BOULDER — Coach Mike MacIntyre tried to make a big deal out of Colorado’s fledgling, force-fed rivalry with Utah, but he wasn’t very convincing.
“I do despise red,” he said at his weekly media luncheon Tuesday.
His Buffaloes (4-7, 1-7 Pac-12) visit Utah (4-7, 1-7) at noon Saturday with the only thing at stake being an escape from the South Division cellar. But since they both entered the Pac-12 two years ago, are scheduled as the last regular-season game and are neighbors, a rivalry was established.
But the league established it. USC-UCLA this is not. And MacIntyre and the players know it.
“I think our rival is Colorado State,” MacIntyre said. “That’s a big deal to us here.”
Tailback Michael Adkins III is a true freshman who grew up in San Diego. He sure doesn’t think Utah is a rival.
“CSU is our hugest rival as far as people on campus,” he said.
Added senior linebacker Derrick Webb: “I’d say our biggest rival would probably be Colorado State. Just because we’re new to the conference. Maybe later down the road the rival will be Utah or USC.”
John Henderson: jhenderson@denverpost.com or
