PERSPECTIVE
CU home team rules on TV
If there’s one point of agreement among Colorado and Colorado State fans this week, it is relief that CU is the home team and brings its TV rights. That means FSN (and not the Mtn.) will broadcast the game in high definition (664 Comcast, 97 DirecTV, 364 Dish). Last year, when CSU was the designated home team, a last-minute scramble put the game on nationally distributed Versus.
If there’s a second point of agreement, it is the 10 a.m. kickoff is a tad early, especially for folks coming from Boulder and Fort Collins. Obviously, school administrators want as few waking hours as possible before kickoff to cut down on the pregame alcohol intake. Late-afternoon or early
evening kickoffs ask for more trouble.
However, there’s a certain prestige involved in prime time. This year, FSN’s 5 p.m. kickoff is another Big 12 team, Oklahoma in what should be an early knockout of North Texas.
There was a time CU-CSU was automatic for ESPN — either through the Big 12 or former Mountain West contract — with the 2002 and 2003 thrillers on ESPN2 and ESPN, respectively.
Rather than entirely blame TV (a full-time sport in the MWC), remember these are two once-proud teams coming off a combined 6-18 record.
— Natalie Meisler
WAITING FOR J-FLY TO FLY
Flashy freshman receiver on the rebound
Freshman wide receiver Josh Smith, one of the stars of the first two weeks of preseason practice, was challenging for starting spot before bruising a kidney Aug. 18 when he ran into a Folsom Field retaining wall on a passing route. “It hurts me being on the sidelines, because I really want to play football,” said Smith, a 6-foot, 185-pounder with sprinter’s speed. “I want to be able to help my team as much as I can.” Coaches had talked about hoping he would be able to play in the third game of the season, against Florida State on Sept. 15 in Boulder. “Nobody is putting any pressure on me (to play), so we’ll just see,” Smith said. “I’m just extremely lucky it wasn’t worse.”
LIGHTNING A BLESSING IN DISGUISE?
“Secret stuff” still under wraps
It is still August, and CSU really needed an indoor facility Tuesday. No snow. No cold. Just a lightning threat on the practice field warning system.
So the Rams went indoors — offense to an intramural gym, defense to the main Moby Arena gym. By 5 p.m. the skies were clear, but it was too late to set up outside.
CSU coach Sonny Lubick, who normally rails about the lack of an indoor facility, said it was all planned: “We closed practice. We put our secret stuff in, and we’re ready to go.”
Actually, it wasn’t quite the crisis of missing Tuesday practice in most game weeks because the Rams had a full practice Monday, which usually is a brief warm-up after a Saturday game.
CSU quarterback Caleb Hanie said although he wasn’t happy that he was hindered from airing it out, “it was not a wasted day. Our offensive line had a lot of good looks.”
SERIES HISTORY
CSU’s win brings them to tears
CSU 41, CU 14 (Denver police 1, CSU band 0)
Sept. 4, 1999, Denver, 73,438 in attendance
Starting with Rick Crowell’s 54-yard interception return, one
of six turnovers captured by CSU, the Rams made up for 13
years of frustration in the series. Kevin McDougal ran for 190
yards and two scores, one on a 59-yard run.
The Buffs didn’t get on the board until the fourth quarter,
spoiling Gary Barnett’s CU coaching debut.
Sonny Lubick, 0-4 against CU before this game, made a victory
leap resembling the classic photo of Jim Valvano looking for
someone to hug after the 1983 NCAA basketball title game.
CSU fans attempting to storm the field were met by tear gas.
The next day, the score was spray-painted on the Interstate 25
exit sign to campus.
RESPECT FOR ENVIRONMENT
“I had a little sense about this rivalry (having grown up with) Idaho against Boise State. There’s not 70,000 people at that one, but you get 35,000 and another 20,000 in the parking lot who are talking trash and people are hating each other. When I came out here, it was really awesome to see that same environment, maybe even a little more so.” – University of Colorado redshirt freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins
THE GREAT INDOORS
“We saved money on sunscreen.” – Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick, on going indoors for practice
