2018 Rocky Mountain Showdown RecapColorado Leads Series - 65 Wins - 22 Losses and 2 Ties
This has been a one-sided series in Colorado and this year not many are picking the Colorado State Rams to win at Mile High Stadium tomorrow night at 7:34 PM Mountain Time. The Buffs could have a very good season with the talent that has transferred in like graduate transfer Running Back Travon Mcmillan and big play tight end JuCo transfer Darrion Jones. With Steven Montez working rigorously over the off-season in perfecting his craft, he was named to the Maxwell Trophy watch list, and it will be interesting to see if he can live up to the hype against a bewildered Rams defense. The Colorado State Rams defense did not live up to par against the talent rich Hawaii offense, who were able to reinvent the historically successful run and shoot offense that is known to light up the scoreboard. Coming off of a historic offensive performance from KJ Carta-Samuels, where he was able to throw for 537 yards and 5 touchdowns. The only time KJ found himself making errant throws was when the Hawaii defensive front applied pressure, which caused the games only interception. Colorado State needs to create more turnovers defensively if they will have any chance of beating this highly touted Colorado Buffaloes team tomorrow night at Mile High Stadium.
Coach MacIntyre is 22-38 as Head Coach of The Buffs
This is a make it or break it year for a struggling Head Coach in a loaded PAC-12 conference and this opening contest will prove if Colorado will be able to compete in Power-5 play. The Buffs defense will look to more JuCo transfers in Davion Taylor and Delrick Adams Jr to make big plays to slow down the Rams brilliant passing attack. This is the first match-up of the season for the Colorado Buffaloes, as on the other side of the ball, The rams have already experienced the bitter taste of defeat. Seeing if CSU really has the "EDGE" that they preach in their program will be on full display tomorrow night in Denver. Did the Rams look past the Hawaii team in the first half, as they were heavy favorites at home? Or, was Coach Nick Rolovich and the Hawaii team one of the top teams in this year's Mountain West play and were just better prepared to face adversity? As I left GNC today in Fort Collins one of the employees I was speaking with stated that the Hawaii Warriors were playing for their people back home who were experiencing a terrible storm and had a reason to play the game. I challenge the Colorado State Rams to find one reason and one reason only to beat the Colorado Buffs, not just to save your still young season, but because you have been manhandled by your so-called rival for years now. Do you have what it takes to turn the tides in the favor of the Rams for years to come or will you continue to be a mediocre .500 ball club? Your fans will flock to your home games for New Belgium Beer and stadium food anyways, as you get to play football in one of the greatest places to live in the United States. My advice is, make the most of it while you are here and become winners, on and off the gridiron. It all begins tomorrow night in Denver, you either will surpass expectations or fade away into the abyss of "what if's".
College Football Today Previews and Week 0 Re-Caps are linked below.
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How Tall Should you be to Play NCAA Football
Big Impact Comes in Small Packages
When football fans and analysts talk about “short” players, they often draw upon NFL greats such as Doug Flutie and Darren Sproles. While both are celebrated athletes, their success on the field is commonly framed as impressive “for their size.” In reality, athletes with lower centers of gravity have a huge advantage in contact sports. It may sound cliché but in football, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” In fact, even “recruiting services” will tell college football prospects that you should be at least a certain height to play at a certain position.
In researching these exceptional athletes, I found that programs unwilling to recruit athletes shorter or lighter than their rigid standards are often the ones who have suffered losing records year after year. However, consistent powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia and Clemson, and even some teams on the rise like FAU, UCF, South Carolina, and Miami utilize offensive and defensive weapons under 5’10 for their punch and agility. In my experience speaking with both NFL and CFB players under 5'10, they are often confused by various heights they are listed as by different teams and sports reports. For whatever reason, coaches, athletic directors, communications directors, and sports reporters feel the need to add an inch or two when listing players under 6-foot. The truth is there is a huge advantage to having a smaller frame or being closer to the ground and it is absolutely ridiculous that anybody feels the need to do this. The list below is made up some the top performers in the entire FBS division that are listed under 5'10. Some might be under the radar now because of their size, but very well could be on their way to being first round picks and future NFL sleepers. DB Jamyest Williams (South Carolina) - 5’8, 182
BleacherReport referred to him as 5’9 when suggesting he was "the next honey badger." I guess he's gotten shorter since high school.
2017 Freshman Season
RB Devin Singletary (FAU) - 5’9
2017 Junior Season
RB J.J. Taylor (Arizona) - 5’6, 180
2017 Sophomore Season
RB D'Andre Swift (Georgia) - 5’9, 215
2017 Freshman Season
RB Adrian Killins Jr. (UCF) - 5’8, 159
2017 Sophomore Season
CB Avery Williams (Boise State) - 5'9, 197
Mountain West 50 Best Football Players & Preseason Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year (2018)
2017 RS Freshman Season
RB James Gilbert (Ball State) - 5’9, 191
2017 Junior Season
RB DJ Knox (Purdue) -5’7, 210
2017 Senior Season
RB Kenny Young (Miami (OH)) - 5’7, 182
2017 RS Junior Season
RB Adam Choice (Clemson) - 5’8, 220 (listed as 5’9 on 247Sports)
2017 RS Senior Season
CB Trajan Bandy (Miami) - 5’9, 175
2017 Freshman Season
WR Evan Johnson (North Texas) - 5’6, 175
2017 Freshman Season
RB Jabir Daughtry-Frye (Troy) - 5’7, 170
*Spent 2017 Sophomore Season recovering from ACL injury
2016 Freshman Season
If you are a college football prospect under 5'10 and would like a chance to compete like the players on this list, you can get the exposure you need at Scout Trout. Coach Helton's 3rd Year Marks A Turning Point
Ever since Pete Carroll left the USC Trojans after coaching from 2001-2009 and bringing them to national prominence, the Trojans have had many notable coaches come and go. The expectations are very high in SoCal, so high, former Coach Lane Kiffin fired his father Monte Kiffin as the team's DC in 2012. I have no idea how that must have felt, but I guess karma came back to bite him when he was hungover for the BCS national playoff game and was relieved shortly after by Steve Sarkisian. Clay Helton has been along for most of the many ups and downs of the USC program. Helton was hired in 2010 as the QB coach of the USC Trojans under Coach Lane Kiffin and after Steve Sarkisian developed off the field problems, Helton was promoted to "Interim Head Football Coach", as he was very briefly after Ed Orgeron quit the job in 2013.
Has Helton Built a Winner At USC?
With a 27-10 record and playing in a very tough conference in the Pac-12, I would say yes that he has. This season will provide a more concise glimpse at the job Helton has been able to accomplish with the players he recruited. In last years 2018 class, players like 5-star QB JT Daniels could be looked to early on their careers to contribute with the uncertainty at the QB postion. The Trojans OC Coach Tee Martin will have whoever takes the first snap for the Trojans highly prepared, he was one of the best to ever play in the SEC. With 5 star Class of 2017 running back recruit Stephen Carr back at full strength the Trojans running game will be at full capacity heading into the 2018 season. USC has not had a recruiting class that has been ranked outside of the top 10 since Coach Helton took over. Overall, they have done a great job at keeping 5 star players in Cali at home.
The Trojans "Horse"
Not often do we mention walk-on kickers in our college football previews, but we have made an exception for heroic kicker Chase McGrath out of Mater Dei High School (CA). The special teams for the USC Trojans will be pivotal to their success as the field goal unit of McGrath, Smith and Olson will be called upon to win games in the clutch. Big match-ups early in the season at Stanford and Texas will show us what this team and special teams unit is all about, as these games should be very closely fought contests. The defensive unit for the Trojans returns mostly all of last years starters that were ranked 20th overall in the nation and has one of the best defensive backfields in the nation. If they can provide an adequate pass rush and solid linebacker core can stop the run, USC could be headed to another Pac-12 championship in 2018.
QB question answered?
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First and Foremost - R.I.P Heisman Trophy Winner - Rashaan Salaam
Steven Montez has been named on the Maxwell Trophy watch list and Colorado received one first place vote as PAC-12 champs, which leaves you wondering what the Buffs have in store for us after another sub-par season in 2017. The 2016 season left high hopes, as the Buffs were able to win ten games in the very talented PAC-12 for the first time under Coach MacIntyre. But instead of top recruits headlining Buffs news, it was a domestic violence case, which shed a negative light on the university and the football staff in Boulder. This led to another sub-par season in Boulder, which they are hoping this year will be different with a solid nucleus of leaders in the locker room returning and some key JuCo transfers that we highlight below.
With coach's abysmal 22 -38 record at CU, he can only hope that the plethora of talent coming in this year can save not only this season, but Coach MacIntyre's job, as the word is around town, his seat is getting rather hot. If the Buffs can eliminate needless distractions this season and figure out their 'why'? Then they can put the season into proper perspective and be able to operate on the gridiron at full capacity and have a great season in PAC-12 play. Rashaan Salaam brought fire and energy to the Kordell Stewart led offense in 1994 and was able to hoist the Heisman Trophy when it was all said and done. I would like send my condolences to his family as I know it was very hard to understand why such a talented and loving young man would take his own life.
After studying immensely the effects of CTE and constant brain trauma the hard way, I was able to realize that without proper holistic medicines and rehabilitation, all could be lost very quickly. This matter is becoming terrifying for football players globally because of the presentation of the subject. We must learn from our mistakes in the past that wound up costing families close loved ones or the game will fade into a cataclysm of lawsuits and anguish.
With coach's abysmal 22 -38 record at CU, he can only hope that the plethora of talent coming in this year can save not only this season, but Coach MacIntyre's job, as the word is around town, his seat is getting rather hot. If the Buffs can eliminate needless distractions this season and figure out their 'why'? Then they can put the season into proper perspective and be able to operate on the gridiron at full capacity and have a great season in PAC-12 play. Rashaan Salaam brought fire and energy to the Kordell Stewart led offense in 1994 and was able to hoist the Heisman Trophy when it was all said and done. I would like send my condolences to his family as I know it was very hard to understand why such a talented and loving young man would take his own life.
After studying immensely the effects of CTE and constant brain trauma the hard way, I was able to realize that without proper holistic medicines and rehabilitation, all could be lost very quickly. This matter is becoming terrifying for football players globally because of the presentation of the subject. We must learn from our mistakes in the past that wound up costing families close loved ones or the game will fade into a cataclysm of lawsuits and anguish.
Players To Watch
Can the Buffs compete this year in the PAC-12?
Steven Montez had a memorable freshmen season, as the Buffs won ten games and were on their way to returning to national prominence. His sophomore season was productive, as he broke a school record with 172 pass attempts without an interception. Montez currently ranks 19th all-time in passing yards in CU history in only 22 games played and after a very competitive summer at the Manning Passing Academy, has found himself on the Maxwell Award "Watch List". This award honors College Football's top player every year and Montez will benefit intrinsically with the veteran leadership of former Hokie star running back Travon McMillian, a graduate transfer. This experience in the backfield will provide some much needed stability for Montez and will provide more openings to push the ball downfield, via play-action. JuCo Product Darrion Jones will bring a red-zone target and create match-up problems, as he reminds me a lot of a young Antonio Gates as a TE/H-Back. He runs routes like a wide receiver, as you can see below and comes to Boulder, Colorado from the city of Compton, California. With a unproven receiving core, Jones can provide instant offense for Montez and the Buffs, as they will face some stellar PAC-12 defenses.
Defensively, the Buffs went out and grabbed two more outstanding JuCo players in Davion Taylor and Delrick Adams Jr. With many returning players on the defensive side of the ball and the outstanding leadership shown by the Buffs 2018 team captains, we ranked the Buffs 19th in the Nation in our FBS Top 25. Is this a little to high? Possibly, but a week one rivalry match-up will need to be won handily against Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and the Buffs will have to handle business on the road against Coach Scott Frost and the mighty Huskers of Lincoln, Nebraska in order to remain in the Top 25. With some of the talent that they have brought in this season, can Coach MacIntyre get his team to mold as a unit and keep his staff from causing off the field distractions? I guess time will tell, as we are in Denver, Colorado at the Crown Plaza preparing for the 2018 match-ups that will be featured here in beautiful Colorado.
Defensively, the Buffs went out and grabbed two more outstanding JuCo players in Davion Taylor and Delrick Adams Jr. With many returning players on the defensive side of the ball and the outstanding leadership shown by the Buffs 2018 team captains, we ranked the Buffs 19th in the Nation in our FBS Top 25. Is this a little to high? Possibly, but a week one rivalry match-up will need to be won handily against Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and the Buffs will have to handle business on the road against Coach Scott Frost and the mighty Huskers of Lincoln, Nebraska in order to remain in the Top 25. With some of the talent that they have brought in this season, can Coach MacIntyre get his team to mold as a unit and keep his staff from causing off the field distractions? I guess time will tell, as we are in Denver, Colorado at the Crown Plaza preparing for the 2018 match-ups that will be featured here in beautiful Colorado.
The Miracle at Michigan
So there was the Miracle at Michigan where we had featured Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam, NFL Star "Slash" Kordell Stewart, and Rae Carruth. The story of Carruth is one of the saddest in sports and one that should be told for the simple fact of it not being condoned and/or happening again. One man let his ego take control of not only his life, but the lives of his pregnant girlfriend and at the time a baby Chancellor. Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam was adored by many off the field but fought internal battles daily after football. A 86 report found by Boulder police stated
"The 86 pages of interviews and evidence shed light on the last days of a man who, behind that signature smile, was tortured. Friends and family described a man haunted by his short-lived NFL stint, unable to find a career after football, and weighed down by a trophy he never felt he lived up to."
Kordell Stewart went on to be known as "slash" and had a great NFL career in my opinion. He also struggled with personal issues and recently won 3 million dollars in a settlement against the man who spread false accusations of his sexual orientation. I wore #10 to school after hearing the accusations, as I was always told, "all press is good press" growing up by another former Pittsburgh Steeler, my father David Trout. My father always used to say this when I would bring up anything negative said about me or any other athlete in the press. He took it as a sign that "you were doing something right", so once again Mr.Trout was right because Kordell Stewart is still one of the most versatile football players to ever take the field.
As you can see, there is much more to life than football and how we deal with the little things will keep u you happier down the road. If you are feeling any type of internal anguish or emotional discomfort please reach out to a family member or friend. If you cannot do this, please go see a doctor or someone who specializes in post-traumatic head injuries.
"The 86 pages of interviews and evidence shed light on the last days of a man who, behind that signature smile, was tortured. Friends and family described a man haunted by his short-lived NFL stint, unable to find a career after football, and weighed down by a trophy he never felt he lived up to."
Kordell Stewart went on to be known as "slash" and had a great NFL career in my opinion. He also struggled with personal issues and recently won 3 million dollars in a settlement against the man who spread false accusations of his sexual orientation. I wore #10 to school after hearing the accusations, as I was always told, "all press is good press" growing up by another former Pittsburgh Steeler, my father David Trout. My father always used to say this when I would bring up anything negative said about me or any other athlete in the press. He took it as a sign that "you were doing something right", so once again Mr.Trout was right because Kordell Stewart is still one of the most versatile football players to ever take the field.
As you can see, there is much more to life than football and how we deal with the little things will keep u you happier down the road. If you are feeling any type of internal anguish or emotional discomfort please reach out to a family member or friend. If you cannot do this, please go see a doctor or someone who specializes in post-traumatic head injuries.
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