Friday Fast Facts – CSU

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Friday Fast Facts – Colorado State Week

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Leading off …

— “T.I.P.S” … Our weekly preview postings are available for your review and comment. My weekly written preview, along with my predictions for the Rocky Mountain Showdown can be found here. The CU at the Game Podcast Review/Preview, looking back at the Nebraska game, and previewing the CSU game, can be found at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and … it can also be found here.

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Big Picture … 

— Last weekend, the Buffs played before a sold out Memorial Stadium crowd of 86,906. CSU’s Canvas Stadium has a capacity of 36,500, but can hold up to 41,000 with standing room only tickets. The largest crowd in stadium history was in the very first game, with 37,583 on hand for the 2017 season opener against Oregon State. A crowd of 36,573 was on hand last weekend for the Northern Colorado game last weekend, the third-largest crowd in stadium history (the crowd size bolstered, no doubt bolstered by CSU requiring a three-game package of tickets be purchased in order to get a CU game ticket);

— The CU/Nebraska game drew an audience of 6.3 million, down from the 8.73 million who watched the 36-14 CU victory last September. (For point of reference, the CU/USC game was the 25th-most watched college football game last season, with 7.24 million. The CU/Nebraska was No. 19 on the list);

— The ESPN Power Index … likes CU’s chances in the game. The Buffs are given an 80.9% chance of winning; the Rams 19.1%;

— The last time the Buffs and Rams met … Fox Big Noon Saturday crew was in Boulder for the second straight weekend. Colorado had never before been a part of a featured game for Big Noon Saturday, but the CSU game marked the third straight weekend wherein the Buffs are the main story. Not to be outdone, ESPN GameDay, also came to Boulder (Fox was on Farrand Field; ESPN was on the field next to the Business school);

— The game will be telecast nationally by CBS, with Rich Waltz on the play-by-play, Ross Tucker on color; and Tiffany Blackmon on the sidelines. 850 KOA radio will have Mark Johnson with the play-by-play, and former CU head coach Gary Barnett as the analyst.

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Buffs v. Rams … 

— Colorado leads the all-time series against Colorado State 68-22-2 (75.0%). The Buffs held a 13-6 (68.4%) advantage in games played in Denver. The Buffs hold an advantage in games played in Boulder of 32-9-1, a 77.3 winning percentage; while in games played in Ft. Collins, CU’s advantage is 23-7-1 (.758);

— So, yes, for those of you scoring at home, CU has more wins in the series in games played on the Rams’ home field (23) than Colorado State has in the history of the rivalry (22);

— Since the series resumed in 1983, Colorado has a 25-8 (75.7%) advantage. CU has won the last six meetings overall (2015-2019; 2023). The last victory for the Rams was a 31-17 in Denver in 2014;

— The 2023 game in Boulder represented the first time that one of the teams came into the Rocky Mountain Showdown with a national ranking (CU was ranked 19th last season) since the 2003 campaign (when an unranked CU squad defeated No. 23 CSU, 42-35, in a lighting-delayed game);

— CU is 133-44-4 all-time v. current members of the Mountain West Conference.

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Player Notes … 

— In the first two games of the season, Travis Hunter has been targeted six times in 128 defensive plays, giving up only 21 yards in coverage;

— On offense, Travis Hunter has had, dating back to last season, three consecutive 100-yard receiving games (107 yards v. Utah; 132 v. NDSU; 107 v. Nebraska). Hunter is only the third player in CU history with three-straight 100-yard receiving games, joining Charles E. Johnson (1993) and Michael Westbrook (1994);

— Linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green had his first start at CU against Nebraska, replacing Trevor Woods. Against the Cornhuskers, Hill-Green had seven tackles (five unassisted). The only other change in the starting lineup from the North Dakota State game was Charlie Offerdahl starting at running back instead of Dre’lon Miller;

— Quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 348 yards against Colorado State in the 43-35 double-overtime win last season. That total ranks fifth for CU quarterbacks in games played against CSU. The highest total for any Buff quarterback in the Rocky Mountain Showdown was 409 yards by Kordell Stewart in a 37-17 CU win.

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Big 12 Notes

— The Big 12 went 9-5 in non-conference games last week, and is 25-7 overall this season;

— This week, the Big 12 has five ranked teams in the Top 25 (No. 12 Utah; No. 13 Oklahoma State; No. 14 Kansas State; No. 20 Arizona; No. 21 Iowa State). This week’s rankings mark the first time since 2012 that the Big 12 has had five or more teams ranked in Top 25 for the first three weeks of the season;

— Three Big 12 teams had a game-winning score in the last two minutes to beat another Power Four conference team (BYU over SMU); Iowa State (over Iowa); and Oklahoma State (over Arkansas in double OT);

Big 12 Week Three – Game times and odds …

From Draft Kings …

Thursday, September 12th

• Arizona State at Texas State … 5:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … Arizona State is a 1.0-point favorite, down from 2.5-points on Sunday

Friday, September 13th

• UNLV at Kansas … 5:00 p.m., MT, ESPN … Kansas is a 7.5-point favorite, up from 7.0-points on Sunday
• No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State (a non-conference game) … 6:00 p.m., Fox … Kansas State is a 7.0-point favorite, down from 7.5-points

Saturday, September 14th

• No. 13 Oklahoma State at Tulsa … 10:00 a.m., MT, ESPN2 … Oklahoma State is an 18.5-point favorite, down from 20.5-points
• Cincinnati at Miami … 10:00 a.m., MT, ESPNU … Cincinnati is a 3.5-point favorite, down from 2.5-points
• North Texas at Texas Tech … 10:00 a.m., MT, FS1 … Texas Tech is a 9.5-point favorite, down from 11.5-points
• West Virginia at Pitt … 1:30 p.m., MT, ESPN2 … West Virginia is a 2.0-point favorite, down from 2.5-points
• No. 12 Utah at Utah State … 2:30 p.m., MT, CBSSN … Utah is a 20.0-point favorite, down from 22.0-points
• Colorado at CSU … 5:30 p.m., MT, CBS … Colorado is a 7.0-point favorite, down from 8.5-points
• Air Force at Baylor … 5:30 p.m., MT, FS1 … Baylor is a 15.5-point favorite, up from 13.0-points
• UCF at TCU … 5:30 p.m., MT, Fox … TCU is a 2.5-point favorite, up from 2.0-points
• Rice at Houston … 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+ … Houston is a 4.0-point favorite, down from 5.5-points
• BYU at Wyoming … 7:00 p.m., MT, CBSSN … BYU is an 11.0-point favorite, up from 8.5-points

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Last season … 

September 16, 2023 – Colorado 43, Colorado State 35 – 2OT

Game Story … Buff quarterback Shedeur Sanders struggled throughout much of the game, but directed a game-tying 98-yard scoring drive in the final two minutes of regulation, then threw two touchdowns in two overtime periods to lead the No. 18 Buffaloes to a come-from-behind 43-35 win over rival Colorado State.

CU trailed 21-14 at the half — with one of its touchdowns coming on an 80-yard interception return by Shilo Sanders — and looked to be heading for an embarrassing loss  to 23.5-point underdog CSU when the Rams took a 28-17 lead with just more than 11 minutes to go in regulation. But the Buffs cut the margin to 28-20 with a field goal and Colorado’s defense forced a punt with just more than two minutes to play. The kick bounced out of bounds at the CU two-yard line with 2:06 on the clock — but that proved to be plenty of time for Sanders.

Sanders completed five passes on the drive for 106 yards as CU overcame two penalties on the march. Sanders found a wide-open Jimmy Horn Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown, then connected with tight end Michael Harrison for the two-point conversion to set up overtime. “I went into ‘Brady mode’,” said Sanders, referring to Tom Brady and his penchant for last minute victories. “They left us too much time”.

… Continue reading Game story here …

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Game Essay … “Savor the Moment” …

It was a stunning come-from-behind victory. It is a win which we will be talking about for years. The 98-yard drive to tie the game may not have the historic significance of John Elway’s 98-yard drive against the Cleveland Browns, leading to a playoff victory decades ago … but it was a pretty cool experience.

And for someone who has to commute 700 miles for home games, and who has been chronicling CU’s sorry seasons for way too long, I could have been forgiven for enjoying the win more than most.

And yet … I never hit the crescendo of emotion that the moment deserved.

… Continue reading Essay here …

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This post, about the Colorado State game, from the 2024 Season, is filed under Article.
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