Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Buffs Seniors Have One More Chapter To Write
December 19, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado's seniors aren't finished yet. Not quite.
Yes, the group that entered the 2016 season vowing to leave behind a legacy of success, the group that came to CU with the idea of turning a struggling program around, has done that.
They produced a 10-win season, only the eighth in CU's storied history. They finished the regular season ranked 10th in the College Football Playoffs rankings and 11th in the AP and USA Today polls. The went from last in the Pac-12 South in 2015 (1-8) to first in 2016 (8-1), one of the most dramatic turnarounds in conference history, and they played in the Pac-12 Championship game.
An outstanding list of accomplishments, no doubt.
But for the seniors who came to Colorado intent upon carving out their own piece of history as Buffs, there's one more item on the checklist: a bowl victory.
Put that bow on the season in the Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State, and they'll be satisfied with their accomplishments.
"Ever since we got here, going to a bowl has been one of our goals," said Buffs defensive back Chidobe Awuzie, a member of Mike MacIntyre's first recruiting class in Boulder. "That was always a goal, but this year, we set the bar higher.
"Now, it's really important that we go there and actually win. You want to leave a legacy, but you also want to leave a foundation for the younger guys coming up. You want them to see what it takes to be successful — and for us, it's important because we want to finish on a high note. We want to make sure there's no doubt that what we did here this year was special."
In the eyes of Colorado fans, what the 10-3 Buffs have already accomplished is no doubt special. It also has captured the attention of the nation, with CU head coach Mike MacIntyre having virtually swept the national coach of the year awards to this point.
But for the players who engineered the turnaround — particularly those who spent the last four seasons or more in Boulder — there's more work to be done.
Currently one of just eight teams in CU history to win at least 10 games, the Buffs could become only the fourth team in CU annals to win 11, joining the 1989, 1990 and 1991 teams (all coached by Bill McCartney).
Meanwhile, an Alamo win over the Cowboys would also almost assuredly push the Buffs into the top 10 in the final polls. Only eight teams in CU history have finished in the top 10, the most recent being Gary Barnett's 2001 Big 12 champs.
These Buffs would no doubt like to add 2016 to that list, as well as becoming the first CU team since 2004 to earn a bowl win.
Throughout this season, MacIntyre has continually talked about this senior class. He's talked about their leadership, the examples they've set and their determination to leave behind something on which teams of the future could build.
"I think they really want to leave another mark," MacIntyre said Monday morning. "After all they've been through, if they can leave with a 'W' and tie for the best record in the history of the school, that would be pretty special."
But to the seniors, those numbers in the record book may not be what are most important. Rather, what they will leave behind is the legacy of how they got there — three years of refusing to quit, three years of believing that success was always within their grasp.
That, these Buffs say, is the foundation they will leave behind for the younger players, a foundation on which the program can continue to build. Those are the lessons they want to make sure are part of their legacy.
"I think we all came here with the idea of leaving the university and the program in better shape than it was when we got here," senior quarterback Sefo Liufau said. "I think we've accomplished a lot. Being part of a higher-tier bowl game this year, that's a good foundation for the future. I think we helped some of the younger guys learn what it takes to get there, and that's a big part of what we wanted to do."
Senior nose tackle Josh Tupou echoed Liufau's sentiments. A man of few words, Tupou nevertheless was a team leader this season through his actions.
"As far as our team goes, now the young guys know what it takes to win — the work ethic, the focus, the maturity levels for us to be successful," Tupou said. "It was important for them to learn that. Eventually they're going to be the older guys and we wanted to make sure they understood that every week is going to be bigger and every week your focus has to be more and more intense. They had to learn those things."
But despite all they have accomplished, CU's seniors don't believe they have finished the job. They have one game left, one more chapter to write.
"We're almost there — almost," Liufau said. "But the season's not done. Check with me in a couple of weeks. I'll let you know then if we've accomplished what we needed to get done."
SCHEDULE: After a day off Monday, the Buffs will return to practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They'll have the day off Friday, hold a brief practice Saturday morning and then depart for San Antonio on Saturday afternoon. They will have a brief workout Christmas Day at the University of the Incarnate Word (their practice facility for the week), then attend the San Antonio Spurs-Chicago Bulls game on Sunday afternoon.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
