Colorado @ Colorado State preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 1, 2012 ) Colorado State 22, Colorado 17

Mike MacIntyre, who led San Jose State to a 11-2 record and a Military Bowl victory over Bowling Green, makes his Colorado head coaching debut against Colorado State on Sunday in what is called “The Rocky Mountain Showdown.” MacIntyre, who replaced Jon Embree, takes over a Buffaloes’ team that finished just 1-11 a year ago with the only victory by one point - 35-34, at Washington State. The Buffaloes bring an eight-game losing streak into the contest, the fourth longest in the FBS.

Colorado State begins its second season under Jim McElwain, who was the offensive coordinator for Alabama’s 2011 national championship team before leaving to take over in Fort Collins. The Rams won last year’s meeting, 22-17, and are attempting to record back-to-back wins over their in-state rivals for the first time since 1999-2000. The Sunday afternoon contest is played at a neutral site, Sports Authority Park at Mile High in Denver, home stadium for the NFL's Denver Broncos.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network LINE: Colorado State -2.5.

ABOUT COLORADO (2012: 1-11, 1-8 Pac-12): MacIntyre announced that junior Connor Wood, a transfer who began his career at Texas, beat out freshman Sefo Liufau for the starting quarterback job. Wood takes over for Jordan Webb, who started nine games and threw for 1,434 yards and eight touchdowns in 2012 but suffered a torn ACL in spring practice. The offense should get a big boost with the return of dynamic junior wide receiver Paul Richardson, who caught 11 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a game against Cal in 2011 but sat out the entire 2012 season following knee surgery.

ABOUT COLORADO STATE (2012: 4-8, 3-5 Mountain West): Most assumed the battle for starting quarterback was between junior Garrett Grayson, who started the first five games of 2012 before suffering a broken collarbone in a loss at Air Force, and sophomore Conner Smith, the starter in three of the Rams’ four wins a year ago. But McElwain left the door open that freshman Nick Stevens could get the nod. “The freshman kid is mature beyond his years,” McElwain said. “If he’s ready, he’ll go.” McElwain said that he won’t announce his starter until just before kickoff.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Colorado State enters the 2013 season having had a 100-yard rusher in five straight games, the school’s longest such streak since 2002.

2. Colorado returns its top four leading rushers from 2012 led by bruising sophomore tailback Christian Powell, who finished with 691 yards, second most by a freshman in school history.

3. WR Charles Lovett, Colorado State’s top receiver last season with 35 receptions, is questionable after suffering a knee injury in a scrimmage on Aug. 20.

PREDICTION: Colorado State 24, Colorado 17