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Colorado Daily – Alamo Bowl
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December 29th – GameDay!
… CU in a few minutes …
Athlon picks CU in an upset
From Athlon Sports … When members of the old Southwest Conference joined the former Big 8 in 1996, Colorado and Texas became charter members of the newly formed Big 12 Conference. The two programs, which first met in 1940, played most years during their 14 shared in the league, including in two Big 12 Championship Games.
The Alamo Bowl marks their first meeting since 2009, two years before Colorado moving to the Pac-12. Much has changed in that time, with Texas undergoing head-coaching changes: Mack Brown to Charlie Strong and now Tom Herman. Colorado parted ways with Dan Hawkins upon leaving the Big 12, employed Jon Embree for just two years — twice as long as 2019 head coach Mel Tucker was in Boulder — with Mike MacIntyre (2013-18) having the longest tenure between.
Karl Dorrell’s first year at Colorado brought with it Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors and national coaching award nominations. Defeating a former Big 12 nemesis to cap the season would be quite a punctuation on the unexpected breakout performance from the Buffaloes in Dorrell’s debut.
When Texas Has the Ball
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s Texas career is an exercise in the influence expectations have on perception. Ehlinger was never seriously in this year’s Heisman Trophy conversation despite having offseason Heisman hype at various points in his career — most notably following the 2019 Sugar Bowl, when Ehlinger made the declaration that Texas was “back” after almost a decade out of national title contention.
Ehlinger produced a quietly impressive 25 touchdowns against just five interceptions this season and surpassed 2,400 yards. He embarks on the Alamo Bowl with the lingering question about his future, having not yet made a public declaration of his 2021 intentions. Finishing a disappointing 2020 for the Longhorns on a high note takes precedent.
Texas will have to replace the production of leading wide receiver Brennan Eagles, who opted out of the Alamo Bowl. Eagles caught 20 percent of Ehlinger’s touchdown passes during the regular season. Ehlinger will also have to navigate a talented Colorado secondary, which produced an interception in every game this season but one, and only allowed seven touchdown passes on the year — four of which came in the season opener.
Ehlinger also will be without two starters up front with left tackle Samuel Cosmi opting out earlier this season to focus on the 2021 NFL Draft and senior Derek Kerstetter out because of a dislocated left ankle. There’s also some uncertainty regarding right guard Denzel Okafor, who could reportedly miss this game due to COVID-19 protocols. Even if Okafor is cleared in time to play, Texas will likely start two true freshmen up front.
Colorado is down the star of its defense, linebacker Nate Landman. A key to the Buffs’ ability to create takeaways due to his pass-rushing ability, Landman is out due to an injury he sustained late in the regular season. Fellow linebacker Carson Wells picks up the slack.
When Colorado Has the Ball
Highlighting Colorado’s surprising 2020 season was the unexpected emergence of running back Jarek Broussard. The sophomore surpassed 800 rushing yards in just five games and averaged 6.3 yards per carry en route to winning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Broussard’s breakout set the tone for the nation’s 16th-most productive rushing offense. The Buffaloes come into the Alamo Bowl averaging better than 218 yards per game on the ground, employing a combination of Broussard and dual-threat quarterback Sam Noyer. Noyer led the Buffs with five rushing touchdowns.
The Texas defense comes in ranked 30th nationally against the run, a trend the Longhorns must continue in San Antonio. Noyer’s passing has been up-and-down this season, with the former safety having thrown five interceptions to six touchdowns and completing 58 percent of his attempts. Slowing the Buffs’ rushing production to force Colorado to the air is essential, but Texas will be without star defensive end/outside linebacker Joseph Ossai, who has shifted his focus to the draft.
Final Analysis
Projecting bowl games outside of the New Year’s Six can be a precarious exercise. Player opt-outs factor in, as well as motivation. Last year’s Alamo Bowl was an instructive example of the latter, with a Utah team that had designs on a College Football Playoff spot before the Pac-12 Championship Game getting snubbed for the New Year’s Six, then coming out listless in a blowout loss to Texas.
The roles could be reversed for the Longhorns after a disappointing finish in the Big 12, while Colorado has an opportunity to put an exclamation point on its surprising season.
Prediction: Colorado 34, Texas 27
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Neill Woelk’s Five Keys to the Alamo Bowl
From CUBuffs.com … Technically, Tuesday’s Colorado-Texas matchup in the Alamo Bowl (7 p.m., ESPN) will be the season finale for both squads.
But for Karl Dorrell‘s 4-1 Buffaloes, the game will be more than a cap on a successful 2020 season in the face of long odds.
It will also serve as a springboard to 2021, when Dorrell and his team hope to actually have a spring practice session, a normal summer workout schedule and a 12-game regular season uninterrupted or unencumbered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We feel like this is a good, fundamental step in our first year, to be bowl eligible and get a chance to compete,” Dorrell said last week. “We feel like the program’s on the rise. We have the right people in place and we have a good group of young players that are hungry to raise the level of our program. We have a good feel for what our expectations will be going into the future. It starts with a bowl game this year and hopefully better things in years to come.”
The Longhorns (6-3 overall, 5-3 Big 12) should provide an excellent measuring stick for the Buffs as they gauge how far the program has come since Dorrell became CU’s third head coach in three years last Feb. 23.
CU players already know they have exceeded outside expectations. With victories in their first four games that produced a spot in the nation’s top 25, they raised eyebrows throughout the Pac-12. Even after a loss to Utah in the season finale, CU still landed a host of players on the All-Pac-12 team, including running back Jarek Broussard, who earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Dorrell, meanwhile, was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
Now, CU has a chance to produce some national buzz against the nation’s 20th ranked team, one that boasts plenty of talent on both sides of the ball — even without a number of players who opted not to participate in the bowl game. The UT list of missing players will include four defensive captains, including All-Big 12 linebacker Joseph Ossai.
But the Buffs will also be missing their best defensive player. Linebacker Nate Landman — Colorado’s leading tackler — suffered a season-ending injury against Utah.
So what will be the keys for the Buffs to wrap up 2020 on a successful note, and give 2021 a nice jump start at the same time?
… Continue reading story here …
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December 28th
… CU in a few minutes …
**Karl Dorrell Alamo Bowl press conference – video and transcript**
From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com …
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Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell updated the status of receiver La’Vontae Shenault and tight end Brady Russell, and addressed a variety of other topics, during his Alamo Bowl press conference on Monday afternoon…
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Pac-12’s top coordinators includes CU’s Darrin Chiaverini
From the San Jose Mercury News … Today brings the unveiling of the 2020 Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in major college football.
What the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor is for the head honchos, the Broyles Award is for the assistant coaches and coordinators.
None of the five finalists for the Broyles are from the Pac-12.
The quintet, which includes former USC and Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, who calls the plays at Alabama, was selected from a group of 15 semifinalists.
None of the semifinalists were from the Pac-12, either.
Was the coaching that unremarkable in the conference this year? Of course not. But the late-starting, much-disrupted Pac-12 season unfolded on the sport’s margins.
The conference didn’t produce a playoff contender or Heisman Trophy candidate and is sending just two teams to the postseason.
It was easy for various components of the college football machinery — including and especially the committees that select finalists for prestigious awards — to overlook the Pac-12.
This is our attempt to rectify that issue, at least in one respect:
By highlighting some of the top assistant coaches and coordinators in the conference this season …
— Darrin Chiaverini, Colorado offensive coordinator: We were impressed by several aspects of CU’s offense, from Danny Langsdorf’s work with quarterback Sam Noyer to Darian Hagan’s tutelage of tailback Jarek Broussard to Mitch Rodrigue’s work with the line — but Chiaverini was responsible for fitting the pieces together. Colorado had a new quarterback, new tailback and no spring ball yet improved markedly in both points per game and yards per play.
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Buffs’ reception leader, La’Vontae Shenault, suspended
From the Daily Camera … Colorado receiver La’Vontae Shenault has been suspended for a violation of athletic department policy and will not play in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Tuesday against Texas.
Shenault was in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sunday to watch his brother – former CU and current Jacksonville Jaguars star Laviska Shenault – play against the Chicago Bears.
“He was suspended for a violation of our department policy; not just football, but just athletics in general,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said Monday. “When you’re ineligible for that suspension, you’re not allowed to come to the bowl.”
Dorrell said Shenault was with the team through last Wednesday. CU traveled to San Antonio on Saturday.
Despite playing in only four games for the Buffs (4-1), Shenault leads the team with 17 receptions and he’s second with 193 receiving yards.
A redshirt freshman, Shenault missed the season opener against UCLA as he served a one-game suspension after being arrested by Fort Collins police early on the morning of July 5 on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a license violation and driving without headlights at night. Shenault has a disposition hearing scheduled for that case on Jan. 13.
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Brady Russell out
CU had hoped to get tight end Brady Russell back for Tuesday’s game, but the junior will be unable to play.
Russell suffered a lower leg injury on CU’s fifth offensive play of the second game, Nov. 14 at Stanford and hasn’t played since.
“He was trying like crazy to get back healthy and doing everything he can,” Dorrell said. “He’s running; he’s progressing well, but not well enough. He’s not full speed, so I’m not going to put him at risk to be in a game, just to throw them out there. He is disappointed as you can imagine, but it’s the best thing for him moving forward.”
Russell, who caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown in the opener, made the trip to San Antonio.
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CU Alamo Bowl captains … DL Mustafa Johnson; OL Will Sherman; WR/ST Jaylon Jackson; LB Carson Wells …
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December 27th
… CU in a few minutes …
Buffs pick up a transfer quarterback – J.T Shrout from Tennessee
… A Class of 2018 recruit, Strout was a three-star prospect from Newhall, California. Strout was considered to be the No. 15 pro prospect quarterback in the nation, and the No. 51 player out of California (Rivals bio). The only other Power Five conference offer Strout had was from California.
... At Tennessee, Strout went 13-for-27 for 179 yards and a touchdown in 2019. This fall, Strout played in the last four games, going 24-for-42 for 315 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions … Even though he has played two seasons, he will have three years of eligibility remaining at Colorado …
From 247 Sports … Outgoing Tennessee quarterback J.T. Shrout has revealed where he will continue his football career. Shrout announced via Twitter on Sunday night he will transfer to Colorado and play in the Pac-12 for the Buffaloes. Shrout, who played in the final three games of the 2020 season for the Vols, entered the NCAA transfer portal last week.
“Excited to announce I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at The University of Colorado! Go Buffs!” Shrout posted on Twitter with a graphic of him in a Colorado jersey.
The California native will have three years of eligibility remaining after leaving Tennessee.
Highlights from the Tennessee/Florida game … Shrout led a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives against Florida, going 12-of-14 passing for 121 yards and a touchdown. Tennessee went to him in the second quarter at Vanderbilt, and he threw a pair of touchdown passes to help the Vols extend their lead, but he played just one series in the second half after he forced a throw into coverage for an interception while under pressure. Shrout played in each half against Texas A&M, completed 6 of 14 passes for 104 yards with a touchdown pass to Cedric Tillman and a last-play interception.
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“Next man up” as three linebackers try and fill in for Nate Landman
From the Daily Camera … Akil Jones said he’s often relied on Landman’s communication and leadership, but it’s now Jones in that role.
Junior Jonathan Van Diest could get the start at the other linebacker spot, but junior Quinn Perry and freshman Marvin Ham are expected to play next to Jones, as well.
“Whoever I’m playing next to, whether that’s Quinn, Jon, Marvin Ham, it doesn’t matter,” Jones said. “We’re going to be the ones that are going to be trying to run the show, picking up the slack with communication, because that’s going to be a big focus for us.”
Head coach Karl Dorrell said this week that all three players have stepped up in practice as they look forward to the opportunity.
“All three of those guys know both spots with the money and the mike backer, so they know those spots,” Dorrell said. “They’ve all had reps in there and we’re going to rotate those three who do a lot of really good things for us. They’re involved in all of our packages, all of our sub packages and personnel groups, so they’re excited.
“They have a little skip in their step and they’ve got some energy because they know they’re playing and they’re going to play extensively, so I’m excited to watch those guys play.”
Van Diest started the first five games of the 2019 season and then started at Arizona on Dec. 5. After playing just five defensive snaps the first three games, he’s played 76 snaps over the past two while filling in for Jones (who missed the Arizona game for the birth of his son) and Landman (against Utah).
“We are just trying to have a mentality of the next man up,” Van Diest said after the Utah game, when he had six tackles. “Just do what I can, make my plays. Just be there with my teammates.”
Van Diest has 11 tackles this season, Perry has four in 40 snaps and Ham has played just three defensive snaps in his career to this point.
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Brian Howell: Buffs found the perfect fit in Karl Dorrell
From the Daily Camera … Karl Dorrell was in a pretty good position in his career in February.
Shortly after his first season as the receivers coach with the Miami Dolphins, Dorrell was promoted to assistant head coach and he was preparing for the 2020 NFL draft.
It’s been well documented what happened next. Dorrell got an unexpected call from the University of Colorado to interview for its head coaching vacancy and within just a few days, he was standing at the podium in the Dal Ward Center talking about his new job.
Ten months later, Dorrell is the Pac-12 coach of the year and a candidate for national honors. Navigating the Buffs (4-1) through the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, he’s taking them to San Antonio to face Texas (6-3) in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Tuesday.
“I don’t think there was a more perfect coach for us than Karl Dorrell this past year,” CU athletic director Rick George said this week.
That was hardly the sentiment from outsiders when Dorrell was introduced as head coach on Feb. 23.
It was the 24th and final coaching change in the Football Bowl Subdivision last winter, and it was widely viewed as one of the worst. In grading the coaching changes of last winter, Lindy’s magazine ranked CU’s choice 23rd – above only Colorado State’s choice of Steve Addazio.
Dorrell had been fired from his only other head coaching stint (2003-07 at UCLA) and had spent 11 of the last 12 seasons as an NFL position coach. The only exception came in 2014, when he was the offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt University; he was fired at the end of that season.
Despite the critics, Dorrell has been the best man for CU, and CU was the right fit for Dorrell.
… Continue reading story here …
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December 26th
… CU in a few minutes …
**Video – Yogi Roth on Jarek Broussard and Karl Dorrell**
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Texas looks to have a big advantage in the battle of the Sams
… and then there is this, an unsubstantiated report from CBS Sports … Sam Ehlinger is one of the more productive quarterbacks in program history and the model is calling for him to combine for around 300 yards through the air and on the ground, while having a hand in three total touchdowns. Colorado quarterback Sam Noyer, meanwhile, is dealing with a shoulder injury and is questionable for this matchup.
From the Daily Camera … They are both named Sam. They’re both seniors. They’re both quarterbacks that are dangerous with their legs.
And, on Tuesday, they will both lead their teams into the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio (7:05 p.m., TV: ESPN).
While Colorado’s Sam Noyer and Texas’ Sam Ehlinger have some things in common, they are both on different levels of experience going into the final game of the season.
For Ehlinger, this could be the last game of a celebrated career with the 20th-ranked Longhorns (6-3). For Noyer, it’ll be just his sixth start with the Buffs (4-1).
“They’re both seniors, but here’s a guy (Ehlinger) that’s had multi years of experience and our Sam that’s had five games of experience,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said. “Our Sam has a lot more on the table that he can … grow from and learn from.”
Although Noyer is a fifth-year senior, the NCAA has granted all players an extra year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic. Noyer has not publicly announced his plans for 2021, but it is expected he will return.
“We’re hoping that this week he shows those steps of improvement,” Dorrell said, “that he can play a solid game so that he can bring that into his offseason, being energized and motivated about improving and being ready to go for another year.
“But both Sams are very good players.”
… Continue reading story here …
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December 25th – Merry Christmas!
… CU in a few minutes …
Karl Dorrell: “We’re in pretty good health” despite a “few positive” tests
From the Daily Camera … By the time the Colorado football team kicked off its season on the night of Nov. 7, Texas had seven games in the books.
Since then, Texas has played just twice, while CU has played five times.
Despite the different start dates, the staggered schedules and Texas (6-3) getting four more games than the Buffaloes (4-1) because of the coronavirus pandemic, the two teams will reach the finish line at the same time. They meet Tuesday in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio to wrap up a long, difficult season (7:05 p.m., TV: ESPN).
“We’re all up and down; it’s been a struggle for all of us,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said Thursday.
While both teams want to win the game, the first task is actually kicking off. Texas has had some COVID-19 issues on its team, and Dorrell said the Buffs had a “few positive” tests last weekend.
“We kind of got ourselves in a pretty good space, though,” he said. “I think it’s not going to stop us from playing. But we’re in pretty good health.”
Texas coach Tom Herman said Wednesday that the Longhorns are slowly getting players back from COVID-19 protocols, but, “Unfortunately there’s still going to be a couple that won’t be out in time to safely put out on the field for the Alamo Bowl, which is disheartening, but we have to follow the rules.”
Both teams have been following the rules for months, and it’s been a grind.
In March, the COVID-19 pandemic caused sports around the country to shut down. While some teams around the country got a few spring practices in before the shut down, CU and Texas did not.
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Karl Dorrell named AP Pac-12 Coach of the Year; Five Buffs earn AP Pac-12 honors
From CUBuffs.com … The Associated Press released its All-Pac-12 Conference football teams Christmas morning, with similar results from the coaches’ team that was issued earlier in the week.
Karl Dorrell was named the AP Pac-12 Coach of the Year, and sophomore tailback Jarek Broussard was the organization’s co-Offensive Player of the Year after a polling of media in the conference region. Broussard, who led the conference in rushing yards per game (162.6), shared the honor with Oregon State’s Jermar Jefferson, who was the leader in gross yards
As on the coaches’ team, Broussard also earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors, and was again joined by inside linebacker Nate Landman, who made the AP top team for the second straight year. Three players earned second-team mention, defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson and offensive tackle Will Sherman who were both on the coaches’ squad, and outside linebacker Carson Wells (an honorable mention pick by the coaches). The AP did not select an all-star team for the conference until 2015, previously the league only recognized the coaches’ selections.
Dorrell is the sixth Colorado coach to earn the conference coach of the year honor, joining Dal Ward (1956, Big Seven), Eddie Crowder (1965, Big Eight), Bill McCartney (1985, 1989, 1990 Big Eight), Gary Barnett (2001, 2004 Big 12) and Mike MacIntyre (2016, Pac-12). On Monday, he was named as one of nine finalists for the FWAA/Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award.
He directed the Buffaloes to a 4-1 regular season record, and is the third CU head coach to lead the Buffs to a bowl game in his first season, joining Rick Neuheisel (’96 Cotton) and Barnett (’99 Insight.com). And he is also the first CU coach in his first season to have his team go from unranked in the preseason to ranked (No. 21 AP, No. 22 USAT/Coaches on Dec. 6; No. 21 CFP on Dec. 8), leading a team that many prognosticators were saying would win maybe one if any games (the over/under in Vegas was 1½ wins).
Broussard led the Pac-12 in rushing during the regular season, averaging 162.6 yards per game, with his 175.6 average for all-purpose yards also a league best. Only the fourth player to gain 100 or more yards in his first four career games in the NCAA Division I-A/FBS since 1996, he is the first Buffalo running back to earn first-team all-conference honors since Brown in 2002 (Big 12). He is one of 14 finalists for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award, as he missed the last two full seasons after undergoing two ACL surgeries on the same knee; three winners will be named on January 2.
Landman is the first Buffalo to repeat as a conference first-teamer since CU joined the league in 2011, and is the first to do overall since offensive tackle Nate Solder garnered first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2009 and 2010. He’s the first inside linebacker to repeat in successive years since Matt Russell was All-Big Eight in 1995 and then All-Big 12 in 1996. He led the team in tackles with 61 (49 solo), the third straight year he topped CU’s stat sheet in tackles, joining fellow inside ‘backers Barry Remington (1984-86) and Greg Biekert (1990-92) as the only players in school history to lead the Buffs three straight seasons. Landman also led the team in third down stops (13), tackles for zero gains (seven) and quarterback sacks (five). His season ended in the regular season finale against Utah when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon.
Johnson likely enjoyed his finest season as a Buffalo, despite not racking up big numbers due to often fighting double teamed coverages. H had 21 tackles (15 solo, six for losses including two a quarterback sacks). He had five hurries, two third down stops and two tackles for zero gains.
Sherman graded out as CU’s top offensive lineman (81.3 percent), with a team-high 13 legal cut blocks and six perfect blocks on touchdown passes. He also had nine touchdown blocks and five knockdowns in playing the second most snaps (369) of any player on the team.
Wells finished third on the team in tackles with 34 (26 solo), which included 13½ tackles for loss: that 2.7 TFL average per game led the nation heading into bowl season. Those numbers also included 4½ quarterback sacks; he also had eight third down stops, five passes broken up, five hurries and an interception.
2020 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-PAC-12 FOOTBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM (*—unanimous)
Offense
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC, 6-1, 195, Jr, Anaheim Hills, California
WR *Simi Fehoko, Stanford, 6-4, 227, Jr, Sandy, Utah
OT Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC, 6-4, 315, Jr, Oakland, California
OT Abe Lucas, Washington State, 6-7, 328, Jr, Everett, Washington
OG Dohnovan West, Arizona State, 6-3, 315, So, Mission Hills, California
OG Ryan Walk, Oregon, 6-3, 290, Jr, Eugene, Oregon
C Drew Dalman, Stanford, 6-3, 300, Sr, Salinas, California
TE Cade Otton, Washington, 6-5, 240, Sr, Tumwater, Washington
QB Kevon Slovis, USC, 6-3, 215, So, Scottsdale, Arizona
RB Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State, 5-10, 217, Jr, Harbor City, California
RB Jarek Broussard, Colorado, 5-9, 185, So, Dallas
PK Jadon Redding, Utah, 5-11, 190, So, Fredricksburg, Virginia
AP Demetric Felton, UCLA, 5-10, 200, Sr, Temecula, California
Defense
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon, 6-5, 250, So, Los Angeles
DE Tyler Johnson, Arizona State, 6-4, 285, Jr, Gilbert, Arizona
DT Marlon Tuipulotu, USC, 6-3, 305, Jr, Independence, Oregon
DT Osa Odighizuwa, UCLA, 6-2, 279, Sr, Portland, Oregon
LB Nate Landman, Colorado, 6-3, 235, Sr, Danville, California
LB Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington, 6-3, 280, Jr, Pearl City, Hawaii
LB Devin Lloyd, Utah, 6-3, 232, Jr, Chula Vista, California
CB Mykeal Wright, Oregon, 5-11, 182, So, Antelope Valley, California
CB Chase Lucas, Arizona State, 6-0, 180, Sr, Chandler, Arizona
S *Talanoa Hufanga, USC, 6-1, 213, Jr, Corvallis, Oregon
S Elijah Molden, Washington, 5-10, 190, Sr, West Linn, Oregon
P Ben Griffiths, USC, 6-5, 245, So, Melbourne, Australia
SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR Drake London, USC, 6-5, 210, So, Moorpark, California
WR Tyler Vaughns, USC, 6-2, 190, Sr, Pasadena, California
OT Jaxson Kirland, Washington, 6-7, 295, Sr, Portland, Oregon
OT Will Sherman, Colorado, 6-4, 310, Jr, Allen, Texas
OG Henry Bainivalu, Washington, 6-6, 335, Sr, Sammamish, Washington
OG T.J. Bass, Oregon, 6-5, 318, Jr, Deming, Washington
TE Greg Dulcich, UCLA, 6-4, 242, So, Glendale, California
QB Tyler Shough, Oregon, 6-5, 221, So, Chandler, Arizona
RB Ty Jordan, Utah, 5-7, 200, Fr, Mesquite, Texas
RB Demetic Felton, UCLA, 5-10, 200, Sr, Temecula, California
AP Britain Covey, Utah, 5-8, 172, Jr, Provo, Utah
Defense
DE Mika Tafua, Utah, 6-3, 250, Jr, Laie, Hawaii
DE Drake Jackson, USC, 6-4, 255, So, Corona, California
DT Mustafa Johnson, Colorado, ,6-2, 290, Sr, Turlock, California
DT Jermayne Lole, Arizona State, 6-1, 310, Jr, Long Beach, California
LB Caleb Johnson, UCLA, 6-1, 230, Jr, Murrieta, California
LB Carson Wells, Colorado, 6-4, 250, Jr, Bushnell, Florida
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington, 6-0, 230, Jr, Anchorage, Alaska
CB Trent McDuffie, Washington, 5-11, 195, Jr, Westminster, California
CB Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon, 5-11, 195, Se, Los Angeles
S Evan Fields, Arizona State, 61-, 195, Sr, Oklahoma City
S Isaiah Pola-Mao, USC, 6-4, 205, Jr, Phoenix
P Oscar Draguicevich, Washington State, 6-0, 182, Sr, Hutto, Texas
Offensive Player of the Year — Jarek Broussard, Colorado and Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State
Defensive Player of the Year — Talanoa Hufanga, USC
Newcomer of the Year — Ty Jordan, Utah
Coach of the Year — Karl Dorrell, Colorado
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December 24th
… CU in a few minutes …
A chance to help one of our own at Christmas
If you are a regular on either the CUSportsNation.com (Rivals) or BuffStampede.com (247 Sports) websites, then you are familiar with the tireless efforts of Craig Brown. Known to most as “NCBuff”, Craig is the guy who volunteers his time to post the BuffsNewstand every day, a place where CU fans can go and check out links to stories posted about our Buffs. I am pleased to say that I have met NCBuff (North Carolina Buff) at CU games on several occasions when he and his family have made the commute to Folsom Field, and consider him a friend.
Craig posted this note on the message boards this morning …
I have been diagnosed with advanced stage 4 lung cancer. I am undergoing chemotherapy and will have a better idea how well it is working in January after a CAT scan of my chest. I lost my job because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, My stimulus and unemployment payments have expired. I’m not sure when or if congress will pass any more help. In the meantime my bills are piling up. My only income is my social security. Please share the link with others.
It’s been a tough year, but if you can help – either financially, or with your thoughts and prayers – it would be much appreciated!
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Buffs grateful for a chance to erase “disappointing” effort against Utah
From the Daily Camera … After an unexpected bye last week, the Buffs (4-1) are still looking to make up for that loss. That will contribute to their motivation on Tuesday when they play No. 20 Texas (6-3) at the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio (7 p.m., TV: ESPN).
“Just having that taste of a loss still in our mouths, not performing the way we really wanted to on the offensive line, that definitely add to our excitement to get back,” tackle William Sherman said. “We want to run the ball well again like we’ve been doing all year. So, there’s definitely some things we want to go out and prove in this game next Tuesday.”
Utah, which finished 3-2 on the season, may have been the best team CU has faced this season, and the Buffs lost star linebacker Nate Landman to a season-ending injury in the first half. The Buffs did not play like they did the first four weeks, however.
“Disappointing performance,” head coach Karl Dorrell said last week. “We weren’t playing as well as we normally would have played for one reason or another.”
Turnovers, missed tackles and dropped passes all added up in the loss.
Facing a good Texas team provides the Buffs an opportunity to prove themselves again.
“We really wanted to showcase our talents and abilities versus Utah,” Sherman said. “Obviously, as we know, we weren’t able to do that. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to. So, this is another big opportunity for us to do that and really go show the country how special Colorado football is.”
… Continue reading story here …
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December 23rd
… CU in a few minutes …
Wilner: Dorrell deserved receiving Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors
From the San Jose Mercury News … Rick Neuheisel has known Karl Dorrell so long, the first-year Colorado coach had hair when they met.
“And you tell him I said that,’’ Neuheisel laughed recently while discussing his close friend’s surprising success in Boulder.
They were teammates at UCLA in the mid-1980s — Neuheisel the chatty quarterback from Wisconsin (by way of Arizona), Dorrell the quiet receiver from the Bay Area, with lockers next to each other.
From there came a lasting friendship, coaching companions … and bald jokes.
“You talk about a guy who doesn’t say much, it was our sophomore year before I heard him talk,’’ said Neuheisel, who went on to become Colorado’s head coach in 1995 and hired Dorrell as the offensive coordinator.
“He looks like the same old Karl to me on the sideline. He’s very stoic. But he’s got a fire inside.”
A quarter century after Neuheisel and Dorrell coached together in Boulder, Dorrell returned to lead a program reeling from the unexpected departure of Mel Tucker.
CU’s search lasted 10 days. Dorrell moved in, hired a staff and crafted a plan.
Then the pandemic hit.
Dorrell had no spring practices and six months of disruption.
He got to know his players over Zoom and found his quarterback in the secondary.
He navigated the curveballs from Boulder County and the policy changes by the Pac-12.
All the while, he never flinched.
CU’s decision to hire Dorrell, who hadn’t been a head coach in more than a decade — and who appeared perfectly content as an NFL assistant — was hardly conventional.
While we’re several years away from a final verdict, Dorrell proved the perfect hire for a pandemic season, when the steadiest of hands was needed to navigate the tumult and keep the players focused.
“His dad was a military guy, and the family’s approach to everything was, ‘Just do your job,’’’ said Neuheisel, a former Pac-12 coach at three schools (Colorado, Washington and UCLA).
“Karl is all about discipline, and he practices what he preaches. I don’t know that he has ever weighed more than 184 pounds.
“He’s just so predictable, so reliable. And that’s what you need in this environment.’’
… Continue reading story here …
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**Video – Darian Hagan discusses Pac-12 Offensive POTY Jarek Broussard**
From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation,com …
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December 22nd
… CU in a few minutes …
Karl Dorrell Pac-12 Coach of the Year; Jarek Broussard Offensive Player of the Year; A dozen Buffs honored
From CUBuffs.com … A dozen University of Colorado football players made the various All-Pac-12 Conference football teams, with their head coach also earning special recognition, the league office announced Tuesday.
First-year head coach Karl Dorrell was named the Pac-12’s Coach of the Year, presented by Nextiva, and sophomore tailback Jarek Broussard earned the league’s Offensive Player of the Year, also presented by Nextiva.
Broussard also earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors, and was joined by inside linebacker Nate Landman, who made the top team for the second straight year.
Dorrell is the sixth Colorado coach to earn the conference coach of the year honor, joining Dal Ward (1956, Big Seven), Eddie Crowder (1965, Big Eight), Bill McCartney (1985, 1989, 1990 Big Eight), Gary Barnett (2001, 2004 Big 12) and Mike MacIntyre (2016, Pac-12). On Monday, he was named as one of nine finalists for the FWAA/Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award. It’s the second time he’s been afforded the Pac-12 honor, as he was co-coach of the year in 2005 when at UCLA.
The Buffaloes started 4-0 under Dorrell, as only Harry Heller (won his first seven in 1894), Willis Kleinholtz (six in 1905), T.W. Mortimer (five in 1900) and Rick Neuheisel (five in 1995) won as many or more to open their CU careers (Dorrell was the offensive coordinator on Neuheisel’s staff). Dorrell was the sixth CU coach to open 3-0 in conference games, but the first since Jim Yeager in 1941.
Of the 23 new head coaches in 2020, he was the last of the group who was undefeated through games of Dec. 6. He is the third CU head coach to lead the Buffs to a bowl game in his first season, joining Neuheisel (’96 Cotton) and Gary Barnett (’99 Insight.com). And he is the first CU coach in his first season to have his team go from unranked in the preseason to ranked (No. 21 AP, No. 22 USAT/Coaches on Dec. 6; No. 21 CFP on Dec. 8), leading a team that many prognosticators were saying would win maybe one if any games (the over/under in Vegas was 1½ wins).
“I am honored, but as I have said, it’s really a team award,” Dorrell said. “It all starts with a great coaching staff and then players who are coachable and buy into what we want to accomplish, which is to get this program into a better position. I am appreciative and honored by the recognition, but honors such as these are truly a team effort.”
Broussard literally joins a “Who’s Who” of Buffaloes who have been honored with conference player of the year honors on offense. The sixth player to be recognized with the award, he was preceded by quarterback Darian Hagan (1989), tailback Eric Bieniemy (1990), receiver Charles E. Johnson (1993), running back Rashaan Salaam (1994) and tailback Chris Brown (2002, Big 12).
Broussard led the Pac-12 in rushing during the regular season, averaging 162.6 yards per game, with his 175.6 average for all-purpose yards also a league best. Only the fourth player to gain 100 or more yards in his first four career games in the NCAA Division I-A/FBS since 1996, he is the first Buffalo running back to earn first-team all-conference honors since Brown in 2002 (Big 12). He is one of 14 finalists for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award, as he missed the last two full seasons after undergoing two ACL surgeries on the same knee.
Landman becomes the first Buffalo to repeat as a conference first-teamer since CU joined the league in 2011, and is the first to do overall since offensive tackle Nate Solder garnered first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2009 and 2010. He’s the first inside linebacker to repeat in successive years since Matt Russell was All-Big Eight in 1995 and then All-Big 12 in 1996. He led the team in tackles with 61 (49 solo), the third straight year he topped CU’s stat sheet in tackles, joining fellow inside ‘backers Barry Remington (1984-86) and Greg Biekert (1990-92) as the only players in school history to lead the Buffs three straight seasons.
Four Buffaloes earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors, defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson, quarterback Sam Noyer, offensive tackle Will Sherman and special teams (all-purpose/non-return) performer Jaylon Jackson. Six additional Buffs were recognized as honorable mention selections: offensive tackle Frank Fillip, defensive end Terrance Lang, safety Isaiah Lewis, offensive guard Casey Roddick, returner Dimitri Stanley and outside linebacker Carson Wells.
In addition, two Buffaloes were honorable mention for the freshman player of the year honors: receiver/returner Brenden Rice for the offensive honor and cornerback Christian Gonzalez for the defensive nod.
Of the 12 Buffaloes honored, only Johnson, Landman and Noyer are seniors; all three do have the option to return in 2021 if they desire due to the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility for those seniors who would have otherwise exhausted their eligibility limit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Associated Press team will be revealed later this week on Christmas Day; the first team of several other organizations that cover college football came out Monday. The Bay Area News Group also had Broussard and Landman on its first team, but also acknowledged Wells, the nation’s leader in tackles for losses per game, as a first-teamer. It also had Johnson and Sherman on its second-team and made Dorrell and Broussard the recipients of the same “of-the-year” honors afforded by the conference.
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December 21st
… CU in a few minutes …
**Video: Karl Dorrell and Rick George press conferences**
From YouTube, courtesy of BuffStampede.com …
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Rick George responding to CU getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop by the Pac-12:
“I appreciate the commissioner’s empathy but we don’t need anybody’s empathy. We knew what we were getting into, we had our eyes wide open when the protocols were in place, so we knew what was going on…
“It’s hard to prepare for one team and it’s hard to prepare for two teams. If you go back to this past week, I think somebody (Scott) said that we could have played. Yeah, that’s correct. We could have. But the fact that we were not only preparing for Oregon, potentially for USC and then Wednesday night when we got word that we could play (a non-conference opponent), it made no sense for us to prepare for a third team. No sense.”
“Plus, you talk about the mental toll on our student-athletes and coaches. Anybody that knows the game of football knows it’s really difficult to prepare for one, let alone two and potentially three (opponents). We made that decision. Karl and I talked, he notified the team on Thursday morning that we were going to give the team some days off because they just needed a break. They just came off of finals — I appreciate people having empathy but what we want is their respect. We’ve got to earn that respect and we know that. That’s what we’re going to be focused on.”
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Nine finalists for Eddie Robinson Coach-of-the-Year award: Karl Dorrell the only first-year coach on the list
From CUBuffs.com … The Football Writers Association of America, in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced nine finalists for the 2020 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award on Monday. Among the finalists is a two-time winner and three former finalists representing a combined total of 14 nominations. Two head coaches whose teams are playing in the College Football Playoff headline the list that also includes coaches of three other conference champions and the country’s top independent team.
In alphabetical order the finalists are: Tom Allen, Indiana; Brent Brennan, San José State; Matt Campbell, Iowa State; Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina; Karl Dorrell, Colorado; Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; Nick Saban, Alabama; Kalani Sitake, BYU; and Dabo Swinney, Clemson.
Saban is the dean of the nine finalists as a two-time winner and seven-time finalist. Swinney, a six-time finalist, is among the finalists for a fourth consecutive season and is the only returning finalist from 2019. Both coaches will compete in the CFP next month, Swinney in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Ohio State.
Brennan, Chadwell, Fickell, Saban and Swinney each claimed conference championships this season. Campbell and Iowa State won the Big 12 regular-season title, Allen has Indiana among the top 10 going into the Outback Bowl, and Sitake led BYU into the top 10 and Dorrell had Colorado each unbeaten into December.
“The Allstate Sugar Bowl is proud to sponsor the Eddie Robinson Award and to once again have the opportunity to recognize the top college football coaches in the nation as finalists for this honor,” said Ralph Capitelli, the President of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. “While each of the finalists is fully deserving of the award, we look forward to presenting the trophy to the winner as selected by the football writers.”
The 2020 recipient will be announced the week of Jan. 4-8, 2021. The official presentation will be on the campus of the winning coach at a later date.
The nine finalists have been placed on a ballot which has been sent to the entire FWAA membership.
“The FWAA believes it has an extremely good group of coaches representing different conferences and independents,” said Executive Director Steve Richardson. “We will have a fine recipient for the 2020 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. The FWAA’s congratulations go out to all coaches for weathering what has been a very trying and unpredictable year.”
“This time of the year with the winding down of the college football season, I’m especially excited to receive the announcement of the Eddie Robinson Coach of Year Award finalists,” said Eddie Robinson III, the grandson of the award’s namesake. “With all of the world dealing with Covid-19, and the fact that we even had a season and that every program had to adapt to deal the virus protocols etc, all the coaches that made list of finalists are even more than deserving the award. We wish the best for all that are selected as finalists.”
The FWAA has presented a coaching award since the 1957 season when Ohio State’s Woody Hayes was named the first recipient. The FWAA coaching award is named after the late Robinson, a coaching legend at Grambling State University for 55 seasons.
The 2020 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year finalists:
Karl Dorrell, Colorado: The Buffaloes (4-1) were one of nine undefeated teams heading into the final two weeks of the regular season and were ranked in the Dec. 7 polls for the first time since October of 2018. Dorrell, in his first season at CU, is the fifth head coach in school history to open 4-0 in his first season and just the second since 1905. Colorado jumped out 3-0 in league play for the first time as a Pac-12 member, making Dorrell the first CU coach to win his first three conference games since 1941. The Buffs will play in the Valero Alamo Bowl, their first bowl game since 2016. This is Dorrell’s second finalist nomination, having also achieved it in 2005 while at UCLA. Colorado has had two previous Eddie Robinson Award winners – most recently Mike MacIntyre in 2016 and Bill McCartney in 1989.
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Buffs excited to play in the Alamo Bowl – Dorrell: “We’re a growing program”
From CUBuffs.com … When Karl Dorrell first met with his Colorado Buffaloes after his Feb. 23 hiring, he quickly discovered a few things about his new team.
One, they were searching for a little stability — understandable, as Dorrell became their third head coach in three years.
Two, they wanted a coach they could trust, someone they knew would have their backs at all times in all circumstances. Again, understandable.
But most importantly, Dorrell found a team that was hungry to win. Not next year, but now. The Buffs didn’t want to hear about rebuilding, they didn’t want to hear about long-term plans at the expense of the immediate future.
CU’s players wanted to win. They wanted to compete for a conference title and they wanted to taste the postseason, something they hadn’t had the opportunity to do since 2016.
Dorrell’s goal?
Help the Buffs realize their aspirations — right away.
“I didn’t want to let those guys down as to what they wanted to achieve in my first year of being here,” Dorrell said at Sunday’s introductory Valero Alamo Bowl press conference. “When I met them for the first time, they felt they were better than what people thought they were. We just rode that type of mindset … We just went to work.”
That hard work paid off. With a 4-1 finish to the regular season, CU finished second in the Pac-12 South, earned a top 25 ranking along the way, and Sunday accepted an invitation to face 6-3 and 20th-ranked Texas in the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio (7 p.m., ESPN).
The game is a worthwhile reward for a program that faced as many obstacles — or more — than any FBS program in America, yet never offered an excuse.
“We’re excited,” Dorrell said. “We’re looking forward to extending the fruits of our labor from what we’ve done so far this year … To be able to play this game and celebrate the game of football and particularly postseason — it’s fun to be a part of that. We’re very, very thankful for the opportunity to play.”
The matchup will put Colorado on a national stage against an old and familiar foe in a state that has proven to be fertile recruiting ground for the Buffaloes — 22 players on the current roster hail from Texas.
And, along with providing a reward for the CU upperclassmen who helped provide critical leadership this season, the game will send a message that Dorrell and his staff are establishing a foundation that will keep the program on firm footing for years to come.
“We’re a growing program,” he said. “We feel like this is a good, fundamental step in our first year, to be bowl eligible and get a chance to compete. We think we have many good years to go in the future.”
… Continue reading story here …
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December 20th
… CU in a few minutes …
CU Press Release (with ticket info)
From CUBuffs.com … On Sunday, the University of Colorado was invited to the Valero Alamo Bowl to play former Big 12 Conference rival, the University of Texas in the 28th annual game in San Antonio on Thursday, Dec. 29, CU’s first bowl appearance since playing in the same game in 2016.
The game will be televised by ESPN with a kickoff set for shortly after 7 p.m. MST. Could the third time be the charm for the Buffs? It will be CU’s third appearance in the game, as the Buffaloes lost in overtime to Wisconsin in 2002 (31-28) and to Oklahoma State in 2016 (38-8). Colorado will serve as the home team for the game.
Colorado finished the regular season with a 4-1 mark, 3-1 in league play for a second place finish in the Pac-12 Conference’s South Division; Texas was 6-3, 5-3 in the Big 12 for a fourth place finish. The Longhorns will be the first ranked opponent the Buffs will play in 2020, as Texas is No. 20 in both the Associated Press and College Football Playoff rankings, and No. 24 in the USA Today/Coaches poll. The Buffs received enough votes to place 29th in the coaches poll and 37th in the AP.
The Longhorns leads the all-time series with the Buffaloes by an 11-7 margin, the schools’ first meeting in 1940 and last in 2009. The two have met once in the postseason, when UT rallied from down 21-7 to win the 1975 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, 38-21. They also faced off twice in the Big 12 Championship game, with CU coming away with a 39-37 win in 2001 to win the league title, and in 2005 with Texas winning that year, 70-3.
Colorado owns a 12-17 record all-time in bowl games, including a 4-5 mark in the state of Texas, where 22 members of the current CU team played their high school ball.
Texas will be the third Big 12 school the Buffaloes will play since leaving for the Pac-12 in 2011; in addition to OSU in the ’16 Alamo Bowl, CU swept Nebraska in regular season games in ’18 and ’19. Also, Texas A&M on CU’s 2021 schedule.
The Valero Alamo Bowl is allowing a limited number of fans to attend. Colorado fans are recommended to purchase tickets from the Alamo Bowl website in Sections 101-123 and Sections 201-223 (the east side half of the stadium where Colorado’s bench will be). The link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/valero-alamo-bowl-san-antonio-texas-12-29-2020/event/3A00595BC3890CFF.
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Official Press Release from the Alamo Bowl (CU to be the home team v. Texas)
From the AlamoBowl.com … #20 Texas and Colorado have accepted invitations to play in the 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl on December 29, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. CST in the Alamodome.
Designated the away team and occupying the east sideline, Texas returns to San Antonio for the second year in a row. The Longhorns led by Head Coach Tom Herman, in his 4th season leading the Longhorns, will look to defend their crown as Valero Alamo Bowl Champions and maintain Herman’s perfect record in bowl games.
The Longhorns are led by fourth year quarterback and 2109 Valero Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP Sam Ehlinger who has produced 2,788 yards of total offense and 33 total touchdowns this season. His 202 points responsible for are the third-most in the country, and he also ranks third in points responsible for per game (22.4) and eighth in passing touchdowns (25), while leading the Big 12 in those categories and total offense (309.8). His running mate on offense, freshman Bijan Robinson, has 679 total yards and three touchdowns since taking over the starting role.
This will be Texas’ 57th bowl game appearance, second only to Alabama (72) in NCAA history. The Longhorns are 30-24-2 all-time in bowl games, tied for the nation’s fourth-most bowl victories.
Designated the home team and occupying the west sideline, the Colorado Buffaloes return to the Valero Alamo Bowl for the first time since 2016. The Buffaloes are led by Head Coach Karl Dorrell, who is in the midst of an impressive inaugural season in Boulder. He is the first first-year head coach to take over the Colorado program starting the year unranked and coaching the team into the national polls.
The Buffs have far exceeded expectations, with many in the media projecting them to finish at the bottom of their division in the Pac-12 South. The offense is led by running back Jarek Broussard who has 813 total yards with a 6.3 yards per carry average this season. They are quarterbacked by senior Sam Noyer, who played safety in four games for the team last year, who has six passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in only five games this season.
The defense is led by a pair of outstanding linebackers, nicknamed “The Dynamic Duo” these two have been a terror for opposing offenses all season. First is Butkus semifinalist ILB Nate Landman, who paces the team with 53 tackles. His running mate OLB Carson Wells leads the team in sacks with 4.5
#20 Texas (6-3) and Colorado (4-1), who once were both members of the Big 12 Conference, will be meeting for the first time since 2009. Texas leads the all-time series with an 11-7 record.
The Longhorns will be playing in its fifth Valero Alamo Bowl, their most recent appearance was in last year’s game where they defeated #11 Utah 38-10. They have also appeared in our game in 2013, 2012, and 2006. The Buffaloes are making their third appearance in the Valero Alamo Bowl, playing in our game in 2016 and 2002.
The 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl will be the sixth year of a conference agreement to match the #1 Big 12 and #1 Pac-12 teams outside of the CFP selections. The conference agreement started in 2014 and was extended last year to go through the 2025 college football season.
The Valero Alamo Bowl will kick off on Tuesday, December 29 at 6:30 p.m. CST. Tickets are available at www.alamobowl.com or the Alamodome Box Office.
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Final regular season AP poll: Oregon sneaks into Top 25; CU back receiving votes
From CBS Sports … While it may not be the poll release everybody is waiting for, the newest AP Top 25 poll is out, and if it’s a sign of things to come, it has good news for Notre Dame fans. While there’s a shakeup in the top four, the Fighting Irish only fall two spots from No. 2 to No. 4 in the rankings. Texas A&M remains outside the top four at No. 5.
Elsewhere in the poll, we see Oklahoma move up four spots from No. 12 to No. 8, swapping spots with the Iowa State team it beat in the Big 12 Championship Game. Also, we see Florida, which lost to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, move up a spot from No. 11 to No. 10.
The AP Top 25 poll also continues to be kinder to Coastal Carolina than the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, putting the Chanticleers in the top 10 at No. 9. The only team to fall out of this week’s poll is Buffalo, which dropped out after losing to Ball State in the MAC Championship Game. Oregon replaces the Bulls, entering at No. 25 after beating USC in the Pac-12 Championship.
Here’s the full rankings.
1. Alabama (62 first-place votes)
2. Clemson
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas A&M
6. Cincinnati
7. Indiana
8. Oklahoma
9. Coastal Carolina
10. Florida
11. Georgia
12. Iowa State
13. BYU
14. North Carolina
15. Northwestern
16. Louisiana
17. Iowa
18. Miami (FL)
19. San Jose State
20. Texas
21. USC
22. Tulsa
23. Liberty
24. North Carolina State
25. Oregon
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 115, Army 36, Buffalo 15, UCF 14, Marshall 13, Ball State 11, Washington 7, UAB 5, TCU 4, Memphis 2, Colorado 1
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The USA Today/Coaches’ poll
1. Alabama (62 first-place votes)
2. Clemson
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas A&M
6. Cincinnati
7. Oklahoma
8. Indiana
9. Georgia
10. Florida
11. Coastal Carolina
12. Iowa State
13. North Carolina
14. Northwestern
15. BYU
16. Iowa
17. Louisiana
18. Miami (FL)
19. USC
20. San Jose State
21. Oklahoma State
22. North Carolina State
23. Liberty
24. Texas
25. Tulsa
Others receiving votes: Oregon 115, Army 61, Auburn 27, Colorado 16, Ball State 13, Washington 11, Wisconsin 10, SMU 10, Buffalo 9, UAB 5, Boise State 4, Utah 2, Nevada 2
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35 Replies to “Colorado Daily – Alamo Bowl”
Word has it that Dylan McCaffery is transferring to CU. Not yet announced but my source is very reliable. Finally one of Ed’s kids plays at a Colorado university!
If you’ve not seen it, I’d recommend taking a moment or two to read the story of CU’s Equipment Truck driver and his very good-natured handling of having been put on the road to nowhere (to borrow a phrase from David Byrne and the Talking Heads) by the Pac-12 in the week leading up to the Pac-12 Championship Game:
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30613352/the-long-strange-journey-colorado-football-equipment-truck
Now it is time to play and hopefully we have a good package of things for our team to play well.
Yes I believe that statement to be the most important one. Did the coaches do their jobs?
Buffs
Note: Chev???
Note … read the article naming Chiaverini as one of the top coordinators in the conference – it was posted for your benefit.
Note II … find a way to post a response which doesn’t include a dig on the OC, or risk having it deleted … signed, the management.
Go Stuart, Lol
Couch coaching at its best. I have not seen one rep from Brendan, chandler nor Wolverton. The latter two are walkons. Hey, clay matthews was a walk-in at usc! That worked out.
As I always do, even if I don’t see “the why” I gotta trust the coaches on this one. And in this case, I think we all actually see the why. Scholarship qb depth is lean. And maybe Sam moves on? We have no clue. Hopefully the coaches have more info than we do.
Where we all agree? Competition is good. And you get guys who want to compete. And you sometimes get what you can, not necessarily what you want.
Go Buffs
OK guys
quit putting words in my mouth and throwing strawmen
I never said we shouldn’t entertain transfers.
I never said no one shouldn’t expect competition.
Can we get that out of the way?
Maybe hidden in language that is wasnt specific enough for some is that if you arent going to bring in someone who isnt demonstrably better than who is already on the roster you should go with those who went with you on the first place. Just because he played sparingly in the SEC, with less game time than Noyer and without any impressive stats doesnt mean anything. If you think the acronym SEC automatically gives you a leg on anyone who wasnt there then I guess you still approve of all the has been recent SEC coaches RG had to fire.
And my other point that all you guys seem to ignore, because, in more than one place, I have seen him referred to as “experienced” or a “veteran” and given extra cred because he is a soph instead of a RS freshman he is somehow better because of that is hooey. The problem with that, and you have seen it in the past here at CU, is that coaches do give that a certain amount of credence when
its close naming a starter…and it hasnt worked out.
Now before you fly off the handle again and a say I said KD is going to do that please refrain. Shrout is here now regardless of MHO. His decision to start Noyer has panned out. and I trust him going forward.
Another problem that arises, however, is that the reps in practice for the guys who decided to be a Buff in the beginning will be reduced when spreading things around.
To boil things back down again, I think we could have done better.
And 83 Buff is right. I should have refrained from mocking his name even thought I doubt if he will be irreversibly psychologically damaged. If he is a competitor and really cares about what I think he will use it as bulletin board material and make me eat my words.
No one is flying off the handle–just have a different viewpoint on bringing in a guy with some Power-5 experience in a much tougher conference than the PAC-12 (plus there is footage on a couple of throws he made–he has arm talent for sure and Dorrell and Chev probably saw the same). If you want to rebut something I post then feel free–I really don’t want or need to be in an echo chamber and I may actually see some things in a different light. Or, you can be the other guy.
PP errrrrrrrrrrrrrr ep
There yur even.
Buffs:
Note: Random no sense (I) philosphy posts…………..cute posts………..random meet at a tavern and the bland begins……………hidden stuff….gotta love em…………………..
ep,
It’s just a sign of the times. You say something the mob doesn’t agree with you get attacked and canceled.
And you voted for this.
Buffs
So True
Who is JT Shrout? (seriously)
and why did we take him when we could have had good ol “Colorado forever” Ty Evans back?
(sarcasm) yup…he is now in the portal.
Hope this doesn’t discourage any of the young uns we already have. (reality)
QBs are skipping town faster than a Van Halen guitar riff
The roster heading into spring looks like this … with no guarantee that Noyer will return.
Noyer – Sr.
Shrout – So.
Lewis – Fr.
Chandler – Fr.
Carter – True Fr.
Glad to get (what would otherwise be) an upperclassman in the room, especially one with SEC experience. If the young uns don’t like the competition, they probably shouldn’t be at a Power Five school …
Gotta trust the staff.
Heck somehow they picked Noyer.
Buffs
Same thing can be said of Sprout….er….Shrout….he is running from competition….and with a FEW exceptions like Borrow and Jones the SEC isnt exactly the best reference on passing. (OK Trask too)
and if this sprout guy wasnt a universe away from Jones or Trask I wouldnt mind so much. I wouldnt bet a dime he is any better than Noyer. Somewhere he is referred to as a veteran but looking at his experience it isnt any more than Noyer’s or his winning record.
No where did I say the young uns were afraid of competition. I have just seen too many times when the table is tilted towards seniority or “experience” regardless of quality and the failure of transfers based on those decisions in CU history.
Also tired of all the money and pressure producing chiken poop football decisions especially in light of the recent success of freshmen QBs in the PAC and elsewhere.
If sprout sets the Buff world on fire you will slice me up and call me a turnip but for the time being I will take your money on that.
So CU shouldn’t bring in players to deepen a position at need and up the competition because it might hurt some young players fragile ego and they get discouraged? That’s the epitome of a weak/loser program. The transfer portal is the new game in town and CU better be on board or it will get left in the weeds (Utah has no problem and is quite active–look what they did at QB with transfers).
If a young player gets discouraged because the staff brings in a player at his position what possible reason are we to imply that he may be discouraged other than he doesn’t want competition? And who knows the deal behind Shrout? Could be he wanted closer to the west coast, or didn’t like the offense , or the staff (The Tennessee boys are under pressure big time to start churning out wins) could have implied that he leave (Midnight Mel is cleaning house at MSU and just dumped his starter who transferred to Northern Illinois). There is no clear cut starter at Tennessee–the guy who has started the majority of games the last few years is in the portal as well.
If a young player wants to leave because he wants to be closer to home, doesn’t feel like the offense or the staff is the fit he thought it was and wants to transfer then good on him and I support his move. If he leaves because the staff is trying to upgrade the talent/depth at his position and he has a problem with that then good riddance.
If Lewis is the player everyone thinks he is then adding a QB as a transfer is no big deal.
Well now, Im not sure they are effected by the competition as they can be by the coaches decision to give (hey did they earn it? Ya never know) certain favorites (transfers or not) playing time……………..Play the best…………get the win……….sorry that is not always the case.
For 5 years the back up qb never got to play………….even in wins………..
For 5 years players got to play because of loyalty………….not because they were the most talented……………..You saw it…………We all say it…………..Some just couldn’t say it……………
And that continues a bit today………….ie WR………..
Hey I trust this coaching staff…………starting at the top…………more than any staff in the last 10 years……………..We could be wrong……………..
Buffs.
Note: I am not convinced HCKD is all in on Chev yet.
Why make fun of a college kid’s name? Low rent. Normally you have intelligent posts ep. More depth and competition the better. I expect either Lewis or Noyer to start next year.
If the “young uns” are discouraged by competition and feel like leaving then they aren’t worth having around. When Chev was going to bring in his golden boy from Tech (who bolted to Cal instead) Sefo just shrugged and said “bring it on.” Led em (with the help of Montez, and a awesome senior class–sorry, it wasn’t all Jim “Leave-it” Leavitt) to a 10 win season. Guts/leadership is what you need in a QB no matter how much talent he has. Leave if your discouraged, or buffalo up and compete for the starting job. Your choice.
Thanks for posting about NCBuff. Glad to help. Merry Christmas
Oh Boy….lotta gripin’ goin’ around. The Buffs belong in the PAC-12. There was a lot of dissent in Big 12 as some of the other universities got pissed when TX tried to BOSS and railroad the other 11 universities around and rake in more than their share of the proceeds….plus, they wanted to have their own TV network which would have given them, even more, recruiting power than the other eleven. Plus, they could afford it.
The WEST has a much better geographical image than the Big 12. Imagine getting to visit Norman, Manhattan, Topeka, Missouri, Iowa and GAWD awful Lincolon. (No, the spelling is correct….the way I wanted it…. as BuffUp called it the “Midwestern corn-pone armpits of America.”
Thanks, but no thanks…. I’d rather visit Tucson, Phoenix, Los Angeles, The Bay Area, Utah, Oregon, and Washington state. Go a day early and enjoy some of the most scenic geographies in the U.S.
I lived in “The Armpit” in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The people we knew were incredibly nice, but let’s face it, it’s the “Pits.” There are nice areas and nice towns….but wouldn’t you rather travel somewhere where beauty abounds to the mountains, deserts, and coastal scenes galore ?
If something could be done to get the PAC-12 better T.V. exposure it would really help, and the Dish didn’t even want us. ( I had to pay extra to buy the PAC-12, then an additional amount to get the Mountain version, just to see C.U. when people in “Anywhere Else, U.S.” couldn’t see C.U. if they wanted to. It’s like having to use the Outside 2 holer-crapper while the rest of the country has a duvet in a marbled WC. Sheeeesh Scott….. get us back on the continent and quit having everyone treating us like we’re a foreign country.
C’mon PAC-12………..GO BUFFS.
You forgot to mention Whacko on yours list of Big 12 s-holes. I’m in agreement with all the PAC 12 visitation sites with the exception of LA. Been there done that. Toured Universal Studios, Swam at Hunting beach and attended a Ducks game. No need to re-navigate that anthill (with gridlocked ants). In fact I would rather be in Manhattan (Kansas that is). I can get out of Manhattan in 5 minutes and get to KC for BBQ and jazz long before I could get out of LA.
Dont want to fly either. I have had to change planes in LAX a couple of times on vacation and I have yet to be in a crappier airport….another anthill.
Phoenix is a huge city too but easy to navigate.
I lived a year each in San Fran and Tucson so I know how to navigate. Love every trip to Seattle. Great time and memories of all 3
Never been to either OR venue but want to try Eugene anyway maybe even for a track meet.
Been to Salt Lake a couple times on biz. A little vanilla but not unpleasant.
I don’t think the big 12 gets any more respect than the PAC12. We just need the PAC12 to start playing games earlier. Having our last game be “PAC12 the next morning” is stupid. Cu has been practicing in the mornings for like a decade now. We should play in the morning or ask the tv networks for a big raise to take the night shift for them. The problem is also that our elite schools are primadonnas USC and Oregon are light bright colorful birds. Pretty and majestic but at least a season they are going to stub their toe and take their toys and go home instead of playing the whole game. Utah just cannot seem to get over the hump and now that Peterson is gone Washington will return to the mean.
Alamo bowl will be tough. I think osu was better in 2016 than tx is now. I hope even keel Karl’s crew plays tough and disciplined and pulls off a nice win.
Go Buffs
So Dorrell’s demeanor was a bit more reserved than the last few weeks. I think he was not too happy about how the Utah game finished…. He made a bowl his first year as head coach after everything was against him and he expects so much more. I like it. I hope it resonates in the locker room and the players respond. Picking up for Landman will be a team job. I haven’t rewatched it yet but I did not hear Jones name in the list of linebackers. Did he opt out?
The only names mentioned by Coach Dorrell in his press conference on Monday in terms of opting out were RB Ashaad Clayton and WR Keith Miller – both freshmen.
I think the failure to mention Akil Jones was an oversight, not an indication that he wouldn’t be playing.
So I finally rewatched the second half of the Utah game and it was not as bad as I remembered from a defensive perspective. Summers definitely takes risks with his defense and without Landman those risks are bigger. But the real issue is that the offense disappeared in the second half. Chev is going to have to call a better game. Noyer is going to have to fix his reads. He has a major issue in cover 1 when the underneath guys drop into zone when they are not blitzing and they are running man. Our wide receivers beat the man coverage but then Noyer throws it right at the underneath zone becuase he does not see them. Chev might be able to fix this by running a man out to attract the under coverage but frankly If Noyer arcs it just a bit the receivers are good for like 30 yards on the deep crossing route.
It’s really good to hear Rick George talking about earning respect in football. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard that and even longer since we’ve seen it. I, for one, am glad we’re in the easy Pac12. Just imagine if we were in a conference with teams that take football seriously. At some point, some of teams in the Pac12 are going to get good again and we’re going to think back and wonder why we didn’t take advantage of these years when the conference was down.
Surely it’s time to at least explore other alignment.
The Pac 12 is a joke and not getting better. Let’s swap texas for Cu. Texas and the Pac 12 deserve each other.
There was a reason(s) why Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M left the Big 12 and it nearly imploded. Why don’t you go educate yourself on why that was so instead of this endless bleating and crying about returning. It ain’t happening; get over it.
The problem is with the leadership of the PAC 12. Scott has to go and whatever cronies he brought in with him. Scott acts as if the conference is there to serve him rather than the other way around. The PAC Network has to go as well. They gave it the good ole college try, but it didn’t work, maybe they didn’t know how to make it work, but either way the end result is the same. A move back to Big 12 is not viable. They have their own problems. CU is tied to the PAC 12 for better or worse.
The better is more/better alumni footprint, Association of American Universities in-conference members, and no Texas boys and god-awful, Midwestern corn-pone armpits of America that are Big XII college towns (Austin excluded for its high-tech base). The worse is Larry Scott and the PAC-12 network (which are fixable if the college prez have the cajones to make a change)…
Even if there were enough disgruntled fans like you wanting to run instead of make things better anyone from Texas reading your post would fall out of their chair laughing. No way they are going to vacate their Big 12 throne. They would probably have to think hard about an SEC invitation.
The Buffs may be at the tail end of consideration right now in the PAC but lots of other PAC schools aren’t happy either, especially with the income. Things will get better when Scott is gone and everyone is vaccinated.
Hopefully Scott’s replacement will be someone like RG without it actually being RG. We would like to keep him here but even if he does become commish all the school’s boats will float higher. I agree that it cant get much worse than it is right now but to be a TX bitch in a conference that is also dragging behind the others is a non starter.
The fact that we know the details of Dorrell’s timing & the challenges he had to over come, make him (in our eyes) a shoe-in for COTY, BUT then I see the list & their accomplishments & I understand why those who only follow their own story would see them as a sure in too.
BUT, I still think when you look at the timing of his arrival with the timing of everything else in 2020, add in how everyone who wrote anything that was read nationally & where they thought the Buffs would end up, 104th with only one win! Dorrell should win it.
The fact that they thought he was 4th… 5th or the whatever best hire… Dorrell should get it.
If the Buffs were to win next week, then the Buffs were 1 loss & 2 wins from a true Cinderella season.
Damn! I hope the team does the opposite of 2016 & we get to celebrate a win in a major bowl during a major of a bummer year!
Dorrell gets the COTY & this time… this year sets the standard for the beginning of the real rise of the mighty Buffaloes.
That’s all I want for…
Go Buffs…have a feeling we will show better than MickeyMac’s crew. Would like to see us stay committed to the ground game (with a few new wrinkles) win or lose.
Defense for good/bad keys on Van Diest and Noyer (obviously) needs to protect the football.