Buffs Seniors Aim To Finish What They Started In Alamo Bowl

SAN ANTONIO — Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre's message to his Buffaloes was simple and to the point Wednesday afternoon.

"Finish what you started."

That's exactly what the No. 10 Buffs hope to do Thursday night. Finish a season that has brought the Buffs back to national relevancy with a win over No. 12 Oklahoma State in the nationally televised Alamo Bowl (7 p.m., ESPN).

What these 10-3 Buffs have already accomplished this year has no doubt recaptured the attention and adoration of their fan base. They are just the eighth team in CU history to win at least 10 games while producing the program's first winning record since 2005. They returned Colorado to the national rankings for the first time in more than a decade and to CU's first bowl game since 2007. They turned attendance numbers back in the right direction and completed a historic worst-to-first turnaround, going from a 1-8, last-place finish in the Pac-12 South in 2015 to an 8-1, Pac-12 South title a year later.

But there's still more at stake. A group of seniors that came in when MacIntyre took over the program in 2013 could put the 2016 Buffs in a truly elite group with an 11th win, a number only three other teams in CU history have reached. A win would also virtually guarantee the Buffs of a top 10 ranking in the final polls, making them the eighth CU team in history to hit that benchmark.

"With this group of seniors, I'd love to see them go out with a 'W' and be up there with the best four teams in the history of the school," MacIntyre said recently. "I think this team has earned the right to be in that category if they win this game, with the schedule they've played and what they've done this year."

No doubt, these Buffs have already established the legacy they set out to create when the season began. A year that started with a dominating 44-7 win over rival Colorado State grew in importance and accomplishment on almost a weekly basis. The Buffs ended long losing streaks to a number of Pac-12 foes, collected more conference wins in one year than they had managed in the first five years of membership in the league and helped MacIntyre earn a bevy of national coach of the year honors.

Now, they will attempt to finish what they started against an Oklahoma State team that boasts a high-powered offense and an opportunistic defense.

Led by quarterback Mason Rudolph and wide receiver James Washington, the Cowboys boast the nation's ninth-ranked passing game. Rudolph finished with 3,777 yards and 25 touchdowns passing, with Washington on the receiving end of 62 catches for 1,209 yards and nine touchdowns. The Cowboys also boast a quality receiver in Jalen McCleskey (69 catches, 762 yards) and an outstanding running back in Justice Hill (187 carries, 1,080 yards).

But the Buffs didn't get to this point by accident. They also boast a potent offense, albeit one that is more balanced: CU averaged nearly 255 yards passing and 192 yards rushing per game. The Buffs had five players with at least 30 receptions — the most in CU history — as well as a 1,000-yard rusher in Phillip Lindsay (1,189 yards and 16 touchdowns).

The biggest storyline for the Buffs, however, will be the senior class that endured years of difficulty to get to this point. More than anyone, they are the players MacIntyre was addressing in his post-practice talk on Wednesday.

"The majority of my time here, we struggled," said linebacker Jimmie Gilbert, a senior who earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors this season. "Now we have this opportunity, this chance to do something that only three teams in CU history have done. To finish this season on a winning note would be outstanding. I think it would show the hard work and dedication that all the older guys have put in. To go off on the right note would be great."

CU's starting defense is well-stocked with seniors, a group that includes Gilbert, defensive linemen Josh Tupou, Samson Kafovalu and Jordan Carrell; linebacker Kenneth Olugbode; and defensive backs Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon and Tedric Thompson.

Offensively, there are three senior starters who will be playing their last games as Buffs: quarterback Sefo Liufau, center Alex Kelley and tight end Sean Irwin. Liufau will leave CU with the vast majority of CU passing records attached to his name, but they are numbers to which he has paid little attention throughout his career.

That hasn't changed as his career has ticked down to just one game remaining.

"I just want to win," Liufau said. "I think winning will really help the university long after I'm gone, long after the seniors are gone. I don't really rest on records or 'what-ifs.' I think it's important for us to make our own history and this is an opportunity for us to do that and really set a strong foundation for the university for years to come."

BROADCAST: Thursday's game will be televised nationally by ESPN with Adam Amin, Mack Brown and Molly McGrath. KOA radio will carry the broadcast with Mark Johnson and Gary Barnett.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu