Ben Finneseth stood at the center of the field as the lone representative of the Colorado football team on Saturday.
A redshirt freshman walk-on from Durango High School, Finneseth was named a captain for the Buffaloes’ game against California at Folsom Field. And, there he stood with the head official and the captains from California for the coin flip before overtime.
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t know the overtime rules,” Finneseth said. “So yeah, I was most definitely a little bit nervous doing that. It ended up working out.”
CU (1-5, 1-2 Pac-12) won the game, 20-13, and while Finneseth didn’t provide a game-changing play, he fulfilled a meaningful role.
“(Interim head coach Mike) Sanford called me into his office and said he wanted to make me a captain,” Finneseth said. “I almost teared up. It was one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had.”
Sanford took over on Oct. 2 after head coach Karl Dorrell was fired. During his brief time leading the program, Sanford has pushed seemingly all the right buttons. The Buffs are 1-0 under his direction, with a tough test looming at Oregon State (5-2, 2-2) on Saturday in Corvallis, Ore. (6:10 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
One of Sanford’s most significant moves at this point has been to make every player on the roster feel important.
In addition to giving Finneseth a life-long memory, Sanford and his staff have created new roles and positions for some players on the roster. And, there is a new aspect of the weekly routine called the “Ralphie Bowl” – a Sunday scrimmage for those who played less than 10 plays in the game.
Sanford’s efforts have helped the team rally together as they try to salvage what was a sour season through the first five weeks.
“When you have more people bought in and more people invested in what’s going on on Saturdays, you get better results in practice,” Sanford said. “You get better results in your process and your preparation. And ultimately, I believe it pays off with a more invested team on game day and that’s what we saw (against Cal).”
Some of the changes were evident on game day, including Finneseth’s role as captain. CU has had the same four captains all season – defensive end Terrance Lang, linebacker Quinn Perry, offensive lineman Casey Roddick and tight end Brady Russell. Sanford decided to add a fifth, honoring a different member of the special teams units throughout the remainder of the season.
The Buffs also created a new position on defense that allowed true freshman Aubrey Smith and senior Robert Barnes to make more of an impact than they have had in other games.
Three walk-ons who had never played a snap at CU – defensive backs Austin Dahlke and Trey Ortega and linebacker Caiden Robertson – played for the first time. And, seven players suited up for the first time this season.
“We activated some other players that had really not been a part of what we’ve been doing,” Sanford said. “But I know for me I’ve been looking at evaluating the scout team defense and there’s a group of players that I was like, ‘These guys need to play somehow, some way for us.’”
Dahkle, Finneseth and Ortega lead a group that has recently been dubbed the “Dawg Squad.”
“The Dawg Squad’s out there eatin’ and every time they make a play in the game and practice you’ve got guys barking on the sideline,” Sanford said.
Less noticeable publicly is the Ralphie Bowl, but it’s a new event that veteran tackle Jake Wiley said does a lot for the team morale.
“I think the Ralphie Bowl is one big thing that we do that it really helps all the younger kids and let them get in and get their reps in when they may not be getting it during the week in practice,” Wiley said. “I think that it really helps and it helps build the confidence to knowing that you can go out there and you’re not just guessing and you’re not just kind of just going out there hoping for the best.”
Sanford also reinstated the “Victory Club,” a program that recognizes those who had a significant role in previous week’s game. It was a program started by then-head coach Bill McCartney in 1982. It provides a new source of motivation, as players get to special jerseys throughout the week. This week, 32 players were recognized.
Since Sanford took over two weeks ago, players have repeatedly said the energy has been cranked up a few notches. That is, in large part, because of Sanford’s efforts to get everyone involved and motivated in some way.
“At practice you’re more tuned in,” Smith said. “You’re more focused with the game plan, studying the plays. Before, players weren’t really focused at practice because they knew that they weren’t going to get in. Now that the game plan is different, we know that hey, anything can happen.”
Anything, including being named a captain for a week.
“That was one of the best moments of my life,” said Finneseth, one of the Buffs’ top special teams players. “I mean, obviously winning in overtime and getting to do the coin flip and be the leader of the team for that game, I’ll never forget it.”
