SB Nation - Bryce Givens

Sunday Buff Bites - 13 Days Until This Nightmare Is Over...Hopefully

irish1611 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:36:53 -0000

Woelk: Decision on Hawkins` future must come soon - Buffzone

It means that very soon, athletic director Mike Bohn and chancellor Phil DiStefano must come to a decision. Clearly, the program is nowhere close to where Bohn envisioned it being when he hired Hawkins. When Bohn managed to land one of the nation`s hottest young coaching prospects in December of 2005, he certainly never thought he`d be contemplating another change just four years later. Now such a decision is a distinct possibility. Today, I`m still not ready to say a change would be in the best interest of the program and the university. But, whatever decision is reached, it must be reached soon. After Saturday`s effort at Iowa State, waiting for the outcome of the last two games makes absolutely no sense. Bohn and DiStefano must sit down as soon as possible and examine the situation from every angle. Economics. Possible fallout from all sides. Recruiting. Next year`s schedule. Returning players. Then make a decision and move on. Let Hawkins know whether he`ll be here next year or not. If he`s going to be the head coach, make it known so he can begin to reassure recruits, contemplate staff changes and move on with business. If not, give him and his staff the opportunity to assess their futures. But whatever the decision, make it soon. Waiting will only increase the questions hanging over the program while doing nothing in terms of moving forward. Simply, a quick resolution is the only sensible solution.

Bowl ineligibility befalls Buffs - The Denver Post

Hawkins' problem is, in his fourth year, his team is going in the opposite direction of two rebuilding programs that beat him with first-year coaches. Paul Rhoads' Cyclones (6-5, 3-4) joined Kansas State in downing the Buffs at home. This time the nearly packed house of 43,208 stormed the field, celebrating bowl eligibility a year after going 2-10. Once again, offensive ineptitude on the road crippled Colorado. CU scored one touchdown against the second- worst defense in the league. That doubled its number of TDs in the past 10 quarters on the road to two.

CU Buffs bowl hopes end in another road wreck - Boulder Daily Camera

The signs are all there and they`re pointing toward a coaching change at Colorado. The football team isn`t playing well when it desperately needs to. Athletic director Mike Bohn, who just three months ago robustly defended head coach Dan Hawkins, turned away requests for comment after another loss Saturday.

Buffs lose 17-10 at Iowa State - The Denver Post

Lacking a killer instinct, Colorado (3-7, 2-4 Big 12) produced just three points — total — out of four possession inside the ISU 10-yard line, committed costly, careless penalties and set up Iowa State's third-quarter touchdown with a turnover. "We went from being one of the better teams in the red zone in the country to one of the worst," Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said.

Same old story for Buffs - The Longmont Times-Call

Hawkins, repeating another familiar line, said it just came down to a couple of plays. "Particularly with this group of guys, when you have a big play against you, there’s a huge momentum thing going on," Hawkins said. "We just have to be able to counter that a little bit better."

CU vs. Iowa State Game Quotes
Momentum thing, rhythm thing, confidence thing...blah, blah, blah, blah

On poor passing game
"On the first drive we had a couple of drops. You talk about that rhythm thing and that confidence thing and that momentum thing. A couple of drops on the first drive took us out of rhythm."

The Longmont Times-Call

From CU offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau: "The frustrating part is the turnovers and the penalties. We’re not getting outschemed. We know what they’re doing. If we eliminate turnovers and penalties, this is a completely different ball club." CU committed 11 penalties and three turnovers Saturday. CU was also 2-for-14 on third down conversions.

Bruising running game paves way for OSU - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
The Colorado Buffaloes next opponent, Oklahoma State, had a good win last night against Texas Tech but lost their starting quarterback in the process. Zac Robinson was hit hard late in the game and supposedly has a concussion.

One negative coming out of the game was an apparent concussion sustained by OSU quarterback Zac Robinson on a devastating hit by Tech cornerback Jamar Wall. With the Cowboys playing Thursday night against Colorado, it might be asking a lot for Robinson to return to action that soon. And Robinson was the key before his injury. He piled up a team-high 97 yards. Keith Toston added 78 and Kendall Hunter had his most impressive performance since returning from his foot injury with 70 tough yards on 17 carries.

Two key fumbles put Stewart in tough situation - The Denver Post

Stewart lost two fumbles, both coming at crucial times in the second half. His first turnover, on the Colorado 33-yard line, occurred early in the third quarter. That set up Iowa State's final touchdown and, ultimately, the Cyclones' winning score. The second turnover came at the end of a 7-yard run to the ISU 8 on a hit by safety David Sims, ending a CU threat early in the fourth quarter.

Givens' strange season takes another turn - The Longmont Times-Call

The strange season Bryce Givens is enduring in his redshirt freshman year at Colorado took another twist during Saturday’s 17-10 loss at Iowa State. Givens, making his first start Saturday since the Big 12 opener at Texas, was called for a personal foul during the third quarter for hitting an Iowa State pass rusher in the face as quarterback Tyler Hansen scrambled to the Cyclones’ 2 on first-and-goal. After Givens turned and said something to referee Tom Walker, Walker picked his flag up off the ground and tossed it high into the air to call a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalties gave CU a first-and-goal at the 39. The drive ended when kicker Aric Goodman missed from 42 yards. Coaches pulled Givens from the game and he did not return. Ryan Dannewitz took his place at right tackle.

ISU Football: Cyclones beat Colorado, become bowl eligible - The Des Moines Register

They reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2005 after a 17-10 win against Colorado before a boisterous 43,208 who held breaths as the Buffaloes tossed the ball around backwards on the final play before finally ending 69 yards from the end zone.

Go Cyclones - ISU bowl eligible after Colorado win

Iowa State beats Colorado 17-10 and Cyclones become bowl eligible - KansasCity.com

For some programs, reaching bowl eligibility is little more than a footnote. It’s a much bigger deal for Iowa State. Picked to finish last in the Big 12 North, the Cyclones can at least dream of their first bowl bid since 2005 after beating Colorado 17-10 on Saturday for their sixth win.

CU players say they`ll play for pride - Boulder Daily Camera

The North in 2010

Bill C. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:00:31 -0000

The 2009 Big 12 North race is, to say the least, intriguing heading into November, but the way my brain works, I can't help but keep an eye on the future as all of this plays out. And since it's in my head, I might as well type it out too, huh? As November 2009 begins, let's take a look at...2010.

What we're going to do is simple: we're going to take the most recent two-deeps listed on each team's website, remove the seniors, and see what's left. Obviously there will be plenty more analysis to come, but this will be a nice, preliminary peek. I can't help myself.

Missouri

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Blaine Gabbert (Jr) Jimmy Costello (So)	DE	Jacquies Smith (Jr) Marcus Malbrough (So)
RB	Derrick Washington (Sr) De'Vion Moore (So)	DT	Dominique Hamilton (Jr) Marvin Foster (RSFr)
WR	Jerrell Jackson (Jr) Brandon Gerau (Jr)	DT	Terrell Resonno (Jr) Bart Coslet (Sr)
WR	T.J. Moe (So) Rolandis Woodland (So)	DE	Aldon Smith (So) Brad Madison (So)
WR	Wes Kemp (Jr) Michael Egnew (Jr)	WLB	Zaviar Gooden (So) Donovan Bonner (So)
TE	Andrew Jones (Jr) Beau Brinkley (Jr)	MLB	Will Ebner (Jr) Luke Lambert (Sr)
LT	Elvis Fisher (Jr) Justin Britt (RSFr)	SLB	Andrew Gachkar (Sr) Tyler Crane (Jr)
LG	Austin Wuebbels (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	CB	Carl Gettis (Sr) Trey Hobson (Jr)
C	Tim Barnes (Sr) J.T. Beasley (Jr)	CB	Kevin Rutland (Sr) Robert Steeples (So)
RG	Jayson Palmgren (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	FS	Jasper Simmons (Sr) Munir Prince (Sr)
RT	Dan Hoch (Jr) Jack Meiners (So)	SS	Jarrell Harrison (Sr) Kenji Jackson (Jr)

K	Grant Ressel (Jr)	P	Matt Grabner (Jr)
PR	Carl Gettis (Sr)	KR	Jasper Simmons (Sr)

I've got to say, this is the most complete team heading into 2010. Blaine Gabbert will be the most accomplished North QB heading into 2010 and Derrick Washington the second-most accomplished RB. The improved secondary will return just about everybody of importance, and a deep LB corps could be well-positioned to absorb the loss of Sean Weatherspoon with as little drop-off as possible.
Two major question marks: a) who replaces Danario Alexander, and b) who replaces Jaron Baston? Multiple candidates exist to replace Spoon, so that's actually less of a worry, but the WR situation is at least a bit worrisome. Wes Kemp has shown flashes, and if he continues to grow, he could be the deep threat this team needs, but what is it I always say? Until you actually prove it, it's a question mark. Beyond Kemp, guys like Jackson, T.J. Moe (remember him?), Rolandis Woodland, and one of the redshirting freshmen (L'Damian Washington, Jaleel Clark, Kerwin Stricker) will fill out the depth chart, and at least one of them will need to take a step forward.
Of course, you know who else could absorb the loss of Danario? Tight ends. Novel concept, I know.
I really like what I've seen out of Dominique Hamilton recently, but Terrell Resonno seems to have disappeared. Either he or one of the underclassmen (Marvin Foster, Jimmy Burge, George White) will need to raise their game. If somebody competent steps up at WR and DT, this team is loaded.

Colorado

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Tyler Hansen (Jr) Cody Hawkins (Sr)	DE	Marquez Herrod (Sr) Josh Hartigan (Jr)
RB	Rodney Stewart (Jr) Darrell Scott (Jr)	DT	Curtis Cunningham (Jr) Nate Bonsu (So)
FB	Ryan Deehan (Jr) ?	DT	Will Pericak (So) Conrad Obi (Jr)
WR	Scotty McKnight (Sr) Jason Espinoza (Jr)	DE	Forrest West (So) Nick Kasa (So)
WR	Markques Simas (Jr) Will Jefferson (So)	WLB	Jon Major (So) Tyler Ahles (Jr)
TE	Ryan Deehan? (Jr) ?	MLB	Michael Sipili (Sr) ?
LT	Nate Solder (Sr) Ryan Dannewitz (So)	SLB	B.J. Beatty (Sr) Doug Rippy (So)
LG	Ethan Adkins (Jr) Blake Behrens (Jr)	CB	Jimmy Smith (Sr) ?
C	Keenan Stevens (Sr) Mike Iltis (Jr)	CB	Jalil Brown (Sr) Arthur Jaffee (Jr)
RG	Matthew Bahr (Jr) Max Tuioti-Mariner? (So)	FS	Ray Polk (So) Anthony Perkins (Jr)
RT	Ryan Miller (Jr) Bryce Givens (So)	SS	Travis Sandersfeld (Jr) ?

K	Aric Goodman (Sr)	P	Aric Goodman (Sr)
PR	Jason Espinoza (Jr)	KR	Brian Lockridge (Jr)

I mentioned this past offseason that while Colorado was going to stink in 2009, they might actually be positioning themselves to actually fulfill the role of sleeper that has been foisted upon them for most of the last half-decade. Ironically, they might actually emerge as a sleeper just as everybody finally gives up on them.
Of course, there will still be some major question marks. You know I'm not at all impressed with Rodney "Another Short Gain By" Stewart, and while Scotty McKnight (how is he still an underclassman???) is a great possession guy, he'd be a helluva lot better as a #2 or #3 threat than a #1. Unless Markques Simas finally starts to live up to the potential everybody says he has, this team is still severely lacking at WR, and they're losing both of their top tight ends. (I'm going out of my way not to mention Darrell Scott here, as he...whatever. I have no expectations whatsoever for him at this point, and I'm going to let him surprise me.)
I really like Jimmy Smith at CB, but CU's going to be searching for some replacements in the secondary. Jalil Brown has potential, and Ray Polk is young, but depth could be an issue.
Same can be said for the LB corps. Luckily for CU, they should have a strong D-line to maybe deflect some of the concerns.
If CU really does live up to its annual sleeper reputation, it will be in the trenches, where a struggling O-line will at least have experience on its side, and the D-line could be strong. Then again, after watching CU's O-line attempt to handle MU's improving-but-not-amazing D-line, maybe returning a bunch of these guys might not be a good thing.

Iowa State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Austen Arnaud (Sr) Jerome Tiller (So)	DE	Patrick Neal (Jr) ?
RB	Alexander Robinson (Sr) Beau Blankenship (So)	DT	Bailey Johnson (Jr) Stephen Ruempolhamer (Jr)
WR	Jake Williams (Sr) ?	DT	Austin Alburtis (Sr) ?
WR	Sedrick Johnson (Jr) ?	DE	Roosevelt Maggitt (So) Cleyon Lang (So)
WR	Josh Lenz (So) Darius Darks (Jr)	SLB	Jacob Lattimer (Jr) ?
TE	Collin Franklin (Sr) ?	MLB	Matt Tau'fo'ou (Sr) A.J. Klein (So)
LT	Kelechi Osmele (Jr) Brayden Burris (So)	WLB	Jake Knott (So) ?
LG	Alex Alvarez (Sr) Mike Bangston (So)	CB	Leonard Johnson (Jr) Jeremy Reeves (So)
C	Sean Smith (Sr) ?	CB	Jacques Washington (So) ?
RG	Ben Lamaak (Sr) Trey Baysinger (Jr)	FS	Michael O'Connell (Sr) ?
RT	Scott Haughton (Jr) Zack Spears (Jr)	SS	David Sims (Sr) Zac Sandvig (Sr)

K	Grant Mahoney (Jr)	P	?
PR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)	KR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)

So Paul Rhoads' second year in Ames will potentially see a downright strong offense and a thin, depleted, inexperienced defense. I don't want to overstate the offensive potential (the WR situation is iffy, to say the least), but ISU might have the best O-line in the North blocking for what is at least decent skill position talent.
Arnaud vs Tiller. Could be interesting to watch this competition.
Really, if ISU returned just a couple more decent playmakers on defense, I could talk myself into them being a darkhorse contender. But while I do like what Rhoads has done with the talent on hand this year, I just can't figure they'll be that great next year. They will need another year or two of Rhoads developing his own recruits before I feel a lot more comfortable about the potential of their program.

Kansas

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Kale Pick (So) ?	DE	Jake Laptad (Sr) ?
RB	Toben Opurum (So) ?	DT	Jamal Greene (Sr) ?
WR	Dezmon Briscoe?? (Sr) ?	DT	John Williams (So) Richard Johnson (Jr)
WR	Johnathan Wilson (Sr) Tertavian Ingram (Sr)	DE	Quintin Woods (Sr) ?
WR	Bradley McDougald (So) Chris Omigie (So)	SLB	Justin Springer (Sr) ?
TE	Tim Biere (Jr) Ted McNulty (Jr)	MLB	Drew Dudley (Sr) ?
LT	Tanner Hawkinson (So) Ian Wolfe (Sr)	WLB	Huldon Tharp (So) ?
LG	Brad Thorson (Sr) Carl Wilson (Sr)	CB	D.J. Beshears (So) Daymond Patterson (Jr)
C	Jeremiah Hatch (Jr) Brad Thorson (Sr)	CB	Chris Harris (Sr) Calvin Rubles (Sr)
RG	Sal Capra (Sr) Trevor Marrongelli (So)	FS	Lubbock Smith (So) ?
RT	Jeff Spikes (Jr) Michael Martinovich (Jr)	SS	Phil Strozier (Sr) ?

K	Jacob Branstetter (Sr)	P	Alonso Rojas (Sr)
PR	Daymond Patterson (Jr)	KR	Bradley McDougald (So)

So KU's biggest question mark (offensive line) will return completely intact next year, while most of the known skill position talent disappears. I listed Dez Briscoe on the two-deep above, but I've got to be honest: I'm about 92% sure he's going pro this year. His stats are ridiculous, he's got decent NFL size, he's been suspended for academic reasons, and supposedly he was tied to those football-vs-basketball brawls earlier in the year. That's not a recipe for someone who's going to go out of his way to stick around campus for another season.
Without Briscoe, I have to figure this is going to be a run-heavy offense next year. Kale Pick's got a lot to prove, but with Toben Opurum and an experienced line, they might (might) be able to rely on the run. Then again, they'll still need some sort of passing attack, and...who will be the #1 receiver? Johnathan Wilson, I guess? Color me unafraid.
I'm not even going to try to figure out if KU's D is going to be any good. They've improved recently, but they lose Darrell Stuckey and two linemen, and the depth from LB corps vanishes. I assume this will be a decent unit, and really you can start to maybe see the identity KU might be going with--defense first, run-heavy, grind it out.

Kansas State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Carson Coffman (Sr) ?	DE	Brandon Harold (Jr) ?
RB	Daniel Thomas (Sr) ?	DT	Prizell Brown (Sr) ?
FB	Braden Wilson (So) Lucas Hamm (Sr)	DT	Raphael Guidry (Jr) ?
WR	Lamark Brown (Sr) ?	DE	Antonio Felder (Sr) Joseph Kassanavoid (So)
WR	Collin Klein (So) Chris Harper (So)	LB	Kevin Rohleder (Sr) ?
TE	Travis Tannahill (So) ?	LB	Alex Hrebec (Jr) ?
LT	Zach Hanson (Jr) ?	LB	Troy Butler (Sr) Thomas Ferguson (So)
LG	Zach Kendall (Sr) Trevor Viers (Sr)	CB	Joshua Moore (Sr) Darious Thomas (So)
C	Wade Weibert (Sr) ?	CB	Stephen Harrison (Sr) David Garrett (Jr)
RG	Kenneth Mayfield (Sr) Colten Freeze (Jr)	FS	Emmanuel Lamur (Jr) ?
RT	Clyde Aufner (Jr) Ethan Douglas (So)	SS	Tysyn Hartman (Jr) Torrell Miller (So)

K	Josh Cherry (Sr)	P	Ryan Doerr (So)
PR	Tysyn Hartman (Jr)	KR	Daniel Thomas (Sr)

Like Kansas, this looks to be a pretty run-heavy, can't-pass-on-them team, with Daniel Thomas running behind a super-experienced line and a well-coached defense that is iffy in the front seven but stout in the secondary. In other words, this looks like a Bill Snyder team (sans the All-American linebackers). We've made a big deal out of the fact that they're losing about 35 seniors this year (and that's only a slight exaggeration), and that will absolutely murder their depth, but if they stay reasonably healthy, the Snyder identity might be able to take shape a bit more.
Now, I say they'll have a good secondary...I'm still unsure about how good the secondary is now, but returning all four current starters certainly suggests decent improvement for next year.
I believe I heard that Chris Harper is moving to WR instead of competing at QB, right?

Nebraska

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Cody Green (So) Zac Lee (Sr)	DE	Cameron Meredith (So) Josh Williams (So)
RB	Roy Helu, Jr. (Sr) Rex Burkhead (So)	DT	Baker Steinkuhler (So) Terrence Moore (Jr)
FB	Tyler Legate (So) Mike Hays (Jr)	DT	Jared Crick (Jr) ?
WR	Niles Paul (Sr) Antonio Bell (So)	DE	Pierre Allen (Sr) ?
WR	Curenski Gilleylen (Jr) Khiry Cooper (So)	Will	Blake Lawrence (Sr) Matthew May (Jr)
TE	Mike McNeill (Sr) Dreu Young (Sr)	Mike	Will Compton (So) Micah Kreikemeier (So)
LT	Mike Smith (Sr) ?	Buck	Sean Fisher (So) Eric Martin (So)
LG	Keith Williams (Sr) ?	CB	Prince Amukamara (Sr) Dejon Gomes (Sr)
C	Mike Caputo (Jr) ?	CB	Anthony West (Sr) Alfonzo Dennard (Jr)
RG	Ricky Henry (Sr) ?	FS	Eric Hagg (Sr) Austin Cassidy (Jr)
RT	Marcel Jones (Jr) D.J. Jones (Sr)	SS	P.J. Smith (So) Courtney Osborne (So)

K	Alex Henery (Sr)	P	Alex Henery (Sr)
PR	Niles Paul (Sr)	KR	Niles Paul (Sr)

How the hell is Pierre Allen still an underclassman? I was completely convinced that both he and Barry Turner were seniors, but I guess not.
Next question: how much of Nebraska's defensive identity is grounded in Ndamukong Suh? He and Turner depart, but will Allen and the stout Jared Crick be able to keep the great D-line play coming? And how much of Crick's success is due to offenses' fear of Suh?
The shine is quickly wearing off of Roy Helu, Jr., but he does return next year (lord knows he's not going pro), and with yet another experienced O-line, NU should be able to run the ball pretty well. That will obviously take some pressure off of Cody Green if Green is not, after all, ready to be NU's savior.
I really like what NU has returning at CB, but...safety? I think I like their second-string CBs more than their first string safeties. Will be interesting to see if there's some position shifting when all is said and done.

As a Missouri fan, I look at this information and quickly conclude that Missouri will be the 2010 favorite, and really I'd say I have pretty good basis in fact for that opinion. That said, Nebraska is intriguing, and even though K-State is not a stat-friendly team (I've already accepted that they're better than the stats say--I just can't figure out how much better), Bill Snyder really might get them back into the hunt despite the youth and lack of depth. Colorado could be interesting depending on who the head coach is (ahem), Kansas has recruited well and will see plenty of talented-but-young players hitting the field, and Iowa State might have the best offensive line in the division. I'd like to think Missouri might run away with this thing, and I'm sure it could happen (the trip to Lincoln aside), but with five of six North teams (all but Kansas) looking potentially better next year than this year, we might have another fun race on our hands.

Mizzou-Colorado: Beyond the Box Score Preview

Bill C. — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:26 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Marquez Herrod: part of a surprisingly successful CU d-line.

Browse more photos »

Last year at this time, Missouri was coming off of a tough loss to OSU and a blowout loss to Texas, and they turned their season around with a ridiculously easy 58-0 win over Colorado. This season, a younger, hobbled, even-more-reeling Mizzou team makes the trip to Boulder, hungry for even a 1-point win, much less a 58-pointer. Will they get the job done?

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Because whatever your inclinations, the stats below have something to feed them. An optimist looks at the matchups below and sees a Missouri team with significant defensive advantages, a Colorado team with no major skill-position threat, run-blocking advantages for both the Mizzou offensive and defensive lines, and such a pronounced speed advantage in the last two years that it simply cannot have all gone away now that Jeremy Maclin is catching passes from Donovan McNabb.

If you're a pessimist, however, you've got plenty of ammo as well. You've got an immobile, inaccurate quarterback facing a solid pass rush (and a backup who has not inspired a boatload of confidence), a Mizzou secondary that suffered flashback-inducing communication breakdowns a week ago, and a rushing offense that has still underachieved significantly this season. (Oh, and of course TERRIBLE COACHING PINKEL'S TOO STUBBORN OUR PASS COVERAGE IS TOO SOFT YOST AND STECKEL SUCK!!!!!1!!!!!!!!! Can't forget that.) The projections for this game have gotten tighter as Mizzou has begun to struggle, but let's be honest--without knowing how Gabbert's ankle will respond to another week of treatment, and how such a young team (did you see where Mizzou now has 36 freshmen and sophs on the two-deep????) will respond to a three-game losing streak, projections here are rather worthless. Not that that's going to stop me from diving ahead, of course...

Offense

Colorado: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Offensive Preview

In the last three years against Missouri, Colorado has scored a total of 23 points. After a decent 373-yard output in 2006, the Buffs have not managed even 200 yards in either of the past two meetings. Missouri's defense is actually quite a bit better statistically than in 2008, while Colorado's offense has only incrementally improved. Plus, Missouri holds the ratings advantage in a vast majority of major "+" categories.

Colorado Offense vs Missouri Defense
Category	CU Offense	MU Defense
Close S&P+ (Rk)	90.3 (92)	112.4 (31)
Close Success Rate+ (Rk)	98.9 (70)	104.6 (43)
Close PPP+ (Rk)	78.2 (103)	124.0 (30)

Rushing S&P+	121.5 (25)	101.9 (64)
Passing S&P+	72.5 (108)	120.8 (25)

Standard Downs S&P+	95.4 (83)	114.1 (27)
Passing Downs S&P+	94.3 (85)	117.4 (32)

Red Zone S&P+	106.5 (60)	100.0 (68)

Q1 S&P+	105.5 (69)	96.1 (73)
Q2 S&P+	107.1 (57)	136.1 (18)
Q3 S&P+	83.0 (103)	120.9 (24)
Q4 S&P+	91.8 (93)	113.9 (40)

1st Down S&P+	95.8 (82)	110.9 (42)
2nd Down S&P+	89.9 (97)	114.1 (35)
3rd Down S&P+	98.3 (78)	115.5 (33)

Line Yards+	126.8 (5)	99.5 (64)
Close Sack Rate+	77.3 (97)	89.2 (75)
Standard Downs / Passing Downs Sack Rate+	61.8 (107) / 108.4 (61)	78.4 (87) / 96.0 (70)

When Colorado Has the Ball...
Colorado Rushing	Advantage: Colorado
Colorado Passing	Big Advantage: Missouri
Best Time for Colorado:	1st Quarter
Best Time for Missouri:	Anything after 1st Quarter

Analysis after the jump.

We'll once again start with where Missouri has the rankings advantage:

Close S&P+, Success Rate+, PPP+
Passing S&P+
Standard Downs S&P+, Passing Downs S&P+
Q2, Q3, Q4 S&P+
1st, 2nd, 3rd Down S&P+
Close, Standard Downs Sack Rate+

And for Colorado...

Rushing S&P+
Red Zone S&P+
Q1 S&P+
Line Yards+
Passing Downs S&P+

Obviously Missouri has significant advantages in most categories, but you do see where Colorado has a sliver of opportunity. They will likely try to establish the run in the first quarter, and even though Missouri has been improving quite a bit against the run, CU does still have the overall advantage there. If Rodney Stewart gets going and Missouri has to focus a bit more on the run, then CU might be able to exploit a Missouri pass defense that might or might not now be shaky. Until the Texas game, Missouri had been playing great pass defense--more than good enough to completely shut CU down. But some breakdowns against the Longhorns have caused some serious consternation, and until we see that everything's alright--that the sudden miscommunication is alleviated, that Carl Gettis' head is on straight--we don't know for sure that it will be.

Though Colorado does obviously have a road map to success, you could see things pretty quickly turn in Missouri's favor if Stewart isn't finding running lanes and Colorado isn't moving the ball early. The per-quarter advantage quickly turns in Mizzou's favor after the first 15 minutes, when CU's scripted plays have likely run their course and the game turns to adjustments, counters to counters, and athleticism. If Mizzou leads after Q1, they are in very good shape. As with Blaine Gabbert's ankle, we should pretty quickly be able to discern how the secondary is going to play, and if Missouri's speed advantage is going to be enough to shut Colorado down for the fourth straight year.

Quarterback

If the cast of characters surrounding Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen improves considerably, can one or both of them turn into a competent guide for the offense? Cody Hawkins earned a lot of goodwill during his redshirt freshman season in 2007, primarily because of the win over OU. Beyond that game, he didn't show a whole lot, but he was a freshman. Unfortunately, he regressed considerably in 2008, just like everybody else on the Colorado offense. Hansen was able to very briefly breathe new life into the CU offense just by offering a different style of threat--he was able to generate some offense with his legs, something Hawkins is not capable of doing.

In the end, they were both not very good, but they are still young. For better or worse, CU still has two more years of Hawkins and three of Hansen. It really wouldn't surprise me if Clark Evans were given a look if Hawkins/Hansen prove early on that they still can't get the job done, or if one or the other gets injured.

Cody Hawkins: 114-for-228 passing (50.0%), 1,208 yards (5.3 per pass), 9 TD, 11 INT
Tyler Hansen: 24-for-44 passing (54.5%), 281 yards (6.4 per pass), 1 TD, 1 INT

Last year, CU came to Columbia with uncertainty at quarterback. Cody Hawkins simply wasn't performing well at all, and Dan Hawkins tore the redshirt off of Tyler Hansen to provide some competition. This year...almost exactly the same story. Hawkins has been mostly awful once again, and after an early decision to redshirt Hansen, Dan Hawkins decided against it, bringing Don't Call Me Taylor into the Texas game and starting him against Kansas.

Hansen provided enough of a change in style that it gave CU a momentary boost. The Buffs managed just 322 yards of offense against Kansas in Hansen's first start, but they took advantage of opportunities (twice, KU handed them the ball deep in their own territory) and came away with a win. Predictably, though, the Hansen magic quickly wore off, just like it did last year. CU gained just 244 yards against K-State, with Hansen and Hawkins combining to go 17-for-37 for 184 yards (a disgusting 5.0 per pass), 0 TDs, 2 INTs and 4 sacks. Ouch.

(And that's right, Hansen's redshirt came off halfway through the season, but he's still only splitting time with Cody Hawkins.)

Hansen is elusive enough that he really might be a better option than Nolte-Hawkins (I'm not completely sure I'm not a better option than Hawkins). He is not necessarily a threat to gain a bunch of yards on the ground (he ripped off a 20-yarder against KU, but that's it), but he is constantly escaping the pocket and trying to buy time for his receivers. Of course, his receivers are terrible, so that doesn't really work. But that's not his fault.

Running Back

Beyond Darrell Scott are two guys built on misconceptions. It seems like Rodney Stewart was pretty good in 2008. Wrong. Yardage-wise, he turned out to be CU's most successful freshman last year, posting 632 yards in 132 carries before getting injured himself. Problem was, as shown by POE, most of his yards came against iffy defenses. He did well against an okay Florida State run defense (21 carries, 107 yards), but otherwise most of his yards came against West Virginia (28-for-166) and Kansas State (29-for-141), two rather awful run defenses. Against Missouri and Texas, the two best run defenses on the schedule, Stewart managed just 36 yards on 18 carries.

Rodney Stewart: 120 carries, 467 yards (3.9/carry), 6 TD; 5 catches, 28 yards (5.6/catch)
Demetrius Sumler: 29 carries, 114 yards (3.9/carry); 10 catches, 58 yards (5.8/catch)
Darrell Scott: 23 carries, 95 yards (4.1/carry), 1 TD; 4 catches, 35 yards (8.8/catch)

For the second straight year, Scott has spent a majority of the season either dinged up or out. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee early last week and is out for another week or two. Not that his game log was fear-inducing in the first place, of course.

The main threat in the backfield, I guess, is Rodney Stewart. Stewart is once again riding a nice performance against West Virginia (21 carries, 105 yards) to prop up his numbers. In conference play, he is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry (197 yards on 61 carries), and while CU's overall rushing stats are better than last year (and therefore so are Stewart's), I want to see him do something against a fast front seven before I claim to be scared of him in any way, shape or form. He is a bit of a workhorse--until his 16-carry performance against K-State last week, he had gone over 20 carries for four straight games. Durability is a virtue, especially when you're missing your supposedly most explosive RB option (Scott), but Stewart's got to show me he can run on Missouri's defense before I believe it (last year against Mizzou: 6 carries, 9 yards). Missouri had some issues last week, but not up front.

Meanwhile, for the second straight year, I'm almost thinking that Demetrius Sumler is CU's best back.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

[A] bad receiving corps probably got worse in terms of proven talent, but CU fans are putting a lot of hope in Markques Simas, a big-time recruit from Hawkins' first full-year recruiting class who sat out last due to (I believe) academics. With Smith, Simas could have had a nice role as the explosive #2 guy while Scotty McKnight continued to fill the "possession receiver" role, but without Smith the pressure will be on Simas to make plays from the very beginning.
Beyond Simas and McKnight (46 catches, 519 yards, 5 TDs)...oy. The seven other names I listed on the projected WR depth chart combined for...wait for it...one catch in 2008. And that one catch (from RB-turned-WR Kevin Moyd) garnered a loss of a yard. You never know when somebody will emerge out of the blue and thrive, but you certainly don't want to have to rely on that. With the level of inexperience here, the WR corps is ripe for an infusion of energy from a true freshman or two--don't be surprised if either/both Jarrod Darden (6'5, 210) and/or Terdema Ussery (6'4, 205) see the field early.

Scotty McKnight: 41 catches, 431 yards (10.5/catch), 3 TD
Jason Espinoza: 13 catches, 136 yards (10.5/catch), 1 TD
Markques Simas: 9 catches, 107 yards (11.9/catch), 1 TD
Patrick Devenny: 8 catches, 107 yards (13.4/catch), 2 TD

Riar Geer: 28 catches, 326 yards (11.6/catch), 3 TD
Ryan Deehan: 8 catches, 77 yards (11.8/catch)

I'll say this right now: when Hansen escapes the pocket and attempts to buy time, somebody better find the tight end. Not that either Riar Geer or Ryan Deehan is a threat to take a pass 50 yards or anything, but Geer appears to be the #1 safety valve option, and if somebody is going to bail Hansen (or Hawkins) out on a third-and-long, it's Geer.

Beyond that? Blech. Scotty McKnight is performing admirably in his "possession receiver" role, for seemingly the 13th consecutive year, and being that Missouri let Nebraska's possession receiver (Niles Paul, admittedly better than McKnight) go deep on them once, he's at least a bit of a threat. But McKnight and Geer are the only two players averaging more than two receptions a game. Markques Simas is the homeless man's Malcolm Williams--we've heard hype about him for a while, and he looks good in a uniform, but he just hasn't lived up to the hype yet. That said, all nine of his receptions have come in the last four games, so he's at least working his way into the offense a bit.

Offensive Line

If there truly is hope for the Colorado offense in 2009, it probably comes from the potential of the offensive line. Ryan Miller was another big-time recruit who got thrown into the deep end last year and actually acquitted himself pretty well. Blake Behrens got a lot of early experience as well. These two, combined with incoming redshirts Bryce Givens and Ryan Dannewitz, not to mention a host of sophomores (sans guard Max Tuioti-Mariner, who has suffered approximately 26 knee injuries in his brief CU career and is out at least for 2009, if not forever), should bring very solid line play to Colorado in the future.

I can't say for sure that this will happen in 2009, mind you--the line may not congeal until 2010--but there is hope here. Injuries and extreme youth decimated the line last year, so it's impossible to say exactly how much potential is here just yet (sounds like the running back corps, no?), but again, we're just talking about hope. This will still be one of the conference's younger lines in 2009, but if things click soon, the entire offense starts to look a lot better.

Possibly the most intriguing unit-vs-unit matchup in Saturday's game comes here--CU's offensive line versus MU's defensive line. I have been very impressed with Mizzou's front seven overall in conference play. Nevada gashed them up the middle, and since then nobody's gashed them at all, aside from a long Roy Helu run after the Nebraska game had been salted away. They have overachieved their rushing rankings the last 2-3 games, and that's an encouraging trend, but the pass rush still needs to improve. They have been all-pros at almost getting to the QB, but that doesn't count for a lot.

Meanwhile, the Colorado OL has seen the same type of encouraging results. Their line yardage figures have been surprisingly great (which brings about even more question marks regarding CU's actual running backs--their line yardage is great, yet they still don't have a back averaging more than 4.1 yards per carry??), but their sack rates leave something to be desired (again, this could be why Hansen is a better QB option...then again, he was sacked four times last week, so nevermind). Strength vs strength, weakness vs weakness. No matter what happens when Missouri has the ball, the game could be determined by who wins this matchup. If Missouri wins it, how exactly is Colorado supposed to score?

---

Defense

Colorado: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

Colorado Defense vs Missouri Offense
Category	CU Defense	MU Offense
Close S&P+ (Rk)	114.9 (29)	106.9 (55)
Close Success Rate+	120.4 (13)	104.4 (52)
Close PPP+	108.7 (43)	113.4 (56)

Rushing S&P+	117.7 (26)	103.4 (66)
Passing S&P+	110.9 (37)	112.5 (49)

Standard Downs S&P+	117.5 (22)	105.7 (59)
Passing Downs S&P+	97.1 (71)	115.9 (46)

Red Zone S&P+	118.3 (27)	74.4 (112)

Q1 S&P+	101.6 (58)	113.1 (58)
Q2 S&P+	120.3 (32)	99.5 (76)
Q3 S&P+	132.0 (15)	119.7 (32)
Q4 S&P+	105.9 (48)	112.4 (37)

1st Down S&P+	112.5 (34)	104.1 (64)
2nd Down S&P+	112.7 (37)	113.5 (49)
3rd Down S&P+	114.7 (36)	117.9 (35)

Line Yards+	106.4 (45)	109.5 (41)
Close Sack Rate+	168.1 (5)	161.7 (20)
Standard Downs / Passing Downs Sack Rate+	190.5 (4) / 122.1 (38)	189.8 (13) / 118.4 (51)

When Missouri Has the Ball...
Missouri Rushing	Advantage: Colorado
Missouri Passing	Advantage: Push
Best Time for Colorado:	2nd Quarter
Best Time for Missouri:	4th Quarter

Missouri's advantages:

Passing Downs S&P+
Q4 S&P+
3rd Down S&P+
Line Yards+

Colorado's advantages:

Close S&P+, Success Rate+, PPP+
Rushing, Passing S&P+
Standard Downs S&P+
Red Zone S&P+
Q2, Q3 S&P+
1st, 2nd Down S&P+
Close, Standard Downs, Passing Downs Sack Rate+

Pretty jarring to see a Missouri offense with that many disadvantages, huh? This is the world we live in. This is also why Blaine Gabbert's ankle is such a huge wildcard for the rest of this season. If Gabbert can get back to actually throwing accurate passes, then Missouri goes back to having a dangerous offense--most of the statistical regression has come in the last three games, since Donkey Kong Suh's Gabbert roll-up. Before that, Missouri had a Top 30 offense (only Top 30 instead of Top 15 because of the weakness of the non-con defenses, but better than 55th, no?). But as it stands now, CU has a majority of the advantages.

With these numbers, we can see a pretty clear picture for how both teams will succeed, if they succeed, when Missouri has the ball.

If Missouri succeeds, it will be through the improving running game (Mizzou's got the advantage in the trenches) and 3rd down passing. Anecdotally speaking, CU's safeties have been by far their weakest link, and that has led to numerous breakdowns on 3rd downs and Passing Downs. With experienced, fast route-runners like Danario Alexander and Jared Perry running around, they could wreak havoc in these situations if Gabbert can get the ball anywhere close to them.

If Colorado succeeds, you will know it quickly. Derrick Washington is stuffed on the first carry of the game, and Gabbert launches a third-down pass 17 yards over Jared Perry's head. The same thing played out in the second half of the Oklahoma State game and pretty much from the opening snap of the Texas game. If Gabbert's first pass is far off-target, it will likely be another grind-it-out performance. The good news is, Colorado's defense simply isn't as good as OSU's or Texas', but it's good enough to make stops if the running game regresses and Gabbert can't throw. Oh yeah, and CU has a solid pass rush, and they'll happily tee off if given the opportunity.

Defensive Line

Remember how I pointed out yesterday that the CU receiving corps has next to no experience whatsoever? Well they've got nothing on the CU D-line. The eight names on the [projected depth chart] combined for 27.0 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 TFL. As a reference point, Mizzou's Jacquies Smith alone had 34.0 tackles, 1 sack and 3 TFL in 2008, and he didn't really start seeing a ton of playing time until a few games into the season.

Half of the 27.0 tackles listed above (and all of the sacks) came from Herrod, who by default becomes the unquestioned veteran leader of the line. CU fans seem pretty excited about Conrad Obi, but it's all potential right now--he had exactly one tackle in 2008. If he can stay healthy, I think good things could be in store for Curtis Cunningham, but we'll see. The 7.5 tackles on his resume leave something to be desired. As we'll see, the CU LB corps and secondary have quite a bit of potential in 2009, but if the line is a sieve, it won't matter. CU had a mediocre D-line at best in 2008, and unless at least two of the people on the above list (or star recruit DE Nick Kasa) become studs, I don't see how the ranking won't fall in 2009.

DT Curtis Cunningham: 22.0 tackles, 2.0 TFL/sacks, 2 PBU, 2 3DS (3rd-Down Stop*)
DE Marquez Herrod: 18.5 tackles, 7.0 TFL/sacks, 6 QBH, 5 3DS
DT Will Pericak: 11.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL/sacks, 1 FR, 1 PBU, 4 3DS
DE Forrest West: 6.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 1 FF, 2 PBU, 1 QBH, 1 3DS

* I really wish other schools recorded defensive stats like CU does.

The Colorado defensive line isn't asked to do a ton, but Curtis Cunningham's tackle total is impressive for a DT. He seems like the type who is rather agile for his position but can be pushed around a bit. In all, you see these individual stats and start to conclude that most of CU's solid sack rates come from blitzing linebackers. Marquez Herrod, the aforementioned "unquestioned veteran leader of the line," has performed pretty well at end, but beyond that, this isn't a highly productive line. Nick Kasa has been slowed by injuries and has managed just 2.0 tackles (1.0 TFL) thus far.

So that brings up an interesting question. Texas aside, no team has blitzed Blaine Gabbert effectively, and even they picked and chose their spots quite well. Gabbert's instincts are not at the same level as Chase Daniel's, but he's been quite effective in seeing blitzes coming and knowing where to go with the ball. Teams who have effectively defended Missouri (without Texas' overall talent advantage) have done so by dropping as many as possible into coverage, and that doesn't appear to be Colorado's style. That could work in Missouri's favor.

Linebackers

Last year, Jeff Smart, Shaun Mohler and Brad Jones combined to make up a solid-not-spectacular LB corps; this year Jones is gone, but a host of potentially capable replacements lie in wait. Jones was the big-time playmaker in the bunch (7 sacks, 7 TFL, 2 forced fumbles), and he will be missed. While Smart and Mohler aren't big-time playmakers (they combined for just six sacks/TFLs) and Jones was (7 sacks, 7 TFL, 2 forced fumbles), every team needs a tackling machine or two, right? The trick will be getting some good blitzing from one of the potential Jones replacements.

There really is a nice mix here between experience (Smart, Mohler, Burton) and guys with high ceilings (Beatty, Rippy, Major), but while I think the high-ceiling guys could be quite strong in 2010, I'm not sure where they lie for 2009. I'm going to say that this unit has a pretty good chance to remain ranked somewhere in the 30s, but I'm not going to call for significant improvement until next year.

Jeff Smart: 59.0 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 FR, 3 PBU, 2 QBH, 6 3DS
Marcus Burton: 28.5 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 1 FF, 1 PBU, 2 QBH, 4 3DS
Shaun Mohler: 15.0 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 QBH, 2 3DS
B.J. Beatty: 14.0 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PBU, 3 QBH, 2 3DS
Tyler Ahles: 10.5 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 3DS
Michael Sipili: 10.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 2 QBH, 1 3DS
Bryan Stengal: 5.0 tackles, 1 3DS

So far in 2009, it's been a mix of the experienced and high-ceiling guys getting the job done. Jeff Smart has pretty much collected one of everything--INT, FF, FR, TFL, etc.--but is mostly the prototypical tackling machine. The worrisome guys to me are Burton (experienced) and Beatty (high-upside). They are more disruptive types than Smart is, and even though I encourage teams to blitz Gabbert--it usually works out well for Mizzou--if Colorado is going to make a game-turning play on defense, it's as likely to be from Burton and Beatty as anybody else on the team. Also look out for Ahles, who had a pretty good game against K-State. Overall, this is likely CU's best overall defensive unit.

As a whole, CU's tackle-splits (by that, I mean how many tackles each unit has made, and what kind of tackles) point to a defense similar to Nevada's--lots of tackles for loss, lots of big pass plays allowed. Granted, Gabbert had two healthy ankles against Nevada, but I'd much prefer to see that type of defense again, especially if Mizzou's running game has started to improve.

Secondary

The strength of Colorado's defense in 2008, the Buffalo secondary returns a wealth of experience at cornerback...and a wealth of unknowns at safety. If Anthony Perkins and Patrick Mahnke (or anybody else) can do well in the "last line of defense" role, the depth at corner should serve them well. Cha'pelle Brown (71.5 tackles, 1 sack, 5 TFL, 10 pass breakups, 1 FF) was quietly strong last year, and either Jimmy Smith, Benjamin Burney or Jalil Brown should serve as a solid #2 CB. But really, the performance of this unit will come down to the safeties. I wasn't just amazed by the now-graduated Ryan Walters last year, and I think he is replaceable. This isn't the biggest secondary, but it should still remain the strength of the defense and remain ranked somewhere in the teens, if not a smidge higher.

CB Cha'pelle Brown: 40.5 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 1 PBU, 2 QBH, 8 3DS
CB Jimmy Smith: 39.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1 FR, 6 PBU, 4 3DS
S Anthony Perkins: 28.0 tackles, 1 PBU
CB Jalil Brown: 26.5 tackles, 2 INT, 2 FR, 6 PBU, 6 3DS
CB Benjamin Burney: 25.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1 INT, 2 FF, 3 PBU, 1 QBH, 3 3DS
S Ray Polk: 22.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 2 QBH, 2 3DS
S Patrick Mahnke: 9.0 tackles, 1 PBU

Last year Colorado had a Top 20 Passing S&P+ defense, and they returned pretty much all cornerbacks who contributed to that unit. They also, however, lost both starting safeties. Against Toledo, this cost them dearly. Colorado simply didn't have the secondary speed to cope when Toledo's skill position players got to the second level of the defense. Since then, things have improved a bit, but this unit is still a big question mark. If Gabbert is throwing reasonably accurate passes, then a hungry Mizzou receiving corps should be just fast enough to give the CU pass defense fits.

Of course, if he's spraying the ball like he has been recently, the secondary is more than good enough to thank him for the charity and make some plays.

Special Teams

I didn't even know Colorado was allowed to have a bad place-kicker. I just assumed that when Mason Crosby left, his replacement would be just as good. Nope. Last year, Aric Goodman was...well, we'll politely call him "iffy." I mean, 5-for-14? Really? ... He MUST improve if Colorado wants to duplicate its strong close-game record from a year ago. They got lucky that he wasn't more of a liability last year. Meanwhile, punting was only a hair better. Matt DiLallo returns, and like Goodman, he must improve. Seriously, how did Colorado not find somebody better than at least Goodman, if not Goodman and DiLallo?

Punt Returns Rank: 115th (Jason Espinoza: 19 returns, 3.2 average)
Net Punting Rank: 109th (Matt DiLallo: 34.6 Net Avg)
Kickoff Returns Rank: 21st (Darrell Scott: 21 returns, 26.9 average; Brian Lockridge: 13 returns, 24.9 average)
Opponents' Kickoff Returns Rank: 12th

Field Goals: 6-for-10 (Long: 54)
PATs: 19-for-20

Well, the good news is, there have been improvements in some areas. Scott (who is out) and Lockridge (who is not) have combined for solid kick returning, and they have covered very well on their own kickoffs. Plus, while Colorado is still one of the worst in the country at field goals (60% is tied for 101st in the country), 60% is certainly an improvement over last year's 36%, right?

Of course, there's also the matter of the atrocious punting and non-existent punt returns threat (I guess Espinoza is the only player on the team who can reliably catch a punt?). Without a series of terrible bounces, Jake Harry should have little trouble flipping the field on punts, and assuming Carl Gettis' ankle is good to go, he could get a couple of decent return opportunities against a team that has already allowed two punt return touchdowns this year.

---

Three Keys to the Game

Field Position

For three quarters against Kansas, Colorado was almost completely listless. They were outscored in Q's 1, 3, and 4 by a combined 23-10. But in Q2, they exploded for 24 points, in part because Todd Reesing almost literally handed them the ball at the KU 3 on one possession (leading to a one-play TD drive), then later was picked off by Jalil Brown, who returned the pick to the 1 (leading to a two-play TD drive). Two drives, three plays, four yards...14 points. That's how you give a desperate team confidence. That's also how a team that manages just 322 yards for the entire game managed to score 34 points. Without easy scoring drives, this team does not score big points. They just don't.

Colorado's Scoring Drives and Sustained Drives

vs Colorado State

Sustained drives of 40 yards or more: 3
Scoring drives of 30 yards or less: 1

vs Toledo

Sustained drives of 40 yards or more: 6
Scoring drives of 30 yards or less: 1

vs Wyoming

Sustained drives of 40 yards or more: 4
Scoring drives of 30 yards or less: 1

vs West Virginia

Sustained drives of 40 yards or more: 4
Scoring drives of 30 yards or less: 1

vs Texas

Sustained drives of 40 yards or more: 1
Scoring drives of 30 yards or less: 1

vs Kansas

Sustained drives of 40 yards or more: 3
Scoring drives of 30 yards or less: 2

vs Kansas State

Sustained drives of 40 yards or more: 2
Scoring drives of 30 yards or less: 0

In conference play, they have averaged just two sustained drives per game, but they have been handed three scores on short fields. Get rid of the short fields, caused mostly by turnovers and special teams mishaps, and you only have to score about 17 points to beat them. Of course, that's easier said than done for Missouri. Coinciding perfectly with Gabbert's injury, Missouri has averaged a -9.8 turnover points differential per game in conference play. Plus, Mizzou has gotten murdered in the field position battle the last two weeks (partially due to turnovers). Hand Colorado 10 points and good field position, and they can absolutely beat you. Turnovers are always key, but never more than against Colorado.

Missouri's defensive line

Simply put, a) Colorado's running backs aren't good enough to create good rushes on their own, and b) Colorado's quarterbacks aren't good enough to make big plays with under pressure. If the Missouri defensive line wins its battles versus the Colorado offensive line, Colorado simply cannot score enough to win, even with a handicapped Missouri offense.

Derrick Washington, Kendial Lawrence, De'Vion Moore

I listed them as keys to the Oklahoma State game as well, and while they performed relatively well, they didn't make enough of a difference to swing the game in Missouri's favor. This one is also quite cut-and-dried: if Missouri can move the ball on the ground and give Blaine Gabbert as little to do as possible, Missouri will score enough points to win the game, barring major mishaps in Key #1 above. If Gabbert is throwing an accurate ball, Mizzou could kill Colorado. If he's not, Mizzou could still win if these three keys are clicking.

Prediction

As I've mentioned time and time again, I always go with what my numbers project here (even last week, when I had the distinct impression that the numbers were full of hooey). The projections say Mizzou by 3.4, so we'll go with Mizzou 24, Colorado 21. That said, I think the best odds are on one of two scenarios: Mizzou's offense finds a rhythm against a much less fast defense, and they win by 17-20 (at least), or Mizzou turns the ball over too much and loses by about 7-10.

I realize I just spent a couple of thousand words talking about Colorado above, but really this game is about Missouri. Colorado is good enough to beat a team playing poorly and bad enough to get killed by a team playing well; therefore it's up to Missouri to play well and move to 5-3. As Gary Pinkel said earlier this week, Mizzou's out of time. It's time for the senior leaders--Sean Weatherspoon, Danario Alexander, Jaron Baston, Jared Perry, Kurtis Gregory--to take over, and it's time for the younger guys--Aldon Smith, De'Vion Moore, Wes Kemp, Jasper Simmons, Will Ebner, Dominique Hamilton, Dan Hoch, Elvis Fisher, Andrew Freaking Jones--to not only make some good plays here and there, but to take over a game.

This game will define Missouri's season. We knew from the start that the NU-OSU-UT swing of games represented probably three of Mizzou's four most losable games, and Mizzou lost all three. The next four games are exceedingly winnable, but it starts with Colorado. If Mizzou wins on Saturday, a 9-3 record and third straight North title is not only conceivable, but quite realistic. If they lose, however, then the rest of this season will instead be defined by scrounging around for another couple of wins and a bowl bid. The North title and a true "eff you" to critics who predicted a major downfall in 2009 will go out the window. It's a damn shame that Gabbert got hurt when he did--if he hadn't, Mizzou might be as good as 5-1 and ranked in the teens right now. But he did, and it's time for everybody else on the team to carry him to a win the way he carried them in St. Louis and Reno. Show us what you've got, Mizzou.

Wednesday Buff Bites - Players Hope Team Only Meeting Turns the Tide

irish1611 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:28:22 -0000

CU’s Hawkins states his case - The Longmont Times-Call

According to tailback Brian Lockridge, the players-only meeting was an effort to keep everyone’s spirits up. "It’s our team," Lockridge said. "Not the coaches’ team. It’s on us to take it upon us to turn the season around." Asked how that can be done, Lockridge said having fun in practice and playing with enthusiasm. "We’re not executing and having fun," Lockridge said. Receiver Scotty McKnight said Tuesday’s practice was one of the season’s best. He said the floor at the meeting was open for anyone to discuss anything. "I think we needed it," McKnight said. Offensive linemen Ryan Miller said the meeting served to remind everyone on the team that "we need to do our own jobs." Quarterback Tyler Hansen said he missed the meeting due to a class conflict, but said he heard it reinforced belief in the notion the team is on the verge of success. "We’re there," Hansen said. "We have to believe and have the attitude that we’re an elite team."

Student Voice: CU Buffs fans deserve better than Dan Hawkins - Colorado Daily

After his most recent win, Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder said of his team's performance: "It stinks." The goal week in and week out is for your team to get better, win or lose, preaches Snyder. Snyder was all over his team for their sloppy play, even after dominating the Buffs and holding them to zero second half points. Snyder is a good coach. Dan Hawkins... not so much. With Hawkins, all we get is excuses and no real answers to our questions. CU continues to make too many mistakes and underperform with the talent level on the field. All of the responsibility for this lies on the head coach and his staff. You could debate for hours or write a 5,000-word essay on all of the dozens of things wrong with the Buffs this year, but one thing has remained constant the last four years: Dan Hawkins is not a good coach.

Athlete of the Week: Nick Hirschman, Los Gatos - San Jose Mercury News
Buff 2010 QB commit Nick Hirschman is honored:

There has been a long line of quality quarterbacks that have come out of Los Gatos under coach Butch Cattolico, including Trent Edwards of the Buffalo Bills and Danny Sullivan, now starting at Arizona State. But none of those strong arms ever threw for 400 yards in a game, like Hirschman did in approximately two and a half quarters of play in a 47-0 win over cross-town rival Saratoga on Friday. Hirschman threw for 413 yards, completing 12 of 17 passes with five touchdowns. "I've been coaching here 34 years, and we've never had someone throw for that many yards; I believe it's a school record," Cattolico said. Hirschman had scoring strikes of 49, 52, 70, 69 and 13 yards. He hooked up with Andrew Berg seven times for a school-record 247 yards with four scores. Hirschman, who has committed to play at Colorado next season, has completed 87 of 119 passes (73 percent) for 1,719 yards with 22 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Wildcats play at Palo Alto on Friday night.

CU's Hawkins makes impassioned statement about program - The Denver Post

As of Tuesday morning, about 9,000 seats remained for Saturday's game. . . . Kickoff for CU's Nov. 7 home game against Texas A&M was set for 11:30 a.m. . . . Dan Hawkins said sophomore tailback Darrell Scott (arthroscopic knee surgery) probably will not play this weekend but a return for the Texas A&M game is targeted.

Ray Polk is having fun as the … | The Buffzone Blog

Ray Polk is having fun as the new starter at free safety for the Buffs

CU football players hold meeting - Boulder Daily Camera

Hawkins wants Hansen to run 2-minute drill - The Longmont Times-Call

Right tackle Bryce Givens is expected "back in the fold" for Saturday’s game against Missouri, Dan Hawkins said, but his return this week is not guaranteed. "Hopefully we’re getting him leveled out a bit," Hawkins said. Offensive line coach Denver Johnson said Givens has lost weight and will be worked back into the rotation slowly. Givens has missed three games, including CU’s past two, due to what’s being called "personal reasons." Johnson said Ryan Miller and Matt Bahr will start again at right tackle and right guard, respectively.

Wednesday What-if: Missouri has the power if coaches will use it | Campus Corner

So why not try it at Colorado, and make such a formation and philosphy the first option rather than throwing the football all over Folsom Field and leaving the largely immobile Gabbert back there by himself in an empty backfield? Because Gary Pinkel is a stubborn man. He believes in his way of doing things. And he likely views any suggestion that something else might work as unfair criticism. The thing is, Missouri is in a position to experiment. Colorado doesn't run very well, doesn't pass very well, doesn't play defense very well and judging from the ying and yank at quarterback isn't coached very well.

Missouri-Colorado at a glance - NewsFlash - mlive.com

Key Matchup Missouri LBs vs. Colorado RBs. Missouri's depth at linebacker will be measured after starter Luke Lambert dislocated his shoulder. Will Ebner could see more playing time in the middle. The Buffaloes will be without TB Darrell Scott for a second straight game after he had arthroscopic surgery on his knee Oct. 22. Missouri will see a steady dose of Rodney Stewart, who leads the team with 467 yards rushing.

Buffs' Hawkins cites youth, erratic play for 2-5 mark - NCAA Football - SI.com

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins turned his weekly news conference into a state of the program speech, delivering a 23-minute address on why the Buffaloes are struggling this season.

Woelk: Hansen eager to put pressure on his shoulders - Boulder Daily Camera

Scout.com: 2009 CFN Big 12 Week 9 Staff Picks

Colorado …at Kansas State 20 ... Colorado 6 ... And the disaster is back. A week after the seemingly breakthrough win over Kansas, Colorado’s offense went back into the tank as Tyler Hanson didn’t provide any of the spark he showed against the Jayhawks, and now the quarterback flip-flopping has kicked in. Cody Hawkins was a big problem before, and now he might have to be the answer to try to save his dad’s job. At 2-5, all isn’t quite lost yet, especially with home games against Missouri and Texas A&M up next, but with the way the O is playing, it’s going to take something special to get a win the rest of the way.

Missouri running game shows life against Texas - KansasCity.com

Starting Saturday at Colorado, Missouri faces a string of five straight must-win games if the Tigers hope merely to dream of winning a third straight Big 12 North title. If their 0-3 start becomes 0-4 against the 2-5 Buffaloes, even the most tenuous of connections to that dream fall away. It isn’t as if Missouri’s coaches came up with an instant cure to a running game problem that was supposed to be a plus when Pinkel praised the depth and talent of his running back corps, and the potential of the offensive line.

Friday Buff Bites - Can the Buffs Win On the Road?

irish1611 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:05:21 -0000

Hansen helps trigger Colorado turnaround - Big 12 - ESPN
Just keep winning, then we can start talking about the Big 12 North. Gotta win on the road before anyone equates Colorado with challenging for any conference crown:

"It was an awesome experience and a great victory for our team," Hansen said. "Hopefully, we can build momentum from it where we can hope to take the Big 12 North. Coach Hawkins said we were right there -- really close. We just needed a little spark and I guess I was the spark."

CU coaches push QB Hansen to think pass first, run second - The Longmont Times-Call
It sounds like Coach Kiesau is also rejuvenated with the quarterback change. These quotes sound good from the offensive coordinator:

"What I’m trying to get him to understand is that when he’s going against the scout team, it’s not the same speed as it is in the game," Kiesau said. "I’m trying to get the timing down to how it’ll be in the game, and you can see him — he’s throwing balls before guys get out of their breaks, and they’re almost shocked the ball’s coming. But I’d rather have that now than on Saturday and have them not be used to the speed of the game." Hansen, Kiesau said, was "on fire" Wednesday, anticipating those breaks and delivering the ball in prompt fashion.

Wildcats vs Buffaloes | Upon Further Review

GRINDING IT OUT: Kansas State has shown the ability to grind it out offensively through seven games as the Wildcats have collected 132 first downs and averaged 184.0 rushing yards a game. Of K-State’s 27 scoring drives this season, 16 have covered 50 or more yards and eight have consisted of 10 or more plays. Because of the consistent rushing attack and the ability to sustain drives, K-State has possessed the ball for an average of 34:41 per game this season, a figure that currently ranks first in the Big 12 and second in the nation.

CU's Darrell Scott has surgery, will miss 2-3 weeks - The Denver Post

Coaches said health was the main reason Scott has struggled this season, with only 23 carries through six games. "He can't get down or frustrated over his playing time because he hasn't been 100 percent since he's been here," running backs coach Darian Hagan said Tuesday. "He's running tentative because his knee isn't where it should be."

K-State-Colorado football preview - Kansas City Star

Cheers if … K-State can give itself good field position. When faced with short fields last week against Texas A&M, the Wildcats’ offense scored at will.

Jeers if … The Wildcats let Colorado run the ball effectively. "That’s the worst thing that could happen to us," K-State coach Bill Snyder said.

Brooks: O-line No Strangers To Change - CUBuffs.com

Denver Johnson also said redshirt freshman tackle Bryce Givens, who sat out last weekend, will be available this week but won't start. Sophomore Ryan Miller, said Johnson, will remain at right tackle "for the immediate future."

CU's Speedy Stewart in a hurry to become one of nation's top running backs - The Denver Post

"Rodney is pound for pound as good as anybody," Texas coach Mack Brown said on a teleconference. "He's hard to tackle. He has a low base but is also very strong. He's got all the elements that make you a good football player. He's much like the little guy (Darren Sproles) at Kansas State who played so well."

3 questions, K-State vs. CU | CJOnline.com

The wild card here is Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen, who provides more mobility than recently benched Cody Hawkins. Hansen is a threat to escape the pocket under pressure, and he forces defenders to stay in coverage when a play breaks down.

New CU QB scares Cats | CJOnline.com

But Snyder was familiar with the Mark Mangino quote, the one in which the Kansas coach said Tyler Hansen was the deciding factor in KU's loss at Colorado last week. "I think Mark said after the ball game the difference was Tyler Hansen," Snyder said. "I looked at the stats and I thought, well, they're not dynamic in that respect. But then you watch the game and you say, 'Wow.' The guy can fly around."

Snyder comes to K-State's rescue again - Boulder Daily Camera

Big 12 basketball: best in nation - The Denver Post

Big 12 North upside down - STLtoday.com

Midseason Crystal Ball - Bold BCS Bowl Projections, Surprises, and Flops

Austin Murphy of SI.com thinks Nebraska will be a second half flop while two others think that Kansas will flop in this second half. Well, that leaves four others:

Awestruck as I am by Ndamukong Suh, the Cornhuskers are looking at at least a couple more losses if they can't get better quarterback play.

Thursday Buff Bites - Buff Commit's Hirschman and Jones Having Great Senior Seasons

irish1611 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:17:32 -0000

Littleton star Mister Jones tunes up to defeat adversity - The Denver Post

The Denver Post has a nice article on Buff commit RB Mister Jones:

Jones said Colorado is a "dream school" for him. He said he got a kick out of Colorado's upset last week of Kansas last Saturday, considering a Jayhawks' coach told him before the game he was about to see why Kansas would be a better choice.

Mister Jones' Littleton high school team takes on perennial Colorado power Monarch this weekend at Littleton Public Schools Stadium at 2:00pm Saturday. Could be a good time to get out there and watch him after the Buffs play and a pretty mild college football schedule this week. This will be a tough game up for Littleton as their offensive and defensive line probably won't match up very well with Monarch.

Football Top 15 | After School - Mercury News

A little news about Buff QB commit Nick Hirschman who is having one heck of a senior season:

Nick Hirschman is having a Trent Edwards type of season completing 75 percent of his passes for 1,306 yards with 17 touchdowns and ZERO interceptions.

Current Buffalo Bills QB Trent Edwards also went to Los Gatos High School where Nick Hirschman attends.

KSU special teams pose challenge - Boulder Daily Camera
The Buffs special teams have certainly had their issues the past couple of years and Kansas State is another team that could give them fits. If the Buffs hope to win on the road for the third time in the last four years, Colorado will need to contain Brandon Banks from taking it to the distance this weekend. All touch backs and high punts:

Colorado special teams units are only two weeks removed from a disaster at Texas that might have cost the team an upset win over a top-five team. The Buffs travel to Kansas State this week where they will see another stiff challenge in the kicking game. KSU return man Brandon Banks is among the most dangerous returners in the nation, despite being undersized at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds. Banks already has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns this season and has four in his career. He also starts at wide receiver and ranks second in the Big 12 Conference and 10th nationally in all-purpose yardage. He had five catches for 95 yards against the Buffs last year but was not filling the return roles at that time.

The Longmont Times-Call - Notes

CU lists Bryce Givens as its starting right tackle for Saturday. Givens missed the Kansas game, his second of the season, for what CU is calling personal reasons. ... CU reported 10,000 tickets remain for Missouri (Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m., FSN). ... CU mascot Ralphie will make an "in-buffalo" appearance Saturday at a watch party at the Blake Street Tavern from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ... The Buffs are holding opponents to a 35 percent conversion rate on third down, good for fifth in the Big 12.

Big 12 predictions, Week 8 - Big 12 - ESPN
Tim Griffin of ESPN picks against the Buffs against the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan:

Kansas State 24, Colorado 21: Look for a tight defensive battle in this one as the improving Wildcats hook up against new Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen. The Buffaloes looked transformed under Hansen, who directed them to the upset victory over Kansas last week. He’ll be challenged by a KSU defense that notched six sacks and produced three interceptions last week. The Wildcats have been limited at quarterback with Grant Gregory and Carson Coffman alternating time this season. But look for the Wildcats to win this one because of the Buffaloes’ difficulties on the road and the coaching acumen of Bill Snyder.

What to watch in the Big 12, Week 8 - Big 12 - ESPN

5. Kansas State’s rejuvenated pass rush against Colorado.

The Wildcats produced six sacks last week against Texas A&M as their defensive pressure served as the key defensive factor for them against the Aggies. Earlier in the season, the Wildcats had produced six other sacks in the first six games. The Wildcats have to continue to dial up that pressure, but it will be a difficult challenge against elusive Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen.

6. After all those early stumbles, could Colorado really be a North challenger? And is Kansas State really a division challenger?

We’ll find that out when the Buffaloes travel to Kansas State. Kansas State made a turnaround of 100 points in two weeks after losing by 52 points to Texas Tech and then beating Texas A&M by 48 points the following week -- the biggest two-week turnaround in victory margin in Big 12 history. That run has pushed the Wildcats into first place in the North over three other teams, including the Buffaloes who are a half-game behind. The Wildcats can continue their unexpected run to title contention by winning on Saturday in Manhattan.

CU Buffs tight end Riar Geer reaching his potential - Boulder Daily Camera

Geer`s value to the Colorado offense can`t be overstated. He is a crafty route runner and reliable pass catcher, whom quarterback Tyler Hansen mentioned as one of the players he feels most comfortable with in the passing game. He is capable of lining up as a wide receiver, a traditional tight end and as a fullback. He also has become one of the best blockers on the team.

YouTube - Jeff Bzdelik at Big 12 media days

CU basketball coach Bzdelik: Team will be "fearless" - The Denver Post

"We will be better," Bzdelik said. "We're in an unforgiving league called the Big 12. So, we'll just take it one day at a time. We will be prepared. We will play hard. We'll be fearless. We'll see where that takes us." The 2008-2009 Buffaloes lost 11 games by an average of 4 1/2 points. "Last year, we weren't deep enough, strong enough, mature enough," Bzdelik added. "We've gotten deeper, with the addition of new players. We've gotten maturity and strength with working hard in the weight room. And we gained valuable experience from last year with playing (four players) 30-plus minutes."

Monday Buff Bites: Bryce Givens Gets Start at Tackle, Guard Spots Undecided

irish1611 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:08:29 -0000

Givens to Start for CU - The Longmont Times-Call
A lot of good information in Patrick Ridgell's article this morning. Some surprising news to say the least regarding the offensive line. OT Bryce Givens will get the start back at right tackle after missing last week's game due to personal issues. One would initially think that Ryan Miller would move back this his guard spot but both guard positions are undecided according to the coaching staff. The only players slated to start against the Mountaineers right now are LT Nate Solder, RT Bryce Givens and C Mike Iltis:

Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said redshirt freshman right tackle Bryce Givens will start Thursday when the Buffs visit West Virginia. Givens missed CU’s 24-0 defeat of Wyoming on Sept. 19 and some practices prior to the game due to "personal issues," according to offensive line coach Denver Johnson. Givens, who started the first two games of 2009, was not available for interviews following Sunday’s practice, according to CU’s sports information department. Kiesau said Givens shows no ill effects from the time he spent away. "He’s fine, doing good," Kiesau said. Kiesau said Mike Iltis will start at center and Nate Solder at left tackle, as usual. He said the guard positions remain undecided. "We’re going to move some guys around," Kiesau said. "Not necessarily because someone did bad, but just to get some guys in and get some fresh faces in there and create some competition, especially inside. It’s the same nucleus inside, we’re just moving them around." Ryan Miller started the first two games at right guard before moving to tackle in Givens’ absence. Johnson said last week Ethan Adkins, Matt Bahr and Blake Behrensare in the mix at guard, as well. Adkins started the season’s first three games at left guard. CU did not release a depth chart Sunday.

If you go to the percentage grades released on the Colorado Buffs website for offensive lineman, guards Ryan Miller and Ethan Adkins have been the worst performers of the five offensive linemen who started the year. Miller's high grade is 82% and Adkins high grade is 79%, both against an undersized Toledo defensive front.

This will be interesting to see who starts Thursday night. Nothing wrong with a little competition or a wake up call. It looks like Givens earned his spot back and now the guards will have to battle it out this week in practice. This is a good thing from my point of view. It increases practice intensity which results in a more focused unit. Hopefully, Adkins and Miller earn their spots back because their is familiarity between the group with those players.

Kiesau said "we will see" in regards to RB Darrell Scott being "sharp" for the West Virginia game but Scott is supposedly healthy and ready to play. Dan Hawkins said "we will see" about when freshman DE Nick Kasa will see action.

Brown brings balance to West Virginia offense - Boulder Daily Camera
You are going to hear a lot this week about how West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown brings a better passing game to the Mountaineers compared to Pat White. At the same time, though, Brown's decision making has been questionable in the early going of the season:

Entering this weekend's action, West Virginia ranked 116th nationally and last in the Big East in turnover margin (-7). Bill Stewart said after the loss in Auburn that his offense would continue to play aggressively with Brown breaking the huddle.

West Virginia: Brown should be fine by Thursday
West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown suffered a shoulder bruise in the fourthquarter of last week's loss to Auburn. He would have been questionable to play against Colorado if the game was last Saturday but with five extra days off, Brown is expected to start. The injury is on his non-throwing shoulder but if they get to Brown, it may only take one hit to re-aggravate it. Just more incentive for the defense to get after it again this Thursday. Also:

The nationally televised game (ESPN) Thursday night has been declared a "Gold Rush" for which fans are being asked to wear gold shirts.

CU cornerback Brown to square off against hot WVU receiver - The Denver Post
As mentioned above, West Virginia's now has a passing attack and the leading receiver is Jock Sanders who is ranked third nationally in receptions per game at 9.67. If you remember correctly, Toledo WR Eric Page torched the Buffs in week two from the slot position. If Colorado is going to pull of a major upset, the Buffs will need to account for Sanders and the middle of the field.

Brooks: Defense Up For Mountaineer Challenge - CUBuffs.com

"If you ask him, he'll probably say, 'I don't want to be Pat White.' He's a whole different animal," Burton said of West Virginia QB Jarret Brown. "Pat White was athletic and they had a whole lot of plays designed for him to run. It's no different now, but (Brown) is definitely a passer. The guy can use his arm or his feet; he's a football savvy guy when you watch his film."

But there are times when Brown appears not-so-savvy. During spring drills in Morgantown, coach Bill Stewart told reporters, "One scrimmage . . . I went over to him and told him, 'Youmake one more throw like that and you will never quarterback this football team . . . "He wants to make every play, but sometimes you have to learn to retreat. There is nothing wrong with a punt. Whenever I was an offensive coordinator in high school, college and the pros, I said, 'You've got to protect this football.'

Woelk: Expectations, reality don't always mesh at Colorado - Buffzone
I responded to this article in yesterday's post in case anyone wants to know my take. In a nut shell, no one is expecting the University of Colorado to field a top 10 team but the Buffs should be respectable on the field, go to bowl games and have winning records. That isn't to much to ask. The article feeds into the current administration's propensity to look at the negatives and provide excuses for them. Certainly there are obstacles and no one said it was going to be easy, it isn't easy for any school and frankly, that is why you get paid $1.0 million+ a year. I am tired of the excuses and I am tired of seeing teams in our region like Missouri, Kansas, Houston, Boise State, Utah, BYU and even Colorado State the last few years, who have similar obstacles in recruiting and athletic budgets outperform the University of Colorado.

Buffs wage battle with attrition - The Longmont Times-Call
Patrick Ridgell of the LongmontTimes has an interesting article on recruiting and the attrition that goes along with it. He takes a deep look at Hawkins' 2007 class and looks at what players are still on the team.

more links after the jump...

Double-T nation Daily Diatribe :: 09.28.09 - Double-T Nation
Some interesting things are brewing in Lubbock after their loss to Houston. OL Brandon Carter has been suspended indefinitely and LB Marlon Williams had a nice message to Mike Leach via twitter that should make for some nice discussion over on Doube-T Nation today.

Big 12 power rankings: Week 5 - College Football Nation - ESPN

12. Colorado: The Buffaloes got the week off before a tough trip to West Virginia, which still remembers the Mountaineers'tough loss in Boulder last season. Rodney Stewart was the key in that triumph with a career-best 166 yards. He likely will be called on again against a tougher West Virginia run defense that ranks No. 14 nationally. Defensive improvement will be key this week for the Buffaloes as they gear up for a challenging West Virginia team led by multi-purpose quarterback Jarrett Brown and Jock Sanders, who ranks third nationally in receptions per game.

Hawkins aims to get Buffs to scholarship limit - Boulder Daily Camera

The Colorado football program has been operating well under the maximum allowable scholarship limit for major college programs for years now. But it`s inching its way back to fully loaded status -- 85 scholarships in any one season -- and might actually reach it on signing day in February. Coach Dan Hawkins said he plans to sign 21 players during the 2010 recruiting cycle. He has seven known commitments now, which means the next four months should be a lively time for CU recruiting junkies and the Web sites that follow the game behind the game.

MBB - Aussie Harris-Tunks aims to fill CU Buffs' void at center - Boulder Daily Camera

"He`s got good size. He`s an excellent defender. He`s intelligent and he passes well," is how Bzdelik describes his freshman big man. "He can score a little bit, too."Harris-Tunks is a product of the Australian Institute of Sport and has international playing experience as a member of Australia`s under-19 squad. He also visited Gonzaga and Vanderbilt before committing to CU last year.

Buffs quick to imitate W. Va. stars - The Denver Post

On the scout team, the freshman tailback from Denver East imitates West Virginia's electrifying runner, Noel Devine, so the CU defense will have some idea of what to expect Thursday night at Morgantown. Colorado coaches say it's impossible to replicate the speed of West Virginia, led by Devine and quarterback Jarrett Brown. But the 5-foot-8, 190-pound Hildreth is doing his part by impersonating Devine. CU wide receiver Toney Clemons has the task of mimicking Brown. Hildreth, an invited walk-on, is redshirting this season. Clemons, a junior, must sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules after leaving Michigan.

Mini Buff Bites - Burney Will Stay At Safety

irish1611 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:28:41 -0000

CU’s Burney to stay at safety : All Things Colorado Sports Colorado
In news that should make all of us very happy, the defensive staff has decided to keep Ben Burney at safety after a breakout performance last week against Wyoming. The former cornerback was all over the field with five tackles, one for a loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

Colorado coach on the defensive - Sports - The Charleston Gazette
It looks like West Virginia quarterback Jarret Brown is healing well from his shoulder contusion suffered during the Auburn game but two defensive starters are still not practicing:

Defensive starters Williams (foot) and Berry (shoulder), though, both dressed for Thursday's practice in red jerseys, meaning they were essentially allowed to do nothing. Williams is still wearing a walking boot on his injured right foot.

CU’s offensive line shuffle continues - The Longmont Times-Call
Offensive line coach Denver Johnson gets back OT Bryce Givens this week but he is undecided as to who will start on the offensive line come next Thursday night. Givens started the first two games of the year at tackle but it looks like Ryan Miller may get the start there for the second week in a row.

Johnson said he does not know who’ll be his starting five when the Buffs visit West Virginia next Thursday (5:30 p.m., ESPN). And he’s totally OK with that. "We’re a long ways away from being where we intend to be," Johnson said Wednesday. "But we are incrementally making some progress. Hopefully we’ll continue to progress.

Kevin Sumlin, Case Keenum have Houston Cougars in BCS hunt - Stewart Mandel - SI.com
Stewart Mandel of SI.com has a nice article on Houston Cougars head coach Kevin Sumlin, who is on the rise in the coaching ranks. A former Oklahoma Sooner assistant, Sumlin has roots in the Big 12. Mandel mentions him as a possible candidate for the Colorado head coaching job if the program decides on a change at the end of the year:

Most important, however, is the question of how long the school will be able to keep Sumlin. His name has already surfaced as a replacement for struggling Colorado coach Dan Hawkins. Sumlin signed an extension last winter through the 2013 season (with a reported annual salary of $700,000), but if Houston has a big season, his stock will continue to rise. "He knows what it takes to win," said Klingler, who lives in Houston and served as a radio analyst for Cougars games in past seasons. "There are a lot of guys who can call plays, but he stresses attention to detail, work habits and the things that make you successful.

The Learning Curve of the Colorado Offense

irish1611 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:24:59 -0000

The Longmont Times, CUBuffs.com and the Boulder Daily Camera all had stories today on "the armchair offensive coordinators", how much of a learning curve the new receivers are going through with this read-based offense and basically, how everyone needs to tone back their expectations of Andre Simmons, Will Jefferson and Anthony Wright until they get a firm grasp of the position.

I wish the amount of "learning" going on transferred onto the field more. The Buffs offensive ranking the last four years:

2006: 102nd
2007: 72nd
2008: 95th
2009: 79th

I think it is time to get the playmakers the ball, regardless of how it is done.

Buff fans saw first hand that a true freshman, someone who hasn't been campus for three years, can have success in an offense. Imagine that! His name was Eric Page, the Toledo Rockets true freshman receiver, that "learned" and was coached up in less than one month to torch the Buffs for 138 yards and a score. This year the true freshman has hauled in 21 passes for 320 yards, putting him on pace for 84 receptions, 1,280 yards and 8 touchdowns. All of those statistics against BCS teams - Purdue Boilermakers, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Colorado Buffaloes. You would think a freshman wouldn't be able to "learn and read" those complex defenses of BCS schools. By the way, the Buffs have yet to face a BCS team. That same true freshman named Eric Page is currently 14th in the entire NCAA in receiving yards. Eric Page was named the starter after only three weeks of practice. And just in case you were wondering, Page was a 2-star cornerback/running back/receiver coming out of high school, unranked at any position by the recruiting sites.

Toledo's offense has averaged 442 yards per game against BCS teams. Colorado has racked up 342 yards on non-BCS teams. "Learning curve" gets you every time playing those pesky non-BCS teams!

Anyone else find themselves saying, "how come so-and-so can do it but we cannot" all the time? Yeah, me too.

I am ready for the Buffs to one day surprise, exceed expectations, have someone "learn" faster than usual, have someone make a big play before they are supposed to be ready, have someone be a difference maker, take a chance, live on the edge, create a buzz, score 60 on Wyoming...I am ready for a player to be put in a position like Eric Page and make an impact. I am ready to not have a 70+ ranked offense against non-BCS schools.

The Longmont Times-Call - CU Receivers Catching On

The big play has played a big role in Colorado’s season so far. Unfortunately, they’ve all been on the wrong side of the ball. Through the first three games of 2009, the Buffs have had just two pass plays go for more than 30 yards. It suffices to say that Andre Simmons and Anthony Wright, a pair of speedy CU receivers brought in to boost the Buffs’ receiving, will add to that total this season — but for now, CU fans will have to remain patient while the duo catches up to the offense. "There’s a learning curve, but I’m starting to pick up on things — like where to line up, little things like that," Wright said. "I really think this bye week will help me and Andre get caught up. "There’s a just a lot to learn."

Learning curve steep for CU receivers - Boulder Daily Camera

"I think the hardest thing for me is just to have confidence to know what I`m doing," Jefferson said. "You get these huge play books every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the whole week and you line up and it`s like, 'Wait a minute. I know this, but is it the right thing?` You just doubt yourself. You know that you know the play, but you just have to have confidence, which is really hard to gain as a true freshman."

Three Linemen Return To Practice - CUBuffs.com
More on the learning curve:

After being asked how hard it is for a wide receiver to come into the program and contribute right away, Hawkins explained that, "there's a lot that goes into it. Even if you try to use them only in certain situations, if we just had them line up in the same formation on the same side of the field every time, there's still adjustments based on coverages and audibles. Then it's a matter of making it not-mechanical where a guy is not a second behind."

Only if we can ever get past this learning curve!

Other non-learning curve and West Virginia Mountaineer links after the jump...

The Buffzone Blog - After further review of the po…

After further review of the post-practice audio, coach Hawkins did say Bryce Givens will play against the Mountaineers.

Redshirting an option for CU guard : All Things Colorado Sports Colorado

Redshirting appears to be an option for Colorado redshirt-freshman guard Max Tuioti-Mariner, who is participating in some individual practice drills this week after returning from two ACL surgeries during the past 12 months. "I know that’s been discussed, with him and by him," CU offensive line coach Denver Johnson said Wednesday. "It’s a little bit above my pay grade to make that decision. But that is an option, I would think. But that’s not my call, so I’m not sure where that will go.’’

Woelk: CU needs to consider risk-reward of scheduling - Boulder Daily Camera
I didn't know their was an agreement to play Colorado State the opening Thursday of the season:

There was a tentative agreement at one point for Colorado and Colorado State to open the season on the Thursday before Labor Day (Sept. 3). That date would have allowed the game to still be televised by FSN (the Rockies had an afternoon game that day), and it would have given the Buffs more than a week of preparation instead of just four days. But the Thursday game was quashed because of faculty concerns, and thus the Sunday-Friday set-up.

Injured Colorado running back Scott makes progress - The Denver Post

Scott won't go through full contact in practice until next week. But he says he'll be ready to go when the Buffs face West Virginia on Oct. 1. Scott has played in two of the Buffs' three games, but has carried the ball just 13 times. However, he has made the most of those carries, rushing for 86 yards, a team-high 6.6 yards per tote. Scott is also looking forward to getting back to returning kicks. "Oh, yeah," Scott said. "I love it."

I hate it! Put Lockridge or someone else back there. We don't need our horse returning kicks after he has had health issues in the past.

Big 12 internal affairs: CU's Stewart provides RB depth - College Football Nation - ESPN
It was certainly good to get Rodney Stewart back last week. He has done nothing but play well, when healthy, in his short collegiate career. Darrell Scott or no Darrell Scott, it is going to be hard to keep him off the field.

The performance of running back Rodney "Speedy" Stewart last week against Wyoming was an obvious indicator of why Colorado’s biggest offensive strength is its deep backfield. And Dan Hawkins has shown no hesitancy to go with different backs as his featured runner depending on game situations. Darrell Scott will get his chances after he becomes healthy, but Stewart is a consistent substitute if the Buffaloes need another feature back.

The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia - WVU getting ball to speedy playmakers Devine and Sanders
West Virginia does a good job getting the ball in their playmaker's hands

West Virginia has had success with its two playmakers on offense, Noel Devine and Jock Sanders. Devine had 128 yards rushing and three touchdowns in last Saturday’s 41-30 loss at Auburn, one fewer than he had all last season. His five through three games is one more than the four he had in 2008. And Sanders is catching the ball at an alarming rate, with 29 in three games, and he is well on pace to break the record for receptions in a season (77 by David Saunders in 1998). His 12 against Auburn tied the game mark, last done by Saunders that same year.

West Virginia must address turnover plague - Big East - ESPN

The Mountaineers currently are last in the Big East in turnover margin at minus-7. That ties them for 116th nationally, ahead of only three other teams in the FBS.....The main culprit, statistically speaking, in the turnover spree has been quarterback Jarrett Brown. Though the fifth-year senior rarely if ever threw picks in spring or fall practice, the regular season has been a different story. He has five interceptions and two lost fumbles his past two games...Yet Brown is still completing 68.5 percent of his passes and has a knack for making big plays even when flushed out of the pocket. Stewart pointed out that the Auburn game was just the quarterback's fifth career start, and his first one on the road.

West Virginia looks to heal after Auburn loss

Quarterback Jarrett Brown, who threw a career-high four TD passes a week earlier against East Carolina, was limited to one TD toss at Auburn, threw four interceptions and bruised his left, non-throwing shoulder when he was slammed to the ground while being tackled late in the fourth quarter. Stewart said. He didn’t indicate whether Brown would start against Colorado (1-2) on Oct. 1. ‘‘As tough as Jarrett Brown is, he would play if he could,’’ Stewart said. ‘‘He’s that kind of tough.’’

Scout.com: Stew's Views: Evolving Offense

Whether those have been the result of the development of big-play receivers like Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks or the gun-slinging ability of quarterback Jarrett Brown, the deep pass has been seen more often through the first three games of this season at WVU than perhaps at any other point this decade.

MSNsportsNET.Com -- West Virginia University Mountaineers

On Colorado I see a lot of talent from this Colorado team. A lot of misfiring, but a lot of talent and it was shown this week against a very tough Wyoming team. They played very hard against Colorado State and Toledo, but they were just misfiring. So I see a talented group of people that beat us last year. They have good running backs, quarterback and receivers says Bill Stewart (West Virginia Head Coach)

Mizzou Links, 9-23-09

Bill C. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:42:02 -0000

Nevada Links!

Dave Matter: Behind the Numbers: MU vs Nevada, Part I
In 41 pass attempts, the Pack's failed to make an interception and logged just two sacks. In just two games, opposing quarterbacks have completed seven passes of 25 yards or more against Nevada. Nineteen of the 28 completions Nevada has given up have gone for first downs. Thirteen of the 28 (almost half) have gone for 15 yards or more. And on third down, opposing QBs have completed 11 of 13 passes for 142 yards and two TDs. That's a third-down efficiency rating of 227.1. Ouch. In the red zone, opposing quarterbacks have completed 4 of 4 passes for 29 yards, three going for first downs, the other a touchdown.
The Missourian: Nevada looking to stop turnovers in home opener against Missouri
Reno Gazette-Journal: Desire to make something happen costly for Kap
Ault reiterated what he said last week, that Kaepernick played "pretty decently" in the 35-0 loss at Notre Dame to open the season. And there were things he liked about Kaepernick on Saturday, too.
"Kap read the blitzes. There were 28 of them and he got it every time except one," Ault said. "That's very good. And I'm really pleased with the way he's delivering the ball.
"Last weekend, physically he just didn't play well. It happens."
Reno Gazette-Journal: Letters: Pack's problems start at the top
Reno Gazette-Journal: Is Kaepernick regressing?
PowerMizzou: Tuesday Notebook: A Short Week