Senior Salute: One Last Time on Folsom Field

BOULDER— In what’s expected to be the biggest crowd in the Mike MacIntyre era, this year's seniors are playing in more than just their last game.

Read: Utah vs. Colorado Game Preview

Read: Meet The 16th Ranked Recruiting Class in the Country

Team News: CU is No. 9 | Folsom Field Sellout | MAC for COY

More: 2018 OL Commits To Buffs | Fla Commit loves CU Visit

The past three years under MacIntyre, the University of Colorado seniors have been playing for pride, playing one last time as Buffaloes. This year the seniors are playing for the complete opposite; a Pac-12 South title and the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.

"I'm playing for myself and for all the other seniors,” senior linebacker Jimmie Gilbert said. “We got a huge group of us and I'm trying not to just to play for myself, I'm trying to play for the guys that are also out there busting their butts and putting on a show and woking as hard as I am.”

They will have one last team dinner in Boulder, one last team bus ride to Folsom Field.

"I can't really put it into words, I feel old. Four years flew by and now it's my last home game, last time in Folsom to play, I just feel old," Gilbert described. "I feel like there is a lot of things left undone but at the same time you kind of just go with it."

One last time running out of the locker behind Ralphie at Folsom.

“I think it will hit me on game day when we run behind Ralphie for the last time at Folsom, I think that’s when it usually hits me, for most games that when the nerves actually hit me,” senior captain Kenneth Olgubode. “I don’t feel nervous till right before the game so I feel like that’s really when it is all going to come together.”

Recruiting: Three JC Prospects Visiting Colorado This Weekend

One last time kneeling down in the far end zone of Folsom to pray.

One last chance to leave their mark.

“I’ll probably be emotional on Saturday to put so much into this program and play for four years especially with this group and the journey we've been through, it’s going to be pretty upsetting to finally know that it’s all over and it's come really fast so just want to enjoy the rest of it,” four-year starter, quarterback Sefo Liufau said, trying to put his emotions into words.

This year's senior class has experienced so much adversity throughout their four years in Boulder, but this year the final game of the regular season is something different, something they haven't experienced before.

And for once they control their own destiny.

“It means everything that this group of guys we’re able to get it done in their time, it’s really unique to me that these guy’s hard earned work, all their blood, sweat, and tears, to keep fighting and keep believing and these guys get to do it,” MacIntyre said. “Not often in life does that always happen and if we finish this like we want, it truly is a dream come true.”

Players like Liufau and Chidobe Awuzie, who have played all four years under MacIntyre, are taking in this moment, taking in the opportunity realize their mission and turn Colorado’s football program around, and be remembered for doing just that.

“It means everything to be able to help turn the program around with this group of seniors and everyone else,” Liufau said. “It’s a great feeling cause usually at this time of year we are moseying about on the field, just playing for pride basically so I’m very happy, very proud of the way our team is playing.”

This year’s team is different, this year’s team has worked hard for four straight years to get to where they are at, the results show it too. Totaling 19 wins in their collegiate career this group of seniors has tallied nine just this season.

“We want to be the team that switched the program around, we’ve been in a little drought at Colorado for years now,” senior cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon said. “If this program will continue on an uphill rise then I feel like we’ve left our legacy.”

The older guys know they have changed Colorado Football around and they don't want that to slip away when they leave. Juniors Shay Fields and Afolabi Laguda know what this program means to the seniors and they aren't going to let that slip away next year.

"We're going to try to do what they did and just go out there and have another winning season and make them proud," Fields said.

"We're going to keep the same thing going, we kind of feel like if it's not broken don't fix it so we're just going to try to be disciplined be stout and just make things happen for us next year,” Laguna said.

This group of Colorado seniors is a special group of men who have brought Colorado Football back to the fans and on Saturday night they will play… One last time in Folsom Field.

"It's been fun, fun being able to play out here in front of everybody," Gilbert said.

“They have changed the culture and it will stay that way,” MacIntyre said emphatically.

The seniors have changed more than the culture. They made the Buffs and Folsom Field great again.

2016-2017 Seniors

16 AWINI, Jaleel WR 6- 2 215 Sr. 1L Aurora, Colo. (Rangeview/Air Force) Economics

4 AWUZIE, Chidobe DB 6- 0 205 Sr. 3L San Jose, Calif. (Oak Grove) Business-Management

84 BAGBY, David WR 6- 0 180 Sr. VR San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines/Arizona) Sociology

99 BOATMAN, Brian TE 6- 3 225 Sr. 1L Centennial, Colo. (Kent Denver) Economics

70 CALLAHAN, Shane OL 6- 6 300 Sr. 2L Parker, Colo. (Chaparral/Auburn) Communication

92 CARRELL, Jordan DE 6- 3 300 Sr. 1L Roseville, Calif. (Roseville/ American River College) Communication

7 GEHRKE, Jordan QB 6- 1 200 Sr. 2L Scottsdale, Ariz. (Notre Dame Prep/Scottsdale CC) Psychology

98 GILBERT, Jimmie OLB 6- 5 230 Sr. 3L College Station, Texas (A&M Consolidated) Sociology

10 GONZALEZ, Diego PK 6- 0 215 Sr. 2L Monterrey, MEXICO (Prepa Tec/Monterrey Tech) Business (Mngt. & Marketing)

94 HENINGTON, Tyler DL 6- 2 240 Sr. 2L Centennial, Colo. (Mullen) Business (Acct.) & Economics

38 HILL, Chris TE/HB 6- 2 225 Sr. 1L Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista) Communication

99 HOWARD, Aaron OLB 6- 1 230 Sr. 2L Denver, Colo. (East/Willamette) Psychology

81 IRWIN, Sean TE 6- 3 250 Sr. 3L Cypress, Texas (Cypress Fairbanks) Classics & History

54 KAFOVALU, Samson DT 6- 4 295 Sr. 3L Riverside, Calif. (Arlington) Communication

74 KELLEY, Alex C 6- 2 310 Sr. 3L Oceanside, Calif. (Vista) Ecology & Evolutionary Biology & English

13 LIUFAU, Sefo QB 6- 4 230 Sr. 3L Tacoma, Wash. (Bellarmine Prep) Economics

31 OLUGBODE, Kenneth ILB 6- 1 220 Sr. 3L San Jose, Calif. (Bellarmine Prep) Urban Design & Planning

3 RIPPY, Deaysean OLB 6- 2 240 Sr. 1L McKees Rocks, Pa. (Sto-Rox/Univ. of Pittsburgh) Ethnic Studies

30 SEVERSON, Ryan ILB 5-10 205 Sr. 3L San Jose, Calif. (Valley Christian) Business (Mngt. & Marketing)

27 TALIANKO, Travis ILB 6- 1 215 Sr. 1L Sierra Madre, Calif. (St. Francis/San Jose St./College of the Canyons) Economics

9 THOMPSON, Tedric DB 6- 1 205 Sr. 3L Valencia, Calif. (Valencia) Sociology

58 TUPOU, Josh DT 6- 3 325 Sr. 3L Buena Park, Calif. (Buena Park) Communication

53 WIEFELS, Sully OL 6- 3 305 Sr. 1L Eagle, Idaho (Eagle/American River College) Political Science

23 WITHERSPOON, Ahkello DB 6- 3 195 Sr. 2L Sacramento, Calif. (Christian Brothers/SCCC) Ecology & Evolutionary Biology