Ok, so for the second game in a row the Buffs oppenent gave every opportunity for the Buffs to win, and well the Buffs squandered them away.  So now the Buffs make a switch at quarterback and hopefully this does not become the QB shuffle of ‘08.  Lets hope Hansen is given the freedom to make mistakes and is allowed to learn from them.  Lets be honest, this season is going nowhere fast and if we switch to Hansen lets stick it out so he comes in next year as a more experienced player and we can get off to a fast start.

We need to get more constency from the reciever position.  Perhaps the slow development by that crew is caused by the fact the position coach is also the head coach and might not be able to give enough attention to the young players and their development.  All I can really hope is that Hansen can throw an out route with some zip on the ball so a corner can’t pick it off and return it for a td.

Special teams continue to be less than special.  On a night where Scott had a big return and the Buffs blocked a field goal they also had a punt blocked for a touchdown and a punt returned for a td.  Not to mention I’m not too sure we can make a field goal.  If this part of the game doesn’t improve it won’t matter who the QB is.  We are not good enough that we can hand any team 14 points.

Defensively things continue to improve and things are looking better than early in the year.  The front seven was able to pressure McCoy and hold the Texas running game in check.  The secondary got beat a couple of times, but are still playing far better than they did against Toledo.  Showing improvement is encouraging, which is why the offense has been so frustrating.  If the secondary can limit the deep throws better then the Buffs might actually be competetive in the Big 12 north.

Really we got our ass handed to us.  Every facet of the game. So much of what happened was unexpected, but in the end the Buffs did not look good.

Our strengths going into the game we nothing but weaknesses.  Our O-line gave up four sacks and gave Hawkins no time.  Our talented running backs could barely run the ball.  Our experienced secondary gave up 3 huge plays and it should have been 4.

Where was the smash mouth football?  We ran left and we ran right, but we didn’t run up the middle behind Miller.  Even on fourth and 1, we didn’t even try the QB sneak.  Penalties.  We had plenty especially at crucial times.  I haven’t had the stomach to fire up the Tivo yet, but did we really have an illegal man downfield on that critical 3rd down?

We were out game planned and play called for sure.  While the defense adjusted in the second half, I am left wondering what exactly is the character of our offense.  We saw nothing new last night.  No new wrinkles, exactly zero power formation.  More of the same and the results? Less than 20 points. Again.

Congrats to Aric Goodman who hit a 55 yard field goal that could have been good from 65.  Longer than Mason Crosby ever hit at Folsom.

Our chance on Friday night don’t look dreamy right now.

F
A complete failure in every aspect for both the players and the coaching staff. It’s been almost two days and I can’t think of one bright spot from the debacle on Saturday night. This team better wake up quick, or they will go winless for the remainder of the season.

Well, Buffs Fans, it wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it was most certainly a thing. The last time red shirts were flying around Folsom Field like they did on Saturday, the Huskers were getting packed into the ground like tent stakes at scout camp. Freshman quarterback Tyler Hansen ripped his red shirt off in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Kansas State and replaced it with a shiny new #9 jersey. And by the cheers from the fans as he ran onto the field, it wasn’t a moment too soon.
New Guy completed seven of 14 attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown. Only sort of impressive compared Cody Hawkins (six of eleven). Unless, of course, you like a quarterback who can run, take a hit, get back up, and do it again. Hansen rushed for 98 yards in nineteen carries, two sacks net him out to 86. His rushing production average tied that of everyone’s favorite uncle, Josh Smith, at 4.5 per carry. Speaking of guys with a #9 on there jersey that are fun to watch, how about D.J. Dykes? Four tackles and the ten yard sack of the game to pin the Wildcats deep against their own goal line.
Cody Hawkins didn’t go totally unemployed, Hansen and Hawkins split duties, sometimes rotating every play. After marginal performance, the crowd was calling for Cody’s head, but a twenty two yard tag on Josh Smith silenced the masses temporarily as Hawkins pulled the Buffs away from 3rd and 15 to move the ball deeper into K-State territory.
Coach Hawk had all things to say about the quarterback situation in the post game press conference, here is a highlight about Hansen’s Redshirt: “Maybe it was because of his legs, you know he can really run. It was a huge sacrifice for him, but I think it also speaks to the kind of camaraderie we have on our team. . . Obviously for Matt (Ballenger) to take a step back a little bit, versus him stepping forward, and even Cody had to give a few things up. I’m just really pleased with our program and our guys, because I think they’re really getting what this whole thing is about. I think that’s the biggest lesson for them. It’s not something that you want to do necessarily, but we talked to Tyler, it’s not something we would have made him do. We just said, ‘How do you feel about it?’ And he didn’t hesitate an instant; I mean he was on it.”
So let’s get right down to it, it felt good to win one again. And yeah, the Buffs failed to cover the spread, knocking all of your Buffs.tv editors down a point this week, but it is a win none the less. In case you missed it, the whole thing wrapped up 14-13 in favor of the Silver and Gold. Colorado out performed Kansas State in almost every offensive category, except net passing yards. The Wildcats gave up 84 yards in penalties, two fumbles, and missed two field goal attempts. The Buffalo defense was solid. Rod Stewart continued to produce great numbers. None of the freshman in the stands understand why that matters, because most were only three years old when original Rod Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On a pretty sweet personal note, Coach Hawkins showed up in my MBA Organizational Behavior class last Wednesday night. He talked a lot about setting an expectation and ideal of success, and getting people to buy in to that program. He essentially said that it has nothing to do with football or winning, and if you can get your arms around that you’ll be better at both. He also went on a full “This Ain’t Intramurals” style rant about the Buffs 3-3 record going into this game.
Hawk had just come from his radio show, and apparently the media (wait, that’s us, right) sort of got into it about the 3-3 record, so he gave our class a statistics lesson. If you can try to imagine calm coach Hawk building up the story about the Buffs joining the Big 12 in 1996, and then calmly asking the class to speculate on the win/loss record since that time. After calmly confirming that Colorado has won just over 50% of games since 1996, he unleashed the beast and screamed something like, “So what am I going to do about being 3 and 3? We’ve been a .500 ball club for eleven years, man.”
And man, you’re right. But it does anyone else feel like that is about to change? As it turns out, losing to Texas doesn’t really put the Buffs in a minority group. Nebraska is horrible this year, and Iowa State lost to them. A&M is clearly beatable. Missouri and Oklahoma State are poised to be real deal games, but Hawk didn’t pull Hansen’s shirt for nothing.
Let’s Go Buffs!

This was a hard game to stomach. As an editor you approach every game hoping for the win, knowing they can win. However, with some opponents you know it will be a very, very difficult battle. But remember Oklahoma last year, we found a way to win. We have the talent, we have the coaching…it just needs to all meld together. Well, it didn’t on Saturday. From the very first snap ,Texas proved their depth and ranking.
The Colorado defense did okay. They did have two interceptions and at times held the Texas offense . However, there is no excuse for all those missed tackles. Hypolite speaking for the defense after the game realized this. The Buffs defense needs to improve their tackling skills, Period. There were many times during the game when either Colt McCoy or Chris Ogbonnaya could have been tackled for a loss but slipped through the defenses’ hands.
The offense? Offensive. On our second drive in the first half I was encouraged that we were able to move the ball. Yet that ended with one of our three missed field goals from Aric Goodman. Obviously, his head was not in the game and we need to do better. There were some bright spots with the passing game, but for the most part Cody seems to be struggling more and more with each game. What he lacks in height and arm strength he makes up with leadership, and when the leadership goes…then we see Matt Ballenger in his place. Ballenger seems like a bright prospect for the future. (Question: Who should start against the Jayhawks?)
Another frustrating point is how we became so one-dimensional on offense. No running game is no good for CU. We have electrifying running backs and none of them could find much success. At the half CU had 4 yard rushing. Texas did a great job of exposing our injured line, closing down the run and giving Cody very little time to throw the ball.
If you think back to our last meeting with Texas they beat us 70-3. Ouch…but we did improve from last time. Going for it on 4th down and finding Behrens for our first touchdown was great. We are still a youngprogram in my opinion, especially when compared to Texas.
I actually lived in Austin and took great pride when Mack Brown lost. Remember this is a large state where high school and college football is the most popular religion. For the most part people live and die by football and as a result Texas has some of the most talented prospects in the state and team in the Big 12. Each year the Longhorns are filled with great players and I am shocked that they don’t win every year, but I think that speaks more about Mack Brown and his poor coaching. It is easy to coach Vince Young and all the talent, but lets see how well they do when they struggle.
We will get better, and unlike Mack Brown, Dan Hawkins is a great coach who took Boise State to greatness and is in the process of doing the same for CU. Sure we have some problems that need to be fixed, especially with a tough Jayhawks defense and Todd Reesing ahead, but I know we will succeed. No need to panic, 3-2 is where we expected to be. We will need to adjust and move ahead. Go Buffs!

FSN will be airing five 60 minute ‘cut-down’ editions from last season’s offerings. Showcasing what was one of the best Buff performances in recent memory, FSN will be replaying the OU-CU game from last September. Word is this is a National broadcast, but if you are not in the Rocky Mountain region, be sure to check your local listings.
Showtimes include:
· Sunday, August 17 at 1:00pm
· Monday, August 18 at 6:00pm
· Tuesday, August 26 at 11:00am and 6:00pm
· Thursday, August 28 at 4:00pm

Considering we were down 27 to 0 in the beginning of the 2nd quarter, I don’t feel all that bad.
Basically, their defensive line made our Freshmen offensive linemen look like, well, freshmen. Overall, it was great to see the defense and basically the whole team rally from an insurmountable hole to make it a game. Something to build on, and it sure won’t hurt recruiting.
As an aside, did anyone else think that it looks like we might be running a spread variant next season? Most plays had at least 3 wideouts and involved some sort of strange (and ineffective) 3 back attack utilizing a wideout. If our offensive line had been blocking a bit more instead of acting as a turnstile for the very athletic Bama front, it might have worked.
Also, Damn, that first pass was ugly, but Cody sure played one heck of a game! I bet he will see replays of that 3rd quarter overthrow of josh smith for the certain touchdown all offseason. Lets hope it drives him to polish his game and hit the weight room. It looked like his passes had a lot more zip on them then at the beginning of the season.
The 07-08 season is over. Let the ridiculous recruiting rumors begin!

Let’s give credit to the CU Buffaloes. In a cold game, they made the adjustments they needed to and won an offensive battle. It was a strange game because it literally took on four personalities. In the first, Nebraska attempted to run the ball. As predicted they went no where. Then the Cornhuskers adjusted to a near exclusive passing game in the second. They racked up 3 touchdowns in the second and looked ot have the Buffs on the ropes. Colorado was running nickel and dime coverages exclusively, and the Husker receivers were just sitting open in the seams. And after freshman Jimmy Smith gives up Nebraska’s fifth touchdown, I figured the Buffs were done for the day. Nebraska had adjusted and we hadn’t
At halftime apparently Ron Collins sat his defense and asked them what needed to change. They suggested going back to their base defense and Ron Collins honored that request. And that there may have been the turning point of the game. Jimmy Smith sparked the third quarter with an interception returned for a touch down. Made me think that Brown and Smith on the corners next year may be more formidable than I had originally thought. Next pass is another interception. The buffs put that one in the house too. Followthat with a blocked punt by Alonzo Barrett recovered by Jordan Dizon and that was the straw that broke Nebraska. Colorado reeled off five straight touchdowns to put this one out of reach of the Huskers.
After that all the Buffs wanted to do was celebrate. As a result they gave up two late scores, which had no business happening. We all would be happier without them, but I can easily forget mistakes like that after a solid win.
It was a fitting Senior Day. Touchdowns from Hugh Charles (3), Dusty Sprague(Should have been 2), Tyson DeVree, and Byron Ellis. Stephone Robinson even got in the action with a reception. The only seniors who missed out on this one were Bernard Jackson and Terrence Wheatley. They leave us with significant memories though. Otherwise, it was an all senior day and I couldn’t have been happier.
One of the best moments of the game for me was Hugh Charles revealing his “The Real Black Shirts” undershirt at the end of the game. It kind of says it all. And just like that Bill Callahan is gone. Do the Buffs get credit for ousting two NU coaches? Both Solich and Callahan are forced out directly following losses to CU. The Huskers just haven’t been the same since we delivered that program crushing loss to them.
Good things are to come for the Buffs. You can feel the momentum building. Mike Bohn has really been a monster for our program and should not be underestimated.
Go Buffs!

That was good…

This one was better. Damn hippies.

After a 55-10 trashing at the hands of Mizzou the Buffs looked to bounce back against lowly Iowa St. Almost everyone felt like Colorado needed to get off to a fast start against the Cyclones to put the previous loss behind. The Buffs came out and dominated the 1st half holding ISU to 0 points while piling up 21. Then the second half happened. The team that has been so schizophrenic from week to week decided to make it half to half.
Some question a 4th down gamble on CU’s first second half drive as the momentum changer, but I don’t buy that. One call doesn’t make a defense give up 31 straight points. The defense missed starters Terrance Wheatley and Ryan Walters in the secondary. Some will question the officiating at the end of the game. Again I’m not buying that excuse. You don’t blow a 21 point lead then cry when your late game comeback doesn’t work out. Colorado should have run away with this game and they missed their chance.
Now a bowl game is in serious doubt. A bowl game is a huge step for this program. It can get a little more national exposure, but more importantly it means more practice and game experience for the young guys. I hope this team can regroup for more than one half of football against a suddenly resurgent Nebraska squad. This loss may be the most frustrating one of the season.

The BUFFS entered Jones SBC stadium wanting to control the clock and win the turn-over game. They did just that. The BUFFS held the ball for 33:50 min and had no turnovers. Texas Tech struggled for the second game in a row with 4 turnovers.
The offense showed its determination and strength as they ran 44 times and averaged just less than 5 yards per carry. They gambled early in the game which led to a 14 – 0 lead placing the Red Raiders in a one dimensional game.
Texas Tech only rushed 12 times and threw on 63 downs. Four interceptions dismantled their offense. For the second game in a row turnovers plagued the Raiders offense.
The BUFFS defense held the Red Raiders explosive offense to only 431 yards through the air which is 87 yards below their average per game. Add on the four picks and it was a great day for the defense!
With this win the BUFFS continue on their way to amassing a good season. Two more wins and they are off to a Bowl! Bring on Missouri! The team is beginning to come together. Next week promises to be a great game! Does anyone smell an upset?

The game was there for the taking. The defense held another high powered offense in check. But the Buffs just kept giving KU chances to win. And KU took advantage. On offense the Buffs actually outgained the Jayhawks, held a slight edge in time of possession, yet continued to make mistakes when it counted most. Early in the game Colorado had the ball in the red zone looking for points and senior running back Hugh Charles fumbled. This wasn’t a fumble that was caused by some great defensive play. No, instead it looked like Charles fumbled on purpose. He pushed the ball towards the 1st down line, where a swarm of white Kansas jerseys waited and pounced on the ball. No points for the Buffs.
Offensive struggles were not limited to the running game. As usual CU receivers dropped passes. Key passes. Passes where they actually ran a route past the 1st down marker on third down and could have kept the drive alive. Hard to win games when you are 5/17 on third down. The receivers are not the only ones to blame for the passing game issues. Quarterback Cody Hawkins made several mistakes as well. Some will say he’s still a freshman, he’ll grow out of it. Well by the 8th game of the year you’re not really a “freshman” anymore. You’ve been through the majority of a season and need to show some improvement. Hawkins does not have the arm strength of a John Elway or Brett Favre, so he should not try to through into double coverage because DB’s can pick off his passes that float instead of zip.
Overall there were several opportunities for Colorado to win this football game, but they continuously fell short. It’s a couple plays here and a couple plays there and we could be talking about a win. There appears to be hope for the future. After the OU game everyone raised the expectation level for this team forgetting where they were at last season. Coming into the year it was expected the Buffs would have to fight for a bowl game. With four games left they have the opportunity to get the necessary two wins for eligibility. Lets hope they find some of that magic they had against OU when they made the plays when they mattered most.

I had a really hard time watching this game. It was just painful. The ending was even worse. After it ended, I felt really iffy about Cody’s play. I thought Little Hawk just doesn’t have it in him yet to be counted on to not turn the ball over on any given play. Maybe its time to look for Nelson? But lets look at the stats:
Passing:
27/44 287 yards 6.5/attempt 2TD 2INT
Wow, that is not that bad actually. Especially considering the three HORRIBLE, JUVENILE, INEXPLICABLE DROPS, all on 3rd or 4th down. 1 INT was a batted ball, it is gonna happen until they fix his mechanics. He should have had at least 1 more INT, but with the way his team played around him, I am pretty shocked at how GOOD these stats look. There was no running game to help him either.
Running game: 33 runs, 90 yards. 2.7 yards/rush. Not the worst we have seen, but not very helpful.
The receivers were bad. Really bad. From Dusty Sprague dropping 1st downs, to Scotty McKnight dropping simple 4 yard outs in the flat. None of them had more then 53 yards.
Then, of course, there was my favorite receiver, Josh Smith. If ever there was a time to come through, this was it. This is also the moment that is sticking with me. That last drive.
1st Down. Sack, Offensive line gets pushed into Cody, the pocket collapses, instant replay of about 4 or 5 other plays, Sack.
2nd down – Bad snap/mishandled snap.
3rd down – Really Bad snap – another wasted play.
4th down – AND EIGHTEEN: Cody drops, gets pressure, and makes a PERFECT read and throw. The kind of throw freshman almost never make, or the kind of throw only good QBs make. Instead of a first down and out of bounds… It hits Josh Smith in the numbers and goes down. Game over.
Crushing. How much more clutch can the guy get? Despite everything that was going wrong for him, he stepped up and made the plays when he needed to. Nobody helped him do that.
Cody… So so game, but he had the guts to keep going…. Offensive line… Horrible game. Receivers… HORRIBLE GAME. These guys need to be moving sand for 2 days straight or put in front of the jug machine with Walters getting to just pound them every time they catch. Inexcusable drops if you want to be a winning team.
The shanked field goal was no fun either.
This game was really hard to accept. The buffs were in it, and had chances to win it, but squandered every opportunity they could. Nobody was immune to this, each player took turns on the goat line.
I give mad props to the Defense, they held KU to over THIRTY POINTS BELOW THEIR AVERAGE, and kept things in reach despite an awful offensive night. One busted play that resulted in no points is something you can accept when the other QB is playing lights out.
Cody is having a rough time, but to blame him for this loss is blinding and ignorant of the facts. I mean, how much worse could everyone else on offense have been? Mr. HUGE Charles, I am looking at you. Some nice running before and after that fumble, but wow.
Little Hawk is 2 INT’s away from breaking the record for CU… Thats ok. If he can just smooth out the early part of his game, he could be great. This guy is one HELL of a 4th quarter QB.

Kansas State (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) defeated CU (4-3, 2-1 Big 12) 47-20 last night in Manhattan. The Buffs were their own worst enemy by giving up 4 turnovers including 3 interceptions by freshman QB Cody Hawkins. While the Buffs were able to move the ball somewhat effectively, it was impossible to overcome all of the turnovers & mistakes. Also contributing to the Buffs’ loss were some questionable calls not to kick on 4th down.
The Buffs’ offense put up 411 yards of offense including a career high rushing day for Hugh Charles (171 yards). Colorado tried to keep the game in reach during the first half, but Kansas State capitalized on the turnovers to put the game out of reach in the third quarter.
I’m somewhat at a loss about what to say about this game. The Buffs were playing from behind the entire game and never had a chance to get a rhythm going. Hawkins threw some interceptions and threw some other passes that were clearly off the mark.
CU needs to put this game behind them and get ready for Kansas next Saturday in Boulder.

So I’ve got to be honest, Saturday was awesome. I’m not sure what was better, listening to the Buffalo win over Baylor, or watching Nebraska lose to Missouri.
I like to keep things pretty positive when I write, but I think we are all pretty tired of the Cornhusker fan posers that frequently post to Buffs.tv. While I watched the end of the Nebraska-Missouri game last night, I couldn’t help but know that I’d have to make mention of the Husker loss. I wanted to include a link in my intro that would lead you to a site that sums up how we all feel, but maybe gets to the point a little more quickly than we do here at Buffs.tv. So I Googled: “I hate Nebraska football.” Well friends, I’m happy to report that out of all of the web pages around the world, “I hate Nebraska Football” leads you right back to your crew at Buffs.tv. #1, right on top, Go Buffs!
Anyway, back to the game at hand, Colorado’s victory over Baylor. Listening to a game on the radio is terrible. If anybody was at the game, please comment with how it looked, how it felt, how it smelled, whatever.
Big Hawk’s magic sack of tricks is legit. The Buffs backed up their win over Oklahoma with a solid effort against the Bears of Baylor. 43-23 was the final score in Waco. Colorado came out charging with an 82 yard opening drive that ended with a 26 yard Hawkins pass to Dusty Sprague for a touchdown. Kevin Eberhart closed out the 1st quarter with a 41 yard field goal to put the Buffs up 10-0.
Demetrius Sumler picked up the 2nd TD on the day on a 7 yd reception from Hawkins at the beginning of the 2nd quarter. Sumler picked up another on the ground later in the quarter. Eberhart was good for 2 more field goals in the 2nd from 44 and 54 yards out. The Buffalo D gave up a field goal and a touchdown, but a failed extra point left the score at 30-9 Buffs at the half.
Eberhart opened up the 3rd with another 42 yard field goal which was backed up by another Sumler TD on the ground. Baylor got a TD in the air late in the 3rd. Eberhart good for another 30 yard FG in the 4th, and the Buffs gave up one more TD on the ground to the Bears.
All told, Eberhart kicked 211 yards worth of field goals (5 of them) for fifteen points. Demetrius Sumler pulled in 3 touch touchdowns. Little hawk threw for 293 yards, 2 touchdowns, and one interception. His longest pass of the day was 65 yards. On the ground, the Buffs were good for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Colorado D gave up 410 yards in the air to Baylor, but held them to only 55 on the ground. Blake Szymanski (Baylor) was picked off twice and sacked once. By the stats, the Bears could have had this one, but they had a sloppy day. They had three back to back penalties on their first drive, putting them in a 4th down and 30 situation. They got called back on a 44-yard run on an illegal block, and they fumbled to set up an easy touchdown run for Sumler. Baylor topped CU 24-18 in first downs and it was 465-450 in total offense.
It’s Big 12 football, Brother, and this is the way it should be. No win is automatic, no game is easy, everyone is beatable, everyone can beat us. The Buffs take on Kansas State in Manhattan this week and are back on real TV: 7:15pm on The Deuce. Go Buffs!

I don’t think there’s much more than can be pointed out about Saturday’s game. The stats have been viewed and reviewed by everyone I’m sure. But in case you haven’t had a chance let me recap just a few of the key stats: the Buffs racked up 161 rushing yards against an extremely stingy OU defense. Hugh Charles accounted for 110 of those yards. Cody Hawkins was 22 for 36 for 220 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. The ultra high scoring OU offense was held to just 24 points. OU didn’t manage a 100 yard rusher and only gained a total of 118 yards as a team on the ground against the CU front. Overall CU outgained OU 381 to 230 total offensive yards, 19 first downs to OU’s 12 and CU held the ball for well more than half the game. Statistically it was not nearly as close as the final score indicates. That being said, let’s talk about what really happened on the field.
The single most impressive part of this win is not just that CU beat the #3 team in the nation. The biggest part of this win, the part that matters the most is that we went down by 17 to the #3 team in the nation and we didn’t hang our heads, we stuck with it and we pulled it out. This win won’t get CU ranked but it could easily be the turning point for this team. It may be the event that propels us to win the Big XII North. And it could very well be the first step in building our recruiting power and in turn building future teams that are forces to be reckoned with going forward. If the players, coaches and fans can show this same kind of grit and commitment for the rest of this season, this win will be looked back on as a program defining win.
On the field, the CU offensive line, a very young line, may not have dominated the entire game but they gave it their all for all 4 quarters. They eventually managed to wear the OU defensive line down. As the day progressed our running game got better and better thanks to the offensive line. As the holes opened bigger and bigger our backs got more and more confident. On the other side of the ball, our defense held tight against what previously has been thought of as one of the best offenses in the country. Our kicking game wasn’t always stellar but Eberhart showed up and drilled a long one down the middle when it mattered most and when the pressure was on. In the interest of honesty it should be pointed out that OU made a fair number of mistakes and put CU in a spot where the game was theirs for the taking; and CU capitalized on those mistakes and took OU to task. Finally, once again our special teams made this win happen. I’m happy to announce that Chase McBride earned himself a full scholarship with his outstanding play on Saturday (and every Saturday this season).
All that being said, there are still areas that need improvement. Cody Hawkins, while still knocking out 220 yards in the air, looked shaky for the first 3 quarters of the game. Luckily, Little Hawk managed to pull it together in the 4th and prove the coaches hadn’t made a mistake by leaving him in. And, while this win may have a profound overall affect on CU’s team psyche, it was clear that we suffered some mental let downs and had a hard time recovering from early interceptions and big plays. Ideally though, these confidence and maturity issues will be somewhat eliminated thanks to the confidence gained with such a major win.
Quite honestly I don’t know what else can be said without going overboard. This is a huge win for CU and I believe this is the exact situation that a coach like Dan Hawkins will excel. He will build on this win and the confidence it generates while still keeping his team grounded. Expect bigger and better each week from here on out.

Colorado 42 Miami Ohio 0
Well the Buffs, dominated. Not since Oklahoma State in 2005 have the Buffs shutout an opponent. And not since Sand Diego State in 2001 have the Buffs had a more productive day on the football field. The Buffs ended the day with 635 yards of total offense. Better yet, the Buffs had over 300 yards of rushing yards, and it could have been more if it wasn’t for an ill timed holding penalty on a 50+ yard scamper by Brian Lockridge. I also have got to say it was something to watch Hugh Charles juke a defender clean out of his shoes on his touchdown run. That is why I love college football.
Kudos to the team for playing this game form beginning to the end. Cheers to the defense for maintaining the shutout. Here’s to the offense for getting the running game going. And welcome to all the newcomers who joined the Buffs on the field on Saturday. Offensive linemen Ryan Miller and Kai Maiava are the most talked about of the bunch. Finally, Cheers to Jeff Smart who played one hell of a game in the absence of RJ Brown AND Michael Sipili.
While the statistics looked rosy and the scoreboard was a relief to all CU fans, the Buffs still have plenty of room for improvement. Not to be a downer, but we need to look at the game a little more in depth to get the whole picture.
• Cody Hawkins threw two interceptions. The first was an ill advised pass into double coverage. The defender had a much better shot at the ball than our receiver. This was just greedy and the biggest problem was that he had another who was wide open on a shorter route. Moral of the story, Cody needs to work on checking down his options. There were a couple of tosses which would have been picked by speedier defenses because Cody was telegraphing hard core.
• The running game is up and going, but it took some time. Brian Lockridge has some wheels and Hugh Charles has still got some skills in the open field. However, the offensive line still needs some work. We were not blowing Miami off of the line of the line of scrimmage. We still had to go for it 4th down and score on a pass after first and goal inside the five. I know the running game improved leaps and bounds over last week. But we still need a lot of work if we are going to go anywhere against the Sooners. They are giving up a meager 1.8 yards per carry in the running game right now.
• I will not elaborate on this any further, but I would prefer if Patrick Williams sat on the sidelines squeezing tennis balls instead of playing football next week. I am excited for him to contribute to this team, but he needs to realize that not performing at all for the Buffs is a better asset to the team than performing poorly.
Finally here is some good news to get your anticipation up.
Cody Hawkins
Ryan Miller
Kai Maiava
Scotty McKnight
Josh Smith
Kendric Celestine
Demetrius Sumler
Brian Lockridge
Nate Solder
What do these 9 players have in common? Not only are these the names we all talk about in regard to the CU offense, but every one is a freshman or redshirt freshman. Where are you going to be in 2009?
Go Buffs!

After the CSU game I posted enthusiasm for the coaching, especially on offense. I also mentioned a new era for our offense with both competent personnel and coaching and even my concerns on how well our defense would perform. Well…a lot has happened since that game and sadly our team is evolving into a shadow of last year: a struggling offense and a pretty good defense.
Many have said it, and I will as well, there were too many missed opportunities and mistakes. From missed field goals, to missed snaps, to missed blocks, to miscommunication, our offense needs to eliminate the mistakes if it hopes to contend and succeed. It seemed like each time the offense had some success it would end with squandered opportunity. One step forward, two steps back was the theme of the offense. Coaching needs to figure out what can be done to stop our offense from being one-dimensional. Also, each individual needs to step up as well. Could Hawk have thrown some better balls? (How about done the middle of the field, too.) Sure, but his wide receivers and tight ends had plenty of opportunities when the ball was right on their numbers. All in all we need to all step-up, including coaching. Some of the plays called were both disturbing and confusing and reminded me of the side-line hysteria during the Barnett days.
Defensively CU has done its job. What concerns I posted a couple of weeks ago have all but evaporated. I still believe we had a turnover early in the third when Brad Jones grabbed the ball. (Big 12 officiating continues to stink to high heaven.) Even when the Noles lined up on our 15 yard line with 4 downs to go, they still settled for a field goal. I commend the CU defense for embarrassing the Noles offense. Coach Bowden is on the decline and where he stops nobody knows……
Ultimately, even in these weak years for FSU their personnel are talented, and CU is a program still in transition. The Buffs are better than last year, heck they are better than last week, but still need to improve and eliminate mistakes. My hope is that this next game will help the offense to establish a rhythm and tempo and allow the defense to continue to shine. Just as long as the Buffs take their opponent seriously, the minute we believe this is an easy win against a push over school we will be digging our grave. Coach Hawk and Helfrich need to figure out how to take our offense from almost successful to success, and D keep the fight up!
The night game was great; hopefully we can have more in the future. The “Blackout” was also a great success; a shout out to the students for supporting the team. I can’t remember seeing that many people at Folsom. It was both crazy and a ton of fun. At least I got in unlike some others……..

What can I say? The Sun Devils tried their best to give us a nice shinny present but the Buffs would have none of that. After jumping out to a 7-0 lead on a Wheately interception for a touch down in just the third play of the game Hawkins added another touchdown pass to McKnight and the Buffs were up 14-0 in the first.
Before ASU could even think of scoring, CU had 2 more sure fire touch down passes dropped. Dropped passes would haunt the Buffs all night long. Eventually, ASU realized that our receivers were not going to carry the day. At this point they concentrated on stopping the run and hounding Hawkins.
Even though the defense started out extremely strong, the heat and inability to get off the field late in the first eventually proved to be too much as the Devils offense stopped their self-defeating ways and eventually began to click.
Had CU been able to generate any real offense, the defense would have been able to hold up their early stellar play much longer. If we are to have any hope this season, our receivers have to be able to capitalize on some of the excellently thrown deep balls Hawkins gives them. (Hell, try catching the shorter ones too!) If we have a deep threat, everything else opens up. If opposing teams don’t even have to cover because they know we can’t catch anything, then the running game will continue of average 2 ypc.
Coach Hawk – Remember when Cody was in PeeWee league and all the kids got orange slices at half time? Do you remember how sticky their hands got? Maybe you should try giving the receiving corps some orange slices.
One more point of note. ASU was called 7 personal fouls. It was ridiculous. On two of those plays they put our put returners in major danger with flagrant blows. This behavior should not be tolerated in college football. Both players should have been ejected from the contest.