BOULDER – On Monday morning, October third, all anyone wanted to talk about on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder was the No. 21 Buffaloes football squad. The talkers included Tad Boyle’s Buffs, who are expected to be ranked this season as well.
“I couldn’t be more excited and happy for those guys,” Boyle remarked. “My wife and I made it to the Michigan game and everyone was disappointed in that outcome but I think they gained a lot of confidence from that game and obviously showed against Oregon. That was a signature win for our program and I couldn’t be more excited for the coaches and the players and Buff nation.”
While Boyle took over his program in much better standing than Mike MacIntyre, each has had an accession in their own program.
“Just keep working, play hard, and work hard consistently,” fifth-year senior Wesley Gordon noted the similarities he’s seeing in the football program that has gotten the basketball program to it’s the highest height.
Gordon hasn’t just been on campus for a long time but he grew up in Colorado. He was a preteen the last time the football program was ranked.
“It’s real nice, I haven’t seen them win in a minute,” Gordon said as he stopped and smiled. “I’ve seen it progress from them being really bad and not winning a game to now playing with the top competition.”
Gordon has many friends on the football team and he kept talking to his teammates about how impressive the turnaround has been. While shooting after practice Friday, he and a few others we’re planning their Saturday around when they’d get to Folsom Field.
He like many Buffs fans are thrilled with the rise.
“It’s awesome,” Tad Boyle said proudly. “Number one the monument is awesome. The football team, I think this year has been a great example of playing complete games on offense and defense. They haven’t been perfect, they’ve made some mistakes, but they’ve had a great consistent effort, great camaraderie. They got it going right now. You can feel it, it’s great to be around.”
The impact on Tad Boyle isn’t merely just an attitude adjustment around the athletic department.
“We recruit in the fall and bring kids and families in the fall,” Boyle described. “They recruit in the winter and bring in kids and families then. When Folsom Field is jammed and rocking and everyone is tailgating and we’re excited and there’s football in the air in the fall, there’s nothing better for us. Pearl Street Stampede, go watch the team get pumped for a game the next day, there’s a great atmosphere for recruiting. Hopefully, we can reciprocate and our fans can reciprocate by packing the Coors Events Center every night. We don’t know when they’re gonna be here but when they are and see a full house, people care. And that’s what I want our fans to understand, that they’re so critical in recruiting. By showing up and being supportive we all win. When you get that momentum with football winning and hopefully we can do our part in the winter time, it helps everybody.”
