Colorado Daily – Arizona State Week

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Colorado Daily – Arizona State Week

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October 29th – Game Day!

… CU in a few minutes … 

Five ASU players to watch

From the Daily Camera …

5 Players to Watch

• WR Elijhah Badger: One of the top receivers in the Pac-12 this season, he has caught 37 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns. He caught just seven passes during the 2021 season.

• QB Emory Jones: He has started every game, but went into this week battling for his job. The Florida transfer has completed 62.5% of his passes for 1,347 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions, while also rushing for four scores.

• LB Merlin Robertson: Second on the team with 56 tackles this season, he also has 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. In his career, he has started 43 games and has racked up 293 tackles.

• LB Kyle Soelle: The senior is second in the country – and leads all Power 5 players – with 12.4 tackles per game (87 in seven games). He led the Sun Devils with 88 tackles in 2021.

• RB X Valladay: A transfer from Wyoming, he has more career rushing yards (3,923) than any active player in the FBS. He had two 1,000-yard seasons in four years at Wyoming. This year, he has 642 yards and a career-high seven TDs on 114 carries.

Arizona State offense

The Sun Devils have struggled enough on offense that Aguano opened the quarterback competition this week. Yet, while they come into this week ninth in the Pac-12 in scoring (25.0 per game) and 11th in yards (353.6), the Sun Devils have playmakers – led by reliable running back X Valladay. “First and foremost they have speed,” CU head coach Mike Sanford said. “They have a running back that I think is a game-changing type player.” The key could be who plays quarterback and CU is preparing for both Emory Jones and Trenton Bourguet.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 28th

… CU in a few minutes …

CU Hall of Fame Speeches: Jim Hansen; Greg Biekert; and Charlie Davis

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Welcome home Buffs

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=409788974689589

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Neill Woelk’s Keys to the Game

From CUBuffs.com … This much is guaranteed Saturday at Folsom Field: an interim head coach will pick up a victory.

The question, of course, is whether it will be Colorado’s Mike Sanford — who is 1-1 at the Buffs’ helm this year after taking over for Karl Dorrell — or Arizona State’s Shaun Aguano, who is 1-3 after taking the reins from Herm Edwards.

Sanford opened his head coaching stint at Colorado with a win over Cal before the Buffs fell last weekend to Oregon State. Under Aguano, ASU lost to Utah and USC before beating Washington, then lost last weekend to Stanford.

Now, both the Buffs (1-6 overall, 1-3 Pac-12) and Sun Devils (2-5, 1-3) are aiming to salvage something from their seasons down the stretch.

Immediately at stake Saturday is a step up out of the Pac-12 basement. Six teams — half of the conference — are currently mired at the bottom of the standings with just one league victory.

The Buffs would like to part company with at least some of that group.

The keys for Colorado:

1. Stop the Sun Devils’ run game. Arizona State has rushed for more than 150 yards in one of four Pac-12 games — against Washington, which also happens to be ASU’s only Pac-12 win.

Otherwise, the Sun Devils have struggled to put together a consistent rushing attack in conference play. They had just 6 yards on the ground in a loss to Utah, 88 in a loss to USC and 128 in last weekend’s 15-14 loss to Stanford.

In particular, the Buffs need to keep ASU running back Xazavian Valladay in check. Valladay ran for 111 yards in the win over Washington and also had a touchdown reception. It will be up to Buffs D-linemen Na’im Rodman, Jalen Sami and Terrance Lang to provide that first line of defense.

Speaking of a run game …

… Continue reading story here …

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October 27th

… CU in a few minutes … 

J.T. Shrout to start against Arizona State

From the Daily Camera … JT Shrout will get another opportunity to start at quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday.

Interim head coach Mike Sanford announced during his weekly radio show with host Mark Johnson that Shrout will get the start when the Buffs (1-6, 1-3 Pac-12) host Arizona State (2-5, 1-3) at Folsom Field on Saturday (5:35 p.m., ESPNU).

Freshman Owen McCown is still recovering from a core injury sustained in the Buffs’ 20-13 overtime win against California on Oct. 15.

Shrout has made three starts this season, including last Saturday in a 42-9 loss at Oregon State. This will be Shrout’s first start at Folsom Field.

This season, Shrout has completed 43-of-96 passes (44.8%) for 507 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He threw for a career-high 206 yards at Oregon State, but was also intercepted twice.

In his three starts, Shrout is 22-for-61 (36.1%) for 281 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. In two relief appearances – also his only two games at Folsom Field – he is 21-for-35 (60.0%) for 226 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

McCown, who has made three starts and four appearances this year, is 57-for-100 (57%) for 600 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, along with two rushing touchdowns.

… Read full story here …

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RB Jayle Stacks making the most of his opportunity: “You’ve got to be ready and step up to that plate”

From the Daily Camera … When an opportunity presented itself last week, Jayle Stacks was ready.

Colorado went into Oregon State on Saturday night with a short-handed backfield, and lost another option less than two minutes into the game.

Given his first opportunity as a key ball carrier, Stacks responded with 50 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Those were all career highs for the third-year sophomore from Cherry Creek High School.

“It’s kind of like practice, but those dudes on the other side are trying to bang you up, get you out of the game,” said Stacks, CU’s biggest running back, at 5-foot-11, 235 pounds. “But it was a great, great opportunity. I was just trying to go out there and do what I could for my team.”

…. It had been a while for Stacks, though. A four-time all-conference player at Cherry Creek, he rushed for 2,997 yards and 39 touchdowns during his prep career. Prior to Saturday, however, he had just 12 carries for 24 yards during his time at CU.

“You just have to trust the process and understand that what you’re doing will one day, they’ll see what you can show on the field,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been doing for the last three years. I know the backs that are in front of me, Deion and Fontenot, are great backs and they can get it done. So you just have to go in practice every day with the mindset of you get better every day. Then one day, maybe someone will get hurt, unfortunately, but you’ve got to be ready and step up to that plate.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 26th

… CU in a few minutes …

Defense prep for ASU: “We’re out there flying and having fun”

From the Daily Camera … The Buffs held Cal to only 297 yards of total offense, including 35 rushing yards. Last week, however, Oregon State, which has a better offense and was playing at home, rolled up 472 yards, with 270 coming on the ground.

“We put in some new fronts for Oregon State because of their stretch play and their outside zone play and I was involved in that decision making from the head coach perspective,” Sanford said. “What I learned myself is just to continue to let (Chatman) and (linebackers coach) Jeff Smart and the defensive staff really just kind of work through what they built systematically and then let them just continue to evolve it organically as it comes forward.”

While the final statistics weren’t pretty against Oregon State, the Buffs felt it was a good learning experience. They were still flying around and making plays (five tackles for loss, one forced turnover) more so than before the coaching changes, but gave up too many plays, as well.

“I think that our preparation last week wasn’t the same as Cal,” senior linebacker Robert Barnes said. “I think that our preparation this week is complementary to Cal in terms of we’re out there flying around having fun. Anytime you’re in a new defense, there’s different elements to it. There’s nuances that come with that.

“Oregon State allowed us to kind of see where the weak points are in this. We’re going and attacking them and plugging those up.”

… Continue reading story here …

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*Video: Interim Offensive Coordinator Clay Patterson*

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Senior LB Guy Thomas looking to finish strong: “I would like to carry the defense on my shoulders”

From the Daily Camera … It seems like long ago that Guy Thomas graduated from high school and began his journey in college football.

That journey is nearing an end, however, as Thomas prepares for his final five games with the Colorado Buffaloes. The final stretch begins Saturday when the Buffs (1-6, 1-3 Pac-12) host Arizona State (2-5, 1-3) at Folsom Field (5:30 p.m. MT, ESPNU).

“I’m definitely soaking it in,” the sixth-year senior outside linebacker said Tuesday. “I’m definitely putting things in perspective. I’ve been in college for six years and I have five games left.”

After playing his first two seasons (2017-18) at Nebraska, Thomas spent the 2019 campaign at Coahoma (Miss.) Community College. He’s now in his third season with the Buffs and is one of the keys to the defense.

Thomas has recorded 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. He had a season-high eight tackles and half a sack in Saturday’s 42-9 loss to Oregon State.

“I’m definitely progressing,” he said. “My body feels great. I’m definitely working on my technique, and there’s a lot of things I could do better and I will do better. I’m one of the older guys on the defense. I would like to carry the defense on my shoulders, make as much plays as I can to put us in the best position to get off the field.”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 25th

… CU in a few minutes … 

*Video: Mike Sanford’s Weekly Press Conference*

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsReport … Mike Sanford … Grateful for full house against Cal; hoping for the same against Arizona State … Expecting some changes in the Arizona State play-calling … but they don’t have a bye week to implement changes (like they did last week) … You’ve got to expect the unexpected … Why is Oregon State better? Continuity, with players growing up through a system … CU needs to invest in those relationships, in those players … And that includes the fans and investment in NIL by the fan base … On dropped passes – up to coaches to build confidence in players, and let them know we believe in them … Jack Hestera and Jordyn Tyson to get more opportunities … Quarterback Owen McCown “very limited reps today” … McCown has a “throwing based injury in the mid-section”, but it’s not a shoulder or an elbow … “He’s not there yet” … Arizona State: They have speed. If you give him (Xazavian Valladay) a crease, he’ll take advantage … Quarterback situation an interesting one … I know Emory Jones, I recruited him (Jones transferred to ASU from Florida) … Linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo an example of going through the Transfer Portal to “get the right players” … Running back Deion Smith was “full practice” … Running back Alex Fontenot is finishing up with conditioning, but should be cleared to practice for Wednesday …

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October 24th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Buffs promise better results against Arizona State: “We’re definitely a resilient team”

From the Daily Camera … The Buffs host ASU (2-5, 1-3) on Saturday at Folsom Field (5:30 p.m. MT, ESPNU) and they hope the fight they showed at times against Oregon State is a good sign they’ll be ready.

Despite the game getting away from them early in the third quarter, CU found some rhythm offensively late in the game, scoring a touchdown and driving to the OSU 10-yard line on another drive. And, Chandler-Semedo came up with back-to-back tackles, including one on fourth-and-1 to stuff an OSU drive.

“We’re definitely a resilient team,” Chandler-Semedo said. “Like I said a couple of weeks ago, anybody in our situation would probably pack it in. But that just goes to show the resilience. It’s not really just me. … (The fourth down stop) was a total team effort right there and it just shows the resilience.”

It was a small consolation prize in an otherwise ugly night, but with five games to play, it’s those little victories that CU is clinging to as it aims to get on track.

“Even some of the drives down the stretch offensively and the defensive stop there, there was a good feel of fighting and resolve on the sideline and on the field,” Sanford said. “But it wasn’t enough.

“But that’s what we’re going to do as coaches – as the adults and the grownups and the paid professionals – we’re going to go back to work. We’re going to put the best product on the field against Arizona State and we’re gonna to make sure that we bring the same energy, a great game plan, get back to work and put on what we believe is gonna be a great Saturday of football at Folsom Field.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Sanford: “We’ve got some positive news on the injury front” 

From the Daily Camera … A couple of Buffaloes who left the field with injuries Saturday night could return this week.

A pair of veteran running backs could be back soon, too.

On Sunday night, Colorado interim head football coach Mike Sanford provided some injury updates after the Buffaloes’ 42-9 loss to Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday.

“I think we’ve got some positive news on the injury front,” Sanford said. “I was a little concerned after yesterday’s game, just how banged up we got with such a physical matchup. We didn’t sustain anything significant that I think is going to inhibit somebody from playing this week against (Arizona State), so that’s positive.”

True freshman running back Anthony Hankerson didn’t play after a fumble less than two minutes into the game at Oregon State. After losing the ball, Hankerson got up and chased OSU cornerback Rejzohn Wright, who recovered the fumble. Sanford said Hankerson was injured while chasing Wright.

“I think he’s okay, but what happened in the pile up, that wasn’t actually the injury,” Sanford said. “It was more the acceleration to go to get the ball carrier down on the ground.”

Later in the game, center Van Wells was hit low from behind during Jayle Stacks’ 1-yard touchdown run. Wells didn’t return and was in a walking boot Sunday.

“He ended up having X-rays on his ankle and it looks good,” Sanford said. “He’s in a walking boot. We have a lot of guys in walking boots on Sundays and Mondays … so yeah, (Wells) should be ready to play.”

Meanwhile, running backs Alex Fontenot and Deion Smith could return this week, as well.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 23rd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Neill Woelk Takeaways: Back to square one? (Perhaps not)

From CUBuffs.com … Back to square one?

At first glance, that could be the general assessment after taking a quick glance at the final score in Colorado’s 42-9 loss to Oregon State on Saturday.

But despite the final score — which greatly resembled the first five games of the season — there were some subtle differences.

CU’s defense played until the end, coming up with a fourth down stop in the fourth quarter. Colorado’s offense did the same, getting to the red zone twice in the final period (before turning it over on both occasions).

Meanwhile, outside of TCU, Oregon State is the best team the Buffaloes have seen this year. The Beavers have a solid, opportunistic defense, a well-balanced offense that starts with a quality O-line, and a veteran coaching staff that brings continuity to the equation. It is a program head coach Jonathan Smith has built from the ground up in his five years in Corvallis, and the OSU fan base’s patience is paying off. The Beavers are bowl eligible with a very real chance to push their win total to nine or 10 by season’s end.

And the Buffs?

They are still in the Silver Lining Dept., finding glimmers and flashes of hope as coach Mike Sanford does his best to turn the program back in the right direction down the stretch.

The Buffs arrived in Corvallis with big hopes after collecting their first win of the season a week earlier. But the Beavers — who have their eyes on a quality bowl appearance — were clearly the more talented team on a night when the Buffs also contributed significantly to their own downfall.

Our takeaways:

1. Missed opportunities. In a game where Colorado’s margin for error was razor thin, the Buffs committed far too many mistakes and failed too many times to take advantage of the opportunities they had.

It started with a fumble recovery forced by CU’s defense on Oregon State’s first possession. The Buffs took possession in OSU territory, along with the opportunity to grab some early momentum.

But instead, Colorado turned it back over to the Beavers three plays later, and OSU proceeded to convert the turnover into a touchdown — the first of three scores set up by CU turnovers.

Throw in a series of dropped passes and some critical penalties, and the list of mistakes is lengthy.

The Buffs simply aren’t good enough to overcome those kinds of mistakes and missed opportunities, especially against a quality team.

… Continue reading story here …

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Complete Transcript of Mike Sanford’s Post-game Press Conference

Colorado interim head coach Mike Sanford addressed the media following the Buffs’ 42-9 loss Saturday at Oregon State.

The setback dropped Colorado to 1-6 on the season, with each loss coming by at least 23 points.

Below is a transcript of that press conference.

Opening statement:

“Guys were fighting and continuing to find some fun in the game of football, even in the fourth quarter and in the huddle offensively as we moved the ball. I was really proud of how the offense continued to respond. We’ve just got to take care of the football. Obviously the outcome and the score of the game would be drastically different.”

On whether it was hard to keep energy from last week going:

“I would say we had good energy. It is all about that on the road. You have to find your own energy. We had a good plan for that. I think sometimes the combination of execution and then your own personal energy and your response to adversity, I think they all kind of play together. I was pleased with our energy. I just think the minute details of execution were ultimately what let this game get away from us. We’re gonna get back to work on Sunday. We’ve got to learn from these decisions. I don’t think that’s a locker room that’s looking at this and saying ‘Same old, same old.’ I think there’s a lot of fight and a lot of belief. We’ve got to get healthy in the course of a couple of days. We’re not extremely banged up, but fatigued. I think those guys will be returning to play against Arizona State.”

On the offensive not capitalizing due to mistakes like drops:

“The biggest thing is I believe in these players and I want them to continue to press through the feeling of having to make a play and pressing to make a play, but just to go out there and make the plays. I think we saw that in glimpses today, but just piecing it together consistently. As I said, to come and play a really good 6-2 now Pac-12 team, the margins are so small. I think we’ve just got to continue to have that belief, that inner belief in ourselves to continue to go out and make those plays. I believe that we’re gonna make those plays down the stretch. We’ve got a lot of football left. I’ve got a ton of belief in these guys. This is a locker room that is fighting and will continue to fight. We’re gonna go get some results that we want throughout the course of the next five weeks.”

On not capitalizing on Oregon State’s early fumble and whether Anthony Hankerson’s absence after that was injury related:

“It was an injury. That’s a true freshman running back that’s out there. A lot of times, you want that player to have a chance to kind of learn through two to four carries a game and then build it to six or eight. We’ve just got to get better with the football. We’ve emphasized it a lot in practice. Those guys, it’s physical defense and they’re hitting, but we’ve got to take care of the football. I know that Anthony will be fine. He was banged up. dinged up a little bit.”

On not wanting to risk an injury getting worse with Hankerson:

“Number one, I didn’t want to put them out there if he wasn’t full, full speed. It wasn’t a major injury or anything like that, but he was dinged up. He’s a very valuable player for us that’s done a lot of really good things. You don’t want to risk anything going forward. We’ve got a lot of football left, a lot of season to play for. I just didn’t want to press it too much with him. Jayle Stacks was a positive today. I was really pleased with how he ran the football, took care of the football. That’s what we saw out of Jayle in the spring. We even talked about it back in the spring. I’m looking forward to his continued ascension because he brings a different body type to the running back room and style of running the football. I think it’s going to help us down the stretch.”

On JT Shrout’s performance and how close Owen McCown is to returning:

“We’ll kind of evaluate that as we go with Owen. With regards to JT, I think we’ve got to continue to help around him. I thought he did some good things. I thought he responded well to adversity and made some explosive plays down the field. He was good at that. I think with JT, just continuing to get him in a rhythm because you can see the wild throws. They’re there. You can see the pocket presence, the demeanor. He’s a guy that I think will continue to get better as the year goes on as he gets into a groove and a rhythm. We’ll see what happens with Owen.”

On the run defense and Oregon State’s success:

“When you look out there, the advancement of the program with regards to the body types and the offensive line and the fullbacks and tight ends. That’s an impressive, long, well-built team. They went through their lumps playing young players and I think that they’ve had that opportunity to develop over the course of the last two, three years. Like I said, the margin is so small when you’re playing against a team that has that physicality. I think it’s just shoring up some of the things from a run game perspective and how we fit the run. They had a good plan. I thought we had a good plan going in and they had good counter punches for it, to be quite honest. Getting off the field was a challenge. It wasn’t the multiple 40-yard runs or a few of them mixed in there. It was the three, five, seven, 12, just methodically driving the football down the field. They’re gonna win a lot of football games this year. They’re a tough team to play because they’re a well-rounded football team in all three phases.”

On Van Wells’ health status:

“I think he got caught under a pile and got kind of contorted backwards. There was some pain, some dinged-up, but it was a lot of fear, as well. I think Van’s going to be fine. It was awesome – he was in the tent and they were calling plays for the fourth quarter and he’s in the huddle with us on the sideline, smile on his face, ready to go back in, if need be. I thought Austin Johnson responded really well. He’s a guy that has played football here and started games. We do feel confident with Van returning, but also with Austin Johnson being able to take that role, if need be.”

On concern with lack of depth at running back and how close Victor Venn and Alex Fontenot are to returning:

“I think we’ll have to evaluate that in person. I think there are some guys trending in the right direction to come back and give us depth there. We had Dante Capolungo who was playing scout team safety and corner two weeks ago and Charlie’s shoe came off and Jayle was a little banged up, so we threw Dante out there and he knew what to do. We’ve given him a lot of opportunities to scrimmage in live situations the last two weeks. It’s thin, but I think we’re gonna get some reserves back.”

On the fight of the team making plays late:

“Even some of the drives down the stretch offensively, the defensive stop there, there was a good feel of fighting and resolve on the sideline and on the field. It wasn’t enough, but that’s what we’re gonna do as coaches as the adults and the grown-ups and the paid professionals. We’re going to go back to work. We’re going to put the best product on the field against Arizona State. We’re gonna make sure that we bring the same energy, a great game plan, get back to work and put on what we believe is gonna be a great Saturday of football at Folsom Field.”

On status of Chase Penry:

“He’s battled a pretty significant offseason situation injury-wise. It’s just about making sure that he’s at his optimal level of performance to play him. I believe he’s at three games right now. He did play more than the redshirt his freshman year, so it’s a decision that we’re gonna make for his best interests. We’re always going to err on the side of the student-athletes’ best interests. If he’s not at his best playing shape then obviously we’re not going to put him in that position. We’re a little bit dinged-up at certain positions. He’s healthy, but I want to make sure when he does play, he’s at his best.

On whether Penry will redshirt:

“We’ll continue to have that discussion. We can revisit that as I sit down and talk with his family.”

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Arizona State falls to Stanford despite not allowing a touchdown

From ESPN … Joshua Karty kicked five field goals, lifting Stanford to a come-from-behind, 15-14 win over Arizona State in the homecoming game on Saturday afternoon.

Karty’s five field goals tied the all-time single-game record for the Cardinal (3-4, 1-4 Pac-12), who snapped a school-record 10-game conference losing streak. Stanford had not won a game against a Pac-12 opponent since it beat Oregon 31-24 on Oct. 2, 2021.

“We’re finding our groove,” Stanford head coach David Shaw said. “This is how hard we play and how hard we push to finish in those games. The ball bounced our way a couple times, which is great — the ball bounced against us a couple times too throughout the season.”

The decisive field goal came with 6:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Karty converted from 47 yards, matching his second-longest attempt of the season. Named the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week twice in the last three games, Karty has not missed a kick this season, making all 12 of his field goal attempts.

Shaw said Stanford recruited Karty with the belief that he could become the best college kicker in the country — and Shaw thinks he may be nearing his full potential this season.

“Of course I believe I am the best kicker in America. I kind of have to,” Karty said. “A lot of that is due to (special teams coordinator Pete Alamar). He kind of pulled me aside before the season and kind of reinforced why I’m here, who I am, and just helped me with my mentality a lot.”

The Sun Devils (2-5, 1-3) have not won at Stanford Stadium since 2007, dropping four straight on the road to the Cardinal in that span.

Arizona State’s Emory Jones was 15 of 25 passing but Stanford’s pass defense, which entered Saturday ranked second in the conference surrendering 212.3 yards per game, held Arizona State to 227 receiving yards.

“We weren’t efficient enough on offense,” Arizona State interim coach Shaun Aguano said. “Our defense did a great job … keeping them out of the end zone. Fifteen points shouldn’t win football games.”

The Sun Devils led 14-6 after Elijhah Badger caught a 39-yard touchdown pass a minute into the second quarter. Badger made six catches for a career-best 118 yards.

“I feel like every drive I was in a pretty good rhythm, better than usual,” Badger said. “I just feel like it gets better every week, just going to keep getting better.”

Stanford had not allowed its opponent to score in the first quarter in its last two games against Oregon State and Notre Dame, but the Sun Devils ended the streak when Xazavian Valladay ran for a 15-yard touchdown.

Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee, who completed a career-high 33 of 57 attempted passes for 320 yards, has been held without a touchdown in back-to-back games after recording multiple in each of Stanford’s first five games.

“It was enough to get the (win), but obviously not good enough moving forward,” McKee said. “Lot of things to work on, and a lot of things to get better at, but obviously happy with the result today.”

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This post, about the Arizona State game, from the 2022 Season, is filed under Article.
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