In the two decades that Kyle Whittingham has been the head coach at Utah, his program has built a reputation for being tough and physical, especially at the line of the scrimmage.
Colorado has seen that up close and been on the wrong end of that physically too often in recent years.
Now in their second season under head coach Deion Sanders, the 18th-ranked Buffaloes are showing some physicality and nastiness of their own. And, that will be tested when the Buffs (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) host Utah (4-5, 1-5) on Saturday at Folsom Field (10 a.m., Fox).
Through much of their run in the Pac-12 Conference (2011-23), CU was pushed around by Utah and a lot of other teams. In 2023, Sanders' first team at CU was built around its skill players, which was by design. It was often said, in fact, that CU might have had the best 7-on-7 team in the country - if only the game was played 7-on-7.
This season, and particularly in recent weeks, the Buffs are flexing their muscles. CU leads the Big 12 in sacks, the offensive line is keeping quarterback Shedeur Sanders protected for the most part, and even the skill players are showing physical play week after week.
"I think Coach Prime sets the tone, starting every week," receiver Will Sheppard said. "Then it's on the (offensive) line and (defensive) line really. They start it up front. Everything starts up front and then just bleeds out into the rest of the team."
Coach Prime didn't want to entertain any comparison to last year's team, but said CU's change in physically starts with the master plan of roster building.
"We've changed the roster," he said. "We flipped the darn roster, remember? Remember all the changes? We flipped the roster. That probably has a lot to do with it. We've gotten the people that we wanted."
Sanders and his original staff scrambled to put together a revamped roster in 2023, but it was a rushed process.
"That's kind of tough," he said. "Our back was up against the wall. It was kind of tough."
This past offseason, Sanders and his staff could be more intentional in their recruiting targets. They went after big, mean and physical players.
Defensive linemen such as Anquin Barnes (Alabama) and Chidozie Nwankwo (Houston) came to CU as transfers. So did defensive ends BJ Green (Arizona State), Dayon Hayes (Pittsburgh), Samuel Okunlola (Pittsburgh) and Keaten Wade (Kentucky); and inside linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green (Charlotte).
While the newcomers have helped to set a tone, several returning players have been impressively physical this year, too. Defensive linemen Shane Cokes and Amari McNeill; defensive ends Taje McCoy and Arden Walker; and linebacker LaVonta Bentley have posted great seasons for the Buffs.
Walker, who had two sacks in Saturday's 41-27 win at Texas Tech, said the tone up front on defense has been set by defensive line coach Damione Lewis, edge coach Vincent Dancy and graduate assistant Warren Sapp.
"Honestly, our three coaches have just emphasized on us just being physical and playing fast," Walker said. "We just continue to play hard and it's been paying off. That's really what it is. But I feel like we're still climbing up the mountain and we want to get to the top. We've just got to continue to stay consistent with playing hard and playing fast and playing physical. That separates us."
Offensively, there's a new set of linemen, too, with true freshman Jordan Seaton - the No. 1 offensive line recruit in the 2024 class - leading the way. Transfers such as Kahlil Benson (Indiana), Phillip Houston (Florida International) and Justin Mayers (UTEP), as well as returner Tyler Brown have brought a physical tone, too.
Sheppard and the receivers are more physical, as well, stepping up as blockers for each other and in the run game.
Coach Prime points to the changes on staff, too.
Lewis, a 10-year NFL veteran, and Sapp, who is an NFL Hall of Fame defensive tackle, have brought a load of energy to the defense. So has new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who spent the past dozen years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. Dancy was here in 2023, but not as one of the primary assistants and he's played a vital role.
Offensive line coach Phil Loadholt and receivers coach Jason Phillips bring NFL experience and an aggressive mindset to the offense.
It's all added up to CU no longer being considered the best 7-on-7 team in the country. The Buffs are simply one of the better teams around and in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff because they can now battle in the trenches.
"We flipped the darn roster, and I'm proud of them," Coach Prime said. "I'm proud of these young men. I'm proud of the coaching staff. Flipped that too. I'm proud of them."