After two strong second-half showings by Colorado’s defense, only allowing six points total against North Dakota State and Nebraska, this week against in-state rival Colorado State, producing four quarters of dominant defense is the next item on the agenda.

Starting fast is the mindset ahead of this week's matchup in order to garner those four clean and consistent quarters of defense. The Buffs’ defense in the second half was the only redeeming quality on the field that CU left Lincoln with. This week the coaching staff is upping the intensity of the practice to make sure another loss isn’t delivered by the Buffs rivals — especially a Mountain West opponent.

“If you were at practice yesterday, we were in everybody's faces,” linebackers coach Andre’ Hart said Wednesday. “It's very high intensity. … We're getting in the faces like drill sergeants doing that kind of thing, and then today, we kind of love them a little bit more. Make sure they got the corrections, and then we're gonna turn it up again.”

Hart’s linebacker room and the Buffs’ defensive front have been overall the most consistent group in completing their assignments on game day, at least in the category of stopping the run. The Bison averaged 3.7 yards per carry and the Cornhuskers averaged 4.3 yards per carry against Colorado. Still, in those first two games, quarterback scrambles and getting to the quarterback have posed a challenge to CU’s front seven.