Good Time To Be A Buff: CU Enjoying Outstanding Fall Across The Board

BOULDER — It is, quite simply, a good time to be a Buff.

Make that a very good time to be a Buff.

Thanks to stellar performances from literally every sport competing in the fall, the Colorado Buffaloes have enjoyed their best overall start to a year since beginning competition in the Pac-12 Conference in 2011.

Remember when critics questioned CU's move to the Pac-12? When more than a few folks wondered if Colorado could indeed be competitive in the "Conference of Champions?" National rankings would suggest the Buffs have answered those questions in the best way possible — with their performances, with five teams currently boasting top-25 positions.

One of the biggest surprises thus far, at least to those observing from a distance, has been the rise of Mike MacIntyre's football team. Picked to finish last in the Pac-12 South, the Buffs instead have shown every indication of making good on their preseason goal of playing for a Pac-12 championship. After four wins in September and another win to open October, the Buffs have their first-ever 2-0 record in the Pac-12 and have returned to the national rankings (No. 21 AP, No. 23 coaches poll) for the first time since November 2005.

But the football team isn't the only bunch enjoying some national attention.

In his first year at the helm, Jesse Mahoney has led the volleyball team to big wins over ranked opponents and a No. 19 current national ranking.

Danny Sanchez's soccer team, currently riding a seven-game winning streak, is receiving votes in the national polls and climbing closer each week to a top 25 appearance.

Mark Wetmore's cross country teams are — naturally — among the favorites to contend for national titles. The women's team finished the month ranked No. 2 in the nation while the men checked in at No. 6 after both teams rolled to wins in the Rocky Mountain Shootout.

As for golf, both teams are enjoying stellar fall seasons. Led by freshman Morten Toft Hansen — the Pac-12 Player of the Month — Roy Edwards' men are currently ranked No. 17 in the nation by GolfWeek. On the women's side, Anne Kelly's Buffs have the nation's top-ranked player, Esther Lee (also the Pac-12 Player of the Month), while the team is currently ranked No. 32.

And, CU senior tennis player Nuria Ormeño Ruiz has beaten three top-100 players this week in the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.

Of course, the fall isn't over — but in case you are looking ahead to the winter, prospects there also look very good. Tad Boyle's men's basketball team, coming off its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five years, is already getting some national attention, with Lindy's magazine tabbing the Buffs at No. 19 in its preseason rankings and national college basketball writer Jon Rothstein putting CU at No. 25 in his preseason rankings.

No doubt, a great start to what CU officials hope will be the Buffs' best year yet in the Pac-12 — and a reminder that the Buffs' mission statement isn't an empty vow:

"To be nationally recognized as a premier athletics department by providing a world-class and holistic student-athlete experience, operating in a fiscally responsible manner, while consistently competing for and winning championships.

Here's a quick look at some highlights of the Buffs' "September to Remember:"

FOOTBALL (Currently 4-1, 2-0 Pac-12, ranked No. 21 in nation)

A program that has struggled since entering the Pac-12 conference in 2011, Mike MacIntyre's Buffs are finally seeing their hard work pay off.

It began on Sept. 2 when the Buffs took on in-state rival Colorado State in the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver at Mile High Stadium, when quarterback Sefo Liufau led his team to an impressive 44-7 win.

After running away with a 56-7 win over Idaho State at home on Sept. 10, the Buffaloes then faced their toughest test to that point of the young season when they traveled to face No. 4 Michigan. The Buffs jumped out to leads of 14-0 and 21-7 in the first quarter, and briefly held a 28-24 edge early in the third period. But injuries to three key players — Liufau, linebacker Derek McCartney and kicker Diego Gonzalez — led to some second-half struggles and the Wolverines pulled away with a 45-28 win win.

Buffs teams of the past may have allowed the Michigan loss to linger. But this team is proving to be different. With Liufau still sidelined by his ankle injury, the Buffs turned to redshirt freshman quarterback Steven Montez at Oregon's raucous Autzen Stadium. Montez became the first player in CU history to throw for at least 300 yards (333 and three touchdowns) and rush for at least 100 (135 and a touchdown) in the same game, leading Colorado to a 41-38 win over the Ducks.

Continuing on with its successful season, the Buffs blew-out Oregon State 47-6 on Oct. 1, a victory that put the Buffs back in the national rankings (No. 21 Associated Press, No. 23 coaches' poll) for the first time since November 2005.

CU also had three Pac-12 Players of the Week in the first five weeks of the season. Quarterbacks Liufau and Montez were each honored as the offensive player of the week once while freshman kicker Davis Price added special teams honors.

SOCCER (Currently 9-3 overall, 3-0 Pac-12, receiving votes in national poll)

Danny Sanchez's team, predicted to finish 10th in the Pac-12 Conference, is off to its best start in conference play since 2009, when the Buffs played in the Big 12.

Colorado began its season by winning the Colorado Cup, a competition between six state schools. The Buffs put together wins over Denver, Air Force and Colorado State to secure the Cup.

The Buffs compiled a 6-3 nonconference record, then opened conference play with three straight victories — all by a 1-0 score, with freshman Taylor Kornieck notching the winning goal in each contest. With victories at Arizona and Arizona State over the weekend, it pushed CU's overall winning streak to seven games and earned them votes in the national poll.

Colorado goalie Jalen Tompkins has twice been named Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week after her three straight shutouts and Kornieck was named this week's conference Offensive Player of the Week.

VOLLEYBALL (10-4 overall, 2-2 Pac-12, currently ranked No. 19 in nation)

The CU volleyball team produced its highest ranking since 1998 in September when they came in at No. 16th in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, and they were No. 19 in the most-recent rankings.

It all began Sept. 3 when Jesse Mahoney's Buffs knocked off No. 13 Penn State at home in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge. The Buffs returned to the Coors Events Center the following night and pulled off another impressive win, defeating No. 18 Illinois. Their weekend sweep of the two powerhouse schools made it the first time CU has won back-to-back regular season non-conference matches against ranked opponents.

The Buffs continued their success at the home Omni Invitational, when they beat in-state rival Colorado State for the first time since 2002. The 3-1 victory snapped a seven-match losing streak to the Rams.

After a 2-2 start in Pac-12 play, including a five-set victory over No. 12 UCLA, the Buffs are currently ranked No. 19 in the nation.

CROSS COUNTRY (Women currently ranked No. 2, Men ranked No. 6 in nation)

Mark Wetmore's Buffs opened their season by sweeping to a win at the Colorado State Invitational, then once again owned their home course by dominating the Rocky Mountain Shootout.

Senior Erin Clark won the women's 5.8K race at Buffalo Ranch in the fourth-fastest time in meet history (19 minutes, 54 seconds) while Buffs sophomore John Dressell ran a 24:38 to win the men's 8K race.

The Buffs entered October with the women ranked No. 2 in the nation and the men — who had reached as high as No. 5 in the rankings — holding down the No. 6 spot.

GOLF (Men ranked No. 17 nationally; Women ranked No. 32)

For the first time in CU's Pac-12 history, the Buffs swept conference Golfer of the Month honors when CU's Morten Toft Hansen won the men's honor for Roy Edwards' Buffs and Esther Lee claimed the women's award for Anne Kelly's squad in September.

Lee currently sits No. 1 in the country in the GolfWeek rankings after her impressive play at the Branch Law Firm/New Mexico Invitational, Sept. 12-13. Fueled by an NCAA-record 61 in the first round (the most strokes under par in a round while also tying the NCAA low score mark), Lee finished with an 18-under 198 to win the title by five strokes.

Hansen had one of the best first months as a collegian in CU's golfing history – four top 10 finishes that included two in the top five. He opened his freshman career with a third place in CU's own Ballyneal Challenge on Sept. 6, followed by a tie for 10th at the Air Force Invitational. He then tied for sixth at New Mexico's Tucker Invitational on Sept. 23-24 and three days later led the Buffs to the team win in CU's Mark Simpson Invitational, where he tied for fourth place. His second round score of 65 tied CU's mark for the best score ever recorded by a freshman.

TENNIS

Nicole Kenneally's tennis team opened its fall season by winning the CU Invitational in late September. Senior and No. 1 seed Nuria Ormeño Ruiz won the singles title and finished the tournament 3-0 in singles matches. Junior Kyra Wojcik, meanwhile, fell in the final round of the Black Draw and finished with a 3-1 record in the tournament.

Ormeño Ruiz, who opened the 2016-17 season ranked No. 110 in the nation in the ITA singles rankings, is competing this week in the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships, where she has beaten three top-100 opponents thus far.