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Colorado Daily – Colorado State Week
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September 14th
… CU in a few minutes …
Drew Litton’s take on the RMS
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John Snelson’s RMS Rivalry Video …
It’s settled tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/6SmVOqWtJn
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 13, 2024
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September 13th
… CU in a few minutes …
Shedeur Sanders Draft status: “Don’t see a top-five pick; he’s probably a first round guy”
From CBS Sports … As heavily-discussed as Colorado is right now during the actual season, there’s an element of the Buffaloes program that will likely receive just as much attention well after the season is over: The draft stock of quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The conversations are already starting now. Not just in the media but in NFL buildings, too. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that there are going to be a wide range of different opinions on the Colorado quarterback as an NFL prospect, including among NFL personnel.
Nevertheless, while some teams are higher on Sanders than others, coach Deion Sanders isn’t wrong in touting his son as a first-round NFL prospect. Going in the first round is definitely a real possibility, although it may not be as early as some preseason mock drafts would lead you to believe. It’s also seemingly possible that Sanders could ultimately slip out of the first round altogether in this wide-open 2025 quarterback class that lacks a Caleb Williams-level prospect or anything close to a consensus pecking order among NFL scouts.
“He’s solid,” an NFL director of college scouting told CBS Sports of Sanders. “Talented passer. Holds the ball too long. Don’t see a top-five pick. … He’s probably a first round guy (though) because of the body of work and this class.”
It doesn’t help though that Sanders doesn’t have anywhere near the level of supporting cast as other top QBs like Carson Beck, Cam Ward and Quinn Ewers. Colorado’s offensive line remains a big issue and the only other surefire 2025 draft pick on the Buffaloes’ offense aside from Sanders is Travis Hunter. Through two games, Sanders has thrown for 689 yards with five touchdown passes and two interceptions. He finished Colorado’s 28-10 loss to Nebraska last week 23 of 38 for 244 yards with one touchdown pass and an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
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Neill Woelk’s Keys to CSU game: A Sense of Urgency for 60 minutes
From CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders has stressed all week that his Buffaloes need to display a sense of urgency Saturday when they face off with Colorado State in a 5:30 p.m. game at Canvas Stadium (CBS).
“We got to start strong,” Sanders said at his weekly press conference. “I challenged them that if your person that you love the most, that you care for the most, was dependent upon your performance at practice today, how would you go about it? So that’s how we’re going about it. We are holding everybody accountable, including myself, in a sense of urgency.”
The 1-1 Buffs no doubt need a win over the 1-1 Rams to get back on the right track. A 28-10 loss at Nebraska last weekend left a number of issues for Colorado to address this week in practice and Saturday should provide a good indication of how much improvement they were able to make.
What the Buffs already know is that they will be stepping into a hostile environment in their second rivalry game in a row. While capacity at Canvas is just 36,500, the atmosphere still promises to be a raucous one as CSU fans have not forgotten last year’s 43-35 double-overtime loss in Boulder — a game in which the Rams let a 28-17 fourth quarter lead slip away.
CU’s troubles last week have been well documented. The offense couldn’t provide quarterback Shedeur Sanders with a consistently clean pocket or generate any kind of run game. The Buffs defense gave up 21 points in the first half and CU yielded another easy score with a 7-yard interception return for a touchdown.
But the Rams have had troubles of their own. A season-opening 52-0 loss to Texas saw CSU finish with just 118 yards rushing and 74 yards passing. Colorado State did have a “get well” game last week against Northern Colorado, a 38-17 win over the Bears, but there were still plenty of issues for the Rams to address in their practices this week.
A rivalry win would be a big step for either team. For Colorado, it would mean some momentum heading into next week’s Big 12 opener at home against Baylor.
How do the Buffs bounce back and get that win? Our weekly Fast Five:
1. More than just a fast start. As Coach Prime said, the Buffs have to get out of the gate with a strong start. That could mean a defensive takeaway or an opening score — anything to quiet the crowd and build some momentum.
But the Buffs need more than a fast start. They need to maintain that sense of urgency for 60 minutes. The Buffs have played from behind in the first half of both of their games thus far. They need to establish control early and make the Rams play catchup.
2. Give QB Sanders a chance to make plays. We’ll hit on the obvious here, but this is no doubt a critical key to Colorado’s success.
CU gave up six sacks last week — five on Sanders — and as a result, the Buffs were never able to really find an offensive groove. They had only three drives of longer than 40 yards, with two of those coming in the second half.
The good news is that CSU hasn’t shown much of a pass rush, recording just one sack thus far. The Rams will no doubt try to increase the pressure this week to get to Sanders, but if the Buffs can keep Colorado State’s defense honest, they can give their quarterback a chance to connect with his outstanding group of receivers. Travis Hunter has had back-to-back 100-yard receiving games and he could add another Saturday.
… Continue reading story here …
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September 12th
… CU in a few minutes …
CSU stars take shots at CU: “We’ll see how far Instagram followers gets them”
From the Daily Camera … Leading up to the latest edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown, the Colorado Buffaloes have kept the peace, publicly avoiding any bulletin board material for their opponents.
Two of the Colorado State Rams’ biggest stars, however, have chosen a different path ahead of Saturday’s matchup in Fort Collins (5:30 p.m., CBS).
Nearly a full year after CU’s 43-35 double overtime win against the Rams at Folsom Field, which included some rivalry-level trash talking and chippy play on the field, CSU quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and receiver Tory Horton haven’t forgotten that night.
During an interview, which took place during the preseason, with CBS4 in Denver, Horton said revenge has been on the Rams’ minds.
“We owe them one and that’s just something that’s been sitting on everybody’s minds since we came back from break,” Horton said. “We owe them. We walked away from that game as we kind of ‘left it all on the field.’ I don’t feel like we left it all on the field, because we should have murdered them guys. They came out with that attitude as they were on the top of the world and this ain’t no Cinderella story. We’re coming for revenge.”
“Yeah they came out with that attitude and thought it was going to be a cakewalk,” Fowler-Nicolosi told CBS4. “They saw the reports, 27.5 points (spread) or whatever it was and they got a rude, rude awakening real quick. I think it goes to show that the hype, the media train, all that, it only gets you so far.
“At the end of the day, you have to line up 11 guys against our 11 guys and we’ll find out who wants it more. We’ll see how far Instagram followers gets them.”
“We should have murdered them guys …we’re coming for revenge”
“We’ll see how far instagram followers gets them”
Here’s what CSU’s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and Tory Horton had to say about last year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown and the upcoming game against CU: pic.twitter.com/51ZBPyigpf
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) September 12, 2024
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September 11th
… CU in a few minutes …
Linebackers coach Andre Hart: “We cannot start slow”
On Lavonta Bentley … He’s TTP … Trusting the Process … This is your last year … You need be a leader … Getting his foot ready to go so he can play Saturday … Trevor Woods … will be in the dime packages this week … CSU is a tempo team … You want a guy with the right instincts against a team which throws the ball …
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Linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green … Had his first start against Nebraska … Starting fast is a mindset … Coming out with the most energy on the first play … I’m just trying to soak up as much information as I can, and get better every day …
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Coach Prime’s message to team: “Accountability, understanding there’s urgency”
From the Daily Camera … If there’s a panic button in the Colorado football office, head coach Deion Sanders isn’t reaching for it at this point.
“We’re 1-1, and you want a bunch of changes?” he said Tuesday as his Buffaloes (1-1) prepared for a visit to in-state rival Colorado State (1-1) on Saturday (5:30 p.m., CBS).
“Before you guys even sense it, I’m out there at practice every day. I’m watching film every day. I’m falling asleep watching darn tape, so and I’m going over all the practice grades as well as game grades, and seeing what we got ahead of us and what we did today. So we have a lot of knowledge in house that you guys aren’t privy to, that we get to see tape every day. So when we make a change or we don’t, there’s reason, and sometimes you got to trust that we’re in the inside.”
The Buffs didn’t look good, especially on offense, in a 28-10 loss at rival Nebraska on Saturday, a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.
Yet, Sanders and his team are looking forward, while knowing the importance of Saturday’s game in Fort Collins.
“Really, accountability, understanding there’s urgency,” Sanders said about his main message to the team this week. “I challenge them if your person that you love the most, that you care for the most, was depending upon your performance at practice today, how would you go about it? That was the challenge today. So that’s how we’re going about it. We are holding everybody accountable, including myself, in sense of urgency.”
It may be too early in the season to call Saturday’s game a must-win, but it’s certainly vital as the Buffs wrap up non-conference play. The Big 12 portion of the schedule begins when Baylor visits Boulder on Sept. 21. Four of the eight games after that are against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 20, with another against a Kansas team that just dropped out of the rankings this week.
… Continue reading story here …
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September 10th
… CU in a few minutes …
Coach Prime Tuesday Press Conference
DL BJ Green and DB DJ McKinney interviewed to start … Coach Prime starts at the 21:35 mark … Injury updates: Safety Shilo Sanders out “two to three weeks” with a broken arm (had surgery on Sunday) … DL Chidozie Nwankwo: “Praying he’ll be back. I want so see a good day of practice out of him first” … DB Isaiah Hardge: “I don’t know if he will play this week” … RB Dallan Haydan: “I think he’s out this week” … LB LaVonta Bentley “Practiced today. He’s still limping a little bit. Probably give him tomorrow off. We know what we can get from him on Saturday” …
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September 9th
… CU in a few minutes …
Shilo Sanders undergoes forearm surgery
From the Daily Camera … CU safety Shilo Sanders underwent surgery on Monday morning for an injury sustained in Saturday’s 28-10 loss at Nebraska.
It’s unclear the nature of the injury or how long Sanders would be sidelined, but head coach Deion Sanders said after the game “I know he did something to his forearm that that put him out for the rest of the game.”
Shilo was injured on CU’s sixth defensive play of the game. During the second half, he had his right arm in a sling.
On social media Coach Prime posted photos of Shilo at the hospital on Monday and wrote, “He will be back and ready.”
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Pro Football Focus grades: Travis Hunter CU’s highest offensive and defensive player
With every snap of every game, Pro Football Focus grades each individual player and the impact they have on the game. In this piece, we’ll highlight the highest-graded Buffs from their second game in 2024, against Nebraska. The top 10 will only include offensive and defensive players that played at least 30 percent of the snaps. A list of the top Buffs that played less than 30 percent of the snaps is included at the end.
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Kickoff time set for Homecoming game against Baylor
Press release from the CUBuffs.com … Colorado’s Homecoming and Big 12 Homecoming game against Baylor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, will kickoff at 6 p.m. MT and be televised nationally by FOX.
Other Big 12 Games That Week:
Kansas at West Virginia, Noon ET, ESPN 2
Houston at Cincinnati, Noon ET, FS1
Arkansas State at Iowa State, 2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (previously announced)
Arizona State at Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1
Utah at Oklahoma State, 4:00 p.m. ET, FOX
TCU at SMU, 5:00 p.m. CT, CW Network (previously announced)
Kansas State at BYU, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN
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September 8th
… CU in a few minutes …
Neill Woelk’s Takeaways: “We just checked to make sure — the sky isn’t falling”
From CUBuffs.com … The good news for Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes?
They don’t have time to wallow in the disappointment of Saturday’s 28-10 loss at Nebraska. Instead, the Buffs must immediately direct their focus to the second leg of their road trip rivalry stretch, next Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. game at Colorado State (CBS).
The contest in what is sure to be another extremely hostile atmosphere is rapidly turning into a “must win” situation for the Buffs. CU must find the bright spots from Saturday’s game and build on those — and quickly address the issues that have become areas of concern.
There were some positive moments in Lincoln. While the Buffs fell behind early Saturday and never really threatened to make it a close game, they did put together a solid second half, the second week in a row they were better after halftime.
Now they have to put together a full 60-minute effort.
Our weekly takeaways:
1. Pass protection must improve. Yes, this is obvious to anyone who has watched Colorado, but that doesn’t make the situation any less important.
The Buffs have to create a safer environment for quarterback Shedeur Sanders. CU gave up six sacks at Nebraska — five of them on Sanders — while also allowing another five hits on the quarterback.
The result was Sanders not even finishing the game. Instead, he headed to the locker room late in the fourth quarter to get checked out after taking a blow to the head.
That kind of situation isn’t sustainable. Sanders couldn’t finish last season after absorbing 52 sacks — and many more hits — and the Buffs can’t allow history to repeat itself.
CU’s chances of success are dependent upon Sanders staying healthy and having the opportunity to connect with his outstanding group of receivers. If he doesn’t have that opportunity on a steady basis, CU’s climb becomes a much, much steeper hill.
2. Buffs must find a running game. Again, the obvious, but again an area that has to be addressed.
Because sack yardage is attached to rushing totals in college, Colorado’s run game statistics are slightly skewed. Still, the fact is CU has yet to present any kind of threat on the ground this year. The Buffs are averaging 37.5 yards per game and 1.7 yards per attempt.
That’s not enough for anyone to respect. Instead, it opens the door for defenses to pin their ears back and expend all their energy putting pressure on Sanders and the passing game.
At the same time, Colorado has to improve in short-yardage situations. The Buffs were stuffed on two fourth-and-1 attempts Saturday, with both coming at critical junctures (they finally converted a fourth down late in the game).
The first fourth down miss proved to be a key turning point. After NU’s opening touchdown, a big return by Jimmy Horn Jr. put the Buffs in great position. But instead of moving in for the tying score, the drive stalled when CU failed to convert a fourth-and-1. That set the stage for a Nebraska punt deep into CU territory, a pick six and 14-0 NU lead.
Understand, the Buffs don’t have to become a run game powerhouse. Their bread and butter is the passing game, as it should be. But if CU can’t present at least the threat of a rushing game, the passing game is in peril as well.
… Continue reading story here …
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Coach Prime: “We’ve got to figure out a way to have some type of running game, because we have backs that can flat out do it”
From the Daily Camera … Following a loss that looked closer on the scoreboard than it really was on the field, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders recognized the need to get something going on the ground.
“It’s a struggle to run the ball,” he said. “And we got to figure that out because now you’re one dimensional and it’s easy to stop a team when they’re one dimensional and that’s who we are at this point of time.”
That quote came after a 28-16 loss at UCLA on Oct. 28, 2023, when the Buffs finished with 25 rushing yards on 24 attempts.
CU never figured it out last year and has still yet to cook up the right formula for a run game two games into this season.
“We haven’t run the ball like we wanted to consistently,” Sanders said following a 28-10 loss at Nebraska on Saturday, when the Buffs finished with 16 rushing yards on 22 attempts (half of which were sacks or quarterback scrambles). “But rarely do you have a great running offense and a great passing offense. Rarely you have that. One is going to have to be the lesser of the two.”
One certainly is lesser of the two, but at this point there’s no need to try to develop a great running game. The Buffs (1-1) just need to develop a serviceable running game to go with a dynamic passing game led by senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to have some type of running game, because we have backs that can flat out do it. We really do,” said Coach Prime, whose team will visit Colorado State on Saturday (5:30 p.m., CBS).
… Continue reading story here …
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19 Replies to “Colorado Daily”
Guess what? We’re 2-1.
Mike Novell is 0-3.
Suck it.
Go Buffs
Yo and Go
Buffs.
Watched two games friday night.
3 of the teams the Buffs will play this season.
Each of them have REAL offensives. REAL offensives.
They are matured. They Run. They pass. The run inside they run outside.
They just look like offenses.
And what I am talking about is the schemes. They have football schemes real Schemes.
Not the Buff offense of “Hike it toe Shedeur in the gun and hope he can complete a long pass to add to his stats for the heisman and draft status.
Go Buiffs.
Note: It doesn’t matter who the OC is that would be the play.
Note 2: The RB coach (and assistant head coach) needs to go
Note 3: Maybe 5 wins eh? Them other teams look like football teams
WILL THEY LET RALPHIE POOP ON THE CSU FIELD ?
PROBABLY NOT.
BUFFIES COULD BE IN FOR A ‘RUFF RIDE IN THE RAMMIES PASTURE.
BEST CINCH THAT SADDLE UP TIGHT….AN SHOW ‘EM WHAT BUFF POOP SMELLS LIKE.
hey
Tony and what ever that 10 syllable name your QB has
pretty tough talk for someone who lost 52 zip a couple games ago.
Are you sure that isnt a pant load of compensation?
“I challenge them if your person that you love the most, that you care for the most, was depending upon your performance at practice today, how would you go about it? ”
try this on the first kickoff and dont wait until the second half
I throw the same challenge at you coach. I didnt hear any indication you were going to make any changes…just defending the possibility your arent. Hopefully you are just not tipping off fort fun
What I just read doesnt sound like you are making any changes. Maybe
That last sentence is so Earache.
GoBuffs. Go ep
Note: If you saw the rb coach, also assistant head coach. He was told to do some stuff by prime. Not the oc. no he was told
I am believing its a mess in the building on the offensive side.
got that right. The “maybe” at one point got displaced when I was trying to alter a sentence. Poor typing skills. Not hedging
Blocking in the backfield is not just about the size of the running back. It involves knowing where to to pick up defenders who blitz or get past linemen with the primary goal to protect the quarterback. Not all gifted ball carriers are as gifted in the area of blocking.
I wonder if they can flip the script and just run the ball 80% against the rams?
Would love to see it.
Go Buffs
The sizzle was sold before the meat even hit the grill.
B.O.O.H.O.O….Shut up and play football or tap out and let someone else play.. All work and no play make Fish On a dull boy.. Go Buffs!
“It’s a struggle to run the ball,” he said. “And we got to figure that out because now you’re one dimensional and it’s easy to stop a team when they’re one dimensional and that’s who we are at this point of time.” (Sanders)
no kidding
problem is it doesnt look like you ever tried to “figure it out”
Agreed. When your first run is Offerdahl (what?) on fourth and one you are not committed to running the ball. Dallan Hayde averaged 6.4 yards per carry behind the same o-line as everyone else. Yet somehow he only had 5 rushes. That is a ridiculous indictment of the coaching staff. They need to get their heads right and start game planning more effectively.
It seems the coaching staff is equally concerned that the running back can block for pass protection just as well as the running back can run with the football. It just may be that the other running backs are weaker in the blocking/pass protection aspect, even though they may be better runners than Offerdahl. Not sure if that is the case, but it is a likely rationale for the coaching decisions on playing time at that position. The other backs may just not be able to pick up the blitz packages as well as Offerdahl, and C.U. likes to throw the football – a great deal.
I think that is it.
Go Buffs
Yeah ,that’s it we’ll put our smallest back out there to help pick up the blitz. Give me a break.
David, if he can see the blitzer and at least get in their way vs not, then the size of the guy whiffing doesn’t matter much, does it? Or are you saying they are playing the less capable guy? For a reason.
Go Buffs
Then again, Nebraska didn’t have to blitz too much. But the point remains the same: if the fastest, biggest, most talented guy runs the wrong direction, he’s not that useful. I gotta believe all these coaches play the most reliable and consistent dudes they can.
Perhaps that is naive. But I don’t think so. Meritocracy prevails.
Go Buffs
I understand your rationale, and maybe the coaches see it that way, but I can’t agree with it. Offerdahl whiffed in pass protection multiple times. He also did so against NDSU. He is a small back and Dallan Hayden offers so much more even in pass protection. He’s not perfect, but definitely better than anything else we’ve seen.
Personally, I’d like to see a tight end package and just line up and run. I guess we don’t always get what we want, but even a blind squirrel (Shurmur?) ought to see how doing so would open up the passing game and allow Shedeur to get the ball to our electric receivers.
It is so ridiculous that highly paid coaches can’t seem to figure out how to utilize and mix in the talent they have. Maybe they will get some things figured out this week. I certainly want them to succeed.