Colorado @ Colorado State preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 2, 2016 ) Colorado State 7, Colorado 44

Fresh off one of the more surprising turnarounds of 2016, Colorado kicks off a new season Friday in its annual Rocky Mountain Showdown contest against Colorado State in Denver. The Rams, meanwhile, don’t look to be the 44-7 pushover they were a year ago in this matchup, having opened their season with a 58-27 thumping of the Pac-12’s Oregon State in Fort Collins on Saturday.

The Buffaloes jumped from 4-9 in 2015 to 10-4 a season ago, going 8-1 in conference play en route to the Pac-12 South Division title. The season, dubbed by the program as “The Rise,” didn’t exactly have a storybook ending, though, as Colorado was crushed by Washington 41-10 in the conference championship game and routed by Oklahoma State 38-8 in the Alamo Bowl. Entering 2017, the Buffaloes are predicted to finish fourth in South by conference media members, and coach Mike MacIntyre - winner of several 2016 national coach-of-the-year honors - says it’s on his team to quiet the "one-season wonder" chatter. “We have a lot to prove,” MacIntyre said last month during his Pac-12 Media Days news conference. “We’re still a team that people don’t believe in, and we’d like for people to believe in us. The only way you do that is put back-to-back (strong seasons) together, and that’s what we plan on doing.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Colorado -5.5

ABOUT COLORADO (2016: 10-4): Sophomore quarterback Steven Montez has the difficult task of replacing the school's all-time passing yards leader, Sefo Liufau, after throwing for 1,017 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions in 10 games (three starts) last season. He’ll have plenty of help with the Buffaloes returning their top four wide receivers, four starting offensive linemen and second-team All-Pac 12 tailback Phillip Lindsay, but there are questions on defense as Colorado must replace eight starters, including a trio of NFL draft picks in the secondary.

ABOUT COLORADO STATE (1-0): The Rams opened their new and sold-out on-campus stadium in style Saturday, outscoring the visiting Beavers 34-7 in the second half. Quarterback Nick Stevens threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, the ground game produced 191 yards and three TDs and the defense forced five turnovers, which directly led to 27 of the Rams’ 57 points. Wide receiver Michael Gallup got a good start after his preseason All-Mountain West Conference First Team recognition, hauling in 11 passes for 134 yards to post his sixth straight 100-yard receiving performance dating to last season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Colorado leads the series 64-22-2 and has won two straight meetings and seven of the last 10.

2. The Buffaloes’ top four returning receivers – seniors Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo and Devin Ross and junior Jay MacIntyre – combined for 189 receptions, 2,523 yards and 17 TDs a year ago.

3. Colorado State has topped 500 total yards and 40 points in each of its last five games dating to last season.

PREDICTION: Colorado 34, Colorado State 32