Editor’s note: This transcript is from a live chat that took place Thursday, August 30. This transcript is unedited.
DPO Admin: The chat with Tom and Natalie will begin at 12 noon. Feel free to chat with each other now though. – 11: 49 AM
Natalie Meisler: hi. I’m here – 11: 49 AM
Tom Kensler: I’m here too – 11: 51 AM
Jenny: Do you agree that college football in Colorado is a sorry state, i.e. Kiszla? – 11: 51 AM
Natalie Meisler: Definitely down, but not quite that sorry. Face it, other states have bigger budgeted schools. – 11: 53 AM
Tom Kensler: Hi Jenny: I think CU, CSU and Air Force all have a chance to at least 6-6 and become bowl eligible, Wyoming too. – 11: 55 AM
BoT: How unusual is it to have a son of a head coach start at QB? Appearance of nepotism there, no? – 11: 56 AM
JoeyB: what are your thoughts on playing the CU-CSU game once every 3rd year at INVESCO with the other two years in Boulder and Fort Collins…it works for Auburn/Alabama, why not here? – 11: 58 AM
Joel: Natalie…Can you verify CSU’s true starting O-line for Saturday and in your opinion, how has the unit looked in practice? – 11: 58 AM
oilcanboyd: csu is so below cu. nebraska is cu’s real rival. this the one time each year that csu is considered legitimate. then they go back to the wac/mtn west whatever. but i am worried about this game. what are the odds for this game? is cu worried? they shouldn’t be normally but it is a down year – 11: 59 AM
Dave: I’m a Ram fan and actually worried that we are favored. It seems like the underdog always wins this game. Thoughts? – 12: 00 PM
Dave: Oilcan: Last year you were below Montana State. Think about it. – 12: 01 PM
JoeyB: Dave…we are not favored…we are a +2.5 dog. – 12: 01 PM
Joel: Dave…look again, CSU is the underdog (+3). – 12: 01 PM
JoeyB: OilCanBoyd…you contradicted yourself….start pouring your bloddy mary’s now! – 12: 03 PM
Dave: All of a sudden, I’m not worried…. – 12: 04 PM
Lucky Jones: The rivalary is overrated. Both teams are not that good. – 12: 04 PM
JoeyB: where’s Woody Paige when you need him? – 12: 04 PM
Jones: It’s not overrated if you happen to be a Coloradoan, student or alum of either school. – 12: 05 PM
oilcanboyd: you’re right. both teams are down this season. but only one has a national championship to their credit – 12: 06 PM
JoeyB: will Kyle Bell be used more as a decoy using the play action and Kory Sperry gets the big numbers? Plus…saves Kyle for CAL? – 12: 07 PM
OllieP: Is the reason the game is so early because of drinking? Doesn’t that just give everyone more hour to get liquored post-game? – 12: 07 PM
Dave: If it’s overrated, why are you here? – 12: 07 PM
Dave: My tailgate will begin at 6: 30 am. – 12: 08 PM
JoeyB: OllieP…game is early due to TV nothing to do with the drinking topic…striclty TV – 12: 08 PM
oldc: Oilcan is living in the past. You can’t live off of that national champion team forever. CU would finish last even in the MWC – 12: 08 PM
Nick: seriously, 10 am is wayyyy to early. jim armstrong is right. they should call it the Bloody Mary Bowl instead of the showdown – 12: 09 PM
JoeyB: where’s Natalie and Tom? – 12: 10 PM
Dave: Bell as a decoy is an interesting thought. They will use him for sure, but rest assured that Sonny has some tricks up his sleeve just for this game. Nobody is looking past CU and thinking of Cal. – 12: 11 PM
Matt N: Do you consider cu csu biggest rival – 12: 12 PM
Tom Kensler: Jenny, are you still there? What do you think about the prospects for Front Range teams? – 12: 12 PM
JoeyB: Dave…Bell must be healthy for MWC play in order for us to got to a bowl…I say they limit him to 15 to 18 carries in the first 3 weeks – 12: 12 PM
Jones: Maybe they saw that us idiots were here and decided to go to lunch instead? – 12: 12 PM
/Rob: Pretty funny Jones. Maybe so… – 12: 13 PM
Fight Fight Fight: Eye opener @ 6: 10 am Enter the game @ 9: 30am Walkout singing the fight song @ 2: 00pm – 12: 13 PM
Natalie Meisler: joel _ Allotta at guard, Walter center. Shelly Smith other guard. sorry folks we had a glitch – 12: 13 PM
dingleberry: Hey, have you seen the JimmyTube video with Bell? That dude is going to have a big year. – 12: 14 PM
Joel: Good question Joey! LOL! – 12: 14 PM
WYO15: CU had a few down season but the are still a better team than csu by far. csu will have enough problems this season competing with the likes of BYU TCU and Wyoming – 12: 14 PM
Dave: How many CU players will be playing/starting in their first collegiate game on Saturday? – 12: 15 PM
Natalie Meisler: JoeyB _ I knew you’d be here. When Kyle Bell says he wants to carry 30 times, I’d say he’s going to carry 30 times. Face he’s not a decoy for any other backs. – 12: 15 PM
CU4Life: Tom in your opinion what do you see as being the biggest difficulty for each team headed into Sat.? – 12: 15 PM
Joel: Natalie…will Wade Landers play Saturday? Heard an interview with Kory Sperry on the radio, and he mentioned Tommie Hill as being the starter opposite of Nading. True? – 12: 16 PM
Natalie Meisler: wyo15 _ Good luck with Cavs – 12: 16 PM
Nick: tom, natalaie: will this game be high scoring? the defenses don’t seem as good as the offenses. between hawkins and charles at cu and bell at csu (i don’t know what else they have) the offenses seem pretty good – 12: 16 PM
Tom Kensler: I like Bloody Mary Bowl, but TV rules, no question about that. Will be interesting to see if the fans on either side are awake enough to be a factor. – 12: 16 PM
Natalie Meisler: Joel _ Thanks for joining the conversation. They said yesterday it’s Tommie Hill. Vomhof may surprise and get in there. – 12: 16 PM
WYO15: Tom kensler I feel that Wyoming is going to be one of the more talented teams in the front range behind colorado. as for csu they will finish middle of the pack with air force in the bottem of the MWC – 12: 17 PM
Natalie Meisler: Nick _ Well both offenses can’t be any worse thean they were a year ago. I’m thinking the series is overdue for another high scoring game – 12: 18 PM
CU4Life: Cody Hawkins? Nick Nelson? or Bernard Jackson? Who do you 2 start? – 12: 18 PM
Tom Kensler: thanks for the question CU4life. I could see CU’s defensive front getting worn down by Kyle Bell because suspensions have thinned the Buffs defense. CSU’s linebacking corps isn’t especially fast, so CU’s motion, misdirection and short routes could pose a problem. – 12: 19 PM
JDGoldenRamFan: What’s the record between the two teams when it is at Mile High? – 12: 19 PM
WYO15: natalie the UW and UVA will be tough game but with last years close lose and a better returning team UW has a great shot to win – 12: 20 PM
Let’s Go Rammin’: Natalie: In your opinion, how much of a difference does Dave Lay make on the team this year? – 12: 21 PM
Tom Kensler: I like Wyo’s QB Karsten Sween. Strong lefty thrower. He can carry the Cowboys to some victories, but I’m not sure if Wyo’s defense is good enough to beat the top teams — although certainly looked great last year vs. Utah. – 12: 21 PM
JDGoldenRamFan: CSU vs CU when game played at Mile High to clarify – 12: 21 PM
Natalie Meisler: rams lead 4-3 – 12: 21 PM
Tom Kensler: Nick, I really would be surprised if it’s low-scoring. I think both offenses will move the ball. – 12: 22 PM
JDGoldenRamFan: I was a student at CSU when Dave Lay was there….much better team then. They need Larry Kerr back also, he should be Sonny’s successor when he retires. – 12: 23 PM
WYO15: I think the defense will be better this due it is the second year in the new defensive scheme. and with to talented running backs will help wyo control the clock – 12: 23 PM
Natalie Meisler: Rammin _ all the difference in the world. He’s working the OL very hard and wasn’t afraid to scrap the lineup with just two weeks left in camp. He’ll get every set up perfectly for Bell to succeed. Sonny really seems to enjoy having him back – 12: 23 PM
Dave: WYO: Come back tomorrow, there’s a special chat lined up just for you… – 12: 24 PM
oldc: Can CU win on Hawkins arm alone? I’m not convinced that CU will be able to run against the Rams experienced defense. – 12: 25 PM
JDGoldenRamFan: Thanks Nataile….lets keep the game at Mile High ;0 for obvious reasons! CU & Boulder can get over it….the merchants make enough money of the students and town as it is. – 12: 25 PM
Natalie Meisler: JD NO argument on Kerr. But he’s not made very good career moves since leaving CSU and if he couldn’t get the Montana State job, I think he’s going to stay an assistant for the duration – 12: 25 PM
Tom Kensler: Hi Dave, You’ve got three redshirt-freshman starters in QB Cody Hawkins, WR Scotty McKnight and LF Wes Pallazi. MLB RJ Brown is a junior but only has played special teams. SS Daniel Dykes has two years Division I-AA experience at Idaho. Where CU really gets young is when subs are needed. – 12: 26 PM
Chaz: Go Cav’s. I like our defense and a good but not great running game. I believe it will come down to the wire and one with the ball last will win. Both have losts of offense and some concerns on defense. – 12: 26 PM
Natalie Meisler: chaz _ Cavs don’t have a chance if it goes down to the wire in Laramie’s thin air. – 12: 28 PM
JDGoldenRamFan: Cody Hawkins first game as a collegiate athlete in Div I will be at Mile High in front of a full house….don’t u CU fans think he may be little nervous/intimidated? – 12: 28 PM
Tom Kensler: OldC: CU’s running game looked much better in August than it did during spring drills, primarily because the light seemed to come on for redshirt freshman Demetrius Sumler. Hugh Charles will start, but I think Sumler will a lot of work Saturday. – 12: 28 PM
oldc: I don’t see that CU has loads of offense, and I think CSU has more questions on the O-line than any defensive position – 12: 29 PM
Joel: What kind of UVA fan calls his team the Cavs? I thought they were the Hoos! 😉 – 12: 29 PM
Dave: Thanks, Tom. Given this, it’s amazing CU is favored. – 12: 29 PM
Natalie Meisler: This is the cu-csu game board. Cavs/Hoos, whatever, stay in your own heat and humidity. Worst environment I’ve ever been in for a game was csu at UVa in ’02 – 12: 30 PM
Natalie Meisler: This is the cu-csu game board. Cavs/Hoos, whatever, stay in your own heat and humidity. Worst environment I’ve ever been in for a game was csu at UVa in ’02 – 12: 30 PM
Jones: Echo….ECHO – 12: 31 PM
CaliforniRam: Natalie—different aura about CSU this year than last considering the Hammer situation, Marc Lubick situation, Kyle Bell, etc.? Seems like this team should come out blazing. – 12: 32 PM
Natalie Meisler: Calif _ Exactly. The Rams are unusually loose for CU week. Every one seems to be concentrating on this year, not last. – 12: 33 PM
DPO Admin: Tom and Natalie may need to sign off at some point, but we will keep this forum going until 2 p.m. for folks who want to keep chatting. – 12: 34 PM
Natalie Meisler: I’ll stick around a few more minutes. I want to thank everyone for joining. – 12: 34 PM
Tom Kensler: Dave, I was surprised to see CU favored in Vegas. I thought it would be a toss-up. Oddsmakers probably give Buffs an edge coming from a BCS conference. But we’ve seen that doesn’t mean much in this rivalry. – 12: 35 PM
Joel: Hey Natalie and Tom…what are your personal predictions for the game? Haven’t seen it in the paper. – 12: 36 PM
CSU Jack: Curious. CSU has so many returning starters, but these players dropped 7 straight last year. Bad leadership? Did they quit? I’m optimistic for the year due to the team’s expereince, but also keeping optimism in check considering these players melted down last year. Thoughts? – 12: 38 PM
Natalie Meisler: i say 27-23 rams, tom says 30-27 buffs. aren’t we both homers! – 12: 38 PM
Tom Kensler: I’m putting 30-27 Colorado in tomorrow’s paper, with one of Hawkins’ gadget plays setting up the winning field goal. Figure he will use more of his old Boise State playbook this year. – 12: 38 PM
Joel: Interesting predictions. Seems like you both think the offenses will put up points on each opponent’s pretty good D. Thanks for the chat! – 12: 40 PM
Natalie Meisler: last year’s team didn’t have much sr. leadiership and confidence just broke down midway through the losing streak. I see a lot more resolve this year – 12: 40 PM
oldc: A strong running game helps keep that defense off the field, the Rams missed that last year. Expect them to be fresh and ready to meet the challenge this year – 12: 41 PM
The Mace: Has CSU addressed the issues on O-Line they had season? – 12: 42 PM
Natalie Meisler: OldC _ Still not sold on the O-line and CSU has too many receiving outlets to toally ignore the passing game – 12: 43 PM
Natalie Meisler: Mace _ They’ve really worked on the interior but you’ve got two new OTs, including Adrian Martinez who was a guard until two weeks ago. – 12: 45 PM
oldc: The Big-O is a big “if”, but an experienced qb and receivers will help them by keeping the pressure off up front – 12: 46 PM
Tom Kensler: Sorry, somebody asked earlier which quarterback I’d choose if I were the CU coach. After watching about 30 practices, there’s no doubt in my mind that Cody deserved to get the starting job. He’s been extremely accurate and isn’t afraid to call out upper-classman receivers if they run a wrong route. – 12: 46 PM
Tom Kensler: I need to get back to work. This was fun. Thanks to all who participated. See you at the game. – 12: 48 PM
JDGoldenRamFan: I just don’t see CU coming out ready to go from the start, but may get it together by the second half…too little too late….CSU wins 30 – 27 – 12: 48 PM
Natalie Meisler: Time here also to get back to work. Thank you all again for coming. Don’t hesitate to email us. Enjoy what should be, as usual, a great game! – 12: 51 PM
oldc: I worry that both teams will be sloppy in the initial series of the game. An early start time coupled with some inexperience on both sides and a high pressure game could result in a little trouble for both sides – 12: 52 PM
oilcanboyd: ps, buffs 35, rams 10 – 1: 01 PM
Eric: If I am not mistaken, CU has a freshman starting at quaterback. CSU is going to eat his lunch. This is not even goig to be close. oildcanboyd must have had the score backwards – 1: 17 PM
