AMES, Iowa — With another losing season and being eliminated from bowl eligibility, what motivation does Colorado have left?
Plenty, CU players said Saturday following a frustrating seven-point loss at Iowa State. The Buffaloes dropped to 3-7 (2-4 in Big 12 play) with two games remaining. A minimum of six victories is required for bowl eligibility.
Junior receiver Scotty McKnight said, in trying times like these, he compares football with life.
“When dealt adversity in life, you’ve got to battle back and finish strong,” McKnight said. “It’s all about pride, from here on out.
“We have to have pride and look at the tradition that’s (at Colorado). We just haven’t lived up to expectations of how to play football here. It’s disappointing. But we have to battle back and win these last two games.”
Colorado, which has not finished with a winning record in four seasons under Dan Hawkins, plays Thursday night in an ESPN-televised game at Oklahoma State and then finishes at home in the annual day-after-Thanksgiving battle with Nebraska.
“Pride, a little bit of heart,” sophomore receiver Markques Simas said, when asked what the Buffs will play for during the final two weeks. “I know we can’t go to a bowl game, but we can (get close to) a winning record.”
“We just can’t give up,” sophomore tailback Rodney Stewart added.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Hansen said the upcoming game Thursday provides CU an opportunity to show a national television audience that “we’re still here. We’re still a good team. And then we’ve got ‘The Big Red’ (Nebraska). So we still have a lot to play for.”
Hawkins said he has no doubts his players will continue to work hard.
“Our guys will go, they will,” Hawkins said. “They have a chance to play a great (Oklahoma State) team this week, another great opportunity to show what we’re about.
“Those guys will rise. They’re fighters.”
Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn, who was on the trip, was asked after the game about his observations of CU’s performance and his thoughts about the future of the program. Bohn declined to comment.
“There’s a lot of frustration,” Simas said. “With all the preparation we do, when things don’t go your way, it’s hard to get over that.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
