A dozen University of Colorado football players made the various All-Pac-12 Conference football teams, with their head coach also earning special recognition
First-year head coach Karl Dorrell was named the Pac-12’s Coach of the Year. That means for the fifth straight year the Pac 12 Coach of the Year will be on the sidelines for the Valero Alamo Bowl.
Coach Dorrell is in his first season in charge of the Buffaloes, leading them to a 4-1 record. Coach Dorrell is 1-3 all-time in bowl games.
Coach Dorrell becomes the 5th straight Pac-12 Coach of the Year to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl the same year they won the award following Kyle Whittingham (2019), Mike Leach (2018), David Shaw (2017), and Mike MacIntyre (2016).
Jarek Broussard is the second straight Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year to appear in the bowl after Zack Moss (Utah) played in San Antonio last year.
In their game against Arizona this year, Broussard rushed 25 times for 301 yards and averaged 12 yard per carry. The Valero Alamo Bowl record for rushing yards in a game is 240 and most yards per carry is 12.0 (both Dan Alexander, 2000).
Four Buffaloes earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors, defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson, quarterback Sam Noyer, offensive tackle Will Sherman and special teams (all-purpose/non-return) performer Jaylon Jackson. Six additional Buffs were recognized as honorable mention selections: offensive tackle Frank Fillip, defensive end Terrance Lang, safety Isaiah Lewis, offensive guard Casey Roddick, returner Dimitri Stanley and outside linebacker Carson Wells.
This is Colorado’s first bowl appearance since the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl. It will be the Buff’s third appearance, losing in overtime to Wisconsin in 2002 (31-28) and to Oklahoma State in 2016 (38-8).
Since 2007, Colorado has only appeared in two bowl games, both were the Valero Alamo Bowl (‘16,’20).
Colorado owns a 12-17 record all-time in bowl games (dropping its last three), including a 4-5 mark in Texas.
CU averaged 44.8 rushing attempts per game this year, good for seventh in the country when not counting QB sacks.
Three fifth-year seniors remain on the Colorado roster from its 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl trip: QB Sam Noyer (who dressed for the game and was helping with sideline signals), ILB Akil Jones and S Derrion Rakestraw.