There were two words uttered about Justin Simmons on Wednesday that you would never have expected to hear said about someone playing better than perhaps any safety in the NFL.

In the first game of the 2020-2021 season, Colorado did not take long to hit its stride.

In fact, the Buffaloes came out in what looked like mid-season form as they controlled both ends of the floor. Eight players played over 15 minutes in the game, with nine players notching an assist.

In short, the Buffs played great team basketball, beating South Dakota 84-61.

Here are a few main takeaways from the impressive opening victory:

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — It was supposed to be an exciting 48 hours for the Colorado State faithful. Unfortunately, though, due to COVID-19 issues in both the CSU men’s basketball and football programs, fans of the green and gold will now be stuck watching mediocre NFC East football on Thanksgiving like everyone else. On Wednesday afternoon, Football Scoop broke the…

The Denver Broncos made a major change with their signal-caller and play-caller in Week 6.

After missing the previous two starts with a badly bruised throwing shoulder, Drew Lock was back under center for Pat Shurmur's offense against the New England Patriots. But Lock's play-caller wasn't with him on the field.

BOULDER – It's no secret that Colorado has a big game this week.

Colorado has never beaten USC in 14 tries.

Colorado is 0-11 since 2017 when playing for postseason eligibility.

Colorado and USC are not only the only two teams in the Pac-12 South that remain unbeaten three weeks into the season, but they're also the only two teams in the division that are .500 or better.

So there will be a lot on the line, including a likely berth in the Pac-12 title game, when the Buffs take on the Trojans in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Or should we say if the Buffs take on the Trojans?

RJ Hampton just wants to win. It's part of the reason why he's going to be a great fit in Denver.

BOULDER — At last, the day has come.

At 6 p.m., the Colorado Buffaloes will tip-off their 2020-2021 basketball season, taking on South Dakota in round one of the inaugural Little Apple Classic.

While taking on two inferior opponents on paper, the Buffs have a great chance to iron out early mistakes and build chemistry among this fairly young team. With games against South Dakota, Colorado should come away from this week undefeated while still learning a lot about this roster.

Here are three things to watch for this week:

It felt like a November Saturday morning in Colorado for the sixth and final day of the RugbyTown Crossover Academy’s inaugural camp. The chilly, blue-bird morning was the perfect way to top off a camp that was a resounding success. While several players had travel arrangements that prevented them from participating in the final day of the camp, the energy…

Exactly one year ago, Garett Bolles was still defined by his mistakes. Now, he's defined by nearly flawless play.

In a new series at DNVR, former Denver Bronco and CU Buff Matt McChesney gets on the whiteboard to show you what exactly was the turning point for the Denver Broncos in their most recent game, good or bad. This week, Matt dives into three plays that show what the Broncos did right on both sides of the ball. Play…

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Execute and win. Fail and lose. Although it’s become a cliche spouted by every football coach in the country, going up against Air Force’s triple-option offense this week, Colorado State football has significantly less room for error than usual.  “We’ve got a big one with this rivalry game against Air Force — a game we haven’t won down…...

BOULDER — With snow becoming more frequent and temperatures dropping, only one thing comes to mind: college basketball is back.

In a year unlike any other, 2020 has brought its share of woes. It feels like just yesterday that college basketball postseason festivities were cancelled out of the blue.

And what was one of the last completed college basketball game, you may ask? A Colorado Buffaloes loss in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. A loss that completed a five-game skid for the Buffs after a very promising campaign.

Since this was the last time anyone saw Colorado compete, it makes sense to temper expectations for a squad that skyrocketed up rankings during the season just to lose all momentum in the final month.

But there is hope – the 2020-2021 Colorado Buffaloes may just be stronger top-to-bottom than before, and they're primed to put together another 20-win season and return to the big dance.

When a team brings in new players, there are always questions about how they’ll fit into their new organization. They’re living in a new city, playing in a different system with different teammates and adjusting to a completely different culture. That said, Colorado’s offseason was relatively quiet in that there wasn’t significant player movement in or out. As a championship…...

BOULDER – Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room: Colorado has never beaten the University of Southern California in football.

Over the course of the last 93 years, the Buffaloes have taken on the Trojans 14 times and have never won. USC has outscored CU 484-220.

This Saturday, when the Buffs travel to Los Angeles for a midday matchup, would be a good time to flip the script. Colorado and USC sit atop the Pac-12 South standings. Every other team in the division has a losing record. The winner on Saturday will be the only remaining unbeaten team in the division and would hold the tiebreaker with two games to play.

In short, the winner on Saturday will be squarely in the driver's seat to take the South Division's spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 19.

There's still hope Von Miller will return for the 2020 season.

The Broncos know what they have to do. They just have to commit to it. But at least they have a viable template now — which is more than they could say before Sunday.

On Sunday, after throwing his fifth interception in the past five quarters, Drew Lock looked adversity in the face and quarterbacked the Broncos to an upset victory.

What does Drew Lock need to do the rest of the season to prove he deserves more time as the Broncos' starting quarterback?

The DNVR Broncos Crew breaks it down and gives their pick for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.

Friday was the fourth day of on-field work for the 28 players that attended the RugbyTown Crossover Academy’s first camp and it was the best day yet. While Friday only featured on practice, it was the sharpest, crispest practice of the six that the camp had consisted of thus far. Friday’s practice featured everything the academy had been working on…