After MacIntyre's Firing, Roper At The Helm For Buffs On Saturday

BOULDER, CO -- Kurt Roper will be in the driver's seat as the Colorado Buffalo's interim head football coach on Saturday as the Buffs take on the Cal State Bears in their final regular season game of 2018. If the Buffs win, they will be headed on to a bowl game. If they lose, their season will end, and they will extend their six-game losing streak to seven. The Bears have already secured their bowl berth for the year.

CU athletic director Rick George announced former head coach Mike MacIntyre's firing last Sunday, after a week of speculation about such a move. MacIntyre was initially hired in December of 2012, and showed promise through the 2016 season in which he won several national coach of the year awards. MacIntyre. Since then, however, MacIntyre's record has been mixed: his team failed to make a bowl game in 2017, and the second half of their 2018 campaign has been win-less.

"It was a difficult decision, because Mike is a knowledgeable coach and he has really elevated this team," said George in Sunday's press conference. Nonetheless, explained the athletic director, "I wanted to see more consistency with winning seasons."

Kurt Roper, currently a first-year quarterbacks coach for CU, was brought on as interim head coach. This has been his eighth collegiate coaching position since 1999.

"We have an opportunity to go out and win another football game," said Roper when asked about the significance of this weekend's game. "Here comes round 12, and we’ve got to prepare for it."

The game kicks off tomorrow at 5 p.m. in Berkeley.

Do you like this article? Join the Boulder Patch on Facebook! Stay in touch with the news and events that shape Boulder County. Sign up for your free Patch newsletter here.

Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images - Mike MacIntyre, head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, shouts at the officials during the fourth quarter against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.