One day after a 49-7 loss to Minnesota dropped Colorado to 0-3, Buffs athletic director Rick George released a statement addressing the struggles of the school’s highest-profile program.

“Like all of you, I have been disappointed to watch our football team struggle this fall, most recently yesterday at Minnesota,” the statement read. “I know that our coaches and our student-athletes are capable of so much more and that all of you deserve better results.

“I want you to know that I hear you. I recognize and understand your disappointment and frustration and perhaps, even anger. We have not come close to meeting our expectations this season and we own that. I know that Coach Dorrell, our coaching and support staff, and our student-athletes are working hard to get us on track, and with conference play starting this Saturday, we hope we all will enjoy a home victory over UCLA.

“Regardless of your feelings right now on Colorado Football, I encourage you to continue to support our tremendous football student-athletes, who need your cheers, encouragement and support now, more than ever.”

It’s not just that Colorado has been losing; it’s the fashion in which it has been doing so. The Buffs haven’t gotten within 25 points of an opponent this season, having dropped their first three games by a combined margin of 128-30. Through three weeks, they are among the bottom five Football Bowl Subdivision teams in scoring offense (10 points per game) and scoring defense (42.7 points allowed per game).

Understandably, those glaring shortcomings have drawn attention to third-year head coach Karl Dorrell, whose teams are 4-11 since a surprising 4-2 finish in the pandemic-altered 2020 season, his first at the school.

Dorrell was asked Saturday if he’s feeling heat about his job security.

“No, I'm more frustrated with the players because I know that they want it, but we just don't know how,” he said. “We don't know the how yet. We’ve just got to keep pushing the envelope to keep those guys moving forward about finding the how.”

Dorrell was George’s second head-coaching hire for football, with the other being Mel Tucker, who left in Feb. 2020 after one season in Boulder for the same position at Michigan State. George has been Colorado’s athletic director since 2013. In Sept. 2021, the university’s board of regents unanimously approved a new contract for George that runs through June 30, 2026. Under the conditions of that deal, George earns $1 million annually in base and supplemental salary.