BOULDER — Colorado’s Alex Kinney will play against his hometown team Saturday when the Buffaloes battle Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, but the Fort Collins native knows CSU fans will be a lot happier to see him on the field than CU folks.
That’s how it is for punters.
“Nobody ever wants to see me out there,” the true freshman said. “That means the offense didn’t do what they should. But once you’re out there, you’ve got to stay focused and do your best.”
A graduate of Rocky Mountain High School who was a Denver Post All-Colorado selection last year, Kinney was class.
“I never really grew up a Ram fan,” Kinney said. “I’d go to their games, but I’d go to CU games also.”
Kinney has had a rough start to his college career. His first college punt in the season opener at Hawaii was blocked, although it wasn’t his fault because there was miscommunication in the protection scheme and a rusher came through untouched. Last week against Massachusetts, he averaged only 29.2 yards per punt.
CU coach Mike MacIntyre would prefer to have redshirted Kinney, but he needed him this year because four-year punter Darragh O’Neill graduated.
“I thought he would have some growing pains,” MacIntyre said of Kinney. “All true freshmen do. He has a strong leg. He’s shown that sometimes. He’s starting to get more and more comfortable. I think Alex is going to be an excellent kicker; he’s just got to keep working at it.”
This may be an area of concern Saturday in what is projected as a close game because CSU has dangerous returners in Joe Hansley and Deionte Gaines. Hansley scored on a 74-yard punt return against CU two years ago.
“We’ve covered kicks really well,” MacIntyre said. “We’ve got to keep doing it. Hansley made a big return against us a couple times. Deionte is very, very elusive and quick and athletic. Our kickers are going to have to put the ball in places where it’s harder for them to return it.”
CU’s kicking game is all new this season. Sophomore Chris Graham (kickoffs) kicked only twice last season. Junior place-kicker Diego Gonzalez kicked only once last season, and that was a kickoff. Gonzalez is 4-for-4 on field goals this season, his longest a 40-yarder. Six of Graham’s 14 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks, and the average starting yard line on returned kicks has been the 24.
Kinney said MacIntyre has been “real supportive” while he works out the kinks in his kicking.
“I haven’t really been competing to my full potential, but he understands that sometimes you have off days and sometimes you’ve just got to get the nerves out,” Kinney said. “He has a lot of confidence in me and I appreciate that.”
Kinney conceded he was nervous in the Hawaii game, when he averaged 36 yards per punt, but the problems last week were less nerves and more technical.
“The first one, it just wasn’t a good hit, dropped it outside,” Kinney said of a 16-yarder in the first quarter. “One (22 yards) was a close opportunity (deep in UMass territory) and it just bounced back. The (next) one was pretty good (46 yards), and I just mis-hit the last one (33 yards). Obviously we need to get the average up. We need to perform better, but we’re working on that. It’ll come.”
Kinney is excited about playing for the first time at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
“I’ve never played in front of that many fans, and I’ve got all my friends coming down for it. I think it will be a great experience.”
Three key 2015 Rocky Mountain Showdown story lines:
1) Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.
A big issue for Colorado State so far. In two games, the Rams have lost six fumbles and thrown three interceptions. The nine giveaways rank last (127th) among FBS schools. Colorado has committed three turnovers (tied for 63rd), with two lost fumbles and one interception. Defensively, both CSU and CU have forced four turnovers so far this season, which is tied for 31st-best among FBS schools after two games.
2) Whose running game will be more successful?
The Buffs rolled for 390 yards on the ground against UMass last week and rank ninth in the nation in average yards per game. But is the running game that good, or was the Minutemen’s demoralized defense that bad? Michael Adkins II ranks 38th in FBS with 209 yards rushing. CSU enters at No. 62, averaging 194.5 yards per game. But that includes 172 yards last week against a stout Minnesota defense.
3) Which great wide receiver comes out on top?
If CSU’s consensus All-American, Rashard Higgins, right, plays (he sat out the Minnesota game last week because of an ankle injury), he and CU senior Nelson Spruce will give this game star power at wideout. Can the Rams slow Spruce? Can the Buffs stop Higgins? Either player is capable of taking over the game.
John Meyer: jmeyer@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnmeyer
Rocky Mountain Showdown History
Rams vs. Buffs 5 p.m. Saturday, Sports Authority Field; TV: CBSSN
Colorado State and Colorado meet in football for the 87th time Saturday, with CU leading the series 62-22-2. This is the 15th time they will meet in Denver, where the Buffaloes hold an 8-6 advantage. Mike MacIntyre is 1-1 against CSU as CU’s head coach and 3-1 against the Rams overall; CSU’s Mike Bobo hasn’t faced CU as a head coach. A look at the teams’ last five meetings:
2014: CSU 31, CU 17
Key to CSU’s win: Dee Hart ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns and Treyous Jarrells contributed 121 yards and one TD.
| CSU | CU | |
| Total yards | 400 | 375 |
| Rushing | 266 | 134 |
| Passing | 134 | 241 |
| Final record | 10-3 | 2-10 |
2013: CU 41, CSU 27
Key to CU’s win: Connor Wood passed for 400 yards and three touchdowns.
| CSU | CU | |
| Total yards | 295 | 513 |
| Rushing | 94 | 113 |
| Passing | 201 | 400 |
| Final record | 8-6 | 4-8 |
2012: CSU 22, CU 17
Key to CSU’s win: Jared Roberts kicked three field goals, including 48- and 32-yarders in the fourth quarter to rally the Rams from a 17-16 deficit.
| CSU | CU | |
| Total yards | 298 | 245 |
| Rushing | 125 | 58 |
| Passing | 173 | 187 |
| Final record | 4-8 | 1-11 |
2011: CU 28, CSU 14
Key to CU’s win: Tyler Hansen passed for 215 yards and two TDs to lead the Buffs.
| CSU | CU | |
| Total yards | 243 | 360 |
| Rushing | 67 | 145 |
| Passing | 176 | 215 |
| Final record | 3-9 | 3-10 |
2010: CU 24, CSU 3
Key to CU’s win: The Buffs’ defense intercepted three Pete Thomas passes.
| CSU | CU | |
| Total yards | 245 | 307 |
| Rushing | 49 | 115 |
| Passing | 186 | 192 |
| Final record | 3-9 | 5-7 |
