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Colorado Daily – Utah Week
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November 26th – Game Day!
… CU in a few minutes …
With little else to celebrate, CU to celebrate seniors
From the Daily Camera … Through all the coaching changes, losses and trials that he’s endured during his college career, tight end Brady Russell will always have a special place in his heart for the University of Colorado.
“Shoot, that’s kind of a deep question,” Russell, a graduate of Fossil Ridge High School, said this week when asked what CU means to him. “It’s kind of just been a place that shaped me a lot, for better and for worse. I’ve gone through things I’ve loved going through and had moments that I haven’t necessarily loved going through, but they’ve shaped me.
“This season, obviously, for example, adversity I didn’t want to go through. It’s not what I thought I was coming back to do, but I think God put me here to influence and be the leader that I’m being right now. So basically, I think it just prepared me for life really well at this point.”
On Saturday, Russell and several other Buffs will play their final game in a CU uniform during the season finale against No. 14 Utah at Folsom Field.
This has been a disastrous season for the Buffs, who are riding a five-game losing streak and are trying to avoid the second 1-11 season in program history.
Off the field, CU is still going through a coaching search, looking to replace Karl Dorrell, who was fired on Oct. 2. Interim coach Mike Sanford and his assistants aren’t sure of their future.
For a few hours on Saturday, however, CU will push most of that aside and focus on their seniors. In all, 20 players are slated to go through senior day festivities.
“I just want to be able to get whatever magic button that I can push in my role,” Sanford said. “I want to do that to be able to make sure that we have our best for our seniors. And that’s what this thing’s really all about.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 25th
… CU in a few minutes …
Daily Camera: Five Utes to Watch
From the Daily Camera …
5 Players to Watch
• TE Dalton Kincaid: One of the most dangerous tight ends in the Pac-12, he leads Utah in catches (61), receiving yards (748) and receiving touchdowns (seven).
• CB Clark Phillips III: Among the best corners in the country, he’s tied for the national lead in interceptions, with six – and he’s returned two of them for touchdowns. Phillips also has 23 tackles and five pass breakups.
• LB Karene Reid: The sophomore has 61 tackles and is one of Utah’s leaders in tackles for loss (seven) and sacks (three). He’s had just one shared TFL in the last three games combined, however.
• QB Cameron Rising: Veteran is having another great season, completing 65% of his passes (202-of-311) for 2,395 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 378 yards and six touchdowns.
• RB Tavion Thomas: Utes’ top rusher has 687 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. In his two seasons at Utah, he’s rushed for 1,795 yards and 28 touchdowns. He had 142 yards and a touchdown against CU a year ago.
How Utah can win
Run the ball, stop the run and avoid big mistakes. The Utes win the line of scrimmage against most teams and they’ve got a significant advantage over the Buffs, at least on paper, in that regard. As long as they play their game and avoid turnovers and mistakes, the Utes can coast out of Boulder with a win.
Utes notables
• Tied for third in the Pac-12, Utah came into the weekend with an outside shot to reach the conference title game. In addition to beating CU, Utah would need Oregon State to beat Oregon, Washington to beat Washington State and UCLA to beat California.
• Since CU and Utah joined the Pac-12 together in 2011, the Utes are 9-2 against the Buffs, including wins in the last five meetings. Utah has defeated CU more than any other Pac-12 opponent since 2011.
• Cameron Rising took over as the Utes’ starting quarterback in Game 4 of the 2021 season. The Utes are 16-5 with him as the starter, with three of those losses by three points.
• Utah has won nine straight against unranked opponents and is 11-1 against unranked opponents since the start of the 2021 season. The only loss in that stretch was at Oregon State in game No. 7 of the 2021 season.
• Since a 43-42 win against USC on Oct. 15, the Utes have held their last four opponents to 20 points or less (15.3 per game).
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Neill Woelk: Keys to CU v. Utah – How do Buffs pull off the upset?
From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes have one more chance Saturday to put another win in the books in what has been a long and difficult 2022 season.
But the task for the 1-10 Buffs (1-7 Pac-12) — who have faced a top 15 opponent in each of the last three weeks — doesn’t get any easier in the season finale. The No. 14 Utah Utes (8-3, 6-2) pay a visit to Folsom Field for their annual season-ending matchup still harboring slim hopes of landing a spot in the Pac-12 championship game and they need a win over Colorado to keep those hopes alive.
Saturday’s game will mark the first time since 1973 that Colorado has faced a ranked team in four consecutive weeks. It will also be the final appearance at Folsom Field for as many as 19 Colorado seniors.
The Buffs are heavy underdogs against a Utah team that hasn’t quite lived up to preseason expectations, but still boasts a potent attack on both sides of the ball. The Utes are No. 16 in the nation in scoring offense (37.3 points per game) and 24th in scoring defense (20 points per game) — and they are the only team thus far this year to defeat No. 5 Southern California.
So how do the Buffs pull off the upset?
1. Force some errors from Utah quarterback Cameron Rising. Rising has been a solid performer for the Utes all year — but he’s also shown a tendency to make errant throws under pressure.
He threw three interceptions — and no touchdown passes — in last weekend’s pivotal 20-17 loss to Oregon, and also had an interception and no touchdowns in a midseason loss to UCLA.
But getting to Rising isn’t easy. Utah has given up just eight quarterback sacks all year. The Buffs need to put pressure on him, but more importantly, disguise their coverages and make Rising see openings where they don’t exist.
2. Create some early momentum. If the Buffs are going to be in this one, they have to produce some game-changing moments early, get the crowd behind them and put the Utes on their heels.
Colorado has big-play capability on offense. The Buffs need to manufacture a couple of those long gainers early. If Colorado can build some early confidence, it will go a long way in keeping the Buffs in the game.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 24th – Happy Thanksgiving!
… CU in a few minutes …
Buffalo Heart Award candidate Terrance Lang ready for one last run behind Ralphie
From the Daily Camera … Ideally, Terrance Lang’s career at Colorado would have included a lot more wins.
There is value, however, in going through difficult times, and as Lang prepares for his final game with the Buffaloes, he is grateful for the lessons learned.
“I feel good about it,” Lang, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound defensive end, said of his career. “I mean, I wouldn’t take anything back. I faced a lot of adversity through the years here at CU, but I’ve learned a lot. I’m comfortable where I’m at and I wouldn’t take anything back.”
A sixth-year senior, Lang came to CU in 2017 from Pomona, Calif. The Buffs were coming off a resurgent 10-4 season and Pac-12 South title and they won a recruiting battle with USC to get Lang.
During Lang’s time in Boulder, the Buffs are 24-41 with one bowl appearance (Alamo Bowl in 2020). He has played for three full-time head coaches, two interim head coaches, four defensive coordinators and five position coaches.
It’s all shaped him into who he is today.
“I’ve developed as a person mentally and physically here at CU,” he said. “Going through a lot of coaching changes, having to be able to face adversity, be mentally strong. At first I thought everything was physical and then I had to realize there was a huge mental side of it. That’s something I learned here at CU. Just being at CU has made me a stronger person than I was when I got here.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Offensive lineman Frank Fillip may be getting a pass this Saturday
From the Daily Camera … A couple weeks ago, CU created a package for tackle Frank Fillip to line up at tight end. He’s played a few snaps at tight end in the recent games, and Brown said he’s lobbying for Fillip to get a pass in a game.
“Every single meeting, every time I see (offensive coordinator Clay) Patterson, or (interim head coach Mike) Sanford, it’s, ‘Let’s get Frank the ball,’” Brown said. “Since the idea got floated that Frank could be a tight end to Frank’s playing tight end, ‘OK, let’s get Frank the ball.’
“I knew Frank was going out on that route (Saturday at Washington) before the play. So I was blocking as hard as I can and I was hoping it would have got to him but there’s another opportunity in another game, so hopefully it comes.”
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November 23rd
… CU in a few minutes …
Rick George “There will be changes made” to CU transfer guidelines
From the Daily Camera … As Colorado continues its process of finding a new head football coach, progress is being made on a key issue that has held the Buffaloes back.
CU’s academic standards, in terms of the type of transfer credits accepted, has made it difficult for coaches to recruit second- and third-year transfers from other schools and get them eligible to play. It could soon become easier for those transfers to compete for the Buffaloes.
“We’ve got really strong alignment from our regents, our president, our chancellor,” CU athletic director Rick George told BuffZone on Wednesday. “And our chancellor has been working hard with his team and our team to develop what works in the transfer portal. I feel very good about where we’re going to get to. I think there will be changes made, yes.”
Academically, CU doesn’t accept certain types of credits from other institutions, which can lead to transfers having to re-take classes to catch up on their progress toward a degree
For years, that wasn’t a major issue in athletics because transfers had to sit out a year, per NCAA rules, and that gave them an opportunity to make up those credits while sitting out. About 19 months ago, however, the NCAA made a significant change, allowing players to transfer one time without sitting out a year.
That change has allowed many of CU’s peers to rebuild quickly and hit the transfer portal to fill holes in their rosters. CU, however, has been unable to land some transfers, because their credits wouldn’t carry over to CU, thus putting them behind the progress toward degree (PTD) requirements.
George, president Todd Saliman and chancellor Phil DiStefano are working to change that.
“It’s something that we know is a priority, something that we need to have in place,” George said. “I’m hopeful that we have that done very shortly.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 22nd
… CU in a few minutes …
Tommy Brown: “How close the players on this team are is insane”
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s seniors will close out their career Saturday on the end of a historic stretch.
When the Buffaloes (1-10 overall, 1-7 Pac-12) square off against No. 14 Utah in a 2 p.m. game at Folsom Field, it will be Colorado’s fourth consecutive regular season game against a ranked opponent. The game follows matchups against No. 8 Oregon, No. 8 USC and No. 15 Washington.
The Buffs haven’t seen a regular season stretch like that since 1973, when Eddie Crowder’s Buffs faced No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 7 Missouri, No. 13 Nebraska and No. 18 Kansas in consecutive weeks.
Now, at the end of a difficult season, Colorado coach Mike Sanford said the Buffs’ goal this week is to make sure CU’s seniors have an opportunity to wrap up their careers on a positive note.
“It’s important for us as a staff, an entire group of players, support staff, everybody, to rally behind these players and do everything in our power to make sure we’re at our best,” Sanford said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “It’s been a tough stretch, a daunting physical stretch … We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we are the best that we can be out there on Saturday.”
… Colorado offensive lineman Tommy Brown, who transferred in from Alabama last spring, has one year of eligibility remaining. But he said he hasn’t decided whether he will test the professional waters or return to CU for one more season.
But Brown said what he does know for sure is that Colorado’s overall environment has been one he has quickly come to appreciate in his 10 months in Boulder.
“Every team is a family and every family has its issues,” Brown said at Tuesday’s press conference. “This team is no different, of course, but how close the players on this team are is insane. I was talking with Frank (Fillip) yesterday. There’s multiple guys on this team that will be in my wedding. And I’ve been here for 10 months.”
Brown has also made some national headlines via his underwear endorsement through a Name, Image and Likeness deal. He appeared in a photo shoot and the photos quickly became a hit on social media.
“It’s been a blast,” he said. “It’s something fun … There’s a lot of people watching college football so there’s a lot of people who have seen me in my underwear.”
… Continue reading story here …
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*Video: Senior tight end Brady Russell reflects on time at CU*
From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com …
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Buff players showing support for interim coach Mike Sanford
From the Daily Camera … Throughout the seven weeks that he’s been the interim head coach of the Colorado football team, Mike Sanford has never publicly lobbied for the full-time job.
Some of his players, however, have expressed their desire for Sanford to remain at the head of the program.
Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Devin Grant posted on Twitter: “We need to keep Sanford and all of our coaches ! We been through hell and back and we need a year with these concepts to master it !”
Junior guard Casey Roddick responded to a fan who graded coaching candidates (but not Sanford), with “A+ Sanford.”
“Obviously, it means a lot,” Sanford said of Grant’s tweet and player support. “There’s a lot of really just awesome young men that are fighting through a lot of really hard times.”
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November 21st
… CU in a few minutes …
Neill Woelk: Time to say “Thank You” to CU’s Seniors after all they have been through
From CUBuffs.com … In the aftermath of Colorado’s 54-7 loss to Washington, there are no doubt plenty of takeaways to be dissected in a season that has produced a 1-10 record, a long list of historically bad numbers and yet another new head coach for the Buffaloes’ program.
But today, we leave you with just one takeaway:
A heartfelt thanks to the Colorado seniors who have stuck it out in Boulder to the end. They will make one last appearance in a Buffs uniform next Saturday at Folsom Field in the season finale against Utah, and they deserve their moment of recognition and appreciation.
There might not be another senior class in the nation that has endured more than CU’s current group.
Those who have been in Boulder for five years have played for four head coaches — five if you count an interim coach for one game at the end of the 2018 season — and even more coordinators and position coaches. They have lived through almost unimaginable change but have given their all through a string of difficult seasons. They have experienced just one winning year — the abbreviated 2020 campaign that saw CU finish 4-2 and earn an Alamo Bowl berth — yet they never checked it in and never sought the easy way out.
A handful of Buffs have been with the program since signing as freshman recruits in 2017, a group that came to Colorado on the heels of CU’s 10-4 finish and Alamo Bowl berth in 2016. That group includes Maurice Bell, Alex Fontenot, Terrance Lang, Jaylon Jackson and Isaiah Lewis.
That 2017 class also included “grayshirts” Casey Roddick and Jalen Sami, two players who delayed their enrollment for a year, as well as Brady Russell, a walkon who later earned a scholarship.
Then there are the members of the 2018 recruiting class — Daniel Arias, Frank Fillip, Joshka Gustav and Deion Smith.
Some of these players still have a year of eligibility remaining, thanks to the “free” Covid season of 2020, but they are all part of the group that played for Mike MacIntyre, Mel Tucker, Karl Dorrell and Mike Sanford.
Today, that bunch deserves a special nod of appreciation. They didn’t ask for the circumstances that made their stay in Boulder one of unending change and upheaval. But despite the cloud of uncertainty, they never wavered from their commitment to the program, the school and the community.
Their contributions have been solid; their loyalty exemplary.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 20th
… CU in a few minutes …
DiStefano at least “engaged in discussions about removing institutional barriers what will enhance our competitiveness”
From the Denver Post … CU Chancellor Phil DiStefano has heard (fans’) concerns, either directly or indirectly. And he told The Post that his desire is to have CU maintain the highest of standards on both the academic and athletic fronts.
“I’ve long maintained that having strong academics and strong athletics are not mutually exclusive,” the CU chancellor said via email. “I know there is a narrative that our lack of success in football is directly tied to our transfer policies but recruiting in football, like in all sports, is complicated and it’s not accurate to believe that our academic standards will prevent us from being successful.”
DiStefano said he and George have had “good dialogue on this topic” and he feels “confident that we will find solutions that support (CU) athletics while simultaneously upholding the academic mission of the university.”
When asked whether he would be amenable to modifying or easing academic requirements for transfers, the chancellor replied that he was “always interested in improving how we can best support our student-athletes.
“With that said, it would be inappropriate for me to unilaterally modify academic requirements at the request of a coach, AD, or any university employee … we will continue to be engaged in discussions about removing institutional barriers that will enhance our competitiveness without compromising our values and academic standards. This includes examining methods by which credits from other institutions can be accepted at CU and creating an admissions committee to assist with the evaluation of prospective student-athletes’ academic readiness.”
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Game time set for season finale against Utah
From CUBuffs.com … The Utah at Colorado football game on Saturday, Nov. 26 will kickoff at 2:00 p.m. MST and will be televised nationally by the Pac-12 Network,
The full schedule for Week 13:
(Nov. 25) *Arizona State at Arizona, 1:00p FS-1
(Nov. 25) *UCLA at California, 2:30p FOX
*Oregon at Oregon State, 1:30p ABC
*Utah at Colorado, 2:00p P12N
*Washington at Washington State, 8:30p ESPN
Notre Dame at Southern California, 5:30p ABC
Brigham Young at Stanford, 9:00p FS-1
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Transcript of Mike Sanford’s post-game press conference
Opening Statement
It was obviously a challenging game. It was just really tough from the start, I thought we came in with the mentality of wanting to, a game plan that I wanted for us coming in was to try to keep number nine off the field as much as humanly possible and wanted to run the football and just play to where we’re healthy as an offense and stop the run obviously. Hopefully keep nine on the sideline and obviously that’s a style that you can play, if you’re marching the ball down the field you’re taking care of those scoring opportunities, and we just failed to do that. I think, just overall, we wanted to win this game in the trenches and still believe in the growth that we have in our fronts, in particular, seeing some positives in the offensive line group that we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks, but hats off to Washington. That was the intent of coming out of the game and wanting to run the football to establish the run, but they were good up front, to be honest, and they moved their front a lot. They were very active and ultimately that led to us not capitalizing on the opportunities that we needed. That’s a really good team, I said it this week and in my press conferences before the game, leading up to it that I think right now they’re playing as good at football as anybody in our conference and having seen Oregon, SC and what Washington is at right now in the quarterback play they have and the athletes they have and then really the O line D line crew.. They’re as good as anybody in our conference right now. And I think that’s what I’m gonna I’m gonna tip my hat to coach DeBoer and most importantly, those players.
On Washington’s game plan to attack the run
I think some of that too was just in response to some of our coverage stuff that we’ve been able to shore up. Obviously sometimes you do rob Peter to pay Paul in a sense where we obviously know that these guys like Bo Nix, Caleb Williams and Michael Penix in back to back to back weeks, if you just let them just pick apart your man coverage or you know, if you’re playing zone coverage with really only seven out in coverage and you’re not getting that home against some he’s really good offensive lines, it’s gonna be a long day. Obviously that’s the adjustment they make and I think that their backs were good. their O-line is good, a lot of respect for their overall plan and how they execute.
On Fontenot
I like the way he’s playing. That was the game plan going in to really try to feed him the ball and that’s obviously important for us that we stay on the field. The problem is we got to convert on those third and mediums. That’s obviously what we knew going in, that was gonna be the key to be able to continue to feed Alex Fontenot is just being able to stay on the field on his third downs.
On missed opportunities in Washington territory
I do think they have really good edge rushers. I think they did what they do. We had some nudge protections in the problem is the more you utilize both a running back and tight end to really solidify the protection, oftentimes, you’re not getting as many players out in the concept. That’s the thing about having really good edge rushers, it forces an offense’s hand to be able to help the tackles in protection. I think one of them we had a nudge to the boundary side and the field defensive end got home and forced to throw. We knew going in there were gonna be some challenges, but the problem with it is when you start utilizing extra players to help in the protection planet, it does short you in terms of route concepts.
On problems on special teams
That to me was what kind of got the score line out of sorts, or, more so than it was. I think up to that point where we’re moving the ball, it’s a couple, it’s a three, two, three possession game and then all of a sudden snap over our head, safety. Then we’ll give up field position to score, then kick off the turn, they kind of split it, it was uncharacteristic of how we played special teams-wise this year. It was an error, but I still think that unit particulars played well throughout the course of the year through the ups and downs. I think today was certainly not one of their better performances and obviously was detrimental to the overall score in the game.
On the team being checked out
I think halftime, that was a time where I challenged the team that, are we truly what we say we are? Are we going to fight for each other, be a brotherhood? And what I would say is that I think the response in the second half was much better. I think a lot of frustrations were boiling over the end of that second quarter. It got emotional. Let’s just call it what it is, there’s a lot going on with our overall program and every single person that’s involved in the program from the support staff, through the players and the strength staff, there’s a lot of uncertainty. It becomes an emotional situation when certain things happen on a field like that becomes even more overwhelming at that point in time. But I will say that, what I saw in the second half is I saw a team that did not check out. I think the frustrations boiled over in the end of the second quarter and then in that second half even J.T. [Shrout] himself, he was pretty banged up. Nothing like structurally wrong with them, but essentially, the advice from the trainers was, “hey, man’s leg is locked up and stiff. You can’t essentially extend his leg.” I was immediately going to get a move on and J.T. came up to me and before he threw that touchdown to Montana, he had a look in his eyes like, “I’m gonna continue to fight.” I pointed that out in the locker room to our team just for them to understand that essentially, there are a lot of guys that it’s not just J.T. there’s a lot of players on the team that are fighting through adversity. The life lessons that we’re going to be able to attain from this myself, our staff or players to come out on the other end of this thing knowing that you truly stayed in the fight as hard as bad as it was, that’s going to set you up for whatever situation comes your way for the rest of your life.
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14 Replies to “Colorado Daily”
CU Buff coach evaluation council……er, RG.
Don’t forget the North Dakota State equation when selecting a coach…both Past and Present. Both of those coaches are PROVEN winners. Both have PROVEN they are excellent recruiters. Both ARE leaders who know how to “BUILD” a winning organization starting with the OC and D.C. Look what Chris Klieman has done at KSU.
(….If you can recruit a team of winners – both players and coaches – to Manhattan, Kansas, you’ll have a dream situation recruiting to Boulder…. ).
This may be the most important coaching selection since Mac 1 was selected…..Don’t flub it !
Sanders, Herman, Walters, Mendenhall, Sanford? Who is your preference and who will get the position? I still like the Coastal Carolina coach, but Sanders could change the trajectory through recruiting. Possible “home run hire?”
I liked Sanford after the Cal game but the rest of the season changed my mind and the support for Sanford by the players reminds me of the support Clay Helton had at USC. Good person, mediocre coach.
Phil D and associates- the monkey on Ralphie’s Back. It is so frustrating that there is no recourse against these people. No accountability. They have ran this program into the ground for two decades, while they continue to cash their checks. Meanwhile Buff Nation just suffers along. The comments made by Phil D in the article are so telling. It doesn’t matter who the next coach is. Nothing is going to change.
Game time Saturday and on Pac 12 network, ouch.
I always cleared time for the Friday after Thanksgiving game (nationally televised)
…remember 2001 62-36…what a beauty.
Was hoping we would still play on Friday vs. Utah and the game would mean something, relegated to following on the 4 letter network’s gamecast back here in the East
Phil DiStefano, out by spring. He’ll retire but he’s not retiring. Wake up Regents: President, Chancellors, Divisional Leaders, Chief Officers, Deans. It’s a University, and you’ve been running it into the ground in covetousness of the other gifts given. Namely; a beautiful state, campus and people that make it up. Time for a change: embrace mind and body… academia is only one part of the equation. We love bold brains… just not to the detriment of creating a strong student athlete base..
“With that said, it would be inappropriate for me to unilaterally modify academic requirements at the request of a coach, AD, or any university employee“
Obviously a big name coach said no, not until you change admission and/or transfer standards. Everyone must be inclusive in 2022 except CU. I believe DiStefano has forgotten it’s a public university. Your job is to provide academic opportunities to as many people as possible. The hypocrisy of the liberal elite in Boulder truly amazes me. Guess what? The 5 star football player that is also an academic all star isn’t choosing CU for its academic profile either.
Second part of my amazement is that the CU elite like to hang their hat on being a research university…what do you think recruiting is? Find the diamonds that other schools over look. Why don’t we have the highest rated recruiting in the country? They don’t care or they are not as elite as they believe they are!!!
You know why I got my degrees in physics at CU, while working for the Physics Department in a Plasma Physics Lab? Instead of going to, say School of Mines?
Cause some of my earliest memories were watching CU buffs play Notre Dame in 89/90. And growing up watching Kordell. And having a picture of me as a ten year old with Salaam in 94. And watching CU absolutely destroy Nebraska in 2001 when i was debating which colleges to swnd applications to.
Football matters for recruiting STUDENTS.
Agreed, I’ve been attending games since the 70’s. It matters, and there is no reason we are unable to have both…academic and football success. We don’t need to be Alabama, but we should be a bowl team year in and year out. We should be competitive every week, with an upset now and again.
Not sure where you get the hypocrisy thing. The school does provide academic opportunities for those who appreciate them. Lowering the standards for athletes only would be hypocrisy and especially for those athletes who see studying as a major inconvenience on their most likely and unreasonable expectations of making it to the NFL.
And to equate the scientific research the school is doing with a hunt for professional football players….yup maybe not at CU yet….but will have to be for them to compete on the field is one big arse missed connection.
Its all going pro anyway which ruins it for me. If CU can muster the moola to be competitive more power to them. If they can’t and the Buffs have to be relegated to an amatuer league again I will still follow it and it wont set my hair on fire even if it disappears altogether.
I still get same entertainment watching my local small town high school team. Pay to play has began to enter high school as well. National high school programs, mostly behind religious organizations are recruiting nationwide. They charge tens of thousands in tuition that is waived for the best players.
and they are still allowed to compete in the same league as public schools.
When you have a student-athlete that has worked hard and does appreciate the opportunities but is unable to transfer those credits to CU. It’s hypocrisy! It’s looking at that student and saying, “you are not good enough for my school.” Maybe his high school was crap, and he/she needed the jr college route to catch up. Maybe they’re late bloomers that needed a year to mature. As I previously mentioned, we don’t need to be Alabama, but we should explore every possible route to educate as many student-athletes as possible. This is a public institution for the betterment of the people. Access to education at CU should be open to all, not just who the CU elite decide is worthy. I love high school football as well, it can be pure like it was meant to be. Unfortunately, you are correct; the corruption of money has infected the high school level as well. I feel CU can be competitive year in and year out with support from the administration. We both know that there are people at CU who are killing this program, and they are winning. The fact DiStefano knows this but chooses to ignore it, is hypocrisy at its finest.
Sanford seems to be someone I could get along with. He is a lot more open in his coach speak. Too bad he isnt much of an OC.
He mentioned we lost the game in the trenches. Obviously. He also mentioned Washington moves their D linemen around a lot. That doesnt sound like cookie cutter football. Moving the O line around a lot should help as well. Traps and pulls etc. These are things the Corn cobs used to do way back when they were cleaning everyone’s clock. AF does it these days.
Yes the trenches. Maybe our next HC or OC should be an accomplished ex O lineman.
Now to the academic standards. There is one main reason we are losing. 15 years of dim wit coaching selections. Add the NIL gasolene to the fire and things look pretty hopeless. Fix those 2 things and the academic standards shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll take an intelligent player every time over one who really isnt caring about education. My bet is most every one of the guys who get in trouble off the field are the mouth breathers. Rare these days at CU but maybe that is thanks in part to the academic standards.
I agree about Sanford, it’s really too bad he can’t coach at this level. I use to believe that coaching wasn’t as important as recruiting but Lincoln Riley has changed my mind, taking a mediocre team and infusing brand new talent into a contender.
It isn’t about academic standards as much as it is the ability to transfer credits already earned which in some cases means a student would have to catch up for a year before they can play. With 1 year waiting period no longer in effect why would a player wait a year when they can go elsewhere and play immediately?