BOULDER — Arden Walker imagined his senior season going a little differently.

The Denver native and former Cherry Creek star has become one of the faces of the Colorado program, now in his third season with the Buffaloes, and back in the summer, Walker was hoping to lead the program to its first Big 12 championship since 2001.

Now, he’s just trying to make sure the regular season finale at Kansas State at the end of November isn’t the last game of his college career. Helping get the Buffs to a bowl game would still be an accomplishment as CU hasn’t won six or more games in back-to-back seasons in 20 years, and Walker has his eyes on getting drafted into the NFL next spring.

Here’s what the veteran defensive end had to say when meeting with the media this week:

Q: How have you tried to provide leadership this week following the tough loss last week in Salt Lake City?

A: We gotta respond. I felt like, if anything, we didn’t do what we were supposed to, clearly by the score (and) how we played. It’s a new week, (we have to) throw it out with the trash and get ready for this week and make sure we get the win. 

Q: How surprising was the result at Utah?

A: Disappointing, to say the least. I don’t like getting boat raced like that. I definitely took it personally, (given) the team we went against. It’s in the past, so now we gotta focus on Arizona and make sure we get back to who we’re supposed to be.

Q: Prior to that, you guys beat Iowa State and you’re competitive in just about every game. Has it been easy to have the belief that’s the team you really are?

A: I think we just gotta still focus on the positives even when things do happen like this. Of course, there’s been some ups and downs with the season, but I feel like, if anything, it’s still (about) understanding who you are and what you can do. If we get back to where we’re supposed to be, I think we’ll be fine.

Q: As a senior with four, maybe five, games left in your career, how much of a sense of urgency do you feel personally to make this last month count?

A: We gotta get to six wins, really. That’s the bowl-eligible number, so that’s what I’ve been preaching to a lot of guys in the locker room, like, ‘We gotta get there.’ For us to play in December, we gotta continue to make sure we can get wins. In terms of me, the trajectory of where I’m trying to go and where I’m trying to be, I only have a few games left, so I want to make the most of my situation because the unknown is coming up pretty soon.

Q: Do you have any emotions as you’re coming down to the end of your college career?

A: Um, I feel like it’s more that I’m competitive and hungry to end on a positive note. I’m really looking forward to making the best efforts to help the team get to a bowl game and improve my draft stock and stuff like that. I want to help the team, and the success of the team is going to help me. I just gotta make sure I’m stepping up to the plate and doing more. 

Q: Do you feel like you’ve gotten better this season and taken your game to another level?

A: For sure. If anything, the production side I gotta continue to keep stepping up. I hated that I missed a game (against Iowa State) because I want to help my team, but I’m glad we were able to win. I really want to take (my game) to the next level, so I gotta continue to keep stepping up, no matter what it is, pass rush (or) playing the run.

Q: Are you starting to think about the NFL draft process more and more?

A: I’m still focused on the season, but I’m not gonna act like it’s not there, of course. The more I focus on (the draft), it’s like, it is selfish in a way, but the success of the team is going to help me. If I do my part and make sure we get the win, I think the exposure and making the plays that come to me is where I need to be.

Q: Each of the last two games the team has talked about having a good week of practice leading up to the game but the results on Saturday have been varied. What’s the biggest key to making sure practice translates to the game?

A: It’s execution. The mental part of the game is the biggest part, knowing how hard we do practice. I think the guys just gotta put the next foot forward to make sure that we’re doing extra to be ready for the game.

King’s Players to Watch

Colorado: WR Joseph Williams, DE Keaten Wade

Williams had his best game since joining the Buffs last time CU was at home. He looked like a reliable deep threat for QB Kaidon Salter, but the offense as a whole fell flat on its face last week at Utah. This week, against Arizona, the Buffs offense could use some big plays early to inject some life into the crowd and Williams is the best candidate to make them. Defensively, speaking of breakout performances, Wade had his last year on the road in Tucson, sacking Arizona QB Noah Fifita twice in the 34-7 win. 

Arizona: RB Ismail Mahdi, DB Dalton Johnson
Even though Fifita is the engine of the Wildcats offense, it’s impossible to watch the film from last week’s game at Utah and not see a path to success running the football and Mahdi already has one big game to his name this season when he ran for 189 yards against Kansas State in September. On defense, the Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in interceptions with 9 and Johnson has one of them to go with a team-leading 52 tackles.