Recapping Colorado Buffaloes and Pac-12 News, Links, and Stories, and Buffs Win!
Brooks: Buffs Win Third Omni Classic Championship - CUBuffs.com
Chucky Jeffery knew what was going on, but when Lexy Kresl heard herself being paged Saturday night at the Coors Events Center she wasn't sure why. She found out pretty quickly - and the reason was all good for her and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Jeffery recorded her 12th career double-double and Kresl scored a career-high 16 points to lead the CU women's basketball team to a 58-48 win against Wisconsin in the championship game of CU's Omni Hotels Classic.
The victory pushed the Buffs to 5-0 for the first time since the 2000-01 season and earned them their third consecutive Omni Classic title. Jeffery was named the tournament MVP for the second consecutive year while Kresl, a 5-11 freshman guard, also was selected to the all-tournament team.
Brooks: Buffs Freshmen Step Up Against Bulldogs - CUBuffs.com
Before Boyle stated the obvious – "It wasn’t pretty" – he emphasized a couple of points that were every bit as noticeable: "There’s a lot of room for improvement for this team – and that’s exciting . . . this was a great win for our program, especially where we are in the developmental stage."
He can say that with conviction, namely because he’s allowing big minutes for freshmen like Dinwiddie and Booker – and the new kids are responding. Taking Boyle’s and his teammates’ advice to heart, Dinwiddie opened aggressively with a three-pointer from the left wing for CU’s first points and went on to score a career-high 16 and tied a career high with seven rebounds. Dinwiddie said those are the kinds of numbers he expects from himself, and when they weren’t showing up "it was rough . . . but I thank my teammates and my coach for believing in me."
CU Buffs defense delivers gritty performance - Buffzone
Through grit, determination and a little help from the doctors, they gutted out a stellar effort against the Utes.
Perkins, who came up with a critical forced fumble late in the game, wasn't about to spend his final college game on the sideline. He acknowledged taking prescribed painkillers beforehand to allow him to play. He didn't take them all week before practices and he led the Buffs in tackles with 10. Sandersfeld also had 10 stops and Polk had seven.
There are too many links after the jump...Tad Boyle knew to stay positive, EDSBS has twenty-two new jobs for Slick Rick, more quips from the CU-Utah game...
Sophomore offensive tackle David Bakhtiari was named second team All-Pac-12, announced Monday by the league office after tabulating votes from each of the 12 member head coaches.
Stanford’s Andrew Luck was named the offensive player of the year with California linebacker Mychal Kendricks named the Pat Tillman defensive player of the year. Marqise Lee from USC and De’Anthony Thomas from Oregon were the co-freshmen offensive players of the year and Dion Bailey, a linebacker from USC, the freshman defensive player of the year. David Shaw of Stanford was named coach of the year.
Bakhtiari, a native of Burlingham, Calif., is the sole CU player on the first- or second-team, but five players earned honorable mention status including offensive guard Ethan Adkins, defensive end/jack linebacker Josh Hartigan, cornerback Greg Henderson, defensive lineman Will Pericak and linebacker Douglas Rippy.
CU Buffs-Utah Utes: A rivalry in the making - Buffzone
There wasn't much of a rivalry feel in Rice-Eccles Stadium early Friday afternoon before Colorado ended Utah's chances of winning the Pac-12 Conference South Division. But it seems safe to say there was a hint of bad blood emitting from the aftermath.
As Colorado players danced on the field following the third errant field goal of the game from Utah as time expired, some Utah fans in the stands behind the CU bench were seen throwing trash and other objects at CU players and coaches.
The Buffs hardly seemed to notice, probably more because they were celebrating their first victory on the road in four seasons. But it could have been because angry people in red on the day after Thanksgiving is nothing unusual.
And then there was the scene in the press box. Rooms on the press level are home to assistant coaches for both teams during the game and when the Buffs had secured victory, CU coaches emerged from their room on the way to the field hooting and hollering, with a few four-letter words thrown in.
Utah staffers did not react well to the outburst and longtime CU sports information director Dave Plati rose from his seat to calm things down, only to get into an minor argument of his own. Has it really been 49 years since these teams played?
RINGO: CU Buffs' Tad Boyle stays positive with players and it works - Buffzone
"I always say coaching is a lot like parenting," Boyle said. "The difference between a kick in the rear and a pat on the back is about six inches. I think you've got to know when to go low and when to go high. "Hopefully I'm getting better at that as I mature and grow as a coach." So following the poor performance at Air Force, Boyle let the entire team know he wasn't pleased with its performance and that it needed to get better in a hurry. Then he took freshmen Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker into a separate room and delivered this message to the two guards after their fifth college game. "I believe in you." The heart-to-heart talk and pat on the back from their coach caught both youngsters by surprise. Both said they were thinking too much on the court and not playing with the confidence they were used to at the high school level and AAU ball. The dose of encouragement seemed to inspire them when they took the floor against Georgia on Monday night at the Coors Events Center.
Mike Leach did not fly into Lawrence, Kansas on Sunday. Turner Gill was fired as head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, but Leach did not descend from the heavens, or Key West, shortly thereafter. The Leach signal was not put up and he certainly did not perk up as if there was a disturbance in the force, as far as we know.
Why An Alabama-LSU Rematch? Because Every Game Matters - SBNation.com
It's nice, in a way. No matter what the circumstances, we always have something to blame for our displeasure: the BCS. Too many bowls? Blame the BCS! Displeasing national title game? BCS! No playoff? BCS! Unemployment? BCS! Weight gain over the holidays? BCS! Those horrifying Target Christmas commercials? Et cetera.
TWENTY-TWO NEW JOBS FOR RICK NEUHEISEL - Every Day Should Be Saturday
1. Local Los Angeles Cable Access Show Host.
2. Bob Davie Stunt Double.
3. Mall Recording Studio Producer, Owner, and Operator
4. Really Inaccurate Running Coach. "Eat whatever you want, and I mean whatever: old magazines, batteries, dead mice, whatever."
5. Barker Beauty...
Photo Blog: Sent My Voided Check, UCLA Gear & Letter to Chancellor Block - Bruins Nation
A UCLA alums gets disgusted with the state of Bruin football program and sends Chancellor Gene Block a voided check, his UCLA gear and a personalized letter demanding regime change at UCLA.
Losing record? UCLA still wants a bowl - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Turns out UCLA wants to play in a bowl game, even without a coach and with the infamy of being a losing team back-dooring into the bowl season.
"It would be great opportunity to have one last crack at a win," Guerrero said.
Really?
PHOTO: Tommy Trojan Wrapped In Duct Tape For Protection - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
Look at all that duct tape. Someone must know that duct tape is the best invention ever and should be used for anything. In this instance, it appears that it is to protect Tommy Trojan from any rambunctious UCLA students who want to cause a bit of mischief.
Finally... Tommy Trojan has pants... sort-of.
Weekend rewind: Pac-12 - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Team of the week: Colorado didn't quit on its season, and it was rewarded -- finally -- with a 17-14 win at Utah, a victory that ended a 24-game losing streak outside the state of Colorado. It was a nice way for 26 seniors to go out -- with a smile after a long, difficult season -- and an even better way for the players who will be back to hit the offseason with some positive momentum. And, by winning, Colorado pushed UCLA into the Pac-12 championship game against Oregon. Wait. Is that good?
Best game: The Buffaloes' win over Utah wasn't decided until Utes kicker Coleman Petersen missed a 48-yard field goal try with two seconds remaining.
Thought of the week: It appears the Pac-12 will again get two teams in BCS bowl games. That's good news even if you're not a Stanford or Oregon fan. Why? Well, last year a second BCS bowl team meant an extra $6 million distributed to the conference on top of the $21.2 million the conference got for one berth. All the bowl money is divided evenly among the conference teams, so we're talking an extra $500,000 per team, which is nice.
Pac-12 power rankings: Week 14 - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
If you don't like where you are in the power rankings.... you should have played better.
10. Colorado: The Buffaloes showed heart on the season's final weekend at Utah, and 26 seniors go out as winners after ending a 24-game losing streak outside of their home state. That's a nice building block for the offseason, though it's clear this program has a ways to go.
Murphy-Stephans To Lead Pac-12 Networks > Pac12 > Pac-12 News
Lydia Murphy-Stephans, one of the most versatile and accomplished executives in the media industry, has been named Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Pac-12 Networks...
Halftime: Colorado 10, Utah 0 - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Well, who saw this coming?
Colorado, owners of the worst defense in the Pac-12, pitched a first half shutout and is leading 10-0 on the road, where it has lost 24 consecutive games. The Buffaloes outgained Utah 254 to 39 yards.
Their time of possessions advantage is 20:48 to 9:12. The half was complete domination by a 2-10 team inside the formidable house of a Utes squad that has won four in a row.
Brooks: ‘The Streak’ Is Finally Over!!!!! - CUBuffs.com - Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado
After Hansen took a knee, CU's road win streak was at one. "It's hard to win on the road," Embree said.
"To come in here and they're playing for the Pac-12 South and it's Senior Day for them . . . for us to come in and win under those conditions is just great. I want to play again. I like competing.
"I told the guys thank you . . . I've told them all I loved them at different times when they've gotten the wrath of coach Embree. But it's just because I love them and I expect more out of them than they expect out of themselves. I just wanted to see if they could reach their potential."
They did, but it required an entire season and a trip to a hostile venue. When it was over, Embree clutched the game ball throughout his press conference. He had told Hansen to hang onto it after the final snap, which Hansen was glad to do after quarterbacking his first road win.
Embree hopes to use Utah win as springboard - Buffzone
"I think it does a couple things," Embree said.
"It helps us with recruiting because really we've played well at times and we've shown flashes and as I've been telling recruits, it's not about what we are right now, it's what we're going to be. And they need to see us for that because we're going to be something. We are. I want kids who want to come here and be a part of that, and this win helps us."
This much we know right now, next fall the Colorado program will have a much larger Embree stamp on it. Embree is likely to add as many as 40 players to the roster in the offseason. He has 28 scholarships to award and will likely have the usual cast of about a dozen invited walk-ons. That number, combined with the 30 or so additions to the team he made in 2011, will give the program more players recruited by Embree than his predecessor. It will also mean a lot of young and inexperienced players will probably be on the field.
Coaches played 15 true freshman this fall. Only six schools at the Football Bowl Subdivision level played more. It's likely that at least that many could earn playing time once again in Embree's second season at the helm.
"And I'm going to start next week, there are probably eight guys I'm going to start doing some stuff with who are upperclassmen to help continue bridging the gap between the younger guys and them. I feel good about that stuff. I know they understand it because of how some things have gone in recruiting. ... I'm excited for the second season that starts on Sunday, going out and getting to see kids."
CU Buffs' spring practice to open March 10 - Buffzone
Colorado football fans would rather be waiting with nervous anticipation for a major bowl game this month instead of counting the days to spring football, but at least now they know how long the countdown will be for the Buffs to return to the gridiron.
Coach Jon Embree has scheduled the first spring practice for March 10. The Buffs will practice for approximately two weeks before taking a week off for spring break and then returning for the second half of spring ball. The spring game is slated for April 14.
Embree hopes to have the spring game at night for the second year in a row but weather could alter that schedule.
The new Pac-12 Conference Network will show all of the league's spring games in the future beginning in 2013.
Colorado-Utah Quotes - CUBuffs.com
"Our goal coming in here was to end our road losing streak, and that is what we did. It feels awesome."
"I am happy for our kids. Four years of not winning on the road has come to an end. We have a tradition of singing our fight song when we get off the airplane and now these kids will get to do that."
"I told Tyler [Hansen] to go out, relax and have fun. He played great today."
Go Buffs!