Contact CU Independent Head Sports Editor Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu and follow him on Twitter @TheHungry_Hippo.
Senior linebacker Jimmie Gilbert, senior quarterback Sefo Liufau and head coach Mike MacIntyre addressed the media on Tuesday during the team’s annual Press Luncheon. It was held in the Champions Center at Folsom Field. The themes of the day? Proper execution on the field, taking things one week at a time and showing confidence in teammates.
Gilbert, who enters his senior year after leading the Buffs with six sacks last season, talked about the importance of beginning the season on a positive note.
“For us seniors, it’s the last first game we get,” he said. “This year, it’s about starting the year off right and getting the ball rolling.”
Gilbert and his fellow ten defenders will have their work cut out for them on Friday. They face an experienced Colorado State offensive line. Out of the six returning offensive players for the Rams, four will return to the offensive line. The line of scrimmage will be a key battleground for both teams, as the Rams will likely try to utilize the skill of their linemen by handing the ball off frequently.
This makes one of the Buffs’ biggest threats tailback Dalyn Dawkins. Last year, Dawkins ran for 118 yards on only 20 carries. He also picked up 59 receiving yards. Stopping Dawkins will be crucial for Colorado.
“They’re going to run the football,” said head coach Mike MacIntyre. ” [CSU head coach] Mike [Bobo] always has done a great job of finding ways to run the football. They ran it really, really well on us last year and that was a big part of their game. It’s something that we’ve got to be able to slow down. They pushed us around last year.”
Gilbert echoed similar thoughts.
“One of the key things we talked about in meetings is stopping the run,” he said. “If we’re going to win, we’ve got to stop the run. Last year we did not tackle well enough, so that’s been a big emphasis these past couple weeks.”
Liufau, who also enters his final season in a Colorado uniform, noted that slowing things down on the field is an area that he’d like to improve.
“At times, we were in tight situations when we were down by a couple points, I think I tried to get it all back at once, which can get you into trouble a lot,” he said. “That’s where I think you get a lot of those interceptions and poor decision making, that even came into last year. It’s a realization that you don’t have to do it all, and that you have playmakers around you.”
“We have a lot of energy, a lot of experience and a lot of talent,” Gilbert said. “This year is our year to showcase that and I feel like the whole team wholeheartedly believes that. We go game by game. Each week is a one game season and so we just focus on the team we have in front of us.”
The Buffs will take on the Rams in the 88th Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field in Denver this Friday. Kickoff is set for 6:05 p.m. MST.
