SB Nation - Jalil Brown

Big 12 All Conference Teams Announced, OT Nate Solder Selected to First Team

irish1611 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:12:41 -0000

The All-Big 12 Conference football teams and individual award winners have been announced by conference officials. All selections are made by the Big 12 head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

Junior offensive tackle Nate Solder received the highest award on the Buffs squad, being named first team All Big 12 at tackle, a great accomplishment for the converted tight end. Solder brings a rare combination of size and speed to the mix and is currently looked at as being one of the players with a strong chance to make it in the NFL. He still has a lot to learn about the position but the athleticism is there.

Two other Buffs, TE Riar Geer and CB Cha'pelle Brown were named second team All Big 12. Rounding out the teams, these Colorado Buffaloes were named honorable mention: Jake Behrens, FB; Jalil Brown, DB; Benjamin Burney, DB; Marquez Herrod, DL; Scotty McKnight, WR; Ryan Miller, OL; Jeff Smart, LB; Jimmy Smith, DB; Rodney Stewart, RB.

The biggest surprise is WR Scotty McKnight not being named second team All Conference. He did make honorable mention but Kansas State WR Brandon Banks was named over McKnight. Banks, a talented return man, was named first team KR/PR so this selection over McKnight is very confusing considering it wasn't a charity place for a kick returner.

Scotty McKnight was sixth in the conference with 74.42 yards per game. McKnight was tied for fifth in receptions with 76, was sixth in yards at 893 and sixth in receptions per game at 6.33. Brandon Banks ranked 10th in receiving yards per game at 58.75, 10th in yards at 705 and ninth in receptions with 56. McKnight had six touchdowns to Banks' one.

Congrats to all of those Buffs who were named to the All-Conference teams

Gameday Buff Bites - Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Colorado Buffaloes

irish1611 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:21:47 -0000

Sorry the site has been a little slow this past week. Something about the combination of the Colorado Buffaloes being 3 - 7 and working 12 hours a day has killed the creative juices until this point in the week. The game thread will be live tonight at 5:30 pm in time for kickoff.

Here is what is going on around the web:

Woelk: Time for Buffs to play like they have nothing to lose - Boulder Daily Camera

Rather, what the Buffs must accomplish tonight is simple: prove to themselves -- not to their fans, not the media, not the nation -- that they can go on the road and play a competitive game against a Big 12 foe.

Paige: Shanahan to CU is fun banter, but not reality - The Denver Post

A high-ranking official at CU, who would not be named, asked me: "You know Shana- han well. Would he come to CU?" I think: Shanahan wouldn't go to CU, he much prefers the NFL, and CU won't pursue him. I also believe Hawkins will be given one more season. But, if Shanahan did coach the Buffaloes instead of Buffalo, he would be elected to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame twice.

About That Colorado Job - Inside USC with Scott Wolf

Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates would not respond to that previously posted Internet report that said he could be a candidate at Colorado if Dan Hawkins is fired. ``I've learned being a coach's son you can't look ahead,'' Bates said. Colorado is currently 86th in the nation on third-down conversions but that is superior to USC's 100th.

Behind Enemy Lines: Colorado | OSU Cowboys Sports Blog

Brandon Chatmon: It appears Hawkins in on the hot seat. How hot is it?
Tom Kensler: Scalding. At this point, the feeling is that Colorado could win big over Oklahoma State (unlikely) and Nebraska, and that still might not be enough to save Hawkins’ job. The momentum against him seems irreversible.

Boise State fans should be pulling for Hawkins, Colorado on Thursday | Voices.IdahoStatesman.com

Oklahoma State could be the biggest obstacle to Boise State getting selected for a BCS game. The Cowboys have made just one appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, a 16-6 victory against BYU in 1974 so their fans are no doubt itching to get to a BCS game.

Robinson's backup getting reps at Oklahoma State practices - Sporting News

While there has been no official announcement about whether QB Zac Robinson will play in Saturday night's home finale against Colorado, reports have surfaced that Alex Cate has been taking most of the snaps in the Cowboys' closed practices. Robinson was knocked out of Saturday's game against Texas Tech by a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit from cornerback Jamar Wall, In addition to a suspected concussion, sources have told The Oklahoman that Robinson also is dealing with a sore throwing shoulder

Brooks: Buffs Say Focus Where It Should Be - CUBuffs.com

Dan Hawkins continues to say he has enough administrative support to return as head coach in 2010. His players continue to say they back him. "I'm with him," sophomore receiver Markques Simas said. "He and coach (Eric) Kiesau are the reasons I came to Colorado."

Buffs: Plenty of motivation - The Longmont Times-Call

"I’m playing for myself right now," said cornerback Jalil Brown, who’ll be a fifth-year senior next year. "Well, the team as well, but I look at it like I’m an athlete and I came to college to play football. "I’m trying to keep that (the coaches’ futures) in the background. I’m not trying to focus on that; that won’t help at all. We won’t know about that until after the season is over."

much more after the jump

What to watch for in the Big 12, Week 12 - College Football Nation Blog - ESPN

Colorado responds to its role as a spoiler: The Buffaloes are the only Big 12 team without any bowl hopes heading into this week's games. Dan Hawkins predicted before the season that his team would "win 10 games with no excuses." That dream has long been dashed, but can the Buffaloes ruin Oklahoma State’s BCS at-large hopes before a national television audience? In order to do so, they will have to play their best game of the season.

Weekend Forecast: Title chase takes backstage to rivalry games - USATODAY.com

No. 13 Oklahoma State vs. Colorado, 7:30 p.m. (Thursday) Zac Robinson's uncertain status leaves the Cowboys potentially inexperienced at quarterback. Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins will take any advantage as he can while he fights to save his job. Oklahoma State 26, Colorado 16.

‘09 CU signee Moten coming aboard | All Things Colorado Sports

Good news for whoever the Colorado football coach is next season. Josh Moten, a 6-foot, 180-pound quarterback and member of Colorado’s 2009 recruiting class, told Scout.com that he finally has been accepted by the CU admissions office and expects to enroll for the spring semester. Moten starred in 2008 at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif., but failed to gain admittance, reportedly over questions about his college entrance exam.

Colorado men's basketball team must get better on glass - Boulder Daily Camera

Colorado struggled with its interior defense and was out-rebounded 32-25 by Texas Southern during an otherwise impressive 88-77 victory at the Coors Events Center. "We`ve just got to rebound the basketball. We`ve got to rebound the ball so we can get out in the open court," Buffs coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "We`re playing a dangerous game right now just trying to outscore people. We have to get some stops and rebound the basketball. We have to get better in those areas."

CU hoops 3-0 after win over Texas Southern - The Longmont Times-Call

Buffs don't feel heat that falls on Hawkins - The Denver Post

In an effort to reduce penalties tonight in Colorado's Big 12 game at No. 12 Oklahoma State, CU coach Dan Hawkins had some members of the program's operations staff wear striped shirts during practices this week. Yes, they threw flags. "I think it helped," Tyler Hansen said. "But it's funny, too. They'll throw a flag and we'll say, 'What? Are you kidding me?' But then coach Hawkins makes us pay for it by making us do up-downs or run."

Getting off the fence: Time for Hawkins to go | INDenverTimes

All necessary evils for the sake of the future. Keeping Hawkins just one more year would bolster the perception of CU football that is beginning to take hold nationally: These guys are cheap, ignorant or both. Human issues aside, the performance is just not there. A warm and loving 16-31 (Hawkins’ overall record) is still 16-31.

Brooks: Patience (And More) Link Simas, Clemons - CUBuffs.com

Markques Simas has learned the value of patience; Toney Clemons still is discovering it. There will come a time - spring practice first, then August camp, then the 2010 season - when they will be in the same huddle.

Buffs QB Hansen gets an eyeful of big hit on OSU's Robinson - The Denver Post

3. Can the Buffs avoid costly penalties? Colorado is battling Big 12 colleague Texas Tech for last among the 120 major-college teams in most penalties. But at least Texas Tech, with a 6-4 record, can overcome some of them. When CU shoots itself in the foot, it needs a wheelchair.

Tulsa World: OSU football: Class act
OSU seniors, combining for 407 career starts, savor unprecedented success

Colorado says credit fraud behind hundreds of football ticket sales - KDVR

University of Colorado police say stolen credit card numbers were used to buy more than 110 tickets to the Buffaloes' season opener.

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.

A Statistical Look - Colorado Buffaloes vs. Kansas Jayhawks

irish1611 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:53:01 -0000


	National	Conf	Actual	Category	Actual	Conf	National
Advantage	Rank	Rank	Actual	Category	Actual	Rank	Rank
Kansas	112	11	83.4	Rushing Offense	189.2	4	30
Kansas	53	9	226	Passing Offense	330.2	2	5
Kansas	110	12	100.79	Passing Efficiency	158.63	3	13
Kansas	104	12	309.4	Total Offense	519.4	2	3
Kansas	85	11	23.4	Scoring Offense	40.6	3	4
Kansas	89	12	2.4	Sacks Allowed	1.4	6	T-41
Kansas	T-73	10	-0.2	Turnover Margin	0.4	6	T-47
Kansas	92	11	170.4	Rushing Defense	91.2	3	14
Colorado	64	6	219.2	Pass Defense	259.8	12	108
Kansas	107	12	146.31	Pass Efficiency Defense	126.56	8	61
Kansas	85	11	389.6	Total Defense	351	7	57
Kansas	96	12	30	Scoring Defense	18	5	29
Kansas	T-34	6	2.4	Sacks	3.2	2	T-8
Kansas	59	9	5.8	Tackles For Loss	7	4	T-23
Colorado	113	11	31.11	Net Punting	30.72	12	115
Kansas	104	12	4.46	Punt Returns	9.54	8	61
Colorado	27	5	24.82	Kickoff Returns	21.32	8	71

Once again, the numbers don't look good for the Buffs against the Kansas Jayhawks today but still many believe that this will be a closer game than the 10 point spread the oddsmakers currently have the game pegged at. The hope for the Colorado Buffaloes lies with what Iowa State did to the Kansas' defense last week, gaining over 500 yards of offense while almost beating the Jayhawks in their own back yard. More hope lies in the fact that Colorado's defense minus one or two mental breakdowns last week against a top rated offense in Texas, played lights out. The Buffs defense looked fast, aggressive and was able to make plays holding the Longhorns to only 40 yards rushing.

They will need to be lights out today if they hope to pull off an upset against the Kansas Jayhawks who are led by QB Todd Reesing, WR Dezmon Briscoe and WR Kerry Meier. The trio is the main reason why Kansas has the third ranked offense in all of college football. Against Iowa State, Reesing had 442 yards and 4 scores with Briscoe hauling in 12 receptions and Meier 16. It is currently the most prolific passing game trio in all of college football. The Buffs will have their hands full but you have to feel better about competing with the Jayhawks after last week's performance.

Last year, the Buffs tried to keep the big play Kansas offense in front of them, rushing three most of the time. The plan backfired as Reesing was able to move around in the pocket and dissect the Buffs eight man coverage schemes with little pressure. I loved the game plan against Texas a week ago which saw the Buffs get after QB Colt McCoy sacking him twice, tackling the Longhorns six times for loss and turning over the #2 team in the nation twice, both deep in Texas territory. Today, a lot will be depend on the play of cornerbacks Jimmy Smith, Jalil Brown and Cha'pelle Brown. At times they look great and at times you see the opposition go for a 50 yard touchdown pass with the cornerbacks/safeties looking confused. It will be interesting to see how Greg Brown has these guys lining up today. Todd Reesing has the patience to nickel and dime a defense all the way up the field if the defense chooses to play with a cushion, where Kerry Meier thrives. If you get aggressive with the Kansas receivers and play bump coverage, that is where Dezmon Briscoe shines in extending the defense. The key: pressure from the front seven. Let's hope the Buffs defense continues to improve.

A year ago, Colorado jumped out to an early lead and was within two points in the third quarter until Kansas pulled away at the end winning 30 - 14. Cody Hawkins threw two interceptions and was sacked for a safety that gave Kansas a 9 - 7 lead going into half. It was clearly a game the Buffs could have won if they had an offense who wasn't mistake prone. Colorado's offense will need to improve on their 233 yard, 14 output from the 2008 meeting.

New QB Tyler Hansen will be charged today with not making those mistakes that Cody Hawkins has made in prior games that have cost the Buffs dearly. Protect the ball in the redzone, don't take bad sacks, manage the game and don't be afraid to use your feet to make plays. The goal for Tyler Hansen today, other than not turn the ball over, is to make the Kansas defense account for his presence of the field, whether it is making plays with his feet or being successful in making his pre-snap reads and SPREADING the ball around the field. I am excited to see how Hansen responds today, it could be an epic moment if he is wildly successful and the Buffs can pull off the upset. Will Dan Hawkins and Eric Kiesau give him to opportunity to put forth and epic peformance? Is Tyler Hansen ready to lead the Buffs to new heights? Will the offensive line finally rally around their new quarterback and improve their play? Those all remain to be seen.

West Virgina Mountaineers vs. Colorado Buffaloes: Keys to the Game

irish1611 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:00:21 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

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The Colorado Buffaloes have a chance to make some believers out of all of us tonight. A win against an athletic West Virginia team in their own back yard where they are so tough to beat would make everyone reconsider their thoughts on this years' Buffs team. Is this game a must win if Colorado has hopes of going to a bowl game? Like we talked about earlier this week, the number of winnable games is rapidly decreasing to a point where an upset in a game like tonight is probably needed. If the 17 point underdogs have any shot tonight, here are five things that need to happen for the Buffs to walk out of Morgantown with a win.

Hawkins and Co. >>>>>>>>>>>> Bill Stewart and Co.

It all starts and stops for me there. Dan Hawkins showed he could out coach Bill Stewart a little bit last year. The CU staff out-coached the West Virginia staff in the first five minutes of last year's game and held on. To win this year, Dan Hawkins and Co. need to be better in every phase the entire game. When we watch tonight, we need to say many times: "that was a great play call or I really like the blitz in that situation or the Buffs seem to be in the right spots compared to West Virginia." The Colorado Buffaloes are not that far behind West Virginia on talent level, certainly not 17 points worse. It is up to the coaches to get these players ready to go, in the right positions to exceed and out-coach the one and only Bill Stewart. Dan Hawkins has a great opportunity to change the tide of the season tonight. He has been preaching that this squad is still a good football team and that he believes they just need to make a few tweaks. If that is the case, the Buffs need to be ready to go on full cylinders tonight. Make us believe now coach!

Time to Grow Up and Be Aggressive

You ever watch a Florida or an Oklahoma and then watch the Buffs and go, "where is the intensity compared to those other teams?" I know I do. The Buffs need to start playing with an attitude tonight. Part of that falls on Hawkins to instill, which he gets plenty of heat for, but part of that falls on the players and team leaders to motivate themselves. The Colorado Buffaloes need to grow up tonight. If they come out flat, come out lethargic, they will get waxed on national television on the road like they usually do. Is this the night the team steps up and defines change in the program. A few leaders on this team need to answer the call and make sure everyone is ready to go.

Force Turnovers

It has been well documented that the West Virginia Mountaineers lost to Auburn mostly because they turned the ball over five times. West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown has thrown 6 interceptions in the last two weeks, five against the Tigers. On the road, winning the turnover battle is crucial and tonight in my mind, the Buffs need to be at +3 in turnover margin to come out victorious.

Jimmy Smith, Cha'pelle Brown, Jalil Brown and Ben Burney: it is time to join the party and make some interceptions. These four players need to make Bill Stewart pay if he chooses to throw the ball against the Buffs. This group in the preseason was picked to be dominant in the Big 12. Tonight would be a good time to start proving that out.

Weather the Tide Early

We know how the Buffs perform when the get behind (Toledo and Colorado State) and we know how they perform when the get ahead (Wyoming). The biggest fear tonight is that the Buffs come out lethargic, West Virginia puts up 14 points early and the Buffs go into a pass frenzy offense. In the Colorado's two losses, the opponent has scored on their opening drive.

The first four series of the game will be crucial. If the Buffs get can get the Mountaineers offense off the field twice and can show some movement offensively, maybe even get an early lead, I like the Buffs chances to keep this game close. Getting in a shoot out earlier against the 10th ranked offense will be a recipe for disaster that the Buffs won't win. Colorado needs to play a game similar to last year, keep West Virginia under 20 - 23 points.

Win the Big Play Battle

Finally, the Buffs must show that they can contain playmakers on defense and on offense, they need to show they have playmakers. The defense will be tasked with kepping Noel Devine in front of them and must pressure Jarrett Brown. Ron Collins will have his work cut out for him in trying to create a scheme for the front seven to acheive the level of containment the Buffs need to be successful (see Keys to the Game #1 above). As for the Buffs offense, the offensive line needs to play up to their full potential tonight and well, it would be nice to see Darrell Scott, Rodney Stewart, Brian Lockridge, Andre Simmons, Anthony Wright and Markques Simas be put in a position to give this offense some explosiveness.

Bottom line - Will this team answer the call or will they fold? They have a big opportunity to get back on track tonight.

A Statistical Look: Colorado Buffaloes vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

irish1611 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:23 -0000

Back by popular demand, here is a statistical look at the upcoming game against West Virginia. Not pretty!

Advantage

	National	Conf	Actual	Category	Actual	Conf	National
	Rank	Rank	Actual	Category	Actual	Rank	Rank
West Virginia	111	11	91.67	Rushing Offense	192.33	2	34
West Virginia	37	8	251	Passing Offense	293	2	15
West Virginia	103	12	105.75	Passing Efficiency	148.33	4	33
West Virginia	84	12	342.67	Total Offense	485.33	1	10
West Virginia	69	10	26.33	Scoring Offense	32.67	4	35
West Virginia	103	12	183	Rushing Defense	83.67	3	14
Colorado	77	9	227	Pass Defense	228.33	5	81
West Virginia	100	12	144.32	Pass Efficiency Defense	119.2	4	56
West Virginia	101	12	410	Total Defense	312	4	35
Colorado	77	12	25.67	Scoring Defense	27	7	83
Colorado	38	7	37.4	Net Punting	36.38	6	51
West Virginia	97	12	4.29	Punt Returns	9.43	3	60
Colorado	35	5	24.87	Kickoff Returns	22.2	5	54
Colorado	89	12	-0.67	Turnover Margin	-2.33	8	116
West Virginia	40	8	2.33	Sacks	3	3	12
West Virginia	T-79	10	5	Tackles For Loss	7	4	25
West Virginia	96	12	2.67	Sacks Allowed	1	3	24

Colorado under Dan Hawkins is 2 - 2 after a bye. West Virginia is 5 - 2 after a bye since 2006. Colorado is 1 - 5 on road at night since Hawkins arrival while West Virginia is 5 - 2 at home at night since 2006. West Virginia's overall home record since 2006 is 18 - 3.

West Virginia, as expected, has the advantage on paper. A few glimmers of hope are attached to the turnover margin and scoring defense. Aided by the Wyoming shut out last week, Colorado's scoring defense improved drastically from a few weeks ago. West Virginia's defense has given up 27 points a game - 20 to Liberty, 20 to Eastern Carolina and 41 to Auburn. This defense has been scored on this year.

The final piece of hope just looking at the stats is the turnover margin. Last week, West Virginia turned the ball over six times to an opportunistic Auburn team. If the Buffs want to win their first road game in two years and the third total since Dan Hawkins has been head coach, Colorado's defense needs to play aggressive and force turnovers. West Virginia has protected Jarrett Brown well, only giving up one sack on average a game. That being said, Colorado will have to walk the fine line of committing extra players for a pass rush while avoiding the big play from RB Noel Devine and Brown. If Colorado's defense contains the West Virginia offense tomorrow, it will be because the secondary. Defensive coordinator Ron Collins needs to feel confident that he can allow the linebackers to roam around the line of scrimmage to stop Devine and pressure Brown. That means leaving the safeties and corners on an island, keeping big plays to a minimum. This would be a great time to see Jimmy Smith, Cha'pelle Brown, Jalil Brown, Ben Burney, Patrick Mahnke and Anthony Perkins to make big plays, force a few turnovers and be consistent.

Any strong play from the defensive line is a bonus but I expect West Virginia to try and get them on skates early with a heavy dose of Devine. It will be key for the defensive line fill the gaps and play strong assignment football. A big part of being successful against the zone-read is to occupy your gaps and fill areas so the linebackers can make plays at the point of attack. If the defensive line plays out of position tomorrow it could be a very long day.

If the defense can get Brown and the West Virginia offense off the field the first few series and all the Buffs' running game to get in a rhythm, who knows what can happen. Colorado needs to play a perfect game on the road, get turnovers and find a way to have more big plays than West Virginia.

Players stats after the jump. Check back later for more discussion on the offense and the keys to the game.

Conf	National	Actual	Player	Category	Player	Actual	National	Conf
Rank	Rank	Actual	Player	Category	Player	Actual	Rank	Rank
		85.5	Rodney Stewart	Rushing	Noel Devine	106.67	16	2
12		105.74	Cody Hawkins	Passing Efficiency (Min. 15 Att./Game)	Jarrett Brown	151.16	28	4
7	T-49	229.33	Cody Hawkins	Total Offense	Jarrett Brown	335.33	6	1
5	T-22	6.67	Scotty McKnight	Receptions Per Game	Jock Sanders	9.67	3	1
9	48	75.67	Scotty McKnight	Receiving Yards Per Game	Jock Sanders	103	T-16	3
T-5	T-72	0.33	Benjamin Burney	Interceptions	Robert Sands	0.33	T-72	T-6
12	71	4.29	Jason Espinoza	Punt Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game)	Jock Sanders	14.75	22	1
		26.3	Darrell Scott	Kickoff Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game)	Mark Rodgers	26.6	32	3
21		6.33	Aric Goodman	Scoring	Noel Devine	10	T-21	3
23		76.33	Scotty McKnight	All-Purpose Runners	Noel Devine	142	32	2
T-10	T-58	0.67	B.J. Beatty	Sacks	Julian Miller	0.83	T-27	4
T-7	T-61	8.67	Jeff Smart	Tackles	Jt Thomas	7.33		6
		6.33	Cha'pelle Brown		Brandon Hogan	6.67		10
		6	Jimmy Smith		Pat Lazear	5		T-25
T-16		1	B.J. Beatty	Tackles For Loss	Jt Thomas	1.5	T-27	3
					Julian Miller	1.33	T-52	5
					Pat Lazear	1.17	T-73	8

Time to Witness Dominance: Keys to the Game and Predictions

irish1611 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:10:28 -0000

This has been one of the more difficult pre-game write-ups to begin. I have re-wrote at least five times to try and describe the excitement of the season opener with a fair blend of urgency that the program must exhibit starting today. At first, I went at the post in an overly positive way but that didn't exhibit all of the feelings. Then, I added some negatives but who wants to be negative when you haven't even played a game yet. So I decided on keeping it simple, keeping it short and saying little other than what should be expected today.

Most Colorado Buffalo fans have a few different feelings going through their system this morning. Excitement is surely one of them, anticipation to see the black and gold run out of that tunnel is most certainly there, but for me, the overwhelming feeling is that desire to bear witness of something that we haven't seen in the past. That is where the nervous feeling comes from this Sunday morning.

It is time to bear witness to a team that can come out and dominate. Not necessarily dominant on the scoreboard with a forty point win but dominate physically, dominate by being the better coached team, dominate on special teams, dominate the halftime adjustments, dominate in preparation and dominate by being the more energized team. Basically, see a discernable difference over the team the Colorado State Rams put on the field today but also the Colorado teams that we have seen trot out the past three years.

Just flat out dominant in the detailed aspects of the game.

The question is, are the Buffs ready to dominate?

Yes, if for no other reason than they better be. Will they? We will see soon enough.

Time to get things done and it starts today against the Rams.

Short, simple and easy, nothing but what is now the defined motto for the Buffs on the Ralphie Report: "Dominate and No Excuses." I like it better than "10 wins and no excuses" anyway.

Now on to the Keys of the Game & The Ralphie Report's 2009 first game predictions.

Stick it to Stucker
The smell of fresh meat is in the air and it's coming from Colorado St. Rams' quarterback Grant Stucker. Stucker will be making his first start against the Colorado Buffaloes today at Folsom Field in front of a close to capacity crowd. What does that mean? Be aggressive & creative in your attempts to get to rattle Stucker. Make his life miserable all day long. Last year, the Buffs sacked first time starter Billy Farris five times and never let him get settled in the pocket. The Buffs went on to win by three touchdowns. It has been well documented that the Rams have a very experienced offensive line but I look for the Buffs to have prepared extremely well in creating mismatches and blitzes that will confuse CSU upfront to get to Stucker. Look for B.J. Beatty, Marcus Burton and Doug Rippy to lead the charge from the linebacker spot in constantly applying pressure on the Rams.

Clearly, Colorado State feels they have a few matchups that they can exploit the Buffs at and one is upfront. Nothing will dishearten the Rams more than showing them early that they don't have the advantage there and nothing will be a bigger detriment to the Buffs chance at victory today than letting Stucker get comfortable in the pocket and throw to his talented receivers.

Special Teams
If the Buffs are going to be a bowl team in 2009, drastic improvement in the specialties play must occur. Colorado cannot give the Rams points or field position in the special teams game. This goes back to the statement of dominance and being mentally tough football team. Special teams is a "want to", not a "have to" assignment for a good football team and its players. You have to have an attitude to play special teams and that attitude wasn't there a year ago. Colorado has better depth and talent than Colorado State and that should show through today in this aspect of the game.

Finish in the Red Zone
Based on the last seasons results, Colorado fans hope to not see a field goal attempted today and because of that, efficiency is crucial in the red zone. Substitute field goal attempts with strong execution for touchdowns.

Playmaking ability
In 2008, it seemed the Buffs had zero playmakers on the field. Maybe they were all too young but I believe it was the fault of the coaching staff in not getting the right scheme offensively to feature talent. Coach Eric Kiesau has led the charge back to a more traditional pro-style offense but he will be tasked today with finding mismatches and featuring players that can be difference makers. Whether it is RB Brian Lockridge in the slot, WR Andre Simmons in a deep ball package scenario, RB Rodney Stewart in the screen game, RB Darrell Scott on the edge or one of the tight ends making an impact across the middle, it is time to have a plan to get these players in favorable situations; something that did not exist a year ago.

On the flip side, Colorado matches up extremely well against and the Rams two best playmakers in WR Rashaun Greer and WR Dion Morton. I expect corners Jimmy Smith, Cha'pelle Brown, Jalil Brown and Ben Burney to compete successfully against the duo of Morton and Greer especially with the graduation of TE Kory Sperry. The Buffs defense cannot let these two receivers beat them. Limit the big plays and Colorado should come out victorious.

Win the Turnover Battle
Cody Hawkins or Tyler Hansen cannot let Grant Stucker outplay them in this category. Be smart with the football.

Make the Rams Come From Behind
Colorado should not be considered a prolific offense yet so it needs help from the defense and has to exhibit precision when it has the ball. If the Rams get up on the Buffs, it might be a recipe for disaster if Colorado needs to rely on an unproven group of receivers to make plays. The CU defense has to be stout in the first few drives of the season, let the Colorado offense get in a rhythm and score a few points. Start well and the Buffs will be in a strong position to win the game.

Prediction Time:

Short, simple and straight to the point just like our motto: 28 - 13. Give us your prediction too!

Message to the fans: get up, make some noise and get it started off right!

Join us for the Live Game Thread during the game today. Go Buffs, Beat the Rams!

Poll

What is your prediction for today's game?

Buffs win big, easily cover the spread of 11 points

92 votes

I think the oddsmakers have this one pegged, put me down for around 11 points

35 votes

It's a rivalry game and is usally pretty close. The Buffs win but not in convincing fashion

30 votes

Rams pull the upset, send Buffs into an early tail spin

52 votes

209 votes | Poll has closed

Colorado State Offensive Preview

irish1611 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:06:09 -0000

The matchup between Colorado Buffaloes' corner Jimmy Smith and Colorado State's receiver Rashaun Greer should be fun to watch.

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What you need to know about the Rams' Offense:

You have heard it a hundred times by now; the Colorado St. Rams have the most experienced offensive line in college football. Yes, 129 total starts between the five players up front. Last season, the Buffs were able to get to then senior quarterback Billy Farris five times and held the Rams to a net 71 yards rushing. Colorado hopes to have the same sort of success against the most experienced offensive line as once again the Rams try to break another new quarterback in Grant Stucker. OG Shelley Smith and C Tim Walter are the two studs on the line, but Smith is questionable for the game Sunday due to a high ankle sprain. Walter has the ability to be the top center in Mountain West and is the anchor of the line.

Walter and Smith, if healthy, will be in charge of protecting Grant Stucker, the 6-2, 207-pound senior, saw little action last year completing just 3-of-5 passes for 22 yards. Stucker is a decent athlete who will certainly be more mobile than Billy Farris was a year ago but most have said Farris is the better pure passer. Head coach Steve Fairchild was not afraid to voice his displeasure at the quarterback position this offseason as Stucker or Jon Eastman failed to grab the reins of the position, with Stucker almost winning by default due to injuries elsewhere. Stucker will be at a disadvantage compared to the Farris last year as the Rams will have to replace two stalwart running backs in Gartrell Johnson and Kyle Bell. John Mosure, who rushed for 122 yards last season will get the start. Mosure, 5-10, 200-pounds, will add a little speed to the Rams backfield but it is hard to be convinced with the loss of Farris, Bell and Johnson that this year's backfield will be better than last year's.

continue reading the preview after the jump...

The real excitement for the Rams comes from the wide receiver spots as they have two of the better ones in the Mountain West conference. Rashaun Greer, a 6-1, 203 pounder senior, emerged last year after the receivers were labeled as the weak spot on the offense. Greer caught 63 passes for a team leading 1,114 yards and averaging an impressive 17 yards a reception. He only scored three times, though, something that Steve Fairchild would like to see amplified. Greer had a nice coming out party against Colorado last season, hauling in 8 for 80 yards. Dion Morton rounds out the dynamic duo at the receiver spot. Morton, a 5-10, 163-pound senior, was second on the team with 51 catches for 859 yards and a record-setting ten touchdowns. He is also dangerous in the return game, something that Buffs need to be aware of as they try to buck the trend of last year's special teams play.

Colorado State does lose some fire power on the edge in tight end Kory Sperry. Although Sperry was keyed on last season by the Buffs and had little impact on the game, he still had an impressive senior season before departing for the NFL. Colorado fans will be glad not to see him or Gartrell Johnson on the field this year. Taking over for the athletic Sperry will be Eric Peitz, a 6-5, 250-pound junior who played two years ago Sperry went down with a torn ACL. Peitz is more known for his blocking ability rather than his playmaking, catching only 5 passes for 29 yards in 2008. Sperry's 492 yards and six touchdowns will be difficult to replace this season as will his presence in the middle of the field.

Stat To Know About:

Other than the offensive line's 129 total starts, the Rams lose some firepower off of their 7-6 team from a year ago...some might not be the right way to put it. Colorado State has to replace 91% of its passing yards and 100% of its passing touchdowns in Billy Farris. They lose 74.3% of their rushing attempts, 88.1% of their rushing yards and 72.2% of their rushing touchdowns with the departure of Kyle Bell and Gartrell Johnson. The loss of receiving statistics is only about 30% between Sperry, Johnson and Bell but still is significant considering safeties had to stay home to cover Sperry instead of being able to provide strong over the top help for corners covering Morton and Greer. With Peitz now taking over at tight end, I expect the Buffs to key much more on the receivers and less on Sperry.

The Best Matchup:

If you are at the game, make sure you keep an eye on the Buffs' corners against the Rams' receivers. The matchup of CB Jimmy Smith against WR Rashaun Greer will be worth the price of admission as 6'3" 200 corner will have the forum to show off his skills against a talented receiver. And don't forget about the little guys on the other side who are no slouches in their own right. CB Cha'pelle Brown, an all conference performer a year ago, will go up against the Rams touchdown leader from a year ago in Dion Morton. These matchups should provide great theater all day long. Smith, Brown, Jalil Brown and Ben Burney better be ready as these will be two of the better receivers the Buffs will face all year.

Matchup Buff Fans Should be Worried About:

Clearly it is in the trenches. This group of CSU linemen have been through a lot together and they should be the rock of the offense. On the other side of the ball, the Buffs have lost most of their experience upfront from a year ago replacing three senior starters with sophomore Curtis Cunningham, redshirt freshman Will Perciak and sophomore Lagrone Shields. If the Rams can get a solid running game going, they could raise some issues for the Buffs this Sunday. I expect Colorado defensive coordinator Ron Collins to be ready to make many in game adjustments based on how the battle in the trenches goes. The good thing for the Buffs is the cornerbacks should be able to hold their own, allowing more in the box to stop the run and get after Stucker. But if things start going wrong for the Buffs, look to this matchup as the reason.

What Remains to Be Seen:

The obvious answer is Grant Stucker. How he plays in his first real collegiate game on the road in a nationally televised spot will get most of the attention. No doubt he has some talent at receiver but Colorado matches up extremely well there. The biggest question in my eyes is can the defensive line of the Buffs keep the Colorado St. line occupied enough to let the deep group of linebackers run rampant. Colorado doesn't have that proven huge space filler unless it is true freshman Nate Bonsu and who knows if he is "college ready." How quick do the Buffs switch from the 4 - 3 to the 3 - 4 will also be something to watch.

If Colorado gets any play out of the front four, the Rams are not going to have much success against the Colorado defense.

SB Nation Big 12 Preview: Colorado Buffaloes Team Capsule

irish1611 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:36:59 -0000

If the Buffs are to realize their goals for 2009, Cody Hawkins' and the entire offenses' performance much improve from their 95th total offense ranking a year ago.

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Coach: Dan Hawkins enters his third season at Colorado (13-24, 0 - 1 in postseason).
Coaching Changes: Offensive Coordinator Eric Kiesau (replaces Mark Helfrich - Oregon), Offensive Line Coach Denver Johnson (replaces Jeff Grimes - Auburn), Defensive Consultant/Linebackers Bob Foster added to roster, Dan Hawkins to coach Wide Receivers.
2008 Record: 5-7 overall, 2-6 in Big 12
Players Returning with '08 Starts:
- Offense: 15 - WR Scotty McKnight, LT Nate Solder, LG Blake Behrens, RT Matthew Bahr, TE Riar Geer, TE Ryan Deehan, QB Cody Hawkins, QB Tyler Hansen, RB Rodney Stewart, RB Demetrius Sumler, QB Tyler Hansen, RB Darrell Scott, FB Jack Behrens, OG Ryan Miller, OG Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner.
  - 64% (85 out of 132 player starts) of 2008 starts return in 2009.
- Defense: 9 - DE Marquez Herrod, LB Jeff Smart, LB Shaun Mohler, CB Cha'pelle Brown, S Anthony Perkins, S Patrick Mahnke, CB Jimmy Smith, CB Jalil Brown, LB Michael Sipili
  - 39% (51 out of 132 player starts) of 2008 starts return in 2009.
- Special teams: 2 - P Matt DiLallo, PK Aric Goodman.
Key Positions to Replace From 2008 - Defensive Line, Center, Safety
Key Losses from 2008: LB Brad Jones, S Ryan Walters, DT George Hypolite, DT Brandon Nicolas, C Daniel Sanders, OG Devin Head.
Newcomers Who Might See Time in 2009: DE Nick Kasa, DT Nate Bonsu, LB Forrest West, WR Jarrod Darden, WR Will Jefferson, WR Terdema Ussery, WR Andre Simmons, K Zach Grossnickle.

OFFENSE

2008 OFFENSIVE STATISTICS - Rushing Offense: 86^th overall, 10^th in Big 12 / Passing Offense: 81^st overall, 11^th in Big 12 / Total Offense: 95^th overall, 12^th in Big 12 / Scoring Offense: 100^th overall, 12^th in Big 12.

The 2008 season was an offensive performance to forget. A rash of injuries, inexperienced players at important positions and a lack of a consistent identity spelt trouble for the Colorado Buffaloes. With the 2009 season just around the corner, a more experienced unit overall plus a healthy group of linemen up front has many hoping that the Buffs will reverse the lackluster offensive performance of the past few years. That being said, there are still plenty of question marks that still need to be answered.

the rest of the offensive, defensive, Q&A and win/loss predictions after the jump....

NEW FACES BRINGS NEW SCHEMES: One of the headlines coming into the 2009 season was the changes to the offensive staff. Joining the Colorado Buffaloes this offseason was offensive line coach Denver Johnson, who previously held the Illinois State head coaching job. Replacing Jeff Grimes, Johnson has seemed to endear himself to the fan base, preaching to bring back a more smash mouth style of football, playing on the opposition's side of the ball and putting the five linemen on the field. Such was displayed with Johnson's decision to move Ryan Miller to guard to make way for OT Blake Behrens. Johnson inherits a unit with no seniors but full of talent and a reason to be optimistic about the program's future. If Johnson can quickly& successfully implement his system with this young but relatively experienced offensive line, Buff fans should brace for a much improved offensive performance in 2009. The good news for the new coach is, unlike last year, his unit looks much healthier. Back from injury/off the field issues is Miller, OG Ethan Adkins, OG Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner (mid season return expected) and C Mike Iltis; all of whom will be battling for a starting spot.

Their was also a shake up at the top with former wide receivers and assistant head coach, Eric Kiesau, taking over as offensive coordinator for Mark Helfrich. The season opener against Colorado State will mark the first game which Eric Kiesau has owned the game plan and called the plays on game day. Last season, the Buffs failed to establish any sort of identity, attempting to run the spread with a youthful, injured team that lacked game changing playmakers. Kiesau has said to want to bring back a more "pro-style" offense that allows for more power football, the use of tight ends and a progression based passing game, three traits that bode well for the strengths of CU's offense.

Head coach Dan Hawkins will take over the wide receiver coaching duties replacing Kiesau. Ashley Ambrose will assist Hawkins with the wide receivers and should take over in the near future.

THREE PLAYERS WHO NEED TO PLAY BIG IN 2009: With WR Markques Simas suspended for the first two games of the season, junior college transfer WR Andre Simmons qualifying status up the air as of Thursday, August 18^th, the lone remaining experienced receiver on the Buffs' roster is Scotty McKnight. Not labeled as an explosive receiver, the Buffs need him to continue to be the steady force and over achieve on his prior two seasons considering the Buffs might not have a lot elsewhere to provide production. Colorado might get some production out of true freshman Will Jefferson, Jarrod Darden and Terdema Ussery but McKnight might be the best and only experienced option in 2009.

In an obvious choice, QB Cody Hawkins, who looks to have the edge in the quarterback race, needs to improve from 2008. The lack of playmakers currently at wide receiver does not bode well for increased production from Hawkins but tight end, running back and offensive line look to be improved from a year ago. If Hawkins can make better decisions and manage the offense through a strong running game, the passing game should open up. The key for Hawkins this year is to increase his completion percentage which was 57.2% in 2008, about 5% below the average junior quarterback % in 2008. Sustaining drives, keeping the defense off the field and converting on third downs will all improve with an increase in completions.

You could go running back here but with a stable of four in the backfield, the production looks to be there. Most Buff fans will look at the offensive line and hope that their health leads to more points. That being said, look to the tackle spots as players who need to play big in 2009. LT Nate Solder and RT Blake Behrens have the inside track at the two starting positions with the prospects of a bright future ahead of them. Solder, the athletically gifted converted tight end, has all the intangibles to be a dominant tackle while Behrens has similar intangibles and great footwork. Solder, due to his position change, and Behrens, due to being a redshirt freshman, will still have growing pains but if they are able to work through those early in the season, the offensive line has the makings to be special.

IMPACT NEWCOMER: Hands down this was going to be WR Markques Simas or WR Andre Simmons before the former was suspended two games and the latter is still sitting on the sideline well into week two of fall ball due to admissions issues. The new impact newcomer may be WR Will Jefferson, who was an August 2009 signee. He has seen time with the first and second teams this fall and has impressed the coaches. The safe pick here, though, is Givens, who quickly inserted himself into the starting rotation this spring after gaining 20+ pounds to his true freshman frame. Givens has the ability to grow into a great one.

THE STRENGTH(S) OF THE OFFENSE: Running Back and Offensive Line. The Buffs boast one of the more loaded backfields in the Big 12 with sophomores Darrell Scott, Rodney Stewart and Brian Lockridge along with junior Demetrius Sumler. Stewart led the Buffs in rushing yards as a freshman and Sumler led the team in rushing touchdowns in 2008. Lockridge, a speedster, returns from injury after a serviceable 2007 freshman campaign and looks to be an added weapon that can be useful as a third down back and in the slot. But Darrell Scott still leads the ranks in the hype category. Supposedly in the best shape of his life at 220 pounds and fully recovered from his 2008 injury-plagued season, Scott looks to take a mulligan in 2009 and become an elite Big 12 back. Still, don't count out the other three, especially Rodney Stewart, who continues to impress. We do know one thing; running backs coach Darian Hagan will play the best man for the job regardless of preseason hype.

The offensive line has all the potential you could ask for to build a team around. They are big, fast, athletic, and will be around for a long time. Nate Solder is the veteran on the offensive line, sort of, checking in as a junior with all other players vying for starting spots coming in as either sophomores or redshirt freshmen. Solder and Ryan Miller lead the way in the size category coming at 6'9" 305 pounds and 6'8" 320 pounds respectively with Solder considered to be one of the most athletic players on the team, running a sub 5.0 second forty this offseason. C Mike Iltis looks to have the center spot locked down replacing Daniel Sanders from a year ago while Givens will man the right tackle spot. The only position that looks to be up for grabs at this point in time is the other guard spot. Ethan Adkins looks to have the upper hand but watch out for Blake Behrens and Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner, once he returns from his ACL injury, to push for time there. This unit is big, athletic, has depth and should be a bright spot in 2009 if they can protect the quarterback.

THE WEAKNESS(ES) OF THE OFFENSE: Wide Receiver and Quarterback. Wide receiver takes spots #1 and #2 in our weakness review. With Scotty McKnight the only player active who has caught a pass in a division one football game, the Buffs lack known quantities at the flanker spot. Markques Simas will hopefully return against Wyoming from suspension but with his academic ineligibility in 2008 coupled with the most current infraction, Buff fans should not count on anything. Andre Simmons, if admitted, should not be expected to be ready for the Colorado State game considering he has been sitting on the sideline for the last two weeks. Hopefully the Buffs can have both Simmons and Simas ready by the Wyoming game and can get production from one of the true freshman. Walk-on WR Jason Espinoza will also play a part in the offense. There are just not a lot of options at wide receiver this year.

Playmaking ability still remains a big concern on both sides of the ball. In 2008, the Buffs lacked explosiveness and with former WR Josh Smith transferring to UCLA, many players will be counted on to be a game changer that have not necessarily produced game changing results in the past. If the Buffs want to get to 7, 8 or 9 wins, Darrell Scott, Markques Simas, Rodney Stewart, Brian Lockridge, potentially Andre Simmons, one of the tight ends need to evolve into consistent threats on the offensive side of the ball.

DEFENSE

2008 DEFENSIVE STATISTICS - Rushing Defense: 86^th overall, 9^th in Big 12 / Passing Efficiency Defense: 73rd overall, 5^th in Big 12 / Total Defense: 78^th overall, 4^th in Big 12 / Scoring Defense: 86^th overall, 8^th in Big 12.

2008 provided some surprises on the defensive side of the ball. A senior-laden defensive line was supposed to be the strength of the team with the cornerbacks the weak spot. Roles reversed and relatively speaking, the cornerback play exceeded expectations while the defensive line failed to meet expectations. Often thought of as "solid but not spectacular" last season, the defense is considered to be strong to very strong in the back seven in 2009 but inexperienced up front. Colorado's defense has the opportunity to be a top tier Big 12 squad if they can get solid play from the front four.

ADJUSTING AND MULTIPLE: No one knows really what the Buffs are going to do on defense this year. Dan Hawkins has kept the defense on the far side of the practice field this offseason out of the public eye, shut down practices because of the leaking of defensive formations on the internet and has even brought in Bob Foster, his past mentor at Cal-Davis, to add his defensive knowledge. As noted above and from what observers have seen, the Buffs look like they won't be afraid to mix up the base sets. The lack of known commodities up front might force Colorado to become more multiple, switching between the 3 - 4, 4 - 3 and even 3 - 3 - 5 defensive schemes. Such defensive looks are possible due to some exceptional depth at the linebacker and cornerback spots.

Defensive coordinator Ron Collins has preached this offseason that his goal is to get the 11 best players on the field and that might mean three down linemen. If the Buffs lineup with three, Collins will have to be creative in his blitz packages and cover schemes. Establishing quarterback pressure is the name of the game this year as last year the Buffs ranked 7^th in the conference in sacks, averaging on 2.0 a game.

THREE PLAYERS WHO NEED TO PLAY BIG IN 2009: The Buffs need to replace 17 ½ sacks which is well over half of their total sack production from a year ago. Most are hoping that LB B.J. Beatty can replace last year's production of LB Brad Jones. Beatty showed, when healthy, that he has a nose for the football. If Colorado opts for a 3 - 4 defense, Beatty figures to play a prominent role as a rush end/stand-up outsider backer similar to what Brad Jones did for the '08 team. Again, with the major concern over who is going to get to the quarterback, players like B.J. Beatty are going to have to produce.

Marcus Burton is another player who is being counted on for a big year. An afterthought last year, Burton has rededicated himself to football and the 260 pound middle linebacker made his presence known this spring. Even though he was the biggest linebacker during offseason testing, Burton still produced the fastest forty time and showed great sideline to sideline range. Burton, considering with inexperience up front, will have a difficult job sifting through offensive linemen and being productive. Burton will have to be the anchor of the defense, especially in the early going of the season as the coaches try to figure out who will produce up front.

CB Jimmy Smith is the final player who needs to have a big year. With two inexperienced safeties in the Colorado secondary and a defensive line that is unproven, pass coverage will be at a premier this season. CB Cha'pelle Brown proved his worth last season. With CB Ben Burney returning from injury and CB Jalil Brown back from a successful 2008 campaign, the Buffs have plenty of depth at the position. But Jimmy Smith has the ability to change the game and shut down a side of the field on his own, making S Patrick Mahnke and S Anthony Perkin's life a lot easier. Smith, the 6'3" 200 pound NFL prototype cornerback, has the ability to be the best corner in the Big 12.

IMPACT NEWCOMER: Early money was on DE Nick Kasa and DT Edward Nuckols due to the inexperience on the defensive line but with Kasa partially tearing his MCL and Nuckols failing to academically qualify, the Buffs will have to look elsewhere for immediate help. The most logical choice is now DT Nate Bonsu. The 6'1" 295 pound Allen, Texas product may just be forced into some early action.

THE STRENGTH(S) OF THE DEFENSE: Linebacker and Cornerback. Ask Shaun Mohler and Jeff Smart about how strong the linebacker group is. Mohler and Smart were both starters a year ago and all conference awarded players. This year, they might be battling for one spot; and the Buffs may even add another linebacker position to run the 3 - 4. Marcus Burton impressed this offseason as did Michael Sipili, who will be competing for the middle linebacker job. Throw in the young but physically gifted Douglas Rippy and the potential of B.J. Beatty and this may be the deepest position on the Buffs team. And we didn't even mention Jon Major, a heavily recruited player from Colorado who tore his ACL last season as a true freshman.

A similar story at cornerback with 2007 starter Ben Burney returning to team up with Cha'pelle Brown, Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith, all of whom started at least one game in 2008. Who starts against Colorado State will be fun to watch.

THE WEAKNESS(ES) OF THE DEFENSE: Defensive line, based purely on inexperience, not poor past performance. Gone are three seniors from a year ago and in are unproven players like DT Curtis Cunningham, DE Conrad Obi, DE Marquez Herrod, DT Eugene Goree, DT Tyler Sale, DT Will Pericak, DE Forrest West and DT Nate Bonsu. Nick Kasa may be in the mix after he recovers from the partial MCL tear.

Marquez Herrod will probably be a starter at defensive end but after that, it's anyone's guess. Curtis Cunningham played as a true freshman last season and made a few plays but he is still considered raw.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Last year's special team's performance was abysmal and should be a big point of emphasis this season if the Buffs' plan to be a player in the North. The departure of Josh Smith leaves a hole in the return game and 1,987 all purpose yards lost. The top candidates to fill the return role are Jason Espinoza, Rodney Stewart, Andre Simmons and Darrell Scott. K Aric Goodman returns, but he was just 5 for 14 on field goal attempts last season. The Buffs also return P Matt DiLallo who averaged 40.49 yards/punt last season while splitting time with Tom Suazo.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN AND QUICK HIT PREDICTIONS

Sept 5^th - Colorado St. Rams: The rivalry game is in Boulder, not in Denver, giving the Buffs a home field advantage. CSU will be breaking in a new quarterback and looks to have a weak front seven returning on defense. If CSU can get any quarterback play, it could be a dangerous game but expect the Buffs to load the box on defense. Prediction: W (1-0)
Sept 11^th - @ Toledo Rockets: the proverbial trap game with only five days rest. It is a Friday night game on the road against a team with a new coach; yes, a little scary. Like Colorado State, Toledo returns a lot of offensive line experience. Couple all of that with the dismal road record under Dan Hawkins (only 2 wins in three years) and the Buffs could be in more trouble than we would like to believe. That being said, Colorado has the more talented team and should win by double digits. Prediction: W (2-0)
Sept 19^th - Wyoming Cowboys: If the Buffs can start 2 - 0, they will have a nice eight day rest before hosting Wyoming at home who has little offensive identity even though former Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen takes over the helm as new coach. Missouri has used Colorado as its punching bag the past two years but the Wyoming offense won't resemble Chase Coffman, Chase Daniel, Derrick Washington and Jeremy Maclin. Buffs need to win this one big. Prediction: W (3-0)
Oct 1^st - @West Virginia Mountaineers: This is a coin toss game. Both teams have 12 days to prepare with West Virginia coming off a tough game at Auburn the week before. West Virginia will be favored by 3 - 7 points so this is certainly a winnable game but on a Thursday night in Morgantown with the Buffs past lack of success on the road, I see a 3 - 1 start. Ask me again after week 2. Prediction: L (3-1)
Oct 10^th - @ Texas Longhorns: There are two "more than likely" road losses on the schedule which makes Dan Hawkins' "10 win expectation, not a guarantee" phrase possible. This is one of those games. Prediction: L (3-2)
Oct 17^th - Kansas Jayhawks: The Buffs should have three home games circled this year; Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Three games that will dictate the degree of success in 2009. Win 2 or 3 of these games, expect Colorado football to be playing in strong bowl game. Lose all three, Colorado may once again be home for the holidays once again. Kansas QB Todd Reesing has been a Buff killer and the Jayhawks are expected to be a top 25 team when it is all said and done. Kansas has to replace some offensive linemen and linebackers so the Buffs should be in the game. Prediction: L (3-3)
Oct 24^th - @ Kansas St. Wildcats: Coming off three losses, this is a trap game that should be a Buff win. At 3 - 3, this game's outcome could determine if CU goes on to a winning record in the last half of the season or underachieves. If this is truly the year that we see changes in Boulder, Dan Hawkins' team should go into Manhattan and win. Since it is the offseason, let's be optimistic. Prediction: W (4-3)
Oct 31^st - Missouri Tigers: Halloween day in Boulder should be a wild scene. Mizzou could come into this game with a 3 - 4 record with both teams will have a lot riding on the game. The Buffs will have revenge on their mind after being utterly embarrassed the past two years losing by a combined score of 113 - 10. Many of the pieces from those two games are gone from Columbia and while Missouri fans are pushing the "Blaine Gabbert for Heisman" campaign already, this is the year for revenge. And one other thing, Missouri returns the fewest starters from a year ago in the Big 12 along with Nebraska Prediction: W (5-3)
Nov 7^th - Texas A&M Aggies: I believe most Colorado fans would take 5 - 3 at this point in the year considering Texas A&M and Iowa State are still on the schedule with Nebraska being an important swing game. Most will admit Colorado should have beaten A&M a year ago in College Station outplaying them for all but 5 or so minutes of that game. At home in Folsom, the Buffs should be on a roll coming off two wins. Could be a let down candidate if they don't respond after a big Missouri victory but this team is more experienced than prior teams. Prediction: W (6-3)
Nov 14^th - @ Iowa St. Cyclones: Last time the Buffs went to Ames, they laid an egg which once again makes predicting any road games as a win a risky prospect. Trust me, Buff fans won't be laying a lot of action on the first road game to Toledo. Hawkins will remind his team of how poorly they played a year ago at Folsom and the bad loss two years ago. Colorado has a chance to win four in a row heading into the last two weeks of the season. Prediction: W (7-3)
Nov 19^th - @ Oklahoma St. Cowboys: Even if the Buffs did have a full week's rest, this would be a loss but on the road with a short week against a top 10 contender, the Buffs' win streak ends here. Prediction: L (7-4)
Nov 27^th - Nebraska Cornhuskers: Eight wins sounds like paradise with the potential for nine in a bowl game. The Buffs will get more rest than the Huskers due to playing on a Thursday night against Oklahoma State and the Huskers have to travel to Boulder. Right now, this game is a toss-up but it is hard for me to see this Buffs team finishing with eight wins and it is equally hard to see the Huskers as a top 25 team. That being said, seven wins was my number for the Buffs all along. Eight is do-able as you can tell, nine is a stretch. You can also make a case for five or six wins. Prediction: L (7-5)

SB NATION BIG 12 BLOGGER'S ROUNDTABLE Q&A

1) Predicted Finish

Big 12 North

Kansas

Nebraska

Colorado

Missouri

Kansas State

Iowa State

Big 12 South

Oklahoma

Texas

Oklahoma State

Baylor

Texas Tech

Texas A&M

2) Who wins the Big 12 North?

~~Colorado Buffaloes Nebraska Cornhuskers~~ The Kansas Jayhawks...who knows, its wide open? Go get'em Buffs!

3) Who wins the Big 12 South?

The Oklahoma Sooners

4) How many Big 12 teams will be bowl eligible?

7 - Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State

5) Which conference team do you think will show the most improvement from last season (in record only)?

Baylor

6) Who is your Non-QB conference player of the year?

DL Gerald McCoy

7) Do you believe any Big 12 coaches will be gone (fired or hired elsewhere) after this season?

The ones I could see happening are Coach Hawk or Mike Gundy (but only with 5 wins or less and that won't happen for either.

8) What would you prefer as the Big 12's 3rd "best" bowl game? The Holiday or Alamo Bowl?

Holiday - San Diego is better than San Antonio in every way imaginable

9) Better D-Lineman, Suh or McCoy?

Gerald McCoy

10) Better Wide Receiver, Bryant or Briscoe?

Dez Bryant

11) Predict the worst non-conference loss (an upset) that the Big 12 will suffer.

Have to say Nevada upsetting Mizzou.

12) Predict the MNC participants and champion.

Florida def. Penn State (an embarrassment of a schedule)

Poll

What is your regular season win prediction for the Colorado Buffaloes in 2009?

10 wins +: Gotta go with Coach Hawkins, he set the bar, anything less would be a disappointment

18 votes

8 - 9 wins: very solid year, outside chance at the Big 12 North, top tier bowl game

185 votes

7 wins: an improvement, still too many holes to challenge for a North title but still bowling

86 votes

6 wins: squeak into a bowl game but with an empty feeling, still have a ways to go to be competitive each week

18 votes

5 or less wins: not enough playmakers, too many holes, more of the same in Boulder. 2010 here we come

9 votes

316 votes | Poll has closed