Why the Buffs aren’t taking Nebraska’s bait

BOULDER, Colo. — Talk with your pads.

After a mid-fall camp practice, when the novelty of a new football season had worn off but the season still seemed miles away, this was Mel Tucker’s message to his Buffs.

Good football teams don’t talk to their opponents. They don’t have time. The clock counts down from 40 seconds after each play and every one of those seconds should be spent learning from the play before or planning for the play to come. During game week, every second spent talking about opponents with reporters or on social media is better spent watching film or in the training room.

“There’s no time to talk,” Tucker said.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost must not feel the same way.

This week, Frost called the Buffaloes “ex-rivals.”

Colorado native JoJo Domann, who now plays for the Huskers, said “Thank God I came here,” because he believes Lincoln, Nebraska is better than Boulder.

Defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt said his Huskers haven’t forgotten about the hit that knocked quarterback Adrian Martinez out of the rivalry game last year.

“It’s a target on their head, man,” he said.

Star linebacker Mohamed Barry said, “The Sea of Red is coming to Boulder.”

That’s a lot of talking.

When Tucker first stated his views on trash-talking three weeks ago, who would’ve guessed they’d be tested so quickly?

The coach is holding firm in his beliefs.

This week, Tucker has told his team repeatedly not to talk trash in the media. Prior to Tuesday’s press conferences he sent another notification through Teamworks, the team’s messaging software, to remind his players to take the high road.

“Our focus is on the preperation and what it’s going to take to put ourselves in position so we can perform the way we need to perform to win the game,” Tucker said. “I don’t want our guys talking. This is not a time to talk. This is about preparation.”

Tucker’s team has listened. Every Buff to take the podium since the Huskers’ words found their way to Boulder has been asked for their take on the situation. Is it bulletin board material? Do they want to respond? Where does it come from?

Linebacker Jon Van Diest is a Colorado native. He has some insight into the rivalry since he’s followed it his entire life. He says they’re talking more because the Buffs won in Lincoln last year.

“I think that really upset them,” Van Diest said. “There’s some bad blood but it’s just football and we’re all just trying to ball.”

This is the vibe around the Colorado locker room. The Buffs are reflecting Tucker’s attitude. They want to win just as badly as Nebraska but they’re funneling their rivalry-protracted energy into film study and the weight room. They’re trying to ball.

Nobody is embodying Tucker’s message better than Montez. The old adage is that the quarterback is an extension of the head coach and Montez seems to be no exception.

When Montez took the podium Tuesday in front of a larger than normal throng of media, likely enticed by pre-rivalry hype and the possibility of a response to the Huskers, he was asked about the talk coming out of Lincoln.

Montez handled it like a pro. He didn’t egg the Huskers on. He didn’t clap back with blistering takes on the school or its football players. He stayed out of it.

“They’re talking enough for both of us,” Montez said.

Perfect.

Maybe Montez stayed up all night thinking about how to address the jibber jabber. He knew he’d be at the podium and he knew he’d be asked about what the Huskers said earlier in the week about his team, his teammates and his home.

Montez resisted a loud response. He said the team is focussed on itself and trying to improve. They aren’t giving time to what’s going on in Lincoln.

But he didn’t deflect either. He didn’t pretend he didn’t know what the Huskers were saying. He didn’t say he wasn’t going to talk about it. He just told the truth and the truth had some bite to it.

Montez was provoked again later in the conference, when one columnist asked who the better team was last year, the Buffs or the Huskers. The question was prompted by a Nebraska defensive lineman’s comment that the Huskers should have won in Lincoln because they were better.

Again, Montez answered like a pro.

“You guys watched the games, so you’ll have to tell me.”

The Buffs aren’t taking the bait.

They don’t have time.