It’s been a long hard winter.  The standard cocktail party question “When are the going to fire Hawk?” And this week I have the answer.  You can’t fire an undefeated coach.  And that is exactly where we stand today Coach Dan Hawkins and the Colorado Buffaloes are undefeated heading into a brand new campaign.

We have every reason to be excited and hopeful.

1. We named a starter at QB weeks before the season started.  This can only result in a little team unity heading into our initial contest.  Good Luck Tyler Hansen
2. The offensive line is finally coming together.  The mass of men on the line crumbled quickly and struggled to regain confidence the rest of the season.  But now they all have plenty of game experience under their belt.  We are expecting big things.  Rodney Stewart can’t say enough about how big the holes they are opening for them.
3. WR went from weakness to bright spot.  The additions of Toney Clemons, Paul Richardson and Travon Patterson are huge both physically and metaphorically.
4. Big Targets and Lots of time will lead to big days for Tyler Hansen
5. It’s a farewell tour.  Even I am excited for final games in Columbia, Norman and of course Lincoln.
6. Aric Goodman has been kicking on tiny uprights. Let’s hope it turns him from a practice kicker to a pressure kicker.
7. We have some of the best DBs in the business.  Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown are NFL caliber.
8. Patrick Mahnke has been moved to LB.  Surely his “speed” will be better utilized there.
9. We have real depth.  Holy cow.  There are multiple places on the field where I am stoked to get the number 2s in because they have just as much talent as the 1s.  It has been a while since we’ve had that.

Let’s dream for just a second.  What if CU emerges 3-1 from non-conference play?  With Georgia very unsettled at QB and it being a night game at home, it is possible.  What if CU heads to Norman at 5-2?  What if CU heads to Lincoln at 8-3 playing to win the Big XII North?

Can you imagine any better way to say good bye to the Big XII than taking the Big XII championship trophy with us?  I can’t.

The preseason is always fun to dream before the harsh reality sets in.  But if you can’t feel the rush that a scenario like this creates, maybe you need to take a step back and remember why you are a fan in the first place.  Being a fan is about shared excitement.  Your team reaching a pinnacle that others didn’t think possible.  It’s not about hating and wishing ill on others.

Let’s Go Buffs!

There is no better time for a short week.  The Buffs get back at in again tonight at 7PM on ESPN.  In the Glass Bowl? Really that is what they call the stadium.

Good news is, it doesn’t matter where the Buffs are playing or who the other team is.  Tonight they are playing against themselves.  Teammates need to prove to each other they are here to play football.  They need to prove that they are winners.  And they need to prove to me that there is potential within this team.

Here is what I am looking for tonight:

1. Don’t give up the big play!  CSU had 5 (should have been 6) huge plays against the Buffs. Not acceptable.  I don’t want to see a single play over 20 yards.  That means corners you better stick that receiver and Ray Polk you need to have settled down in to your second start at safety.
2. Defensive Line prove that you’re going to be able to compete this year.  Toledo is smaller and slower than you are.  I need you to shut down the middle and show me at least a couple of sacks.
3. Offensive Line.  More than anything you are the cornerstone to any Buffs offense.   Protect your quarterback, he needs time to throw.  Dominate the middle.  Itis will be back this week so I hope to see holes that even I could drive through
4. Run the ball.  This is the strength of our offense especially as we wait for Simmons to get into the offense and Simas to return.  Don’t give up on the run.  Run the ball.
5. 4th and short.  If you take the ball outside again I might just vomit at the bar.
6. Gameplan.  Please do something to indicate that the other team is not in your huddle.  I know you are under the gun so I won’t even ask for a comprehensive offensive strategy just yet, just please let me see a glimmer of hope in the play calling.
7. Toughness and Tackling ‘Nuff Said

Go Buffs!

Saturday night, ABC and the Cowboys will roll to town for a imminent clash. Oklahoma State has been flying high and looks to continue its ascent to the top of the rankings. The Buffs are simply struggling to become bowl eligible. They are relegated to the spoiler roll in this one. 18 point underdogs at home. Not pretty.
How can we stay in the game? First limit the run. Kendall Hunter is the leading rusher in the Big XII. We won’t stop him entirely but if we can limit his production we will be in great shape. The Buffs have been strong against the run this year and I think we can keep Hunter limited in roll. Brandon, George, Maurice and the rest will need to limit his impact. Remember how we contained Noel Devine? Hunter will break 100 yards but won’t be the focus of the evening.
Second, we have to limit the Zac Robinson to Dez Bryant connections. Texas Tech is the only team that I have seen do this effectively. The blanketed him with a corner and a safety all night. The difference between the Raiders and the Buffs is size though. I just don’t think have anybody big enough to match up with Bryant. That leaves the real dirty work to the defensive line again. We have to pressure Robinson so that he can’t put the ball on the money for his receivers. Good news for the Buffs, we have more sacks than field goals on the year
On offense. Sustain drives? Keep the Cowboys off the field and score points? Don’t kick field goals? Not sure how we make this happen. I think it is time for somebody on offense to make something special happen. Josh, Darrell, Cody, Tyler, Demetrius, Patrick, Scotty, Riar – Where is the big play?
It will be great football weather. A win would be so nice. I just don’t have the gameplan to get us there. Do you have any suggestions?

This is a must win for the Buffs. A&M is a team we can beat even on their own turf. Furthermore, a win would help to secure a bowl appearance which seems to be fading as the season continues.
Marc and I spoke about the Buffs recently, and we agreed that their 4-4 record was the expectation from the beginning of the season. Sure you want to be 8-0, but with a very tough schedule no one was kidding themselves.
What is frustrating is to watch a offense go from bad to worse and continue a downhill struggle. Our performance against Missouri was terrible and Hawk and Helfrich take responsibility for the loss. One wonders what we can do to change the situation. But apparently changes are in store for the offense. Let’s hope they make the difference for A&M’s weak defense.
Speaking of defense, Buffs need to continue to play tough and improve the tackling. A&M has an offense that we should be able to contain and keep them going three and out.
What makes this game so difficult is playing at Kyle Field in College Station. Going back to my time in Texas, the only good thing that came out of College Station was Freebirds Burritos, and those suck compared to Illegal Pete’s. My point is that the A&M fans have nothing but the Aggies. It will be nuts and the “12th Man” will be present. If the team stays focused and plays tough we can come out winners and without having to hear that damn cannon go off.
Go Buffs!

Beyond Texas, this is the toughest test the Buffs face. (Remember Oklahoma Guys!) I have to give a shout out to Hawk and the rest of the coaching staff. With a down offense they developed a different approach to offense with Hansen and found success. While the play book might be small with him, he definitely had KState defense scratching their heads. However, now we face Missouri, and I am not sure how many tricks Hawk has up his sleeve, but I hope for more.
Many writers have mentioned the youth and inexperienced of the offensive line. Well now the line has played WVU, FSU, Texas, Kansas and most recently KState. They have seen some great defenses and are going to see another great one. My hope is that we continue to utilize the tandem of Hawkins and Hansen, but that we create huge holes for Rod Stewart, Scott and Sumler to run through. A well balanced offense attack will help keep us in the game. We can’t afford multiple three and outs and this begins with the O-line. Play aggressive and play smart and I believe the entire offense will find success.
Missouri is ranked 5th at 46.9 points of scoring in Div-IA football. Until OSU, Chase Daniels had not gone three and out all season. With two losses, you can bet they will be looking for a win. Defense will need to have a huge game. I enjoyed watching the pressure we put on Freeman, and we need to bring that same intensity to Daniels. He has a quick release so it will be a test, but I have faith in our abilities. I hope to see Hypolite with some sacs. If we can force them into a one dimensional offense and stop the run, like our offense we will find success.
Linguini called for improvement across the board and I think we gained that with KState, and like Linguini I agree whole heartily we need to make fewer mistakes. If we move the ball on offense, and keep our defense fresh, we have a chance at success against Missouri. Like Oklahoma from last year, continue to play to win and never give up. If great calls and great plays are made, we will certainly find the win. Go Buffs!

In case you’ve forgotten, which could be easy to do given the lack of publicity, the University of Colorado will hold its annual spring game this Saturday. Coach Mac is calling for 50,000 which would be great, but I’d be happy with 20,000. Competitions have really been heating up in the spring practices and our depth chart has taken some hits due to injuries and stupidity. The latest news is linebacker Jake Duren has been kicked off the team. Duren was having a great spring and was looking at pushing for some serious playing time at any of the linebacker positions. With Lynn Katoa suspended and Shaun Mohler having a lot of courses to take before he enrolls at CU this is not good news. Enough about the bad, lets stay positive and look at the exciting developments of the spring.
On offense we have begun using a “fast break” type of offense. Operating out of the shot-gun and using a no-huddle attack the offense has put up big numbers in the two big scrimmages of the spring so far. I like the shut-gun for Cody Hawkins to allow him to see the field better before the snap which should cut down his interception totals. Hawkins appears to have the starting QB job in hand although Nick Nelson has been impressive as well. At running back the battle will really heat up once freshmen Ray Polk and Darrel Scott arrive for the fall. The O-Line is coming together nicely and its nice to see depth at every position. Wide Receiver continues to be the biggest question mark. The latest depth chart has inconsistent Patrick Williams starting over Josh Smith, with Scottie McKnight on the other side. However, since Coach Hawkins substitutes receivers just about every play we should see plenty of Smith as well as redshirt freshman Markques Simas.
On defense line depth continues to be an issue, especially on the inside. This has caused coaches to begin exploring the 3-4 defensive set-up. I am all for this, if we get our linebackers to get their heads straight, because it will allow us more creativity in our blitz packages. Cornerback is a major question mark with the departure of a certain NFL caliber cover guy. Jimmy Smith was impressive last season, if for no other reason than the interception against Nebraska. He also is 6’2″, that makes him the tallest of our corners and gives him an advantage against bigger receivers. Gardner McKay and Cha’pelle Brown have the most experience at the position and figure to get a good amount of playing time especially in nickel and dime packages. Safety Ryan Walters is out for the spring with injuries but should be back in action come fall. Daniel Dykes has the inside track at the other safety spot.
Everyone should drag everyone they know out to Folsom Field on Saturday for that mid-April football fix. The attendance record for a spring game is 13,642, so while 50,000 might be aiming a bit to high lets set a new record!!

I am still in a bit of a holiday hangover (well, I have been sicker then a dog), and have the pretend mother in law to deal with, so I don’t have to much energy for this… So I will steal someone’s good work (well, use it!).
Roll Bama Roll has a nice little preview of the game up. They sound well… Not so excited about playing us. They were 90 seconds from beating a team currently in the national championship game, and since then, they haven’t won a game. Not a lot to cheer about there. But outsidethesidelines does break the game down pretty well.

At the end of the day, the game will likely come down to two things: (1) turnovers, and (2) how well the Alabama offense can fare against the Colorado defense. The Buffs have struggled greatly to protect the football, and have given up a ton of turnovers. Alabama, unfortunately, has had very much the same story, particularly from the quarterback position. Secondly, neither the Colorado defense nor the Alabama offense is particularly competent, yet they are facing each other so one must come out on top.
Given that neither team expects to make any very big special teams plays — given the fact that Javier Arenas will likely play but is less than 100 per cent with a high ankle sprain — and that the Alabama defense should fare well against the Colorado offense, it will be decided by who wins the turnover battle and the match-up of the ‘Bama offense v. the Colorado defense. If one team wins both, it will be a fairly comfortable victory for that particular team, and if they split the categories, it’s likely to be a very close game. Either way, those two variables are almost certainly going to determine the outcome of the game.

I am in pretty good agreement with him. After a good look at what Bama has done on Defense this year, I do not see a lot of success in the cards for our young offense. I am not alone in this. However, I have faith in Little Hawk’s new found ability to protect the ball enough for the Offense to have a decent game. #1, Check. As far as #2, this defense wore down throughout the season, and I am excited to see what they can do with a month to rest and recuperate under their belt. Even though George Hypolite still has a torn hamstring (minor, but ouch!), he should be there to plug up the middle. I expect this defense to be stingy and for NFL Wheatley to have a great day against the shaky John Park Wilson who talks to much trash for his own good.
Either way, I am very excited to be watching the Buffs in a bowl game, and wish all the Buffs luck tomorrow, especially the Seniors! Hell Yea!

Friday’s game is huge. .
Why?
When the Buffs win they are bowl eligible.
When the Buffs win the Huskers are not.
This is Senior Day for some great Colorado players.
This is Senior Day for Ralphie IV.
When the Buffs win it will likely Bill Callahan’s last game.
When the Buffs win it will cap one of the Husker’s worst seasons ever.
The other team wears Red.
It’s an early game, but the weather will be ripe for Big XII smash mouth football. 34 degrees at kickoff. The Buffs are going to use their strength in the trenches to overpower Nebraska. To be quite honest I wouldn’t want it any other way. When we beat Nebraska, I prefer to manhandle them.
You want the X’s and O’s. Well I think it should be pretty evenly matched.
Colorado’s struggling offense versus the Nebraska Black Shirts. That matchup seems to favor the Buffaloes, much like any matchup against the Husker defense has favored the opposition all year. If you like I have some footage of the NU cheerleaders putting up over 600 yards on them in a scrimmage. To be fair their cheerleaders are more mannish than most. And I guess when that happens, the “best” fans in the world are liable to call in death threats on their defensive coordinator.
Nebraska’s suddenly resurgent offense versus the Buffs defense. Our defensive line and linebacker core will prevent them from running. There is not a question there. The Huskers are without their supposed savior Sam Keller, which is too bad because this Ganz kid looks to be twice the ball player Keller is. It remains to be seen if Ganz can take advantage of a wounded Colorado secondary. Let’s hope we all get see T. “NFL” Wheatley pick off a couple in his final game at Folsom filed. He is still questionable for the game with the broken bone in his foot. It would also be nice to see Ryan Walter come back from his injury to crack some Huskers like he does best. In the end if the Buffs stop the big play, I think they win this battle.
Intangibles.
This one also has to favor the Buffs. The Buffs play for a coach that they believe in. They are committed to this team today and for the years to come. Most of the Huskers are evaluating their transfer options much like their entire incoming recruiting calls.
This is a win that the Buffs need for the program. The Buffs have more heart and passion. The Buffs are stronger. The Buffs have a brighter future.
Colorado 24 Nebraska 16
Go Buffs!

The 5-5 Buffs head to Ames, Iowa to take on the 2-8 ISU Cyclones and finish up the away portion of the nation’s 3rd toughest schedule. The Buffs limp into Ames after a 55-10 thrashing courtesy of Chase Daniels and the Missouri Tigers. Meanwhile, the Cyclones are riding high after a 31-20 upset of Kansas State last weekend. This week’s game kicks off at 10:38AM Mountain and has been picked up by DirectTV in Denver and will air on 619 locally for subscribers with the SportsPack subscription. It will also air on the fledgling Fox College Sports Central station, channel 414 in Denver.
A quick check of the Buff’s locker room clock reveals the numbers have been removed and it simply reads, “NOW”. Last week’s total meltdown is behind them, the Nebraska game is still 3 weeks away and any possible bowl game is even further into the future. CU Football will be focusing on the task at hand right here, right now: an ISU Cyclone team that has shown a pulse in the last few weeks. ISU may come to the table with a 2-8 record and hardly a standout player to speak of but, as Buff fans know from our 2006 campaign, even a 2 win team comes out with some fight each week. Probably the biggest thing the Buffs need to do is show the Cyclones that the CU team that played last week stayed home and instead they brought the varsity starters this week. Rattling the vulnerable Cyclone defense early could easily break the fragile spirits of the whole team and allow the Buffs to do as they please all day. And there is no reason the CU offense can’t and won’t do that. Admittedly these two teams are very closely matched on paper. To ISU’s credit, they have been playing decent to good football given their team talent. The Buffaloes on the other hand are underachieving. If CU can put it together early on both sides of the ball this should be a solid win to build confidence going into the bye week and then the Nebraska game.
The biggest challenge to the Buffs on offense will once again be their own youth and inexperience. When the Buffs have the ball, more often than not, 8 of the 11 players on the field are freshman. That inexperience has proven to be problematic at times. It may be better than the alternative but it ain’t exactly mai tais and yahtzee out there. Luckily ISU does not field the nation’s toughest defense. CU should be able to fire up the running game early and rely on it heavily, punctuated with shorter pass routes and the occasional big air to Josh Smith. As much as CU fans would love to see Cody Hawkins pass over the middle, even if the little fella can see over the line he’s likely not to find too many options in the middle. ISU does have a good set of linebackers in Jon Banks, Jesse Smith and Ace Bowen and it may prove beneficial to stay away from them when possible.
Defensively the Buffs biggest concern has to be injury. The CU defense had 3 starters go down against Mizzou, OLB Brad Jones, CB Terrence “NFL” Wheatley and FS Ryan Walters. All 3 are listed as day to day and I would expect all 3 to be back in the lineup come Saturday. Assuming they can field a healthy set of starters the D should have little trouble regrouping against QB Bret Meyer and the rest of ISU’s offense. The Cyclone’s biggest hope is to exploit the Buff’s weak coverage in the vertical passing game much like the Tigers did last week. Meyer has a trio of talented receivers in Todd Blythe, RJ Sumrall and Marquis Hamilton, any one of whom is capable of turning on the afterburners and going deep. Look for the Buffs to play them soft, keeping them in front of the secondary and relying on a heavy pass rush against a weaker ISU OLine to put pressure on Meyer and force the Cyclones to resort to the ground game. Running against the Buffalo defense generally requires a team to field a bit more power than the Cyclones can muster on a normal Saturday.
Bottom Line: The Cyclones have shown vast improvement over the last 3 weeks but the Buffs are ready to forget about last week and close out the rest of the season strong.
Prediction: CU 28 ISU 10

We all know it, MU has lost their Pig and the offense needs to take advantage of this fact. In many ways I felt that our offense’s performance against Miami of Ohio was the synapses for our success against Oklahoma the very next week. Same here, we need to build on our performance against Tech. Without the Pig, I hope that we have play call that establishes a solid passing game. This will ultimately lead to a solid running game as well. I am looking to Hugh Charles to lead all of our backs in racking up yards against MU. As my fellow editor put it so eloquently we need the Texas Tech Cody to show up on Saturday as well.
Defensively we need to play solid as well. Chase Daniel is a real threat with a great arm and abilities to run the ball. Also, he has a bevy of future NFL wide receiver and likely future NFL tight ends to utilize. Missouri uses a spread offense similar to Tech, and we saw what a productive day Wheatley had as a result. However, as Coach Hawk noted, unlike Tech, Missouri will not abandon their running game. So while there are plenty of people to throw to they still plan on running the ball as well. So man to man will have to be good along with the front line playing perfect. I expect to see Dizon have another big day. Mizzou will need to bring its A game. Our defense will expose mistakes and make them pay.
This could be the most difficult team they have played to date on both sides of the ball. History has shown that November is a bad month for Missouri and they are well award of this fact. Ultimately coaching and our players need to eliminate mistakes. Missouri is a good enough opponent that we don’t need to fight ourselves, too. So the keys to success are 1. Shut down Daniels, 2. Establish a CU run/pass offense, and 3. Eliminate stupid mistakes and play every minute. Do this and the Buffs will be winners.
Score: CU 27, MU 24 Go Buffs!!!

So, the CU defense has played Oklahoma (24 points), Kansas (19 points), and Texas Tech (26 points). What do all three of these teams have in common? They are all ranked top 5 in the nation in scoring at 44.5, 42.9, and 42.5 points per game. CU has held these three teams to 20.5, 23.9, and 16.9 points below their scoring averages. On average, CU has held the top 5 scoring offenses it has faced to 20.4 points below their usual score. That number goes up when you count just the games at home.
Kansas State and Arizona State, by the way, are also ranked #12 and #17 in the nation in scoring. Despite the most anemic offensive performance possible and multiple turnovers, CU actually held ASU 3 points below their season average in 100 degree heat! Only KSU scored over their average against us, and that was a game where turnovers were just drastic.
For those keeping score, that is 5 top 17 teams played. All but 1 were held below their average. Both times the teams were CLOSE or above their average? Away. The environs of Folsom field are NOT gentle to opposing offenses. At the time of Kansas’s and Oklahoma’s visits, those teams were ranked #2 and #1 in the Nation in scoring. That was not true the Sunday after those games were played.
The obvious and most important question to this conversation is, where does Mizzou’s Scoring Offense Rank? Number Eight (8) in the nation at 40.4 points/game. The team they most resemble is KU. Many people have noted that KU did have some long scoring drives against CU and that Reesing really hurt us. That is true, the guy played out of his mind, a near perfect performance. Kansas still scored 30 points below their average at the time. The lesson? Mizzou better not bring anything but their absolute best against this Defense. Look at what happened to Graham Harrell in HIS house when he failed to do that.
The pretty amazing thing about this is that if Cody could have kept ahold of the ball a bit more early in the season, CU’s Defense could be on a near historic run. Dizon for Butkus!
There is no Guarantee against Mizzou coming in and lighting the Buffs up, but people have been saying that Mizzou is going to march into Boulder and hang 40 on us. The odds and the stats do not favor that scenario.
What does this point to? Cody needs to be Texas Tech Cody, not KSU Cody. Unless our Defense cracks, and cracks big, we hopefully will not need Oklahoma and CSU (4th Quarter anyways) Cody. This defense bends, and rarely breaks unless a short field is given to the opposing offense. I look forward to Mizzou facing a running game light years better then Iowa States. If a true freshman at ISU can hang 150 on Mizzou, imagine what HUGE Charles can do!
Oh ya, Mizzou lost their best Defensive player last week to injury. Sad, but fortunate for us!

Colorado finds itself coming off a disappointing loss in which they handed the Kansas Jayhawks victory. On the road mistakes are magnified and the young Buffs must play a clean game. On offense this starts upfront with the O-Line. Freshmen Ryan Miller and Kai Maiava have earned starting spots and against KSU two weeks ago lead a strong running effort. The Buffs will have to run the football well this week to control the clock and keep Graham Harrell and the Tech offense off the field. Look for Hugh Charles to lead the way in the back field, hopefully giving an inspired effort after a poor performance in Boulder a week ago. When Colorado passes the ball the line will have to give Cody Hawkins time to throw and clear passing lanes to complete passes, if our receivers hold on that is. Dropped passes have haunted the Buffs this season, but I must say at least we are now running our routes for 1st down yardage on 3rd down (remember all those 4 yard out patterns on 3rd and 7 when Shawn Watson was calling the plays). Texas Tech has Jamar Wall in its defensive backfield and he is tied for the conference lead in interceptions. Hawkins will have to avoid throwing into double coverage this week to prevent his interception total from rising.
Defense is the Buffs strength this season, led by Butkus award candidate Jordan Dizon. If a ball carrier gets anywhere near Dizon he will make a tackle. Look for Dizon to patrol the underneath routes, that Tech’s offense likes use instead of a running game, and punish the pass catchers. On the outside Terrence Wheatly will probably match up against freshman sensation Michael Crabtree. Crabtree already has over 1200 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns. When Tech runs the ball Shannon Woods is averaging over 5 yards per carry so the Buffs cannot forget that he is threat. If the Buffs defense can stay off the field and hold on third downs I like how they match up against the spread attack.
Prediction: The Buffs come out fired up and dominate on the ground. Cody Hawkins goes pickless while the defense forces a couple turnovers. Buffs break the losing streak as Kevin Eberhart makes another game winning field goal: 24 – 21

I’m done licking the wounds from last weekend and have put some things into perspective. The Buffs are a young team coming off of a 2 win season. To have already won 4 games this year including a huge upset of Oklahoma is quite an improvement indeed. Reality tells me that the Buffs will probably lose a few more games this year, but there’s still some good shots for some wins.
This Saturday the Colorado Buffs (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) will host the #15 ranked Kansas Jayhawks (6-0, 2-0 Big 12) at Folsom Field. The Jayhawks had a laughably weak non-conference schedule which certainly has contributed to their unbeaten season. Their toughest game to date was a 6 point win over Kansas State on the road. That said, they should present quite a challenge for Colorado.
Kansas is averaging over 515 ypg offense and putting up an average of 50 ppg. Compare that to the Buffs’ averages of 384 ypg and 26 ppg. If the game were played on paper, the Jayhawks would be easy winners. However, I believe that the Buffs will show a little bit of resiliency by turning around after a tough loss and putting on a show for the home crowd. Look for Cody Hawkins to be more patient when passing this week and avoid throwing into double coverage. Go Buffs!
3:30pm MDT Kickoff
TV: ESPN National Coverage
Radio: 850 KOA
CU 34, KU 28

Another 2 weeks, another NCAA 2008 Prediction (I am sure you guys didn’t miss this that much)
Last week, KSU beat CU 38 to 24 (pretty close eh?)… This week, these Buffs return home to face the Kansas Jayhawks.
The Buffs vowed all week that they would not repeat their mistake filled affairs of the last few weeks. The Defense made a promise to stop the big play, and to start creating turnovers… Who has the money to put it where their mouth is?
The game starts off with a bang as KU promptly marches down the field with a proficient running game that went on to average over 5 yards a carry. They punch it in from the 3 on a play action pass from Reesing to Dexton Fields. However, they miss the extra point on a bad snap in high winds.
The Buffs reply in a fashion that a Big 10 football coach could be proud of. Despite barely averaging over 3.5 yards a carry, the Buffs take 7 minutes and 15 plays before Cody punches it in on a QB sneak on 4th and goal from the 2…. Hawkins is a genius again!
KU and CU trade 3 and outs before CU has to punt out of its own endzone.
KU gets the ball back and runs it all the way back to the CU 25 before DiLallo, in retribution for his mistake last week, punches the ball out and then recovers the fumble himself as a mad scramble ensues. Unfortunately, the ensuing drive is cut short as Little Hawkins throws yet ANOTHER interception on a 3rd and long.
The First quarter ends on a low note, and the rest is below the fold…

KU promptly capitalizes on the next play with a 29 yard pass to Marcus Herford as Wheatley shows himself to be having another off day as he slips and lets the WR cruise alone into the endzone.
KU is up 13 to 7…
CU struggles to move the ball again, and punts. This time the Kansas returner makes it all the way to the 15 before being tackled, again by DiLallo. Unfortunately, there is no fumble this time.
Dizon starts the series off right, and seemingly takes his wrath over the field position out on poor KU QB Reesing with a vicious highlight reel hit as Reesing tries to scramble. Reesing comes out of the game for one play. On the next play, the backup QB throws a bad pass and Dykes comes down with it in the endzone!
CU then goes on a painful drive, with several bad penalties almost derailing it. However, on consecutive 3rd and longs, Hawk finds Scotty McKnight on corner routes against the deep cover 2 being played by KU. With the running game struggling to get more then a yard or 2, the game falls on the shoulders of the little Hawk. He does not dissapoint, and with less than a minute left lofts a high ball over the middle to Dusty Sprague for a Touchdown! CU 14, KU 13
Halftime!
The third Quarter is again slow. This game has been ugly so far, with very few “pretty” drives. Both teams are just scratching for yards.
The stalemate is broken when Burney picks off a Reesing pass that is tipped by Hypolite at the line of scrimmage and returns it to the KU 10. CU is unable to take full advantrage, and has to settle for a field goal.
CU 17, KU 13.
The fourth quarter ends as KU fumbles again in CU territory. This proves to be yet another huge break for CU.
The running game is finally picking up steam, and Hugh Charles gets on the scoreboard with a rare redzone run for 6 yards up the middle. CU 24, KU 13.
KU however refuses to go quietly, and behind a running game that refuses to die, gets deep into CU territory. A playaction pass frees up KU’s big TE Derek Fine for a catch and run for a TD.
KU fails to make the extra point as Dizon bursts through the line and throws Jake Sharp of KU for a huge loss.
CU 24, KU 19.
CU shows why Mr. Polk has committed with their next drive. It takes over 8 minutes and eventually Hugh breaks a tackle from an obviously tired KU defensive lineman and runs it in from the 13 yard line. Despite his 2 TD’s, Hugh is held below 100 yards for the first time in 5 games.
CU 31, KU 19.
The game ends as CU’s dime package frustrates Reesing into making yet another pick, and CU runs out the clock. CU fans actually do NOT rush the field, for the first time at a home win in over a year….
Fun stuff! Lets hope those turnovers keep happening in real life! Go Buffs!

Before this season there was lots of talk about just what would it take for this year’s campaign to be considered successful. The success found over the last few weeks has defiantly raised the bar. Where some people would have been OK, if not happy with four wins prior to the start of the season, I don’t think you could find a member of the Buff Nation that would be satisfied with anything less than a bowl birth now.
Beyond that there are even whispers of winning the Big 12 North. If these whispers are to turn into something louder it has to start this weekend. The winner of Saturday night’s game will make a serious statement bout their intent to take the North.
So how will the Buffs do it?
Wheatley will definitely have his work cut out for him. He will be mostly tasked with keeping wraps on the ‘Cats stud receiver Jordy Nelson. Nelson is currently 2nd in the nation with 52 catches and has amassed a very impressive 652 yards so far. Without taking anything away from his talents as a receiver, much of his success can be attributed to some crafty schemes by the K St. coaching staff. They find lots of ways to move the Senior around, trying to get the matchups that will most favor him. If Wheatley has spent his time going over the film and the Buffs defensive staff can help to limit Nelson’s favorable matchups, things will go much smoother.
If not…
Hawkins Jr. will have to have another good day in the air. While K St’s defense ranks 27th against the run, they are a much softer 68th against the pass. I look for Hugh to have another workman like day grinding out the yards to keep K St. honest and open up the Defense for Cody.
I would also look for a couple big plays to be set up with one or more totally different plays run out of the same formation. Hawkins Sr has had success as the team has become more and more familiar with the offense using formations to lull the Defense. Keep running the same play out of a formation over and over until the Defense reacts by instinct to it. Then spring a wholly different play out of the same formation. This is the kind of simple but effective thing that you can do once your team buys into the system and starts to get experienced enough to get into the cracks crevices of the play book.
This should be an entertaining game and a quality Buff win.
TV: The Deuce (ESPN2) 7:15 PM MDT
Radio: KOA 850
Live: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (WTF?), Manhattan KS

Ok guys. Here it is. A game we are favored in. Let’s not worry about last week. What can you expect? They were #3 in the nation. Our win total last year was only one less than their ranking. We had no chance. This week is a good chance to even our conf…. What? Really? NO WAY!!
This just in: Colorado is 3 and 2 and beat Oklahoma to start off conference play 1 and 0. While we are not quite in Cinderella land, this ain’t bad. Now. Time to move on. No more talk of the past. Ok, just one more little bit… Here is this piece of wisdom from Big Hawk at his weekly blog entry:

I knew we would win on Saturday. Why? Our guys had a body of work that they could draw from. Their experiences had given them what they needed to form the proper frame of mind. All that was needed was for us to go out and sing our song and do our dance! Dance we did.

Dance we all did! (HOW CORNY is our Head Coach? Gotta love this guy, or hate him. Very little middle ground to be found.)
On to business. Mizzou and Kansas haven’t played a conference game yet, and Nebraska and Kansas State both won their openers. CU took a big step forward, but this year it looks like the Big XII North is a tougher road then it was thought to be. The original season goal of a Bowl Game looks very probable. These Buffs could be thinking larger after last weeks win. A Big XII North title was the dream of this season, but do these Buffs really dare believe? The journey is just begun, so thankfully we still have Baylor on our schedule. No longer quite the pushover they used to be, dammit they better be ready to be a pushover again. These Buffaloes are ready to really start rolling!
A Brief, Yet Painful, Flashback: Last year the Buffs lost 34 to 31 as Bjax throw an interception in the 3rd overtime with the Bears only up by 3. The boys ran the ball like it was their job, but couldn’t have passed a 40 ounce beverage to a bum that day.
Surprisingly, CU owns a pedestrian 8-6 record against the Bears. Two of those losses have come in the last 2 years. Does anyone think that the Bears will make it Three in a row?
The meat of this post is below the fold.

Baylor has a winning record overall, but have beaten no one of consequence. They lost 27-0 to TCU in their opener, won a few games against some patsies (including a squeaker over big bad Texas State) and recently got stomped 35-10 by Texas A&M. Lets look at that game a little more closely as it was their only game against Big XII competition. Texas A&M was coming off a loss at Miami. Oh yes, and Miami lost to OU 51 to 13 the week before that. Connecting the dots sure can be fun! The game against A&M was not even as close as the score indicated. Baylor scored only one offensive touchdown, and waited until the 4th quarter to do it. That was Baylor’s only drive that went over 40 yards. In case your keeping track, that is 10 points in 120 minutes of football against real competition. Or three points in 105.
The QB of Baylor is Blake Szymanski. He has 14 TD’s to 7 INTS. In the big games against real competition, that ratio drops to 0 TD’s and 4 INTS. This passer may be 3rd in passing yards in the Big XII coming into the game behind Nebraska’s Sam Keller and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrel, but I would take his yardage with a large grain of salt.
They have a couple of WR’s who are large, but no real game breakers. Terrence Wheatley gets to deal with a 6’5″ 230 pound large man in Justin Akers. He should be up to the challenge, and giving how much zone we play, will probably not spend the majority of his time 1 on 1 with this guy.
Baylor has…. no running game. None. 90 yards is a good day. It is a lot like being hit by a comet. It can happen, but worrying about it is a waste of time. Baylor runs a version of the Texas Tech spread offense, which CU has a history of dominating even in our down years. Example: This.
All in all, I see no reason why CU should not dominate this game. They should have won last year before choking it away, and this year, it seems like we have at least as good a Defense and an Offense that, while not dominant, is aggressive and never stops, requiring discipline and stamina to defeat. Hawk considers last years loss tied for the worst of his career. He will not allow this team to keep him up all night again.
NCAA Predicts a sloppy game that is close until a 15 point 3rd quarter puts the buffs ahead for good. 49-35 CU. Oh no, now we all should be worried. Mr. NCAA 2008 predicted a 55 to 7 blowout for OU last week. Am I worried? Nah. Cody and the boys may make mistakes, but barring a huge post-OU hangover, they should roll here.
My Prediction: CU picks off Szymanski three times and dominates the first 3 quarters, but gives up a couple of late scores after the game is out of reach and Big Hawk gives the defense a chance to rest. The good guys win 42 to 21.
Go Buffs!

Well folks, its that time again. I missed last weeks post due to depression. CU was 0 and 3 before the Hawks game, and as I saved the Franchise, I accidentally saved over the Franchise I was actually playing. My 5 seasons deep franchise. It was a very sad time, because CU’s depth is such that even in NCAA 2008, it takes 3 or 4 seasons of top level recruiting before you stop having large weaknesses in at least one facet of the team. Now, onward to the prediction!
A quick Note: CU dominated the Hawks in week 4 by the score of 24 to 7 to get their first win of the season. There will be no rundown of the action. CU entered the OU game 1 and 3. It will be interesting to see where CU ends up in the game versus (how important is this, really?) real life.
The first quarter starts with a fizzle and a fart. Cody and the offense go 3 and out before Dillalo punts the ball onto the OU 2 yard line. OU fumbles the ball away on its own 11. Instead of taking advantage of the field position, CU goes for it on 4th and 1 at the 2. Hugh gets slammed for a loss of 3 on a toss play. Hawk shouts at his players “I TOLD YOU TO AVOID THE VALLEYS!!”
The rest below the fold!

OU scores, going 95 yards in under 4 minutes.
OU scores after Hawk is intercepted.
OU scores again when Hugh fumbles.
The first quarter is over. Fans are filing out of the stadium. Jon Major appears on the jumbotron and says he was going to commit to CU, but it looks like OU is the ticket instead.
CU goes 3 and out. OU scores.
CU drives the field as Cody completes 4 straight passes and Mr. Hands himself, Dusty “drops” Sprague makes a diving catch at the corner of the endzone to put CU on the board.
The Score is 28 to 7 with 4 minutes left in the 2nd half.
OU then scores. A Lot. This is depressing.
Final score 55 to 7. Hawk is 7 of 24 passing for 94 yards, 1 TD and 3 INT. The rushing game is actually positive with 69 yards on 21 carries.Well, this is a worst case scenario at least. On to the next week! CU (1 and 4) gets to play the fearsome Baylor Bears (2 and 3) for a chance to even their big 12 record!

Alright sports fans, here it is, the game we’ve all been waiting for. It’s the first conference game of the year, first ranked opponent, and first chance for Coach Hawk to pull out some of that “Mojo” that he left for Boise State to unleash on Oklahoma last year. And, it is Homecoming. So, the Buffs host Oklahoma this Saturday, 11:30 kickoff mountain time. It will be regional on Fox Sports, radio on 850 KOA and, Sirius channel 121.
The Buffs come into Saturday 2-2 to face undefeated Oklahoma. Colorado has logged five wins in the last ten meetings against the Sooners, but zero in the last five. Oklahoma shut down Colorado in Norman last year 24-3, holding the buffs to only 113 total yards. The Buffs are coming off of a 42-0 shutout of Miami of Ohio last week, and the Sooners bring a 62-21 win over Tulsa to the table.
If you’ve ever believed in “Key Plays,” this is your week to cheer hard for the Buffs. “When in doubt, whip them out” has never been as relevant as it is this week against the Oklahoma offense. Currently ranked #1 in scoring (61.6/game), #2 in passing efficiency (209.5), and #3 in total offense (562.3 yds/game); the Sooners come with a pretty solid set of offensive credentials. All of that comes under the leadership of #2 ranked quarterback Sam Bradford, son of OU offensive letterman Kent Bradford. The Buff’s D is going to have to step up big this week to keep the Sooners in check. An early lead could spell OU scoring runaway disaster for Colorado.
And when Cody Hawkins lines up under center for the first CU drive of the day, it isn’t going to be puppies and sunshine for the Buffalo offense either. The Sooner defense is ranked 2nd in “Tackles for a Loss” at 11 per game, 5th in total defense by allowing only 234 yards/game on average, and 6th in sacks with an average of 4 per game. To say that Hawkins and Hawkins need to bring their A Game is an understatement. To stay in this game, Colorado is going to have to play darn near perfect football.
As for the Buffs, I think we’re all in agreement that things are getting better every week. The defense has great support from Jordan Dizon, currently the nation’s leading tackler. This year alone, Dizon has posted eight 3rd/4th down stops, so don’t forget those keys on Saturday. And hopefully we can get Hawk Jr. some help on the receptions. Something else I’m pretty sure we are all in agreement on is that it is Patrick Williams’ turn to ride the pine. The guy gets himself down the field, and even gets into an open field a lot of the time, but when the ball hits him in the hands and numbers, it is like little Hawk has passed the kryptonite to superman.
So with all of that bad news, why is this going to be a great homecoming game? If anyone knows that this “ain’t gonna be intramurals” it is Coach Hawk. Look for trick plays, direct snaps, and voodoo chants coming in from the sidelines. There is only one way to beat Oklahoma this week, and that is with a big bag of luck, a clipboard full of solid plays, and some of those aggressive calls that you only make when you are playing your buddies for beer money on the x-Box.
Random stuff to know:
• Colorado is 8-2-1 all time on September 29th
• Lee Corso will pick OU, which is great news
• Oh yeah, Corso got beat on this day in Boulder in 1979
• The homecoming parade starts at 5:15 Friday on The Hill with grand marshals Alfred Williams, Kanavis McGhee, Matt Russell, and Deon Figures.
• Alumni pre-game party starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on Benson Field
• New Buffs.tv shirts will be out in force
If you want to read a 49-10 Buffs loss prediction for this game, I’m sure it is out there, written by someone a lot less passionate about Colorado Football than the editors of Buffs.tv. Click here, maybe. But when you read it here, Brother, it is 13-10 Colorado, decided in the final 40 seconds of the game. And for our loyal readers from Nebraska, bring it on. Call us whatever you want this week, the Buffs have nothing to lose. But I’m pretty sure that in Lincoln, Austin, Stillwater, Manhattan, and Boulder, we can all agree that it would be pretty sweet to see the Sooners get shut down.
GO BUFFS!

This Saturday, the Buffs will host the Miami-Ohio RedHawks. Both teams are looking to get back to .500 after starting the season strong (1-0). Both teams started the year with thrilling openers which both won. Since opening weekend they have both dropped two in a row. At 1-2 this is a big game with conference play beginning soon. The RedHawks have struggled against the Big 12 in the past, although these two teams have never met.
The game looks to be exciting. The RedHawks have an impressive offense that is averaging 268 ypg in the air and 131 ypg on the ground. Interceptions have plagued the team though. Colorado brings an exceptional defense to the field. Last week they held the Seminoles to 221 total yards. They are also stingy on third downs allowing FSU to convert only once in thirteen attempts. Also, Jordan Dizon leads the nation with 51 stops.
The other side of the ball will present more challenge. The Buffs are averaging only 17 ppg. The passing game is improving but he running game needs some help averaging 45 ypg. Fortunately for the Buffs the RedHawks have been unable to stop anything. They have been giving up 34 ppg on average. The Buffs running game stands to improve since the RedHawks have been giving up 195 ypg on the ground. The air isn’t any better getting abused for 255 ypg. I am sure the altitude won’t help the run defense.
I predict the Buffs will come to play. The defense will shut them down and the offense will post some respectable numbers.
Buffs Win!!!
Colorado 34, Miami-Ohio 10

Bobby Bowden and Florida State come calling on Saturday night in the home opener for the Buffs. Coming off of a tough loss to Arizona State, Colorado will need to put the past behind them if they hope to have any chance against the Seminoles. While Florida State seems to be having another “down” year, they are still loaded with speed and talent on both sides of the ball and will hold the decided advantage when it comes to experience. Many will write off the Buffs after the dismal loss to Arizona State, but this team has shown that it’s resilient and I expect them to come out with their heads up and ready to play.
When Colorado has the ball: After looking impressive against Colorado State, the Buff offense was plain awful against the Sun Devils last week. The running game was non-existent as Sumler was stuffed early and often. Coach Hawkins pointed out that Sumler seemed to get discouraged and started giving up, as is typical of a young player. Let’s hope that Demetrius uses last week as a learning experience and puts it behind him. It may not matter, however, as the Buffs expect to have Hugh Charles back this week and hopefully they’ll be able to take advantage of his speed on the outside. It also looks like some of the highly touted freshman offensive lineman, including Ryan Miller, may make their debuts on Saturday night to help in keeping the guys up front fresh. The passing game was almost as bad as the running game against the Devils and the Buffs will have to work hard to get out of that funk. Cody made a number of good long throws, but his short passes lack some zip. The current set of receivers, excluding the surprising Scotty McKnight, can’t seem to catch worth a crap. I look for the return of Josh Smith to help open up the deep passing game. What I’ve yet to understand is why we’re not using the tight ends more. The Buffs have one of the deepest stables of TEs in the county, yet they only have 6 catches between them through the first two games. Expect to see that change against the Seminoles.
When Florida State has the ball: The Buff defense looked tough to start the game against Arizona State, but the combination of the heat, the lack of depth, and the ineffectiveness of the offense caused them to wear down and start giving up plays. The lack of depth is going to be an issue all year and the effectiveness of the defense may continue to hinge on how well the offense performs. Florida State has not looked impressive on offense in their first two games, but the Buffs D-Line will have to get pressure on Weatherford in order to prevent him from picking the secondary apart. Look for Wheatly, Dizon, and Walters to continue to have big games, but this defense really needs one of the big boys (Boye-Doe?) to make an impact if they have any hope of stopping the FSU offense.
Special Teams: The Buffs are hoping to have continued success in both the kickoff and punt returns as I believe that winning the field position battle will be key if the Buffs have any chance up getting the upset. That also means that Matt DiLallo will need to continue to punt well (and hopefully not throw any more passes). If the game comes down to field goals, Florida State looks to have the edge as Cismesia is perfect on the season while Eberhart still looks a little tentative to me.
Overall: On paper, this looks like a solid win for the Seminoles as they obviously have more experienced talent on the field. However, if the young Buffs can limit their mistakes and keep it close going into the fourth quarter, anything can happen. I already picked the upset in the weekly picks, so I’ll do it again. Colorado 30 Florida State 27
* One note for fans going to the game: The students are trying to organize a “Blackout” for the game where all fans wear black. I don’t think it will succeed since the papers aren’t publicizing it, but we can all do our part.