Brooks: Frosh Fed CSU Lesson

BOULDER -Forrest West has recollections of past Colorado-Colorado State football games, but they are very few and very fuzzy.

"It never really meant anything, but I've seen it plenty of times on TV," West said.

Forgive West for those years of indifference, for he was born in Hartford, Conn., and has spent most of his 18 years in New England, where fervent followers of CU football might share the same bowl of clam chowder and have their fill.

But believe it now when West says the game means something; he's one of three Buffaloes true freshmen - all from out of state - expected to see playing time Sunday against the Rams.

The others: defensive tackle Nate Bonsu, of Allen, Texas, and receiver Will Jefferson, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, but played high school football in Moreno Valley, Calif.

In addition to learning their assignments and adjusting to life as college freshmen, the trio of imported young Buffs has been schooled for the past couple of weeks by upperclassmen on the intensity of the Buffs-Rams series and what to expect.

"They've told me (CSU) is going to come a lot harder than a lot of teams will, especially because they feel like we overlook them - so they definitely will come out hard," said West, listed on the game-week depth chart as the backup to starting right defensive end Lagrone Shields.

"It's going to be a fast-paced game and we have to go out ready to roll," West continued. "I'm pretty confident in myself and being able to adjust to the speed and the tempo.

"It's going to be my first game out of high school and I'm sure there's going to be some bumps in there. But I think I'll adjust to it."

Senior middle linebacker Marcus Burton, one of CU's tri-captains, and other veteran Buffs such as cornerback Ben Burney have tried to bring West & Co. up to speed.

"We try to tell them as much as we can, but obviously, they're not going to get the full impact until they get out there on Sunday and see the fans and sample the atmosphere," said Burton, whose second child might arrive "any day now" although it is due Sept. 21.

"We just tell them it's a rivalry like you've never faced. You've probably had rivalries in high school, but this is a different feeling. When you get to the pros, you have rivalries - but it's not like college. There are no rivalries like college football."

Added Burney: "I really don't think you can fathom that type of intensity . . . especially in this one - at Folsom, a night game, against a rival. It's going to be intense.

"There'll be some (freshmen) with that deer-in-the-headlights look, especially with all the students going crazy. You know our fans are like a Greek mob, and whether it's good or bad they just wild out.

"I mean, they try to have the sound system out here (in practice to replicate the noise), but you can't do it. Against Oklahoma here, when we beat them (27-24 on Sept. 29, 2007) I couldn't hear a thing at all. I was deaf."

Bonsu, a 295-pounder that strength and conditioning boss Jeff Pitman says could be the strongest player he's ever coached by the time Bonsu leaves CU, is used to large, rowdy crowds.

But those were large, rowdy high school crowds.

"In our state championship game (Allen won the Texas 5A title last season) we played in front of something like 39,000 people," said Bonsu, listed as the backup nose tackle. "That's nothing like 55,000 (in Folsom), but I'm used to playing in front of a lot of people.

"But in Folsom Field, the older guys tell me it's different. And against Colorado State it's different - a rivalry that's always been there. They just thrive all year to win that game, and the team that wins usually has a good start to the season."

Plus, Bonsu said, he and his fellow newcomers have been advised that CSU "will always, always, always bring their 'A' game against us. They feel like they need to beat us to get a little more attention because we're Colorado and in the Big 12 and they want to prove they can play with anybody. And that definitely means beating us."

Jefferson, one of training camp's best storylines due to his 11th-hour arrival and swift ascension on the depth chart, added: "I've heard that a lot - how prideful they are in being CSU. They don't feel like they're the stepchild, they feel like we're the spoiled kids who get the extra stuff and they outwork us.

"They feel like they're going to beat us, they're better than us, they deserve it and we don't really care about the game - which is really not true."

Jefferson is more familiar with the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry than CU-CSU.

"Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I knew about that one," he said. "But I know fans in Colorado are just as prideful on both sides. This game is big; people around campus - coaches, students, teachers - are just letting me know how big it is.

"Having a chance to play in it as a true freshman is a great honor, but at the same time, it's going to be fun. (Coaches and veteran teammates) have told me I'm going to get excited, but try to stay as poised as possible.

"As for being star struck, I think I might be a little at first. It's to be expected, but I think I'll be able to overcome it more than some freshmen.

"I am beyond ecstatic for this game. This is probably going to be one of the biggest moments of my life and I'm going to try to enjoy it. I'm going to work as hard as physically possible to help the team in whatever my role is, and I'm going to have fun at the same time."

On Burney's what-to-expect list for the freshmen, he includes being aware of the game's length, its inevitable highs and lows and the need to be resilient.

"Basically, I tell them it's always our first game, so it's probably going to be the best college game you'll ever witness or be a part of," Burney said.

"That's how it was for me, and it was long, extremely long. You're going to have peaks and valleys . . . sometimes freshmen aren't going to realize that, and they'll have their heads down. But they can't stay down."

In West's early years of watching the CU-CSU series on TV back in Connecticut, the outcome meant little to him.

"I never really picked sides, you know?" he said. "This year means a lot, though. It definitely means a lot."

In fact, it might mean more to the Buffs than in recent seasons. CU is faced with one of the shortest turnarounds in recent memory, catching CSU on Sunday before traveling to Toledo for a nationally televised Friday night encounter.

That's two games in six days, and Burton believes a fast start is imperative.

"That's what this year is all about," said Burton, who became a first-time father on that September 2007 Saturday when CU stunned No. 3 Oklahoma.

"We've got two games in one week pretty much. So starting fast is going to be big for us. We can't just think about CSU, we've got to think about Toledo, too.

"Definitely, it's something that's important to us . . . starting fast and getting off to a great start."

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU