No rest for CU Buffs football, which welcomes another Power 5 opponent in Minnesota

Colorado choky extremity Brady Russell spent portion of Sunday reviewing the Buffaloes’ nonaccomplishment to Texas A&M from the time before.

“After that, I forgot astir the game,” helium said. “I moved connected beauteous quick.”

He and the Buffaloes person nary choice.

While CU (1-1) came painfully adjacent to knocking disconnected then-No. 5 Texas A&M and the sting of the 10-7 nonaccomplishment volition linger, there’s different large obstacle successful the Buffaloes’ mode this week.

Minnesota (1-1) volition beryllium successful Boulder connected Saturday for an 11 a.m. kickoff astatine Folsom Field (TV: Pac-12 Networks) and the Buffs’ attraction is present connected the Golden Gophers.

“We’ve got our sights connected Minnesota,” caput manager Karl Dorrell said Tuesday. “They’re a truly bully team.”

There’s nary remainder for the Buffs, who are facing Power 5 non-conference opponents successful back-to-back weeks for the archetypal clip since 2008. It’s the archetypal clip CU has played aggregate Power 5 teams successful the non-conference docket since 2011.

CU is 1 of lone 13 Power 5 schools to docket astatine slightest 2 specified games this play — though the assertive scheduling is the caller normal. Between 2022 and ’31, CU has 28 of 30 non-conference spots filled and 15 are against Power 5 teams (17 erstwhile counting Houston, which volition articulation the Big 12 by 2024).

Counting Houston, CU has astatine slightest 2 Power 5 opponents connected the non-conference docket successful 7 of 8 seasons from 2021-28.

“I’m successful favour of it, peculiarly erstwhile this confederation (with the ACC and Big Ten) kicks in,” Dorrell said. “It’s going to beryllium precise similar. The non-conference docket is going to beryllium a Big 10 opponent, an ACC opponent, truthful we’ve got to get our programme astatine a level wherever it’s acceptable to vie each week against a Power 5 program. That’s the absorption we’re heading.

“We’ve got to support bringing this programme forward, support processing our players and bringing successful bully recruits and worldly similar that. There’s a batch of worldly that we person to proceed to enactment truly hard astatine to get this spot wherever it should be. I’m excited astir that, actually.”

No clip similar present to get that started, arsenic the Buffs person to rapidly determination connected from facing 1 of the champion teams successful the SEC to a talented squad from the Big Ten.

Minnesota went conscionable 3-4 during the disjointed 2020 play but was 11-2 2 years ago. And, the Gophers, who returned respective starters from past year, battled No. 9 Ohio State successful the opener earlier losing, 45-31.

“I deliberation they played Ohio State truly well,” Dorrell said. “I cognize they astir apt felt that they didn’t play arsenic good past week (in a 31-26 triumph against Miami-Ohio), but I’m definite they’ll beryllium moving connected getting immoderate things fixed.”

The Buffs are moving connected fixing things, arsenic well, arsenic they anticipation to physique upon the effort against A&M.

“The bottommost line, we weren’t capable to decorativeness the crippled the mode that we request to, but I deliberation with a young team, we’ll get a accidental to larn from that acquisition and physique connected it,” Dorrell said. “From the assemblage of work, I felt our defence played truly well. That kept america successful a game. Offensively, we person to beryllium capable to find much opportunities to people immoderate points and person immoderate 3rd downs and get immoderate continuity there. We’ll enactment connected those things successful large item this week.

“We had a truly bully commencement of the week with this Tuesday practice.”

Russell is 1 of the seasoned leaders who are doing their champion to marque definite determination is nary affectional letdown aft a hard-fought crippled against the Aggies, and helium was besides impressed with Tuesday’s practice.

“I effort to bash this each day, but I travel retired with truthful overmuch vigor and I effort to get the guys astir maine fired up each time for signifier similar it’s the archetypal time of autumn campy oregon similar it’s the archetypal game,” helium said. “I privation to person the aforesaid nonstop vigor (every week) connected a Tuesday signifier and the aforesaid strength and the aforesaid focus. This Tuesday was overmuch amended than past Tuesday. Hopefully, that’s a reflection of what’s to travel this weekend.”

The Buffs are anxious and assured and antiaircraft lineman Na’im Rodman said the squad has really rallied since the nonaccomplishment to A&M.

“I consciousness similar the vibe is that it made everybody closer, and it benignant of taught america we’ve got to propulsion each other,” Rodman said. “It besides pushed our enactment to benignant of fto america cognize that we’ve got to reset, we’ve got to larn from this, and past we’ve conscionable got to physique connected it.”