Let’s just run through these stats really quickly.

Buffs have given up 1,000 yards in its first two games.  16 plays of 20 yards or more. 8 plays of 40 or more. Those 16 plays have accounted for a whopping 676 of the 1,000 yards.  Ummm to say we have a big play issue is an understatement.  But why?

Yes, we have seen our fair share of blown coverages and confusion in the secondary.  This has to be resolved through experience and coaching.  But more than that one of our major problems is poor tackling.  On many of these plays we have had the opportunity to stop em for a short gain but missed a tackle.  Sometimes it looks like the defenders are not playing with the fire and intensity that is needed on every play to generate solid tackling.  Sometimes they are just throwing arm tackles out there and hoping for the best.  Both end up requiring me to drink another beer just to be able to handle the results.

I managed to find a step by step guide on the Internets that may be helpful to our players and coaching staff. I’ll republish here for

1. Identify your opponent. This will be the individual running furiously toward the end zone with a ball under his arm.
2. Run toward the ball carrier at full speed, keeping your head up at all times. Aim your face mask at the center of his chest or inside shoulder.
3. Run through the ball carrier, wrapping your arms around his waist.
4. Pull the ball carrier into you and drive him to the ground.

There are two qualities that I look for in every Buff player.  Toughness and Tackling.  Go out and show me that you deserve to put on that Gold Silver helmet.

My apologies but I can’t in good consciousness grant awards this week. The Buffs.tv Tackling and Toughness awards are based on passion and ferocity exhibited on the field in a given week. This is virtually impossible to determine simply by listening to play-by-play on the radio. So boys, keep up the good work, keep playing each down hard, keep winning and hopefully fans will be able to watch all of the remaining games and I will be able to honor those players that indeed are “Tough Enough to be a Buff.”
Go Buffs!

Saturday is proof that tackling and toughness are the fundamentals that win big games. The Buffs held the highest scoring offense in the nation 37 points below their usual. 37 points.
My hats off to the entire organization coaches, players and fans for remaining mentally emotionally and physically tough for the entire game. Believe me it took toughness from a fan to not die of a heart attack, but what a sweet sweet victory and worth all the nail biting.
And this weeks awards go to:
Tackling: Jordan Dizon
Defense won this game for the Buffs and nobody epitomized the heart of the Buffalo defense this week, better than team captain Jordan Dizon. With nine fierce tackles, none was more clutch than Dizon’s fourth quarter sack of Sam Bradford. The Buffs had just pulled within one score, and the Sooners had driven to midfield. Dizon had the last word when he swung the momentum back in the Buffs favor and set the stage for this sweet victory.
I recognized this Hawaiian Homeboy’s potential in his first game as a Buff. I hold him to very high standards. And he does not disappoint.
Jordan Dizon is tough enough to be a Buff!
Toughness: Chase McBride
I don’t know who pointed this kid in the right direction but now that he is running towards the end zone their is no stopping him. This little guy makes up for his lack of size with the best hands on the team and a new found fearlessness. He returned the ball for no less than 15 yards each and every time he got his hands it. Even when the Sooners resorted to cheating and nailed him after he called a fair catch he still held on and did not let the ball hit the ground. I liked seeing the Buffs start with such nice field position on Saturday and I expect Chase to make that field a little smaller each week; I even expect to find him in the end zone a few times.
Chase McBride is tough enough to be a Buff and now he’s got the scholarship to prove it.
Go Buffs!

What a gorgeous day at Folsom Field. The sun was out, the defense held the opponent to a goose egg on the scoreboard and thank goodness we put together what looked like a real offense complete with a running game and passes over the middle.
This week’s Tough Enough to be a Buff winners are. . .
Tackling: Brad Jones
Jones had a great day at Folsom filed and made sure he was an integral part of shutting down the Red Hawks offense completely. He started the game by getting in the face, and inside the head of Miami quarterback and completed his day by repeatedly crushing, tailback, Sykes for no gain or a loss of yards. I like your intensity.
Brad Jones is tough enough to be a Buff.
Toughness: Scotty McKnight
It was a relief to see Buff recievers hang on to balls this week, and no one did a better job of building my confidence than Scotty McKnight. Scotty made himself a open target and hung onto what was sent his way for exciting gains of no less than 15-yards. We’re going to have a triple threat offense yet!
Scotty McKnight is Tough Enough to be a Buff.
Go Buffs!

The fans looked tough this week. The turn out and the “black out” at Folsom field set the mood for something big to happen. Oh well.
This week’s Tough Enough to be a Buff winners are. . .
Tackling: Benjamin Burney
4th quarter the fans were thinning out, the Buffs went 3 and out and Folsom Field was pretty quiet. Then in a beautiful moment, Burney wrapped Antone Smith up for a morale boosting loss of yards. This set up a 3 and out for FSU and made me believe we might still have a chance to put points on the board. Nice take down!
Benjamin Burney is tough enough to be a Buff.
Toughness: George Hypolite
Hypolite is the hero of this game for the Buffs. The Defense spent too much time on the field and held the Seminoles to just one TD. Hypolite was an integral part throughout the game but really shined in the 4th. There is no give up in this guy. Not only did he sack Weatherford twice but he had enough energy left to jump around and keep the crowd fired up.
George Hypolite is Tough Enough to be a Buff.
Go Buffs!

I love Colorado. I can say that confidently having just returned from the scorching heat of Arizona. I lived in Hawaii and stood on an active volcano. The earth was hot enough to melt rock and I can tell you it was much hotter than that at kick off last weekend. Maybe this explains the terrible football played on all sides of the ball. But enough complaining, It is my job to find the positive each week and it is my pleasure to do so once again.
This week’s Tough Enough to be a Buff winners are. . .
Tackling: Ryan Walters
Do not get in this guy’s way. Walters was plowing devils over like a freight train on Saturday night. Walters earned my affection when he immediately answered a Colorado fumble with a hard hitting take away from Brent Miller late in the first quarter. If only the game could have ended then.
Ryan Walters is tough enough to be a Buff.
Toughness: Terrence Wheatley
Rumor has it Wheatley had a grudge/something to prove to a former position coach, Craig Bray, this weekend. Whatever it was, I hope it keeps him fired up for the rest of the season. Since I focus on the positive, let’s talk about how Wheatley set the tempo for the Buffs one quarter of glory by intercepting Carpenter’s first pass attempt of the game and sacrificing everything to turn it into 6 points. However, one moment of glory is not what earns my respect. Wheatley was in the mix with solid coverage for what seemed like the next 10 hours. Keep it up, who knows you could be the next “Champ” in town.
Terrence Wheatley is Tough Enough to be a Buff.
Go Buffs!

I love the fall; the cool Colorado nights, the hot days, the palpable, nervous excitement of game day. And of course it is all so much sweeter when the Buffs post a “W” in the score column.
Overall, I was pleased with the intensity I saw from the entire team on Saturday. We showed up to play and the ferocity, especially from the defensive line, seemed to increase as the hot day wore on. Jordon Dizon made a career high 20 tackles including squashing a critical 4th down attempt by the Rams in the 4th quarter. I do have one request for practice this week. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it — wrap ‘em up boys. The Buffs threw a lot of hard hits, but running backs can bounce off of a shoulder to the sternum and keep on running. We need to wrestle these guys to the ground every time.
Enough chit chat; this week’s Tough Enough to be a Buff winners are. . .
Tackling: Maurice Lucas
The Defense set the tone in the fourth quarter swinging the momentum our way multiple times.
What a beautiful sight to see Lucas get his hands on Hanie at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Lucas chased him down and then held on until the job was done.
Maurice Lucas is Tough Enough to be a Buff.
Toughness: Cody Hawkins
I admit, I had a hard time deciding to give this award to a quarterback. I pride myself on recognizing the unsung efforts of the workhorses of the team. But this week, a redshirt freshman in his first college game ever stood in the pocket, took hits and orchestrated some of the best drives Buffs fans have seen in a long time. 1:16 left, 4th and 4, the entire game on the line, we run a passing play. Need I say more, that’s the definition of mental toughness.
Cody Hawkins is tough enough to be a Buff.
Go Buffs!

After all “this ain’t inter murals.”
This season has to be about guts. Every player, coach and fan must be 100% committed to the team and be willing to go the extra yard – literally. Each week Buffs.tv will recognize two Buffs who exhibit the never die spirit. The categories, for those of you new to the site, will be Tackling and Toughness. So boys, be ready to sacrifice your bodies for the soul of the game and of course the honor of being named Tough Enough.

ESPN is doing an expose on College football’s ’06 superheroes. Featuring none other than your Mason Crosby. Yes that’s right The Cleated Crusader will be appearing at Folsom Field this fall. He just made a 66 yard filed goal during a scrimamge yesterday and Coach Hawk feels he is a legitmate threat from 70! This is all dependent on him not having to take over punting duties as well of course. Crosby feels that his form actually worsened in Spring as he tried on the punting role.
Known Enemies : Cornhuskers and Rams
Kryptonite: Strong Headwind
Analysis: Crosby’s extraordinary right-footed blasts routiniely soar through the goal posts, whether booted from high altitudes or sea level.

Mason Crosby for Heisman!

Well boys, it wasn’t pretty but I will take a victory however I can get it.
so the awards go to ……..
TOUGHNESS: Mason Crosby #16
How many records did he set in this game alone?! I would rather win games by scoring offensive touchdowns but wow is it nice to know that our red zone extends to nearly mid-field. Great job and I for one am looking forward to a 65-yarder.
TACKLING: Akarika Dawn #12
You all know that it is not that difficult to impress me in terms of tackling — just wrap ‘em up and drag ‘em down. For some reason this basic skill has been elusive to the Buffaloes. But Dawn showed us what it is all about. With about 4-minutes left in the 1st quarter ISU 2nd and 11, Dawn nailed Bret Meyer, held on tight, and put him down at his own 5-yard line. Ouch.

I apologize for the delay in awards this week. I had to consult with a panel of judges as I was unable to see the game in Maui.
so the awards go to ……..
TOUGHNESS: Joel Klatt #14
Klatt carried this team in the off-season and finally found his groove on the field after a couple of games. With 371 yds passing, 3 TD’s, a stretch of 13 in a row complete and going 26 of 33 to set CU’s all time completion percentage when 20 or more passes are attempted, Klatt proved himself a worthy Captain on Saturday.
TACKLING: Alonzo Barrett #47
Overall tackling was less impressive this game. But Barrett played with heart until the final minutes of the game. Barrett’s tackle that nearly resulted in a safety with 4-minutes left in the game was the only hit that I suspect Jamario Thomas of North Texas even remembers. Congratulations to this young standout.

and the awards go to ……..
TACKLING: Alex Ligon #51
I don’t like to give repeat awards unless they are well deserved and here is a great example. Who is this guy? — where did he come from? — I don’t care. I love him! Three sacks in one game; Hello!
TOUGHNESS: Tyrone Henderson #3
Nice read on the two-point conversion attempt. Way to break it up. Coaches, players can we please all work on breaking up more passing attempts. Tackling is fabulous but interceptions and deflected passes can be even better. (I can’t believe I found things about football I like better than tackling.)

What a great time of year — the beginning of football season. We all had a lot of questions before this game and while there are of course lessons to be learned from the season opener, the Buffs made this fan proud.
so the awards go to ……..
TACKLING: Alex Ligon #51
While the most talked about tackle of the game came from JJ Billingsley on the final play, I feel the game saving tackle came early in the 4th quarter by Ligon. The Rams were driving and CSU quarterback Justin Holland was on fire. Ligon put the only real pressure of the day on Holland with an awesome blind side shot forcing a game tying field goal instead of a go-ahead touchdown.
Others receiving tackling votes:
Jordon Dizon: My Hawaiian homeboy. The 808 did represent with 9 tackles and the first ever start by a true freshman at linebacker university. Shoots brah!
TOUGHNESS: Gary Barnett, Head Coach
I think this award goes without explanation. Welcome back Coach and congratulations on preparing your team to put up the first “W” of the season. Let’s get 12 more!
Others receiving toughness votes:
Mason Crosby: I for one could not be happier about having a clutch kicker. 55-yards and great promise of more to come.
Bobby Purify: Purify did exactly what a captain should do in his senior year –kick butt.
Sam Wilder: Purify rocked, but Wilder did some heavy hitting and pushing to make some nice holes.

We lost… The lowly Huskers beat us this year and staved off our hopes of a bowl game and the joy of beating the Huskers 3 seasons straight.
Why did we lose? It’s not so diffiuclt to see. We were not the more physical team on the field this year. Back in 2001, we physically out-muscled, out-hussled and out-toughed. This year we couldn’t run the ball at all. At all. And yards after the catch were non-existant. I don’t think I have ever seen more 2 yard outs in my life.
To top it all off, we couldn’t tackle. Huskers were delivering big hits all over the field. Our defense couldn’t muster anything more than a half hearted arm tackle. I think with a review you easily show that over half of Nebraska’s rushing yards came after our first missed tackle. Compare that with Calhoun’s inability to keep stanging after shirt grabs and you can see the difference between these two football clubs..
Sure there are plenty of other plays to look at that affected the output of this game. Dropped first half catches, poor kickoff coverage, failed two point conversions (Barnett, why the hell did you call a 2 point conversion in the first half? I’m sure I don’t have to point out that if we just kicked the exta points on both of those TD’s we could have scored a TD on the final drive to tie), ill timed interceptions, and the inability to defend a telegraphed fake field goal. All these things led to our demise, but we could have survived all of those miscues, if our team simply lived up to two simple standards.
Tackling and Toughness.

What a miserable showing. I’m sorry but I just can’t give out real awards this week.
so the sorry attempt at awards go to ……..
TACKLING: Chip
At least our mascot gets out there every weekend and takes someone down.
TOUGHNESS: Cheer/Dance Team
It’s hard to fake being happy for an entire game when your team is stinking up the field.

Well, it was a fairly uneventful game until the 4th quarter. A fan can only sit through so many yellow flags. On the bright side for the Buffs, all of the those penalties against UCLA played a role in the Buffs

Well, it was a fairly uneventful game until the 4th quarter. A fan can only sit through so many yellow flags. On the bright side for the Buffs, all of the those penalties against UCLA played a role in the Buffs

I love football season, especially when my team answers some big questions. Klatt

I love football season, especially when my team answers some big questions. Klatt

This job has become a chore; I do hope that players are more motivated by these highest of honors next season and play some inspiring football. I’ve contacted Coach Barnett to offer my services in the form of a Tackling & Toughness Camp in the off-season. Hopefully I will hear back soon.
And the winners are ….
TACKLING: Medford Moorer
Here is some talent we are all happy to see sticking around campus. Moorer has had an outstanding year and once again did more than hold his own. Moorer was inside mixing it up and landing big hits from the beginning on Saturday night. He led the team in number of tackles and I would argue also in quality of tackling.
TOUGHNESS: Donald Strickland
Strickland did his best to get the buffs pumped up and on the right track. He set an Alamo Bowl record with his 91-yard interception return for a Buffalo touchdown. Strickland finished his senior year on a personal high it’s just too bad the rest of his team could not find a rhythm. Good luck on Sundays!