BOULDER — Cornerbacks Parker Orms and Paul Vigo don’t know which was harder — watching Colorado’s secondary getting torched every week or knowing why they were watching from the stands.
If it’s not too late — Colorado stands 1-9 and 0-6 in the Pac-12 with three games left — the two sophomores want to make it up to the team. They’ll get a chance at 12:30 p.m. Saturday when they return to the field after their four-game suspensions to beef up a battered secondary against Arizona (2-7, 1-6) at Folsom Field.
“We pretty much let our team down,” Vigo said. “We weren’t there for them.”
One of the great secrets on campus is what Orms, Vigo, Ayodeji Olatoye, Josh Moten and Makiri Pugh, all cornerbacks, and linebacker Liloa Nobriga did to get suspended. The school officially called it “failing to meet the expectations of being a member of the team.”
While Olatoye, Nobriga and Pugh won’t return this year, Moten, Orms and Vigo did enough, like coming in and working out on their own. Moten returned Oct. 10 and Orms and Vigo officially returned last week but didn’t play against Southern California.
How welcome is Orms? There’s a good chance he’ll start.
“I just told them that they were back and this is an opportunity,” first-year coach Jon Embree said. “Sometimes you don’t get second chances. Not being around their teammates affected them some too.”
Orms was scheduled to start in August before being slowed by injuries. Then came the Oct. 6 suspension.
“We weren’t warned at all,” Orms said. “It just came up. We were kind of confused about what happened, but we have to take responsibility for the whole thing. It was fair punishment. Coach made it clear what he wants.”
Vigo learned a painful lesson.
He has played mostly on special teams, but looking at the decimation of the secondary, he likely would have played a lot.
“You have to be accountable, responsible and definitely (show) leadership,” Vigo said. “That’s what it came down to. You have to take responsibility for the things that you do and we have to set examples since we’re among the older guys on the secondary.”
When sophs are the veterans, it explains the secondary’s current mess. With suspensions and injuries, Colorado has already given up 28 touchdown passes, a school record. Orms’ reward for returning is facing Arizona quarterback Nick Foles, a projected first-round NFL draft choice.
It’s a tough assignment after sitting out five games (four of them on suspension).
“I feel pretty good with the plays and all that,” Orms said. “I need to get my feet underneath me sometimes and hopefully Saturday it all comes together and we have some fun.”
If they sound optimistic, they are. They have no choice.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@denverpost.com,
