No. 11 Colorado begins practice for its 1st bowl game since 2007

BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado senior quarterback Sefo Liufau usually makes the same, routine walk to the locker room.

This week, it was more difficult passing through a hallway that features the only Heisman Trophy in school history and a ceiling-to-floor photo of the tailback who earned it.

Liufau and the 11thranked Buffaloes began on-field preparations Friday for the Alamo Bowl with heavy hearts after the passing of 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam, who was found dead Monday night in a Boulder park. The park is less than 2 miles from Folsom Field, where Salaam rose to national prominence.

As a tribute to Salaam, the Buffaloes are looking at wearing a helmet sticker for their first bowl game since 2007.

“Just incredible, the legacy he’s left here for people to strive for,” said Liufau, whose team faces No. 13 Oklahoma State on Dec. 29. “Just with the way he played, the way he led Colorado back in the day.”

The bounce-back season for the Buffaloes (10-3) has been one of the biggest story lines in college football this year. Picked to finish last in the conference’s preseason media poll, Colorado captured the Pac-12 South title before losing to No. 4 Washington in the league’s title game last week.

At the Alamo Bowl, Colorado has a chance to become the fourth team in school history to win 11 games. This group would join the 1989 team (11-1) that lost in the Orange Bowl, the ’90 squad (11-11) which captured Colorado’s only national title and the ’94 team (11-1) that was highlighted by Salaam rushing for 2,055 yards.

“This is why we came here, this is what we were working for, striving for — playing for the Pac12 Championship and getting to a bowl game,” senior defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon said. “We’re excited to go out there and try to win it.”