CU At The Game Podcast

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The CU off-season got off to a busy start, with the (inevitable) firing of offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini. After reviewing the Buffs' final game of the 2021 season, a 28-13 loss to No. 16 Utah, Stuart, Brad and Neil will talk about the dismissal of Chiaverini, and discuss some of the candidates available to the Buffs ... as well as the financial restraints which may impede CU picking up a "splash" hire. 

While CU is looking for a new offensive coordinator, Pac-12 head coaching vacancies were filled by not one, not two, but three conference schools. The headliner, of course, was the hiring of Lincoln Riley by USC. The move by the former Oklahoma head coach caught everyone off guard, but, now that the dust has settled, what will Riley's hiring mean for the Pac-12 in general ... and for CU in particular? 

Let's find out ... 

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Colorado managed to win a game without going over 200 yards in total offense for the first time since 2004, defeating Washington, 20-17. It was a little smoke, a little mirrors, a little luck - and four Washington turnovers - which all contributed in bringing the victory for the Buffs on Senior Day.

We'll take a look at the Buffs' second straight win over Washington, and what it means for the program and the seniors (with a path to a picture of Carson Wells after the game which is a must see for every CU fan). We will then turn our attention to the upcoming game against No. 16 Utah. The Utes are the Pac-12 division champions, and have their sights set on the first Pac-12 title for the program. Can the Buffs catch the Utes looking ahead to the title game, or is the 24-point spread actually too low for what might be a mismatch of gigantic proportions?

Let's find out ... 

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Colorado played well against UCLA in the Rose Bowl ... for about 29 minutes.  The Buffs built a 20-7 second quarter lead, a lead which could have been even wider if CU hadn't settled for field goals in the red zone.

What happened next is a nightmare that Buffs and their fans are comparing to the meltdown against Oregon State in 2018, with the Bruins dominating the second half on their way to a 44-20 victory. Stuart, Brad and Neil will dissect what went wrong ... and what it means for the Buffs for their final two games of the season.

We then turn our attention to CU's 2022 home finale, with the Buffs taking on Washington. The 4-6 Huskies have issues of the their own, not the least of which being the firing of head coach Jimmy Lake. Will the Huskies be motivated ... or disorganized? Can the Buffs take advantage of UW's porous rush defense? Will Nate Landman return to pump fresh life into CU's beleaguered defense? 

Let's find out ... 

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Hard to believe, but the Buffs put their fans through not one, but two, field goal attempts by Oregon State in the final minute of play in a 37-34 2OT thriller. The second Everett Hayes offering - a 60-yarder - was good, sending the game into overtime. With a history of losing such bizarre finales, the Buffs didn't flinch, scoring a touchdown in overtime, then watching as CU freshman kicker Cole Becker calmly hit a 43-yard game winner. 

Stuart, Brad, and Neil discuss the Buffs' upset victory over the Beavers, and what the win means (the most complete game of the season), as well as what the game could mean for the program in the weeks and years ahead. 

We then turn our attention to the UCLA game. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is 1-2 as the Bruin starting quarterback in games against Colorado, but the senior is certainly a threat to the Buff defense. UCLA has one of the bottom ten pass defenses in the nation, and is the bottom ten in allowing third down conversions. Can the CU offense score enough points to keep up with DTR and the Bruins? Let's find out .. 

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It wasn't surprising that Colorado lost to No. 7 Oregon by 23 points. What was surprising was that the Buff offense, which had been in reverse gear for most of the season, made some headway on the road against the Ducks. Aside from the controversial ending (should the Ducks have taken a knee in the final minute, instead of going for style points?), Stuart, Brad and Neil will discuss the positives and the negatives from the 52-29 final. 

The Oregon State Beavers present a unique challenge for the Buffs on Homecoming weekend. Oregon State comes to Boulder with the nation's No. 11 rushing attack (a problem if Butkus Award semi-finalist Nate Landman can't play), but also have the 114th-ranked pass defense. Can the Brendon Lewis to Brenden Rice (with the return of La'Vontae Shenault) out-score the Oregon State offense? 

Let's find out ... 

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Colorado was humbled and humiliated on the road against Cal, with the 26-7 final not telling the whole story. The Buffs managed all of 104 yards of total offense against the Bears. How historically bad is that total? Only three times in the past 50 years has the CU offense been that inept, and all three of those games were against Top Ten teams ... not against a 1-5 team whose only previous win coming over Sacramento State.

Stuart, Brad and Neil do a quick post-mortem on the Cal game before moving on to the firing of CU offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue. Will the firing make a bit of difference in CU's final five games? Is Rodrigue a scapegoat? Or merely just the first of numerous firings to come? 

Amidst the chaos in the CU locker room, the Buffs have the ominous task of trying to prepare for a road trip to face No. 7 Oregon. The Buffs are four-touchdown underdogs, and are given little chance of success. Is there any hope for CU against Oregon? Let's find out ... 

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Anyone want to complain about CU's first shutout of a conference opponent since 2005? (and the first shutout of any opponent since 2015?). Stuart, Brad and Neil take a look back at the Buffs' 34-0 win over hapless Arizona. It was only a 6-0 game in the third quarter before special teams and defensive touchdowns turned the tight game into a rout. Has quarterback Brendon Lewis turned the corner? Were the "subtle changes" made during the bye week enough to turn the Buffs into consistent winners in the second half of the 2021 season? 

We then turn our attention to the Buffs' road trip to face Cal. The Bears are 1-5 on the season, with their only victory over Sacramento State from the Big Sky Conference. And yet, Cal is a ten-point favorite to beat Colorado. Can the Buffs take their newly discovered formula for success on the road? Or will the big win over Arizona only prove to be an indictment of how far the Wildcats have fallen? Let's find out ... 

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It's come down to a "Battle of the Bad" as 1-4 Colorado hosts 0-5 Arizona. The Wildcats haven't won a game in two calendar years, but there is still plenty of room for anxiety for the Buff Nation. Stuart, Brad and Neil discuss the T-Talent, I-Intangibles, P-Preparation, and S-Stats for the Folsom Field battle for fifth place in the Pac-12 South Division.

We also take a deep dive into the comments made by CU head coach Karl Dorrell about the Buffs' bye week adjustments. Despite losing the last three games by double digits, coach Dorrell said that there would be no adjustments to the play-calling duties, and that "We are moving forward with the subtle changes that we did make". Will "subtle changes" be enough to halt CU's four-game losing streak, and perhaps save some jobs? Let's find out ... 

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A month ago, when the season had yet to begin and the Buff Nation was still filled with optimism, a 35-13 loss to Arizona State would have been deemed wholly unacceptable. Now, in the wake of a deplorable effort against Minnesota, Stuart, Brad and Neil pick through the ashes of CU's failed attempt at an upset in Tempe, searching for flickers of hope. We then move on to take a look at where the Buffs fit into the jumbled Pac-12 South, before turning our attention to the home Pac-12 opener against USC.

The Trojans, if anything, are in more disarray than are the Buffs. Their head coach is gone, their first-team All-Pac-12 quarterback is being booed, and the team is reeling from the first Coliseum loss to Oregon State since the Eisenhower administration. Can the Buffs get their act together long enough to continue the Trojans' woes, and post an historic victory of their own? Let's find out ...

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Normally, a "post-mortem" is not taken at its literal definition of "after death", but the 30-0 loss by CU to Minnesota left Buff fans feeling like there had been a death in the family. It was an inept performance by the Colorado offense - one for the record books. Stuart, Brad and Neil dissect the loss to the Gophers before moving on to recount the Saturday night massacre which was the performance by other Pac-12 South teams in Week Three.

Week Four, however, brings about the beginning of the conference season for most of the Pac-12, with Colorado opening up on the road against Arizona State.  The second half of the podcast is our "T.I.P.S." for the battle in the desert against the Sun Devils. Can the Buffs rebound and defeat Herm Edwards and ASU for a third straight game? Let's find out ... 

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