Colorado University Athletics
Nixon, Fellow Buffs Receivers Ready To Reap Benefits Of Hard Work
August 26, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER —Colorado wide receiver K.D. Nixon can't help but smile every time he lines up for a play.
"When we look at the refs to make sure we're lined up on the ball, you can see the other receivers across the field looking at the ball — and it's like dang, we have a feeling nobody can stop us," Nixon said with a grin Monday morning. "It's a confidence thing. We're not in a war with anybody, we're not competing with anybody. We're supporting one another, helping one another, learning from one another, watching film together — and it's just clicking."
There is no doubt a widespread consensus that the Buffs have a very talented wide receiver group this year, one that has been ranked as one of the top 15 in the country by national experts. Led by preseason All-American Laviska Shenault Jr. and Nixon, it is a deep and explosive bunch.
But when the Buffs line up for their season opener Friday against Colorado State at Broncos Stadium at Mile High (8 p.m., ESPN), Nixon and his cohorts won't be worried about national rankings or reputation.
"We're not the best in the country," Nixon said simply. "We want to show we're the best. We're not going to talk about it, we're not going to listen to what other people say. We just want to be a team and keep going."
That attitude comes from some words of advice from CU head coach Mel Tucker, who regularly reminds his players to tune out the outside noise.Â
"One thing Coach Tucker always says: some people will say you're good, some people will say you're bad," Nixon said. "But at the end of the day, they don't have the validation for you. Only you have that. We're not out there to prove anything to anybody. We just want to go out there and perform."
Nixon and his cohorts will no doubt have the attention of the Rams in the opener. Last year, the Buffs worked the CSU secondary for 338 yards and four touchdowns through the air. That included an 11-catch, 211-yard, one touchdown game from Shenault and six catches for 112 yards and a score from Nixon.
But this year's group of wide receivers is even deeper, and it should lend a "pick your poison" dilemma for opposing defenses. CU's receivers by all accounts had an excellent camp improving their chemistry and timing with quarterback Steven Montez — Nixon in particular.
It is a result, Nixon said, of a long offseason of "grinding," an offseason forged in the wake of last year's disappointing finish by the Buffs and some nagging injuries that hounded Nixon down the stretch of the 2018 season.
"God has timing for everything," Nixon said. "I could have easily got mad last year, kept my head down and stayed mad. But I tried to be smart, celebrate everybody that gets the ball — then take advantage of the offseason. In the indoor catching balls, working on my body, getting everything right. I think we do have a better chemistry, and I think it's going to show up on game day."
That offseason paved the way for an outstanding camp. Nixon's deep ball connection with Montez was regular occurrence and their timing was sharp day-in and day-out.
"This is by far my best camp ever," Nixon said. "I think I only dropped basically one ball out of 90 balls in camp. I put my mind to being a leader, being a guy that my teammates look up to."
Now, it is finally game week.
"Honestly, it's time to reap what we sowed," Nixon said. "Ever since Coach Tucker got here, we've been grinding, grinding hard, getting better, learning from him. He and this staff brought the physical out in everybody. Being able to transition to a complete receiver has been a blessing. Now we'll see it pay off."
GETTING REACQUAINTED: Friday's game will be a meeting of old friends when Colorado defensive coordinator Tyson Summers sends his unit onto the field against CSU head coach Mike Bobo's offense.
Summers and Bobo have been good friends for the better part of a decade, and Summers actually spent a year in Fort Collins as Bobo's defensive coordinator in 2015. He left after that season to take the head coaching job at Georgia Southern, then ended up on the Georgia staff as an analyst, where he met Tucker.
But Friday night's meeting is just another game for Summers. It's a scenario that plays out regularly in college football — friends matching wits from opposite sidelines.
"Coach Bobo has been one of my closest friends for close to a decade now," Summers said. "A guy that I've worked for, a guy who's been good to me and my family and given me a lot of opportunities. But there's obviously the competitive side of it, too. He and I are both good friends, but both of us are looking forward to getting after it with each other. Hopefully both sides are going to have an opportunity to play well."
SERIES NOTES: The Buffs have won four in a row against CSU, the longest winning streak in the series since CU won eight in a row from 1987 to 1998. It means no player on CU's roster has ever lost to the Rams … Colorado leads the all-time series 66-22-2, which includes a 12-6 mark in Denver … CSU's last win in the series came in 2014 … Since the Buffs' 27-24 overtime win in 2015, Colorado had dominated the last three games, outscoring the Rams by a 106-23 total, including last year's 45-13 win.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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