Buffs’ 500th at Folsom comes amid controversy
Rumors concerning the future of Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre are swirling throughout Boulder this week as the Buffaloes prepare to play host to Utah on Saturday in the 500th game in Folsom Field history.
The Buffs (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) look to snap the five-game losing streak that torpedoed a once-promising season that began with wins in their first five contests. Instead, now it’s No. 19 Utah (7-3, 5-3 Pac-12) that can claim its share of the Pac-12 South crown with a victory over their conference rival and an Arizona State loss to either Oregon or Arizona.
The Utes have won five of its last six games, tallying 40, 42, 41, 41 and 32 points, respectively, in those victories.
Compounding matters in Boulder is a report that surfaced late Monday night that suggested that Colorado and MacIntyre will part ways after the season.
Despite all the distractions, the Buffs insist they’re focused on the Utes and punching a bowl ticket.
“I think everyone is excited at the thought of winning this game and becoming bowl eligible,” senior free safety Nick Fisher said. “No one is going to feel like we lost because this is all we did. Guys are still excited. We want to win. We don’t want to go out losing seven-straight. The attitude of the team is really excited. We are ready. Anybody who has lost five just wants to get a win.”
If the rumors hold any validity, the Buffs can extend their time with MacIntyre by becoming bowl eligible with a win over Utah or California in Berkeley a week later. It would mark just the second time in MacIntyre’s six seasons at Colorado in which the Buffs qualified for the postseason — the only occurrence coming via a 38-8 loss to Oklahoma State in the 2016 Liberty Bowl. All told, MacIntyre is 30-43 overall with the Buffaloes.
Helping matters is the return of Laviska Shenault Jr. to the Colorado lineup. The sophomore rejoined the Buffs last week, hauling in 10 catches for 102 yards against Washington State after missing three-plus games with a turf toe injury. Shenault led the nation in receiving with 130 yards per game prior to the injury suffered against Southern California, the first of Colorado five-straight defeats.
The biggest key for the Buffs towards breaking their run of futility might simply be the ability to tune out the distractions, said linebacker Drew Lewis.
“You hear it all, all that stuff is hype,” Lewis said. “People on the outside are talking about that stuff. We don’t really consider it when we’re taking the field, ever. You can take it how you’d like, but to me, I’m still 100 percent motivated and excited to play in my last game at Folsom. At the end of the day, Coach Mac says it himself all the time: players make plays and players win games. It’s the players who are in control when game time comes.”