While rivalry games should always be considered must-win, Colorado football is facing added pressure to beat Colorado State on Saturday after last week’s horrendous performance against fellow rival Nebraska.

Head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs’ rocky start has them under intense scrutiny — most of it directed toward the offensive line and the nonexistent run game. If the offensive line plays well and Coach Prime commits to the run, Colorado likely isn’t falling to the Rams, but another poor performance in those areas would only lead to more criticism.

A loss in Fort Collins and the Buffs are sitting 1-2 entering Big 12 play. A win, however, puts Colorado at 2-1 with another manageable opponent coming up in Baylor.

So, for those reasons, Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Showdown is about as must-win as it gets for a Week 3 nonconference game.

Ralphie Report’s Ryland Scholes provided a similar perspective in a recent deep-dive on Colorado’s struggles. Here’s some of what Scholes wrote:

Everything hinges on this Colorado State game. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s probably the most important game this program has played in quite some time. Our concerns will be assured or they’ll be bubbling over in just five short days. Go and embarrass little brother to the north and all this talk is for nothing. If that doesn’t happen, the heat’s only going to intensify. We’re about to find out if this team has what it takes.

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Sophomore defensive back Carter Stoutmire tallied five tackles against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in relief of Shilo. Stoutmire was a three-star recruit in the 2023 cycle out of Prestonwood Christian in Plano, Texas. As a true freshman, Stoutmire started games at corner but moved to safety over the offseason.

Now, it appears he’ll be the safety to fill in for Shilo, who’s expected to miss two to three weeks. Stoutmire got a ringing endorsement from Coach Prime during his weekly press conference on Tuesday:

“Carter’s big, physical, could play corner, could play safety, could run,” Coach Prime said. “He had a couple phenomenal open field tackles. He’s the future, a kid that we went and got out of high school. He’s been doing a wonderful job. He’s the son of a professional player and his daddy raised him profoundly.”

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“There’s a lot more that goes into it than connecting with players and telling the truth to the media about the state of college athletics,” an anonymous NFL executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “A lot more goes into winning, like blocking and tackling and protecting the passer and having the quarterback not scramble so frequently that everything is off timing.”

The harsh quote came in Sando’s NFL Week 1 roundup (subscription required), which included a brief section about what anonymous professional executives think of the Sanders family and Colorado football.

Early last September, the Buffs were riding the hype train, and those same execs were raving about them, per Sando’s article. CU was 2-0, fresh off its only blowout win of 2023 (against the rival it just lost to). Star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and freak wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter had just entered the then-Power Five scene with a major splash.

While Hunter appears to be as good as advertised and then some, the attitude regarding Coach Prime, Shedeur and the program has shifted following Colorado’s 28-10 loss to rival Nebraska.

“Now, (Prime) looks like a guy who lacks detail, his hard-edged style is running people out of (Colorado) and he is just promoting his son,” another exec told The Athletic.

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The Colorado Buffaloes are 1-1 thus far in 2024 — see below for their full schedule and results.

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Colorado’s 2024 schedule

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• The Buffaloes have been listed as the moneyline favorite just one other time so far this season, a game they won.

The news was announced on the team’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday afternoon, featuring a video of head coach Tad Boyle informing Carrington and his CU teammates. As expected, a big celebration ensued.

Carrington beat out four other walk-on players for the spot, all of whom Boyle commended for their hard work. Ultimately, Carrington was the most deserving after he stepped up amid last season’s injury issues, especially early in Pac-12 play. His offensive production was slim due to the Buffs’ pecking order, but his defense and rebounding remained important.

With six of Colorado’s top seven rotational players moving on this offseason, Carrington should receive plenty of opportunities to contribute.

hard work pays off.

congratulations, @hcarrington21_ pic.twitter.com/ub9PaUP2U6

— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) September 9, 2024

Coach Prime hasn’t announced a timetable for his son’s return, but it’s likely safe to assume Colorado will be without Shilo in Week 3 against Colorado State.

Shilo Sanders left Saturday’s game in Lincoln early after attempting to tackle Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Dante Dowdell. The sixth-year defensive back soon entered the locker room and was later seen wearing a sling on his right arm.

Sophomore Carter Stoutmire, a converted cornerback, stepped in at safety against the Cornhuskers and recorded five total tackles. Other replacement options for Shilo Sanders include Savion Riley, Herman Smith III and Ben Finneseth.

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