After months of preparation, development and collaboration, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is ready for his first of what he and Colorado hope are many game days leading the Buffs' offense.

From serving as a offensive quality control analyst and co-offensive coordinator last season to his current role orchestrating the CU offense, the roster has changed drastically bringing its share of challenges. However, as Shurmur and his offense stand today, those challenges and changes have allowed the Buffs to build a more talented and deep group of players.

“Watching last year to this year, we're much more cohesive as a team,” Shurmur said.

Colorado’s cohesiveness and ability will be put to the test first by North Dakota State at Folsom Field on Thursday. Shumur has taken a detailed look at what the Bison bring on the defensive side of the ball to ensure that his game plan can warrant the most effective outcome. Overall, Shurmur is aiming to set the tone with the offensive attack while also providing an accurate response to what NDSU’s defense presents to him.