Has the Colorado football program forgotten how to win?
Based on the first two weeks of results, it appears so. The Buffs (0-2) took double-figure leads in the first half against Colorado State (14-3) and Sacramento State (14-0), lost momentum and then lost both games.
In two games in which they were a decided favorite, and CU fans had targeted as wins before the season, the Buffs scored 10 points, total, in the second halves. CU kicked a fourth-quarter field goal against Colorado State and scored a third-quarter touchdown in the devastating 30-28 home loss to Sacramento State on Saturday, a FCS member picked to finish ninth in the preseason Big Sky Conference poll.
Ten second-half points over a period of four quarters when close games are decided. That looks like a team not sure how to win.
CU players tried to put on a brave face after the debacle Saturday.
“We need to win the next three,” Buffs senior linebacker Jon Major said. “There is not anyone in that locker room that won’t come to work hard and expect to win from here on out.”
Colorado is at Fresno State this Saturday, then opens Pac-12 conference play at Washington State and is at home against UCLA.
But does Colorado remember how to string together a winning streak? Apparently, there wasn’t any carryover from beating Arizona and Utah at the end of the 2011 season in Jon Embree’s first season as coach.
It’s hard to imagine any college football team accepting defeat. But can a program and its fans become almost numb to it? It seems like ancient history since Colorado was expected to produce a winning season and challenge for championships, as it did from 2001-05 with four divisional titles and one Big 12 crown under coach Gary Barnett.
Colorado’s sports information department, searching for a positive, pointed out that since 1989 the Buffs rank 13th with 43 victories over teams ranked in either the media poll or coaches’ poll.
Colorado does indeed have a proud history of winning football. But when Embree and his staff chat up current recruits, he had better bring along a record book, because few teenagers remember CU’s glory days. Almost 11 years have passed since that memorable 62-36 pasting of Nebraska.
The Buffs haven’t posted a winning record since 2005, Barnett’s final season, when the Buffs limped to a 7-6 finish and Barnett couldn’t’t survive a 70-3 thrashing by Texas in the Big 12 title game.
That’s seven seasons since Colorado was at least able to celebrate a winning season during its football banquet. Current high school seniors being recruiting by the Buffs were in elementary school in 2005.
Where does Embree go from here? Expect changes to the depth chart this week, for one thing. Using so many freshmen in the first two games, several of whom leapfrogged experienced players, might be an indication that an all-out overhaul has begun.
Colorado fans are understandably upset. On message boards, some are calling for Embree to be fired after just 15 games. While that feels far too premature, it would behoove the program to start giving its faithful reasons to be optimistic.
The program’s recent history of disappointments only toughens that challenge.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280, tkensler@denverpost.com or
Road gets a lot tougher
After an 0-2 start with losses to CSU and Sacramento State, how many games does CU realistically have a chance to win? The Post looks at CU’s remaining schedule:
Sept. 15, at Fresno State: QB Derek Carr latest Bulldogs’ gunslinger
Sept. 22, at Washington State: Coogs struggling to learn Leachball
Sept. 29, UCLA: Much improved under Mora
Oct. 11, Arizona State: Osweiler’s successor looks good
Oct. 20, at Southern Cal: Ouch. Then comes …
Oct. 27, at Oregon: A track meet that could get ugly
Nov. 3, Stanford: Just put 50 up on Duke
Nov. 10, at Arizona: Already much better with RichRod
Nov. 17, Washington: QB Price tough customer
Nov. 23, Utah: Utes look beatable, with their QB Wynn injured again
