BOULDER — Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow.
And if not, Colorado coach Jon Embree said of Friday night’s home game against No. 21 Southern Cal, at least the temperatures will drop.
Cold weather can get to a team not accustomed to it, said Embree, who recalled his days as an assistant coach at UCLA (2003-07).
“I remember the first time we went up to Washington State, when I was at UCLA,” Embree said Tuesday during his weekly media luncheon. “We came out of the locker room like we were going snow boarding and I’m, like, ‘It’s (only) 40 degrees.’
“(Wintry weather) can help us. It definitely can. I know how the altitude affects things when it’s real cold. It can get your lungs good.”
Kickoff is 7 p.m. (ESPN) for the Buffaloes (1-8, 0-5 Pac-12) vs. Trojans (6-2, 3-2). It will mark the first Friday night home game ever for Colorado.
Embree wouldn’t mind it one bit if that snow storm scheduled for Saturday morning makes an earlier arrival — in time for Friday night’s game at Folsom Field.
“We need it all. I hope we get that Denver Bronco/Green Bay Packer kind of snow, where we have to paint the lines yellow and we have to keep shoveling it off every TV timeout,” Embree said. “I’d love that.”
Footnotes
Embree on Southern Cal junior quarterback Matt Barkley: “He reminds me of Mark Sanchez with (Barkley having) the bigger arm.”
…Surgery on CU freshman tailback Malcolm Creer to repair a torn ACL and MCL will be in December so Creer has time to strengthen the knee prior to the reconstruction, Embree said. Creer should be fully recovered by August camp, the coach said.
…As expected, Embree said senior Tyler Hansen will start at quarterback for the Buffs. Hansen, coming off a concussion, replaced redshirt freshman Nick Hirschman last weekend at Arizona State after two series.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
