Buffs Aim To Send Seniors Out On High Note Vs. USC
November 11, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — The math at Folsom Field will be simple Saturday when Colorado plays host to Southern California in a nationally televised 2 p.m. contest (Fox).
The 5-5 Buffs (2-5 Pac-12) can secure bowl eligibility with a win. The Trojans (8-2, 6-1) can clinch the Pac-12 South with a victory.
Thus, one of the teams is going to walk off the field late Saturday afternoon with their future a little more in focus. The other will have to wait until the season finale to figure it out.
But the Buffs say bowl eligibility is secondary on their list of priorities. More importantly, they would like to collect a win Saturday in order to make Senior Day a memorable one for those Colorado players who will be making their last Folsom Field appearance.
"Getting to a bowl game would be a great accomplishment for this team and for our class, but I think focusing on this game and trying to get this win is important," senior offensive lineman Jonathan Huckins said earlier this week. "Everyone always talks about how we've never beat USC, we're just trying to focus on our game plan and trying to do the rights things this week."
Indeed, while the Buffs have said they aren't concentrating too much on the past, one statistic that has been looming over the heads all week is this: in 11 meetings with USC through the years, Colorado is 0-11. That includes an 0-6 mark since joining the Pac-12 in 2011 and an 0-5 mark in Boulder. The Buffs have come close in their last two meetings — a 21-17 loss last year in Los Angeles and a 27-24 defeat in Boulder two years ago — but they have yet to get over that hump.
"You understand who SC is, their tradition, their history, their dominance," Huckins said. "But it comes down to playing that game and playing as hard as you can. I don't think we really think about that too much unless someone brings it up. As (offensive line coach Klayton) Adams says, don't worry about the logo on their helmet. Just worry about your assignment and your technique."
Maybe more than anything, the Buffs would like to produce a win Saturday because it would give them a "quality" win. Heading into the weekend, Colorado had just one win over a team with a winning record (6-4 Colorado State).
A win over the Trojans — who are ranked 11th in the most-recent College Football Playoff rankings — would be a major feather in the Buffs' helmets.
"All wins are important, but getting a win against USC in that recruiting mecca – it's a fertile, fertile recruiting ground—I definitely think would carry more weight," CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "There's no doubt about it. That's one of our big recruiting areas. ... It would make a big difference for us."
Still, the chance to play in a bowl game in back-to-back years, something the Buffs haven't done since the 2004-05 seasons, is no doubt something Colorado would like to accomplish.
"Hopefully we'll win these last two games and be able to go to a bowl," MacIntyre said. "I've calculated it and I think it's like 1,400 players have gone through here and haven't had a chance to go to back-to-back bowls since they did it last. Close to 1,400 kids don't get a chance to do what these guys are on the brink of being able to do."
To make that happen Saturday, the Buffs will have to play their best game of the year, and do so in all three phases. The Trojans boast a high-powered offense with preseason Heisman candidate Sam Darnold at quarterback and electric Ronald Jones at tailback, a defense that leads the nation in quarterback sacks (34) and is tied for 11th in the nation in defensive takeaways (20), and a special teams group that has not allowed a blocked kick or punt all season while blocking two.
"Like always, they're a good team," said CU senior tackle Jeromy Irwin. "They're very talented. They play hard. That's something, whether in Los Angeles or here that we always see. They've got good players, they play hard. It's going to be a four-quarter war. That's what we're preparing for."
A total of 21 seniors will be suiting up for the last time in Folsom on Saturday. The group includes running back Phillip Lindsay, who has had an outstanding final year as a Buff. Lindsay this season moved to the top of the CU career chart in all-purpose yards and is currently third on the all-time rushing list (3,567) and second in yards from scrimmage (4,519).
But those numbers haven't meant much to Lindsay, who is determined to help the Buffs end the regular season with two more wins.
"For us, it's about finishing," Lindsay said. "For the seniors, it's going to be an emotional time. We haven't beaten USC since we've been here. We want to beat them. We feel strongly about that and we're going to go out there and work our butts off to get this win. I'm going to go out there and put everything I have on the line like I do every week and see what we can come up with."
Senior safety Afolabi Laguda will also be making his final appearance at Folsom.
"There's still a lot of football left to be played, we can still do something special this year and get to a bowl game," Laguda said. "We try not to talk about it or think about it, but it's obvious everybody wants to go to a bowl game. Just to have the type of season we did last year going from worst to first, getting to Santa Clara and the Pac-12 Championship, that was something special. We have a lot to hold our head high about. This season, the chips didn't fall our way, we didn't get a lot of those breaks you hope to get, but either way I'll definitely look back at my time here as a blessing."
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Colorado's defensive front seven vs. USC running back Ronald Jones. The Buffs' rush defense has been gouged for some big yards in four of their five Pac-12 losses. Colorado has to keep Jones from hitting the second level, where his electric speed make him a breakaway threat. If the Buffs can keep Jones contained for four quarters, they'll be in the game.
KEEP AN EYE ON: CU running back Lindsay. The Trojans have been susceptible to the run, yielding 171.7 yards per game. If the Buffs can get Lindsay rolling early, they will be able to take advantage of the altitude and wear the Trojans down.
THE SERIES: USC owns an 11-0 all-time record against Colorado, including a 21-17 win in Los Angeles last year and a 27-24 win in Boulder in 2015.
NUTS AND BOLTS:
Kickoff: 2:05 p.m., Folsom Field.
Broadcast: The game will be televised nationally by Fox with Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman and Holly Sonders. The radio broadcast will be carried by AM 850 KOA with Mark Johnson, Gary Barnett and Andy Lindahl.
In-game live blog, stats: A live in-game blog as well as continually updated statistics will be available on www.CUBuffs.com
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
