Colorado's strength entering the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State is decidedly its defense, a unit that ranked as the Pac-12's best in pass defense, opponent first downs and red zone defense.
One unique common thread on the roster is Nigerian heritage.
CU defensive backs Afolabi Laguda and Chidobe Awuzie, and linebacker Kenneth Olugbode, are all first-generation American's whose parents emigrated from the African country.
“My parents being immigrants, they worked hard for everything and they already had that work ethic in them,” Laguda told CUBuffs.com. “That trickled down to me and my siblings.