BOULDER — Colorado State’s 23-17 victory over Colorado in Boulder last year still sticks in the craw of many CU players, but perhaps none more than Marquez Herrod.
The senior defensive end hung a photo above his bed of CSU fans and players celebrating at Folsom Field. Included in the shenanigans was stomping on the CU Buffs logo at midfield.
“I think of that every single day,” Herrod said this week. “It was disrespectful. It bothers me very, very much. It gives me that much more motivation to come out this year and make sure that doesn’t happen again.
“It wouldn’t matter if we were playing them Saturday in a backyard; I just want to play against those guys.”
NFL can wait.
Although Colorado’s Nate Solder, the 6-foot-9, 315-pound behemoth from Buena Vista, is being talked about as a potential first- day NFL draft choice next spring, the senior left tackle said his focus always remains on the upcoming game.
Asked if he is already thinking about a career in pro football, Solder replied: “I love college football. And I’m going to be sorry if I don’t enjoy every second of it. I don’t know what’s going to happen next year or in the next 10 years. But I know this season I can give everything I’ve got. That’s so important to me.”
Footnotes.
As of Thursday afternoon, CU had 3,875 tickets available of its 37,000-seat allotment for Saturday’s game. . . . If the temperature at Invesco Field at Mile High reaches 90 degrees at noon, it would mark just the eighth CU game in history with heat that high at kickoff, according to the school’s sports information department. Two of those toasty games have been in the state of Colorado, the last being in 2001 against Fresno State in Boulder (91 at kickoff). . . . CU has had just two long snappers during the past eight years (Greg Pace from 2002-05, Justin Drescher from 2006-09) but could have a pair this year with senior Joe Silipo and freshman Ryan Iverson sharing the duties. . . . Surprising statistic of the week: While Dan Hawkins stands a ho-hum 2-2 for season openers at CU, the Buffs are a combined 12-for-12 in red-zone scoring (that is, from inside the 20-yard line) in those games. CU scored eight touchdowns and booted four field goals.
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
