fest surpassed any penalty total the Buffs posted last year, when those sorts of mistakes might have been more understandable for a first-year coach who had to get to know his new team virtually during the start of the pandemic. Twice in the first half CU wide receivers were flagged for false starts. On UNC’s lone touchdown drive, a fourth-down unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a third-down pass interference call on the Buffs kept the Bears’ drive alive.

Maybe the festive atmosphere, which was the polar opposite of what the Buffs encountered last year, made for more than normal opening-night jitters. CU fans better hope so. Because there might not be another team on the schedule against whom the Buffs can get away with making those sorts of mass miscues.

“They know what’s in front of us; our team knows. The penalties will definitely take you out of the game. That’s what we discussed at halftime,” Dorrell said afterward.

“If we continue down that path, it’s going to hurt us all season long. We’ve got to fix it. We’ve got to play within our system and do things with using better judgment and play with more discipline. Those are the characteristics we’re all about. The thing that’s clouded this whole night was that I’m so disappointed in the penalties.”

As for quarterback Brendon Lewis, it was a solid but certainly not spectacular starting debut, offering perhaps a predictable mix of potential and frustration. At times Lewis looked uncertain in the pocket, either failing to pull the trigger on open targets or using his legs to bail out of a play prematurely. An errant connection to a wide-open Daniel Arias on what would have been a sure touchdown in the second half was the sort of throw Lewis and the Buffs can’t afford to miss against better foes.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 4th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Neill Woelk’s Five Takeaways from the Northern Colorado game: Brendon Lewis will grow at quarterback

From CUBuffs.com … Colorado coach Karl Dorrell didn’t waste much time in his post-game press conference Saturday night after his Buffaloes had dispatched Northern Colorado, 35-7.

In his opening statement, Dorrell made it clear he was not happy with his team’s 12 penalties, the most in any game by a Dorrell team at Colorado.

“I thought we just played undisciplined,” he said. “We’ve got to get a lot of things fixed.”

Despite a slow start on the offensive side, the Buffs did produce numerous positives in all three phases as the night unfolded. But, as Dorrell said, the penalties “clouded” a season-opening win.

Thus, we’ll start our weekly takeaways for the 2021 season with that issue, then move on to the better stuff.

1. Too many flags. If you’re looking for a bright side to those penalties, it’s worth remembering four of them were either unsportsmanlike conduct calls or personal fouls.

That’s a good thing?

In a way, yes. While no doubt egregious — especially when they extend an opponent’s drive or bury your offense — those kinds of penalties are also the easiest to eliminate. Just don’t do dumb things, especially when the play is over.

“The things that would cause you to start losing games is the way we played after the whistle,” Dorrell said. “If we do that, and continue to do that, we’re going to shoot ourselves in the foot and end up losing games.”

At least the Buffs’ over-exuberance didn’t cost them the game Friday. It’s much better to learn a lesson in a win than have those mistakes produce a loss.

Thus far in his tenure, discipline has been a hallmark building block for Dorrell. We’ll soon know if Friday was an aberration or the beginning of a disturbing trend.

2. RB depth is every bit as good as advertised. It didn’t take long for Jarek Broussard to show he’s ready to pick up where he left off in 2020. His 30-yard scamper in the second quarter when he tightroped the sidelines was a thing of beauty.

Meanwhile, Ashaad Clayton (8 carries, 51 yards), Alex Fontenot (8-40) and Deion Smith (4-32) also each showed they are worthy of getting their share of carries. Of course, as Dorrell noted, not all four backs will continue to get relatively equal time, but it’s a wonderful problem to solve.

One back who might have gone unnoticed but had a big role in CU’s run game success? Try freshman Jayle Stacks, who lined up at fullback on a couple of Colorado’s short-yardage scores. The 5-11, 230-pound Stacks provides a big punch in that role, a little reminiscent of the days when Brandon Drumm was clearing the way for the likes of Cortlen Johnson, Bobby Purify and Chris Brown in the early 2000s.

… Continue reading story here …

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Karl Dorrell: Tough win has a “silver lining” 

From the Daily Camera … The sunset over the Flatirons, a raucous student section, and the glorious debut of Ralphie VI  provided the beauty on the opening night of Colorado’s 2021 football season on Friday at Folsom Field.

The on-the-field product wasn’t picturesque, but it got the job done.

Prognosticators pegged the Buffaloes as 37.5-point favorites over Northern Colorado. CU never looked that dominant but rolled to a 35-7 victory.

“That’s really the silver lining in a way,” head coach Karl Dorrell said. “That’s what I was trying to express with the team in the locker room is that we won 35-7 and it was a pretty decisive win, but how good can we be? My vision of this team is we can be as good as we want ourselves to be. We did it kind of with shooting ourselves in the foot today but won a very decisive game. They’re going to learn from that.”

On the field, the Buffs sputtered early on offense but overcame 12 penalties by playing stellar defense and getting the run game going to win their sixth consecutive season opener.

“We got a victory,” Dorrell said. “It was good to start the season with a crowd and I thought the fans were into the game and I felt our team was inspired about playing in front of people again. … I’m really disappointed in the discipline of our team right now. That’s where I’m frustrated. We should have played a lot cleaner.”

The 12 penalties added up to 118 yards and often came at inopportune times. Those and other miscues allowed UNC to hang around for a while, but CU’s highly routed run game came through all night.

Freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis had a roller-coaster debut start but leaned on his running backs. The Buffs racked up 281 rushing yards and four different running backs scored touchdowns.

… Continue reading story here …

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