BOULDER — This is not how it was supposed to end. Not for this class of 21 Colorado football seniors. Not after what happened last fall.
The defending Pac-12 South Division champion Buffaloes are 5-5 (2-5 Pac-12) entering their final home game at 2 p.m. Saturday against Southern California for Senior Day, and while CU players and coaches do their best not discuss or dwell on the urgency to reach a bowl game: “Itap obvious,” senior safety said, “everybody wants to go.”
And therein lies the silver lining of their still-pending legacy. Many seniors this fall were starters in 2016 for the Buffaloes’ historic rise from worst-to-first on path to the Pac-12 championship game, and they will be enshrined forever as program changers because of it. But will the final act of these 21 players be remembered as a fall from grace? Or will they be lauded for gritty resolve in becoming the first CU team to reach back-to-back bowls since 2004 and 2005?
Beating USC for the first time in program history (0-11) to earn a postseason berth would certainly shift the narrative. But as 13 1/2-point underdogs at home to the Trojans, a more likely CU turning point arrives Nov. 25 at Utah in the regular-season finale.
“There is still a lot of football left to play,” Laguda said. “We can still do something special.”
Ultimately, Laguda believes the program’s overall reputation shouldn’t be at stake should the Buffs fail or succeed to win a sixth game — “Colorado football has great history,” he said, “itap just going to grow” — but the consensus among players and coaches is to send the seniors out on a high note.
“I can’t really put a value mark on it because of what all they’ve done,” said CU coach of his senior class. “They came here and it was a very hard time (and) a very low point in the program. And they’ve made us extremely competitive all the time. Hopefully, we’ll win these last two games and be able to go to a bowl.”
SENIOR HONORS
There are 21 Colorado football players set to be honored for Senior Day against Southern California at 2 p.m. Saturday in Boulder.
RB Michael Adkins
CB Andrew Bergner
WR Bryce Bobo
DE Timothy Coleman
WR Kevin Dement
WR Shay Fields
DE/TE George Frazier
K Chris Graham
RB Tanner Grzesiek
LB Trent Headley
OL Jonathan Huckins
OL Jeromy Irwin
DE Leo Jackson
OL Gerrad Kough
S Afolabi Laguda
RB Phillip Lindsay
LB Derek McCartney
LB Bryan Meek
S Ryan Moeller
QB
WR Devin Ross