Brooks: Rivalry Game - Or By Whatever Name - It's Huge For Buffs

BOULDER – OK, once more, for the umpteenth time: Is it or isn't it a rivalry?

With the clock ticking toward Saturday's Rocky Mountain Showdown with Colorado State (5 p.m., Sports Authority Field, CBS-SN), the preferred answer this week on the University of Colorado campus is yes . . . maybe . . . and why not?

Like most other questions, your answer depends on the answeree.

At 1-1 against the school nearly due north of his, third-year CU head coach Mike MacIntyre says, of course, this is a rivalry. What's more, it's a rivalry game that's "huge, huge" MacIntyre said shortly after the Buffs had ground down Massachusetts 48-14 on Saturday. (We'll get back to the hugeness in a bit.)

But CU quarterback Sefo Liufau and receiver Nelson Spruce – both out-of-staters, as is their head coach – allowed Tuesday that whether or not the rivalry tag fits (for the record, Spruce says it does) they'll approach Saturday's game as the next one on the schedule. Which is always a good answer, but sometimes a little hard to believe, too.

"I see it as a rivalry," said MacIntyre, who followed Liufau and Spruce fielding questions at Tuesday's weekly media conference. "What they're saying is they want to make sure every game is important . . . they see it as a rivalry; it's definitely a rivalry game for all of us."

What makes it so is this: For the past 11 months at church, in restaurants, almost anywhere except his living room, MacIntyre said anyone who recognizes him and has Rams roots has gently (or not) reminded of CU's come-from-ahead 31-17 loss last season that featured 21 unanswered CSU points.

"Whether you win or lose this game," MacIntyre said, "you hear about it."

And keep hearing about it. For a long, long time the perception among CU fans (and perhaps some former coaches, players and administrators) was that the Buffs always had bigger game to track during the course of their conference season. Thus, CS-Who?

Meanwhile, the Rams always had recruiting snubs to avenge, social scores to settle, and arrived at kickoff sporting chips on every shoulder. Thus, the guys from the Fort showed up with a steely focus.

All of which might have been true and still might be, but here be a few facts: While CU leads the series 62-22-2, a CSU win Saturday would be the Rams' third in four years. But going back a bit further, CU has won nine of the past 14 meetings.

Still, losing three of four would be unsettling in Buffsville. And for some, it would be an indicator of the arrow pointing up in Fort Collins and trending the other way in Boulder.

And here's a hint of the hugeness we alluded to earlier: If CSU wins the 87th meeting, the Rams rise to 2-1 under first-year coach Mike Bobo while the Buffs drop to 1-2 at the ¾ mark of a non-conference schedule that was believed to be highly conducive to their bowl hopes.

Of course, none of those numbers are being discussed now in the CU camp. Rivalry talk and whatever else, said Liufau, is mostly fan-generated and worthy of a quick dismissal by the participants. He said on a weekend shopping trip to a local supermarket he was stopped by a fellow student who publicly professed hatred for CSU.

"I won't come out and say I hate them," Liufau said shortly after he declined to agree with a reporter who asked him if the CU-CSU series was a "nice" rivalry. "I don't know if 'nice' is the right word," he answered, but added he's experienced a more vitriolic brand of trash talking in the Pac-12.

Liufau said he and his teammates want this game to be about the Buffs – not the Rams, the fans or the media's portrayal of it. "We want to focus on ourselves," he said.

Spruce is of a like mind, but does concede that during his five years in Boulder he's evolved from having no clue about the intensity of the CU-CSU series to considering the Rams the Buffs' biggest rival. Said Spruce after the UMass win: "I didn't realize, coming from California, how big this game is."

When CU and Utah simultaneously entered the Pac-12 in 2011, the conference's hope was that the Buffs' and Utes' once intense across-the-mountain rivalry could be rekindled. Maybe in time it can, but for now Spruce and others see CSU occupying that niche.

Still, like Liufau, he is "trying to treat it like another game" and not "put it on a pedestal."

Not elevating the game just a bit might a little more difficult for in-state Buffs like safety Ryan Moeller, whose allegiance drifted toward CU as he was being reared in Rifle. That could have been because his mom is a CU alumna. On the other hand, his sister briefly attended CSU.

"But I don't know too many people who decided to go the Ram path," he added.

As a kid, said Moeller, "I definitely loved CU . . .  I understand the rivalry aspect, being from Colorado, but being in the game itself if you look at it like a rivalry it can definitely affect way you play. You want to look at it as another game."

Another very, very big one – whatever it's called. Sounds suspiciously like a rivalry.

NO OFFENSIVE IDENTITY ISSUES: Has the Buffs offense been transformed into a ground-pounding unit? Kind of. CU is averaging 302.5 yards a game rushing and 162.0 passing – numbers that have just about flipped from last September.

MacIntyre, Liufau, et al say the newly productive run game has always been an emphasis and that the Buffs will continue to utilize it until defenses effectively slow it down. One benefit: It takes pressure off of Liufau, who says when the time comes to throw, the Buffs will.

"If we can run for almost 400 yards a game (390 vs. UMass), we'll do it," Liufau said. "If we have to throw it, we will – like last year."

MacIntyre expects defenses to begin "loading the box" with eight defenders to slow down CU's run game. "Honestly, (a defense) would rather have somebody throw for 390 against it than run for 390," he said. "I'm sure teams will start loading the box up more."

CSU did that last weekend in its 23-20 overtime loss to Minnesota, limiting the Golden Gophers to 172 rushing yards. "If they want to stack the box (Saturday), we have some things for that," Liufau said. "If want to play zone, we have things for that, too."

NO MORE HAPPY RETURNS: CU kickoff specialist Chris Graham has done a commendable job of KO placement and the Buffs' coverage teams have improved. Two opponents' average starting position on eight returned kickoffs (six touchbacks) has been the 24-yard line. CU is sixth in the Pac-12 in kick coverage.

That phase will be critical for the Buffs on Saturday. They were burned in 2013 by Joe Hansley, who had a 74-yard kick return for a TD. Last season Delonte Gaines returned three kickoffs for 87 yards, including a long of 43 yards.

Hansley, now a senior, and Gaines, a sophomore, have returned punts in CSU's first two games. Jordon Vaden, a redshirt junior, returned a kickoff 99 yards against Savannah State.

KEEP ON PUNTING, LEARNING: Freshman Alex Kinney is averaging 33.3 yards net on 11 punts. His first college attempt at Hawai'i was blocked, and last weekend he hit a 16-yarder. Said MacIntyre: "I thought he would have some growing pains, all freshmen do. But he's got a strong leg and is getting more comfortable."

MacIntyre's best-case scenario would have been to redshirt Kinney, but that wasn't feasible. "Alex is going to be an excellent kicker; we have to keep working with him," MacIntyre said . . .

CONGRATS, NELLIE, IT'S SCOTTY: With six receptions last weekend, Spruce became CU's career-leader in receptions (219). He surpassed Scotty McKnight, who caught 215 passes during his Buffs career. Spruce said he received a congratulatory text from McKnight as well as former CU head coach Jon Embree, who signed Spruce in 2011.

NOTEWORTHY: WR Donovan Lee will return this week but will have to work his way back into the rotation, according to MacIntyre . . . . In a worst-case scenario, if the Buffs need more depth at left tackle after Jeromy Irwin's season-ending knee injury, MacIntyre said Stephane Nembot could move from the right to left side and John Lisella would spell Nembot on the right side . . . . With Irwin suffering a second season-ending injury, MacIntyre believes a sixth season of eligibility is nearly certain. Safety Jered Bell was in a similar situation this season and was granted an extra year by the NCAA.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU