BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders saw a valuable performer for the Colorado Buffaloes retire Tuesday — live mascot Ralphie VI.

The 5-year-old buffalo nicknamed Ember is staying home on the ranch this season rather than running the field. The decision was made in the best interest of Ember, who at times showed a reluctance to make the traditional romp around Folsom Field while leading the team.

Colorado already has started training her replacement — Ralphie VII — but she’s not quite ready to run.

For the time being, the Buffaloes will take the field without their mascot. Sanders and the team open the season at home Friday night against Georgia Tech.

The running of Colorado’s buffalo mascot onto the field with the team is one of college football’s most iconic traditions. It’s been a staple at the school for the past 58 years.

The plan for Ember will be to join Ralphie V — nicknamed “Blackout” — on the ranch and take it easy. Ember made her debut for the Buffaloes in September 2021, when she was just over 15 months old and only 500 pounds.

“Ember has been excellent in many aspects of her role as Ralphie, but she’s happiest relaxing on the ranch and we want to be respectful of her wishes,” said Taylor Stratton, director of the Ralphie Live Mascot Program. “She will continue to get the same top level of love and care that all of our Ralphies receive.”

The Buffaloes have long had a live mascot on their sideline, with the inaugural one named Mr. Chips. The first Ralphie was donated in 1966 and made her debut during a 10-0 win over Kansas State.

She was an instant hit.

The fans broke into a bleacher-shaking “Buffalo Stomp” after she made her pass. School officials stopped the tradition because the students were causing too much damage to the wooden bleachers. It wasn’t long after that that then-football coach Eddie Crowder was presented with the idea of the team running out behind Ralphie.

That tradition officially took hold on Sept. 16, 1967.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said he had to “trust my gut” in selecting freshman CJ Carr to be the Fighting Irish’s starting quarterback for Sunday’s opener at No. 10 Miami, following a competition with Kenny Minchey that showed few statistical differences.

Carr, the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, will make his first career start after appearing in only one game last season and not recording any statistics. Minchey, a third-year player, has appeared in only four games for the Irish.

“Statistically, as close to any quarterback competition I’ve ever been a part of,” Freeman said Tuesday, speaking for the first time since naming Carr the starter last week. “I was looking for that to be the reason to make a decision, and it wasn’t clear.”

Carr, who grew up near Michigan’s campus in Saline, Michigan, was ESPN’s No. 2 pocket passer and No. 36 overall recruit in the 2024 class. He sustained an injury to his throwing elbow in practice last September that limited him for much of the season, but did not require surgery.

Carr, Minchey and Steve Angeli, Notre Dame’s primary backup the past two seasons, competed during spring practice. Angeli then transferred to Syracuse, where he won the starting job in camp. Carr only saw the field briefly in Notre Dame’s blowout win at Purdue last September.

“He’s as intelligent of a football player you’ll be around, works extremely hard in his preparation,” Freeman said. “He’s a guy that’s very confident — at some points, you may be a little bit overconfident — but you want that in your quarterback. You want the quarterback to say, ‘I want the ball in my hands every play when the game is on the line, and I believe that I’m going to make the right decision.'”

Freeman said Carr’s decision-making will be paramount in a difficult road setting at Miami, noting that Notre Dame has other strengths, such as its run game and defense, that should help a young quarterback.

“Every play, it can’t be a bomb,” Freeman said. “Trust the game plan, trust what you see, be who you are and win this play. I don’t want to put a numerical expectation on him. Be the best version of CJ Carr, make those guys around you better. That’s something that he does really well.”

Freeman also was very complimentary of Minchey, noting that arguably no Notre Dame player has gained more trust since the start of spring practice until now. Minchey had some expected disappointment with Freeman’s decision but has shown his maturity in how he has practiced the past week.

“He’s good enough to be the starting quarterback at Notre Dame,” Freeman said. “I didn’t expect him to be happy with my decision, but I did expect, after a day or so, to see the maturity of Kenny Minchey, in terms of being able to go back to work, understand and delay gratification.”

Notre Dame defensive end Jordan Botelho, who missed all but three games last season with a knee injury and sustained a torn pectoral while training in June, will be available against Miami. Botelho started throughout 2023 and the first three games last fall before the knee injury.

Virginia Tech junior linebacker Caleb Woodson, a team captain, was arrested Saturday on a charge of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.

Woodson, 21, was jailed and released Saturday on $2,500 unsecured bond. He has a court date scheduled for Sept. 9. According to online court records, this is his first DWI offense.

Coach Brent Pry said Woodson will face internal discipline following his arrest, and that his status for Sunday’s opener against No. 13 South Carolina in Atlanta has not been determined.

“There’s been a lot of discussions over the last few days regarding this matter,” Pry said. “And there’s certainly internal program consequences at play, measures at play, and then the university’s policy, the athletic department policies, we’re committed to seeing that out.”

Pry also told reporters that Woodson’s status as a team captain, which he earned last week, has been removed, although he will have the chance to earn it back.

Woodson started 11 of 13 games for the Hokies last season, finishing second on the team with 72 tackles while recording 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.

Woodson, from Haymarket, Virginia, started one game and played in all 13 during his 2023 freshman season, when he had 22 tackles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.