Colorado Buffaloes Week 3 Preview: Time to find out what you are made of

A lot of mixed emotions are flying around the Colorado Buffaloes football program two weeks into this young season, as we have seen a heavy dose of the good, the bad, and the ugly thus far.

But the one thing every Buffs fan can agree on is that if you rewind the Massachusetts game, and insert Coach Hawkins or Embree on the sideline, an alternative result would be assured: The Colorado Buffaloes would fail to overcome an 11-point road deficit and would instead fly home with a loss.

According to Coach MacIntyre, “things are either getting better or they’re getting worse, things never stay the same.”  In Week Two, Colorado improved, primarily by managing a potential catastrophe quite well.

Unfortunately, most of the newest generation of Colorado fans are no strangers to the team posting losses against the Montana States, Toledos, and Sacramento States of the world.  They are accustomed to the CU brand getting mercilessly hammered both at home and nationally.

Early in the third quarter, the planets were aligning for UMASS to get a signature upset over the Buffs.  The Minutemen were riding high off of a highly unlikely jump ball touchdown to end the half, and later, had a fluke interception off a pass thrown to Shay Fields that was easily converted into a touchdown.

Down 11 in the second half, MacIntyre’s Buffaloes were determined not to fall back into the same trap of losing.  As the old saying goes, “there is no education in the second kick of a mule.”  The Buffs poured on the offense -- sparked by Nelson Spruce -- and ultimately notched a road win.

Most CU fans are calling the UMASS game a blunder since the Buffs failed to win by a blow-out margin, but this view is short-sighted particularly because it dismisses the resilience of a football team that had their confidence rattled by a meltdown in a rivalry game just one week prior.

Because the Buffs overcame major adversity and a very hungry Massachusetts team, there is a tremendous latent value in that type of victory.  The fight the Buffaloes had to endure undoubtedly will help this young team gel because managing such storms is an invaluable skill this young squad must learn.

How good or bad is this football team? Nobody can answer this question since we have had such a mixed bag of results all across the board.

The Buffaloes perhaps get a glimpse of things to come in conference play when they play host to Arizona State on Saturday night.  Defensive Coordinator Kent Baer needs to find creative ways to dial up pressure on ASU QB Taylor Kelley, special teams coach Toby Neinas needs to shore up the kickoff coverage, and cornerback Greg Henderson must start looking like the cover-corner he is capable of becoming.

Expect Sefo Liufau to pick up where he left off: Throwing for 328 yards and three touchdowns, while using his legs wisely.

Buff fans can remain hopeful that perhaps Christian Powell will deliver a bruising performance in the home opener as well.

If the Buffs can get this game into the fourth quarter, the pressure will tilt on 16th-ranked ASU -- at 5,360 feet above sea level, no less.  This scenario can undoubtedly open the door for kicker Will Oliver to deliver a late knockout punch in the thin rarified air of Folsom Field. 

By Sherwin Sadr
Contributing Writer for TheDailySportsHerald.com