During the first six games of his sophomore season at Arizona, quarterback Noah Fifita was sacked six times in total. On Saturday night, the Buffaloes forced him out of his comfort zone quickly, which led to a strong performance by Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ team.

On the Wildcats’ opening offensive possession, transfer from Kentucky Keaten Wade—who had not played any defensive plays with the Buffs—started the sack party, forcing a three-and-out. Against Fifita on the opening play of the fourth quarter, Wade had another sack.

Wade, a transfer from Kentucky, had a foot injury in Boulder’s inaugural preseason. After CU defeated the Wildcats 34-7 in Tucson, Coach Prime addressed his squad, highlighting his outstanding performance against them.

“I brought him up before the team because he never complained, never bickered, never wandered, never said, ‘Poor little ole’ me,'” Sanders said regarding Wade. “He simply put in a ton of work, recovered, and pulled himself together. And he threw himself into every practice opportunity, whether it was with the scout team or the regular squad.

“You need to provide a space for those guys so they can play. In order for him to be on the field, you must put together a package for him. He did what he does, so he opened the box we had for him. Both inside and outdoors, he can play. He is adaptable. He’s also a wonderful young man.”

At Arizona Stadium, redshirt sophomore Samuel Okunlola also had a successful multi-sack game for the Buffaloes. On Saturday afternoon, Colorado’s team total of seven sacks was the highest for a road game since the Buffs’ eight at Washington State in 2004.

Tetairoa McMillan, the standout receiver for Arizona, was held to 38 yards, Fifita was limited to a career-low 138 throwing yards, and the Wildcats were only able to muster 107 rushing yards on 34 tries.

“We have excellent defensive play. Coach Prime stated, “I like where we’re going and where we’re heading.” “We’re not who we used to be, but we also ain’t where we want to be,” is the key point. That Fifita child is amazing. The receiver, (Tetairoa) McMillan, is outstanding. I think those youngsters are first-round draft picks. We are grateful that we were able to void that.

“Not having a running game to go with it is difficult. We have firsthand knowledge of that. However, those children have an amazing future. They are amazing football players, and I’m simply happy that we defeated them tonight.”

Extra observations

*** Before the Colorado coaching staff chose to sit him for the second half, Buffs two-way sensation Travis Hunter played snaps on both sides of the ball in the first half. He was only able to grab two passes for 17 yards and had little of an impact defensively.

Hunter’s shoulder injury sustained in the second quarter of Colorado’s game against Kansas State also prevented him from playing in the second half of that game.

“A little sore, a little banged up,” Coach Prime described Hunter’s post-game condition on Saturday. Travis yearned for a game. A half of Travis is a whole person, however I’m not sure whether he was quite ready. You must so realize that it affects us from both sides of the ball. However, he went out there and gave it his all, doing all he could.

“That’s not Travis; the first fade to him, when he couldn’t extend and go get it, and he kind of responded late. “Man, that’s not you,” I remarked. How are you spending your time? Are you all right? He was unwilling to leave the field. You are aware of his nature. However, I’m proud of him. The child simply wanted to play and is a fierce competitor.”

*** Both running back Micah Welch and tight end Sam Hart of the Buffs were injured in the first half of their game against Arizona and were sidelined for the second half. Dayon Hayes, the edge, and Rayyan Buell, the defensive lineman, did not go with the team because they are still trying to get back into the mix.

*** Safety Shilo Sanders recovered from a poor showing against Kansas State in his first game back from a fractured forearm to play well in Tucson. On Sunday, he wants to treat Colorado’s linebackers to a steakhouse as a way of saying “thank you” for their hard work in front of him.

“God is going to test you and God tested me last week just to see how I would respond,” Sanders said. “Everyone experiences highs and lows. And that I experienced the down is better for me. I became increasingly reticent. I had to watch the entire movie in order to fully prepare myself in order to participate in this victory.”

*** Colorado started Kareem Harden at right guard and Tyler Brown at left guard for the third straight game. However, against Arizona, Justin Mayers and Kahlil Benson, who alternated in the second and fourth quarters, played significant minutes at the guard positions. Real walk-on freshman Cash Early in the fourth quarter, Cleveland also saw action at center, and because of the game’s final score, the Buffs were unable to completely clear their bench.

*** FAU transfer Drelon Miller, a true freshman, scored his first touchdown as a college on Saturday. Freshman cornerback Colton Hood, a redshirt, recorded his second interception in as many weeks, while LaJohntay Wester recorded his first 100-yard receiving performance as a Buff.

*** A sellout audience of 50,742 attended Saturday’s game at Arizona Stadium, which included 17 scouts from 13 different NFL teams.

 

Cole Becker, a senior feature, is honored to be a Ute.

Utah was in severe need of a trustworthy kicker two seasons ago. As it happened, Cole Becker, the kicker for the Colorado Buffaloes, was seeking for a new place to live when Deion Sanders moved to the area two seasons prior.

All it took for Becker and the Utes to locate each other was an overnight stay in Salt Lake City during the process of moving back home. As they say, the rest is history.

“It’s been- I’d say a unique road, except a lot of people are taking the same road nowadays,” Becker stated. “I began at Colorado. had favorable circumstances there. spent two years at a location that was near to home. After that, with coaching changes and all, I started looking for a place to work. The way it worked out was that I packed up my belongings in Boulder, drove through Salt Lake, and stopped at night. I had the opportunity to visit the location, meet a few of the coaches, and ultimately fell in love. It turned out to be a perfect fit for me and to be in line with all of my goals. It turned out to be the best place for me to be.”

Fans of the Utah Utes are aware that taking on significant special teams positions is not a task for the timid. Here, there is a standard. Coaches and supporters anticipate greatness.

In fact, Becker adds that being aware of Salt Lake City’s kicking heritage increased his excitement for the task, and he values the fact that spectators here remain seated during special teams plays.

“Everyone has their own path, and you obviously want to be Matt Gay and not everyone can be Matt Gay,” Becker stated. “This school offers fantastic support for kickers, something that few other institutions do. One of the main things that struck me when I first arrived was that everyone wanted touchbacks. It seemed to me that the supporters here are passionate about special teams and that there is more to it than simply the play in between to go get a drink refill or whatever. That was awesome, and certainly, I would love to be among the greats to leave this place. It’s been a fantastic opportunity whether it occurs or not.”

Multi-sport athlete Cole Becker

Before deciding to focus on football, Becker participated in a variety of sports during his high school years.

Becker played basketball until almost halfway through high school. He also naturally gravitated toward soccer, which is partly how he decided to play football at the kicker position.

“Growing up I was big into basketball and soccer,” Becker stated. “Kicking kind of started with soccer. My family friend, a Boise State kicker, was a big influence in my decision to take up the sport and begin training with a local trainer. The conversion from soccer to football was legendary. Kickers frequently engage in it. It was enjoyable playing basketball. played that until their junior year in high school, and they became great football players. Simply put, plain and simple.”

Becker’s kicking skills improved to the point where, while still in high school, a video of him making a 68-yard field goal went viral.

“Coming out of high school I was feeling really good,” Becker stated. “I was a young man with all the power. It was a windy day, to be sure, but I made the most of it and touched 70 here. So, yeah, it gets windy here too.”

Handling One Of Football’s More Isolating Roles
Similar to quarterbacks, kickers are among the athletes on the field who are most visible during football games.

They are rock stars when they perform well. If they aren’t, well, then they may be the coaches’ and fans’ worst nightmares.

In addition to learning to rely on a select group of his special teams colleagues to get through some of the most trying times in that role, Becker says he worked extremely hard throughout high school to develop the mental toughness required to be a successful kicker at the NCAA level.

“When you first get into football, you quickly learn it’s a team sport,” Becker explained. “But as a kicker, you’re one of the few individuals within that team environment. It was tough for me to adjust to that in high school. In college, there’s even more pressure, and you often feel like you’re on your own, but there are people there to support you. Like quarterbacks, kickers need to trust their snappers and holders.”

You can make poor plays sometimes, and they can make horrible plays sometimes. In the end, it is indeed a situation of a made field goal versus a missed one. There are many moving parts to it, but the most important one is learning to let go of mistakes and go on. It’s just you at the end of the day, therefore you need to have faith in your abilities.”

At The L.A. Coliseum, Becker Solidifies His Legend

Every kicker hopes to be in a situation where they can secure a significant victory for their side.

Becker was given that chance during the Utes’ game against USC in Los Angeles last season. The Utes had only just secured another thrilling victory in the Coliseum two seasons prior. The play was set up by quarterback Bryson Barnes scrambling for 26 yards, and Becker’s 38 yards straight down the middle earned the Utes their second victory in the City of Angels.

“The game was fantastic,” Becker remarked. “You attempt to kick those in the same manner every time. anything’s better not to overthink anything and give it more weight than it deserves. Prior to kick It’s your shot on the field after I’m off in my own world, kicking into that net. I was telling myself that it was normal and to just make the kick. I figured I could accomplish it because it was only around 38 middle. All I had to do at that point was execute.”

It was undoubtedly a turning point in Becker’s career as a Ute, and he hopes that in the years to come, his admirers will recall it.

Becker remarked, “I hope they remember the makes.” As a kicker, the road isn’t ideal. I will never be known as the guy who never makes a mistake. I think I want to be seen as a real guy who gave it his all and did all in his power to help Utah win some football games.”

Putting Things in Perspective

Although Utah has seen two tremendous seasons previously, the club has “struggled” in comparison since Becker joined.

Although the last two seasons haven’t gone as well as supporters had hoped, Becker says that, for him, it’s just been wonderful to be a part of a team that can win games, even if they aren’t quite living up to the high standards that have been established.

Becker remarked, “This team has been fantastic.” “It was an amazing turnaround to go from five victories in two years to, ‘hey, we had a bad season and it was 8-5,'” It’s this program, these coaches, and all these men. Everyone who backs this group of players.

They are knowledgeable, so it was a big assistance in getting me going and laying the groundwork. From there, I look up to those guys to know what to do in a situation like that. It has been a pleasure to be a member of this team, which consists of a web of incredibly brilliant individuals.”

Cole Becker Is Extremely Proud Despite not playing for the 2021 squad that experienced the losses of defensive back Aaron Lowe and running back Ty Jordan, Becker’s senior teammates were

As someone who is new to the program, Becker believes it has done an excellent job of ensuring that individuals who were not present for the events of “22 Forever” comprehend the significance of the incident and how it is ingrained in the identity of the Utes.

“I would say it’s one of the coolest traditions I’ve ever seen in college athletics in general,” Becker stated. “This program is greatly impacted by Ty and Aaron. Whether the men were present or not, we always make sure that everyone is informed, aware of the individuals in question and their significance to the program. They won’t ever be overlooked.

It’s a yearly emphasis. We discuss it at meetings, and I believe Utahn culture is heavily influenced by it. Teach the new guys the necessary information and other things. I respect and enjoy that about Utah football, and I think it’s important for everyone to realize that it’s a part of who we are.”

What, in Becker’s opinion, makes being a Ute so unique is that brotherhood—forgetting those whose lives were cut short and continuing with pride in all that you accomplish.

Being a Ute signifies many different things, according to Becker. “It seems like the pride I have in being a Ute is the biggest thing I have had in the past two years. Like, to be proud of the program’s past as well as what it means to be a Ute, not just to be a Ute. similar to the challenges you face every day and the room full of brothers you inherit the moment you arrive. The coaches who treat you as if you’re family. Being a Ute entails being completely truthful.”