Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Buffs Hoping To Shine In ESPN Prime Time
October 10, 2012 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - ESPN has settled at Folsom Field for Thursday night football and Colorado coach Jon Embree - citing all the right reasons - knows what that means for his Buffaloes.
Some of his players' views might differ, but Embree is not going overboard with the "nation-is-watching" angle, other than conceding that, well, the nation should know that he's not opposed to playing freshmen. Lots of them. Embree has employed 21 freshmen - 13 of the first-year variety - in the first five games.
So revitalized Arizona State will see bunches of young Buffs Thursday night, which can be good/bad news for a CU team seeking to make October nothing like September.
Embree sees any game on national TV as "good so that kids out there can see how we play," obviously hoping his team plays to (or beyond) its capabilities. "When it comes to recruiting, a lot of kids are looking for opportunity. That's really the number one thing they are looking for. As you've seen, I'm not afraid to play freshman. If they are the best guy, they are going to play."
But aside from showcasing recruiting strategies/needs, there are plenty of other reasons this game lines up in the large category. Let Embree count them: "It's an important game because it's the next game. It's an important game because it's a home game and we need to win at home. It's an important game because it gives us an opportunity to get to 2-1 in the (Pac-12) South. It just happens to be on national television. That's our approach to it and we will never change that. I think all of those factors override the fact that it is a Thursday night ESPN game."
What goes without him or anyone saying is the Buffs need a win - especially at Folsom, where, let's face it, they're not so fearsome anymore. Their only two home appearances this season have resulted in losses to Sacramento State (30-28) and UCLA (42-14). Winning at home, said junior linebacker Derrick Webb, "has everything to do with attitude, everything to do with pride and effort and what it means to you. When we play at home, we're playing to win, of course, but you've got everyone here in Colorado, all the Buff Nation, everyone who comes out to see you win games at home.
"So far we haven't been able to get a win at home. Our first home win is very critical; it means a lot to me because the seniors on our team only have so many home games left, so many more opportunities to run behind Ralphie . . . home games are very special. For us to come out and beat ASU in a prime time game, that would be huge lift for our season."
Junior quarterback Jordan Webb has only two games at Folsom on his CU resume, but he knows what a home advantage means and what must be done to fashion one.
"It's huge to be able to have home advantage whenever somebody comes into town," he said. "That starts with us winning and people getting behind us. We're expecting a great crowd. We're lucky to play in a great stadium with a good bunch of fans. We're always kind of expecting that - but especially on a Thursday night with ESPN being there. It should be a pretty good atmosphere."
It will be CU's annual "blackout" night, with Buffs fans outfitted in black and their team sporting all-black uniforms. CU also has this on its side: The Buffs are 2-0 in Thursday night ESPN games. But here's your reality check: They're 0-3 against the Sun Devils and three-touchdown underdogs in meeting No. 4.
"J-Webb," a summer transfer from Kansas, is like most college football players who are drawn to their TVs on Thursday night. "I try," he said. "It's always cool to watch. And everybody is watching the same game. So it's something to text your buddies about and kind of talk about the next day."
Added "D-Webb:" "Games like this, it's every reason why we come to play college football . . . it's really prime time. It's time to lay it all out and show everyone your team and what your program is all about. It's just a great opportunity. It's a Thursday night game and everyone is going to be watching. It's a big game for Colorado. Period."
The Buffs' lone win came three weekends ago at Washington State, somewhat of a curiosity given it was only the program's second road win in the past 26 out-of-state trips. That win and the following week's lopsided loss against UCLA put CU at 1-1 in the Pac-12 South and 1-4 overall. At 2-0, ASU (4-1 overall) leads the division, followed by Southern California (2-1), then CU. Trailing are UCLA (1-2), Arizona (0-3) and Utah (0-2).
"We need to come out of this one on top . . . we understand the significance of it," said senior safety Ray Polk, who hopes to return Thursday night after missing the past four games with a high ankle sprain. "We win this game and we're tied for first in the Pac-12 (South). It's huge. Regardless of what the preseason handed us, this is a huge game for us in this program. And they're a great team. So we've got to be ready for them."
Polk is an Arizona native (Phoenix) and has at least one friend on the ASU roster. But none of that matters to Polk: "It's a game we need to win - that's it."
The Sun Devils are first in the Pac-12 in total defense, allowing only 276.2 yards a game. The Buffs are averaging 341.8 yards in total offense and they'll probably need to hit at least that to stay in stride with the high-scoring Sun Devils (38.4 points a game).
ASU yields a league-best 13.6 points a game and is second in the league in quarterback sacks with 21 - not such good news for Jordan Webb, who has been sacked that many times. CU's 22 sacks allowed are second only to California's 29 as the worst in the league. "They're very aggressive; they count on getting pressure on the quarterback (and) they've done a good job of that this year," Jordan Webb said of the Sun Devils' pass rush.
But, he added, "Our offensive line is prepared. We've got some schemes in that will help us. I have faith in our offensive line, I have every game. I think we'll continue to improve. I think getting hit, a lot of that is on my back too, so I have to get rid of the ball quicker."
Embree said ASU's defense is unpredictable in that its blitzes "come from all different angles; they blitz in different parts of the field. There's no set tendencies with them. We have to be good with our protections and our tempo. And when we run the ball we have to do a good job of getting on the right guys."
Another statistical contrast comes in turnover margin. ASU is second in the Pac-12 at plus-4, CU is second to last at minus-4. For the Buffs to finally win at Folsom, those numbers can't hold. Jordan Webb, who has thrown four interceptions and seven touchdown passes, said QB coach Rip Scherer has emphasized ball security. Said the CU starter: "It comes down to being smart with the ball for me - tucking it with both hands if there's a pass rush on top of me. Other than that, it's just about being smart."
Despite ESPN's presence and the number of other implications for the Buffs, Jordan Webb said he and his teammates will try to "to treat it as any other game and come out and execute our game plan as best as possible. We have a good opponent so we need to play to the best of our ability. You want to be hyped up before a football game, obviously, but you don't want guys thinking it's too big a stage . . . it's really not. It's just another game, but luckily for us it will be nationally televised so that will be cool."
Or not so cool if . . . the Buffs aren't considering that nasty possibility.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
