Teammates congratulate freshman full back George Frazier(18) following his touchdown run in the second quarter of play at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Buffs fell to 2-3 (0-2 in Pac-12 play) after the double-overtime loss. (Nigel Amstock/CU Independent)
Rewind to Media Day 2014: The major Division I programs at the University of Colorado sent their fresh-faced ambassadors forward to let everyone know just how successful the fall season would be in Buff country.
The football program saw its youth as an advantage, and head coach Mike MacIntyre saw more than a few Pac-12 wins in his program’s future.
“I definitely think we can win every game that we play,” MacIntyre said in July. “That’s what we want to do. I feel like we’re maturing. I think we’re competing better. I feel like we’re starting to understand the intensity and focus it takes to be successful week in and week out.”
Freshman middle blocker Anna Pfefferle (4) and senior outside hitter Taylor Simpson (16) celebrate after the last point during Thursday’s win against Utah. The Buffs started out 8-1 this season, but are now 9-5 (1-1 in conference play). (Elizabeth Rodriguez/ CU Independent)
Volleyball drew a calm confidence from its roster’s depth, and head coach Liz Kritza spent her recruiting energy on in-state talent: “We have some of the strongest players from the last few classes now in Colorado Buffs jerseys.”
Soccer banked on last year’s post-season momentum. Head coach Danny Sanchez was optimistic: “I think we jumped ahead a little bit further than we thought we would be. I think that last year maybe we snuck up on some people, especially early in the season.”
The realities for these programs entering Pac-12 conference play looked very different this past weekend than they did in Media Day’s crystal ball.
Let’s memorialize our recently fallen Buffs.
Colorado has managed two victories on the gridiron, but neither of those were within their conference. Arizona State, who was recently dropped from the AP Top 25, burned the Buffs in Folsom with a 38-24 final. The Golden Bears in Berkeley managed to mark Colorado as their first Pac-12 victory after a 59-56 win last Saturday. We’ve stressed improvement in recent articles, but the taste left in every fan’s mouth after this weekend’s loss is foul.
It’s important to support teams that are re-emerging from the ashes, but it’s hard to feign optimism for 12 weeks. Colorado fans are aching for something other than Nelson Spruce to brag about. Their game-day snacks and alcohol need to serve a higher purpose than drowning away the sorrows of defeat. And, not to re-open past wounds, but even the flatirons lose a little majesty when Colorado State manages an upset. To Coach Mac’s dismay, mid-season predictions for Colorado football will look bleak until a victory is penciled into the books.
An initial reaction to heartbreak is to rebound, but even our Lady Buffs have stumbled in Pac-12 play.
Volleyball’s early success seemed durable until conference opponents entered the picture. Though the Buffs opened Thursday night with a win against the University of Utah, the victory didn’t come easily. The final three sets of the match ended with slim three-point advantages, showing how much momentum the team lost after what seemed like a dominant first two. On Sunday, the Oregon Ducks reinforced that slowing momentum, beating the Buffaloes in four sets. But the first set ended in a shockingly competitive 33-31 score. In fact, looking at each set score over the past few weeks shows that the Buffs are good, but conference opponents are just as good, if not a hair better at this point.
Sophomore forward Brie Hooks (20) keeps possession of the ball during the loss to California on Saturday. The Buffs started out the season 7-2, but lost in their first Pac-12 conference game this past weekend. (Allie Greenwood/CU Independent)
Soccer has followed a similar narrative up to this point in the year. On the field, the Buffaloes had a wildly successful kickoff to their season. Entering conference play 7-2, there was little doubt that Cal would be a road block at home, but a 4-2 loss on Saturday proved otherwise. Coach Sanchez is done ignoring the challenges that await further into the schedule.
“We played the best team we have played to date and we didn’t respond,” he said after the loss. “Like I told the team, this is how every Pac-12 game is going to be. If you look at the results across the league last night, nobody’s going to run away with the league this year.”
Now, in all fairness, I wouldn’t count any of these Colorado teams out just yet. Winning against the Utes took a lot of heart, and our volleyball team has a ton of it. Soccer’s loss was disappointing, but it was their first. Visions of a successful post-season still flicker. Football is emotionally defeated, but each individual player is still tirelessly striving.
CU athletics fell into a rut this weekend, but an insatiable hunger can grow from the disappointment. Keep your heads up, Buff fans; fall isn’t over yet.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Jordyn Siemens at jordyn.siemens@colorado.edu.
