SB Nation - Ben Burney

Wednesday Buff Bites - The Talk Continues to Center Around Dan Hawkins' Job Status

irish1611 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:26 -0000

Hawkins Tells Staff He's Got One More Year - cbs4denver.com

Two sources inside the CU football progam told CBS4's Vic Lombardi that Hawkins recently met with Unversity Chancellor Phil DiStefano and came away from the meeting with the understanding that he's safe for another year no matter what happens on Friday against Nebraska.

What went wrong? - The Longmont Times-Call

The Colorado Buffaloes are already wrestling with their lack of success in 2009. Have been for weeks. But with the end coming after Friday’s Nebraska game (1:30 p.m., ABC) and expectations so far from being met, hard answers are expected soon. No one wants 2010 to resemble 2009. At all. So here’s the key question: What went wrong? Maybe coach Dan Hawkins shouldn’t have publicly said anything —– no matter what it was — about winning 10 games. Maybe changing offensive coordinators after spring drills hurt more than anyone could have expected; four offensive line coaches in five years shows. And maybe a less funky schedule will help. But the consensus is that this team’s biggest problem boiled down to one word.

Confidence.

Huskers Prep For Potent Colorado Offense
Colorado with a potent offense??? News to me.

"He is similar (to guys we've seen). He has a good arm and he's real slippery. He can find his way out of pressure and when he does he is always looking downfield. Again, you have to do a good job in coverage, but you still have to deal with him. That has kind of been the theme of the last few weeks. We've been facing quarterback after quarterback who can run and hurt you with their feet. You have to account for that all the time." Pelini noted that while they know there is a possibility of seeing quarterback Cody Hawkins, the offensive scheme as a whole does not change. He said Colorado boasts one of the biggest offensive lines they have encountered all year. "(They are) one of the better lines we've seen. They are big and athletic, too. They can move their feet really well. They get out and pull on plays and find people in space. It's a good offensive line, they've come a long way."

Much more after the jump...

What would Cody do? | All Things Colorado Sports

The player said he was positive that Cody will return to the Buffaloes for the 2010 season, even if his father, Dan Hawkins, is fired as head coach following this season. "Cody loves this place, and he loves Colorado football," the player said. "I don’t think he’d go anywhere."

Big 12 predictions, Week 13 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Nebraska 23, Colorado 10: These two teams have played some great games in recent seasons. But the Cornhuskers’ defense is too solid not to come prepared, even if it did clinch the North title last week. The Colorado team should be poised for an emotional effort in what could be Dan Hawkins’ last game. Despite Colorado’s ‘strong showing at Oklahoma State last week, the Nebraska defense will be ready to throttle Tyler Hansen and whatever offense the Buffaloes can muster. Look for Alex Henery to be a huge factor kicking in the high altitude in Boulder.

Commentary: Win or lose Friday, CU Dan Hawkins coach deserves one more year - KDVR
Stick to the telecasts, not articles...

Here is the reality, though: win or lose Friday against arch rival Nebraska, Hawkins will most likely return to coach CU next year and here is the kicker, the decision has very little to do with football. The bottom line in Boulder is this: wins and losses are secondary to the image of the program.

CU Buffs land 14 on All-Big 12 academic team - Boulder Daily Camera

Fourteen members of the Colorado football team were named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, the conference announced today. Colorado placed nine players on the first team and five on the second team. In order to qualify, a player must have maintained at least a 3.2 GPA and participated in at least 60 percent of his team's games for first-team consideration and a 3.0 GPA for second team honors. Colorado's first team members include Jake Behrens, Ben Burney, Patrick Devenny, Dustin Ebner, Will Pericak, Travis Sandersfeld, Devin Shanahan, Bret Smith and Nate Solder. Second-team Buffs were David Clark, Marquez Herrod, Jon Major, Tyler Sale and Luke Walters. The conference named a total of 170 players from all 12 programs to the team. Nick Florence of Baylor and Austin Cassidy and Sean Fisher of Nebraska were nominated with a 4.00 grade point average.

What to watch for in the Big 12, Week 13 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Dan Hawkins' possible last game in Boulder: The embattled Colorado coach’s job has been in question since a slow start after he boldly predicting his team would challenge for the Big 12 North title. Instead, the Buffaloes were the first team in the conference eliminated from bowl consideration. The Buffaloes showed some promise in last week’s narrow loss at Oklahoma State, although they repeatedly made critical mistakes and penalties that kept them from winning. Will the Colorado coach be able to circle the wagons and get his team to play one final strong performance? Or is it already too late for him to save his job after a disappointing 16-32 career record?

A little doom, a little gloom at the holidays for CU football | All Things Colorado Sports

What, you think the economy stinks? Check out what’s going on on the Front Range football front, where …
* The Broncos’ offense considers a field goal a moral touchdown. Or maybe you haven’t noticed that the Local 11 haven’t scored an offensive touchdown at home in November.
* CSU just lost to New Mexico, which hadn’t won a game since New Mexico was a territory. Or seemingly so.
* CU has lost 20 of its last 22 road games and hasn’t won a Big 12 North roadie during the Dan Hawkins era.

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - Beleaguered Buffs won't back down

Colorado players say the uncertainty surrounding coach Dan Hawkins' job status hasn't been a distraction. "There's a lot of stuff being said outside of the program, but you step into our locker room or in meetings or in practice and it's hardly spoken of,'' CU tight end Devenny said.

Wideout Simas gives jolt to the Buffs' offense - The Denver Post

"The chemistry between the wide receivers and tight ends and Tyler has improved over the last few weeks," Simas said. "Tyler knows that if the defense gives us this look, I'm going to be here. And if the defensive gives us that look, I'm going to be there. It's a feel thing we're developing."

Brooks: Seniors' Legacy Better Than 3-8 - CUBuffs.com

The Colorado football program's 17 seniors have so much more to their collective resumes than a disappointing 3-8 record entering Friday's final game against Nebraska (1:30 p.m., Folsom Field, ABC). The Buffaloes' three senior captains - Marcus Burton, Riar Geer, Jeff Smart - are a storyline within the tale, each having persevered through individual hardships to reach the point where their teammates recognized and honored them.

CU's Hagan wants critics to stay patient - Boulder Daily Camera

Henderson: McCartney knows the heat under Hawkins - The Denver Post

Colorado comes up short against Arizona in overtime - KansasCity.com

For the second night in a row, not-so-lowly Colorado took a perennial powerhouse the distance. For the second night in a row, the Buffaloes barely missed a statement victory.

CU`s Higgins making name for self - Boulder Daily Camera

"Great player," Wildcats guard Nick Wise, an All-American candidate, noticed. "Before watching film on him I never really heard too much about him. He`s an All-Big 12 player and that says enough about him because it`s a great conference."

Buffs Drop OT Thriller in Maui - CUBuffs.com

Both teams protected the ball after halftime as Colorado committed zero turnovers in the second half and Arizona only committed two. Arizona's hot shooting from the three-point line proved too much for the Buffaloes to overcome though. The Wildcats shot 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc as a whole, including a perfect 5-of-5 from Jamelle Horne. Wise went 5-of-9 from long distance and his 30 points were a career high. Horne was Arizona's second leading scorer with 17. Arizona's 14 treys today was the most for the program in a single game since the Cats connected on 14-of-23 attempts (60.9 percent) on Jan. 17, 2004, in a 97-72 win at UCLA. That covers a span of 189 games played.

Thursday Buff Bites - Mike Bohn "Pleased" With Dan Hawkins' Press Conference

irish1611 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:00:31 -0000

"Writer's Block" - Behind the Stripes - ColumbiaTribune.com
Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune (Missouri) has a nice interview with Buff beat writer Kyle Ringo that is well worth the read to discuss Tyler Hansen, a potential Buffs' mini upset this weekend, Dan Hawkins' job status, the head coach's press conference and the CU fan base. I don't think you will find a third of the fan base that believes Dan Hawkins is genuinely the man for the job, though, as Kyle points out.

BTS: What's been the pulse of the CU fan base this season? Are they in "For Sale sign in the front yard" mode yet? If so, will anything short of winning the North turn the fans around?

Ringo: I guess you can sort of get the vibe from my previous long-winded answer. I would say this fan base is split into thirds right now. There is one-third that is finished with Dan Hawkins regardless. There is another one-third that is sort of hoping he can rally the team and prove he deserves to keep his job. I would say winning the North Division or qualifying for a bowl or both might be enough to convince them. Then there is about one-third who genuinely believe Hawkins is the man for the job and will get it turned around at some point.

CU athletic director Bohn glad to see Hawkins "get back to who he is" - The Denver Post
Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn was excited to see Dan Hawkins return to "who he is." He of course is referencing the press conference where Dan Hawkins read emails about how good of a coach he is and how good of a program he runs. Personally, I am glad he didn't use the words "we'll see" but maybe next time we can leave the emails behind and talk about winning football games.

After getting a chance to watch Internet video of Dan Hawkins' introspective, 25-minute soliloquy that opened his Tuesday media luncheon, Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn said Wednesday that he was pleased to see the football coach open up. "Dan is so competitive, and wants so badly to deliver a program that everybody can be excited about, he has recently been a little more guarded and a little short in his engagement with many of the outlets that provide insights into our program," Bohn said.

Bohn said he did not instruct Hawkins to be more personable this week. But the athletic director acknowledged that he has been "urging Dan to present the challenge he faces in a more concise, more transparent and more honest way." "I believe he realizes he has to take advantage of those (public) opportunities — to play 'offense' a little bit instead of giving a sense of defensiveness," Bohn explained. "That defensiveness had left an impression that was less than favorable to him. That wasn't Dan.

"It was great to hear him admit that he is not infallible and is committed to building this program for the long haul. It was great to see him get back to who he is. He realizes he has mis-stepped at times, and also maybe come across in a different way than what is really himself. I was pleased to see him demonstrate his full commitment to being open to change and also being more of himself."

Despite shuffling, coach says Buffs O-line excelling - The Longmont Times-Call
Colorado Buffaloes' offensive line coach said the o-lines' performance against Kansas State was it's best of the year. I don't know how that is possible as the Buffs failed to reach 300 yards of total offense and only scored 10 points.

It’s interesting to note that Colorado’s offensive line coach, Denver Johnson, expects to start the same five Saturday against Missouri as the Buffs did last week. In 2009, this is a rarity. In seven games, the Buffs have started five combinations up front. Despite the regular changes and the strange things happening to it, the offensive line made "huge strides" two weeks ago against Kansas, according to coach Dan Hawkins. And Johnson said its work against Kansas State last week was its best of 2009.

Big 12 predictions, Week 9 - Big 12 - ESPN

Missouri 31, Colorado 21: The slumping Tigers will turn things around, snapping a three-game losing streak after starting the season 4-0. Colorado’s sputtering passing attack won’t be able to take advantage of the Tigers’ biggest defensive weakness in the secondary. Colorado’s offense struggled against Kansas State after the Buffaloes' first possession and will likely falter again against the Tigers, who have recent history on their side. Missouri has beaten the Buffaloes by a combined margin of 113-10 in the past two seasons.

Videos Posted by CBS4 News: Folsom Field Snow covered Bleachers [HQ] | Facebook
In case you out of towners missed the snow storm in Colorado, here is a shot of Folsom Field with a pretty good amount of snow piled up on the bleachers.

"Behind the Numbers: Missouri-Colorado" - Behind the Stripes - ColumbiaTribune.com
Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune writes a good piece about the game this weekend between the Buffs and Tigers:

If there was one positive Missouri’s offense could take from its loss to Texas, it had to be the temporary discovery of its running game. For a few fleeting series, the Tigers had some success running on the nation’s No. 1 rush defense, particularly on MU’s lone scoring drive, when its trio of backs gained 51 of the night’s 74 rushing yards. Offensive coordinator David Yost said the run game produced at about a 50 percent efficiency rate, which he said was progress considering the caliber of defense Texas has. More specifically, the Tigers might have discovered something in its tailback-by-committee workload and the two-back formations that left the Horns guessing which back was running the ball.

Big 12 North: Eliminate it. | Upon Further Review

The Big 12 Championship game – if there must be one – should be between the best two teams – not the best against the fifth best (or worse).

Should the Big 12's divisional structure be changed? - Big 12 - ESPN

Mizzou still boasts weapons on offense - Boulder Daily Camera

10 things to watch in the Big 12, Week 9 - Big 12 - ESPN

9. How will Colorado and Missouri react to the expected mushy conditions on Saturday? With more than two feet of snow expected to pile up on the front range the next couple of days, which team will be favored by the sloppy track? Will it be Missouri’s pass-heavy attack or Colorado’s rushing game that has proved to be a little plodding against Big 12 teams on drier turf?

Brooks: No Offense, But Polk Loves 'D' - CUBuffs.com

And come on Polk has, methodically moving into Brown's starting unit at strong safety. A still-green redshirt freshman, Polk is absorbing as much as Brown and the veteran players around him - senior corner Cha'pelle Brown, senior free safety Ben Burney, junior corner Jimmy Smith - can offer.

Rivals.com College Football - Weekend preview of the Big 12

Crossfire Q&A: Colorado

RPT — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:30:35 -0000

WIth the game in Boulder inching ever closer, our colleague irish1611 from The Ralphie Report took the time to answer a few questions for us. My spot over at The Ralphie Report can be found here.

RMN: The Missouri defense is expecting Tyler Hansen to start, and I know your community has been clamoring for Hawk to start and stick with him for awhile now. Is The Cody Hawkins Experiment™ finally done? And what expectations do you have for Hansen down the stretch?

TRR: Is the Cody Hawkins experiment done...honestly, no one really knows with this staff but if Tyler Hansen is pulled this weekend in Boulder, it will be an ugly scene. Implying that Tyler Hansen was incapable of running the two minute drill so Cody needed to be inserted was a pretty ridiculous event last week that made you wonder what this staff was thinking. I am sure as a quarterback that doesn't do any favors for Tyler Hansen mentally as the staff is pretty much saying we don't think you are capable for a full game, especially in pressure situations. Bottom line, no one knows and it isn't fair to either Cody or Tyler. What is the benefit for Cody? He comes in cold, trying to lead an offense a series here and a series there? Both of these quarterbacks don't offer enough to do what a team like Michigan does where they put Denard Robinson in for a wildcat like setting. The flip flopping at quarterback doesn't make sense so we hope it is done. Hopefully that doesn't sound vindictive against Cody Hawkins, it isn't his fault he is at the center of this, it is the coaches fault. He is just doing what he is told to do, he just hasn't been a successful quarterback.

As for expectations around Tyler Hansen, one thing we would like to see is more utilization of his feet and running ability. Against Kansas, he single handidly kept plays alive and ran for first downs. Against Kansas State, the staff kept him under wraps, didn't get him involved in the running game which led Kansas State to just tee up on him. Once again, we are seeing a coaching staff trying to mold the player to the scheme rather than trying to find the best scheme to fit the player. See the spread offense experiment last year. We didn't have the players to do that but the staff tried to force our players into the scheme. Last week, we saw Kansas State run the option, the wildcat and use a quarterback with half the athletic ability of Tyler Hansen in the running game and it was wildly successful. It was frustrating because their is a first hand look at getting the ball in your playmakers' hands and trying to exploit a defense creatively with it.

RMN: How has Colorado progressed since the brutal stretch of play to open the season? Was the Kansas win a sign of improvement, an aberration, or both?

TRR: Hopefully you meant the brutal stretch to open Big 12 play! The Buffs lost to Colorado State and Toledo to start the year. The improvement of this team has been on the defensive side of the ball. They held Texas down, Kansas got most of their yards in the second half but the Buffs defense forced two turnovers that led to 14 Buff points and against Kansas State, they held them to under 300 yards. So the defense has been pretty great down the stretch. The problem has been the offense and special teams. Against Texas and Kansas State, the Buffs' offense and special teams gave up at least 31 points. Yes, Texas scored three non-offensive touchdowns and against Kansas State, 10 points was a direct result of redzone turnovers by the special teams and offense. The big problem last week is the Buffs didn't cross the 50 yard line after the first drive of the game until the middle of the fourth quarter...which makes the defensive performance more amazing in that they were always backed up and playing in Kansas State territory.

Until the special teams and offense start to help the defense, this team will continue to lose games.

RMN: Earlier in the week, you guys noted Colorado's struggles in the second half of Big 12 games. To what do you attribute that decline?

TRR: Coaching, a lack of preparation and a failure to make second half adjustments equal to the opposition. The Buffs have scored one touchdown and ten total points in the second half the last three games To me, that is poor coaching resulting in a failure to execute. Colorado was beating Texas at half. The Buffs had a 21 point lead in the second quarter against Kansas and almost lost the game if it wasn't for a 3rd and 19 conversion on the game scoring drive in the fourth quarter. The Buffs are 2 - 18 on the road in the Dan Hawkins era because of the failure to get the team prepared and make adjustments. This could easily be a one win team right now.

RMN: What's the book on the CU defense so far in conference play? It seemed like K-State was able to pile up rushing yardage with ease and Kansas was able to move the ball pretty effectively through the air. Are the numbers telling or deceiving?

TRR: They are deceiving. Yes, Kansas got some pretty good yardage throwing in the second half but for the most part, the Buffs were solid against them, especially in the first half causing a few turnovers. To me, that is just Todd Reesing getting his and Dezmon Briscoe making unbelievable plays. Against Kansas State, the Buffs defense was only accountable for 10 points and for the most part, was playing with their back to the goaline all day because of poor special teams and offensive play. I think the defense has come to play after the West Virginia game, they are blitzing from multiple areas with the linebackers and for the most part, they have stopped the big play from occuring which plagued this unit earlier in the year. They have certainly made an improvement as the year has gone on. Trust me, they are getting zero help from anyone else on this team.

RMN: If you were an opposing coach, how would you attack the CU offense and defense? Is there a specific blueprint for success for beating the Buffs?

TRR: The Buffs usually beat themselves so a great gameplan might not be needed. Attacking the CU offense - first, if the Missouri offense can get a lead, the Buffs will abandon the running game. They have done it many times this year and it is easy to make these guys one dimensional. First things first is to stop the running game. Then it is all about keeping the defense multiple and confusing Tyler Hansen. He is still very young and very inexperienced. The more you can get him second guessing what he is seeing out there, the better it will be for the defense. Colorado is not very explosive on offense, to put it mildly, so I would put eight in the box and dare the Buffs to beat me deep.

As for the CU defense, I don't think it will be as easy to dismantle them but this coming from a team that has given up over 100 points to Missouri the past two years. Who knows. For the most part, the last three games (Kansas State had some early success), the run defense has been pretty stout. If I was Missouri, I would take my shots early down the field. Ray Polk, Ben Burney and Anthony Perkins have been doing pretty well at safety but all are pretty inexperienced back there and Texas did have some luck on double move routes getting behind the defense. The Buffs have been pretty solid against the intermediate passing game and have some relatively solid corners. They have kept the Buffs in a lot of games especially the last three. The defensive line has overacheived to expectations based on the strong play of true freshman Nate Bonsu, true freshman Forrest West and true sophomore Curtis Cunningham. Junior DE Marquez Herrod has played well also.

Colorado Buffaloes Respond, Defeat Previously Unbeaten Kansas Jayhawks

irish1611 — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:05:15 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

about 1 month ago: Colorado wide receiver Markques Simas, front, pulls in a pass for a long gain as Kansas safety Chris Harris comes in to cover in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

It looked like the Colorado Buffaloes were going to lose their second consecutive game after leading at halftime. That feeling of having a snake bitten year creeped in every fans mind after Todd Reesing capitalized on a few Buff turnovers to bring the Jayhawks back from a 24 - 3 deficit to take the lead 30 - 27. It would have been a fitting ending to a four year career that started with a win against Colorado and would have cemented Reesing as a player that Colorado fans would never forget as a big thorn in their side.

13 minutes left in the game and the Buffs needed to respond, something they hadn't done with any consistency the past four years. Enter sophomore quarterback Tyler Hansen.

CU fans were hoping that Hansen would do his best Reesing like impression, someone he tries to emulate, to lead Colorado to a win. Hansen and the offense responded.

After a five yard false start penalty on TE Riar Geer pushing the Buffs back to the 19 yard line followed by two incomplete passes, it looked like Colorado would fall short once again. On 3rd and 15, Tyler Hansen responded moving within the pocket to find Geer for 29 yards converting the long third down and getting the offensive motor started back up. Reesing has had many third and forever conversions in his collegiate career, maybe the Buffs version of Reesing had a coming out party of his own with that pass. Hansen went on to convert two more third downs, one by air, one by feet that helped the Buffs cap off a 10 play, 76 yard drive with seven points and a 34 - 30 lead.

Not a bad showing for a guy that was used sparingly a year ago in four games and was supposed to redshirt this year after Cody Hawkins was named starter in the fall. Hansen finished 14 - 25, 175 yards threw the air with a touchdown and rushed for 34 yards and another score. He did have one fumble and an interception but the defense held serve, only allowing three points on those two possessions. Rodney Stewart made up for his one fumble rushing for over 100 yards and two scores.

What you won't see in the stats are four things that separated Hansen's performance from the previous games:

1) His ability to buy time was clearly what this offense needed. Hansen showed that he can drop back and throw in a rhythm but he also had the knack to get outside the pocket, buy time and make plays. What I am excited for is when the receiver to quarterback relationships continue to develop with Hansen, those plays when Hansen gets out of the pocket will become even more potent.

2) The offense was much more fluid and seemed like they had a chance to make plays. The previous four weeks, it seemed like the Buffs needed every ounce of energy to gain five yards. Granted, the Kansas defense provides little resistance but the CU offense had plenty of plays that were over 10 yards and were able to get five receivers the ball early in the game. Hansen got WR Markques Simas on a 36 yard fade route early in the game that seemed to add another dimension to this offense. Bottom line, with Hansen at the helm the offense looked less constricted and shedded the cookie cutter scheme that led to only 127 yards a week ago. The Buffs had more rushing yards against Kansas than total yards against Texas.

3) Eric Kiesau's play calling was much improved with Hansen in there. Yes, getting an early lead helped but the Buffs ran the ball 43 times to 25 pass attempts, the ratio we hoped for at the beginning of the year. But you could tell based on the variety of plays Kiesau was able to call, he could dial up a few more things that he hadn't been able to in the past. Quarterback draws, quick hitting long out routes for 7 - 8 yards from the pocket, belly option reads, a well executed screen pass to Darrell Scott, etc. Kiesau's team looked much more comfortable.

4) The defense had to account for 11 players and not 10. Plain and simple, the quarterback made plays and was a threat to make plays all game. Two plays that ended up as drops but could have made highlight reels on ESPN this morning was the two scrambling efforts by Hansen, one dropped by Sumler and the other by Stewart deep down the field. Those plays wouldn't have had any chances to be completed a week ago.

The Buffs did most of their damage in the second quarter scoring 24 points, 14 of which came off two Todd Reesing turnovers forced by the defense. You couldn't have asked for a better defensive performance in the first half from Ron Collins' squad. They allowed ten points to a top five offense in the first 30 minutes of play and really controlled the line of scrimmage. Reesing and Co. got going late in the first half and the third quarter but the Buffs came up big the last two drives of the game when they needed it. The only trouble the Buffs had against Reesing was when they dropped 8 and limited the pass rush, especially the last drive of the first half or when Reesing would improvise, heave one up to Dezmon Briscoe and the All American duo would come up with a miraculous play. Many will be worried about the 431 yards passing but a ton of those yards were just great plays that Briscoe and Reesing made a play on, not long run and catches that plagued the Buffs the first three weeks of the season. That is why Reesing is a Heisman mention and Briscoe, along with Jordan Shipley, should be considered two of the top four receivers in the nation. Kansas needed a few trick plays to dent the Buffs defense as well but in the five big drives that Kansas had, the Buffs only gave up six points. Three turnovers, the Colorado defense responded only allowing six points (two field goals) and shut down the Jayhawks on the last two possessions of the game.

Kansas also did the Colorado Buffaloes a favor, not establishing the running game at all. In an unbelievable stat, the Colorado defense held the Kansas Jayhawks to -8 yards rushing on 22 attempts. Strip out Reesing's negative fourty yards and Jake Sharp still only gained 29 yards on 13 carries. Talk about a turnaround. Through the first four games of the year, Colorado's defense gave up 205 yards a game on the ground. The last two weeks against arguably the two favorites to play in the Big 12 championship: 19 yards per game. That defensive line anchored by three true freshman, Curtis Cunningham and Marquez Herrod have improved greatly.

There are plenty of reasons to also think this offense and defense can get better. Briefly, turnovers and penalties still plague the offense. The Buffs turned the ball over twice deep in their own territory, the defense held but to continue to rattle off wins, you can't lose the turnover battle and expect to emerge victorious. It is the most important comparative statistic in football. Luckily, the Buffs scored 14 points on Kansas turnovers and Kansas only scored 6 points on the three Colorado giveaways.

Also on the offensive side of the ball, the Buffs continue to be one of the most penalized teams in the Big 12. Eight infractions, mostly false starts consistently put the Buffs at a disadvantage. We saw it last week with Nate Solder, this week Riar Geer, who had a solid receiving game including a touchdown, had the issues with the snap count. Those two players are two of the more veteran players on the team. They know they can't have those penalties. Some of the issue might be getting used to a new quarterbacks' cadence. The penalties need to be cut in half.

Darrell Scott is doing a good job returning kick offs, maybe we should give him a shot at punt returns. I get the idea for a sure handed returner back there now with Jason Espinoza but he has not provided the burst and big game potential the Buffs need. He is the complete opposite of Josh Smith last year, being little risk and no reward although last night Espinoza almost muffed the ball himself. I think if Darrell Scott is only getting a few touches on offense, this might be a good spot for him in the future. Espinoza does a great job not fumbling but I would sure like to get more out of the special teams game.

A great win any way you cut it after the past few weeks of the season. It is a whole new ball game in the North with Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas all losing yesterday. Kansas State, the Buffs next opponent, sits on top of the North after dismantling the Texas A&M Aggies 62 - 14. That game now looks to be more competitive than once expected and could have some ramifications come seasons end if both teams can maintain their level of play. Remember Phil Steele predicting Kansas State to finish tied with the Buffs at second in the North? He might not be that far off if both teams play like this for the rest of the season and the other teams in the North continue to struggle. What a difference a playmaking quarterback is!

A few quick hitters I noticed:

-Jimmy Smith had strong support and good physical play in the first quarter. Seems one step slow on a few occasions but extremely talented. Marquez Herrod's sack in the first quarter was a direct result of Jimmy Smith's great coverage on Briscoe in the red zone.

-Forrest West and Nate Bonsu have the potential to be great.

-Kansas never really tried to run the ball, were never committed and it made it easier on the defense.

-Rodney Stewart just hits the hole hard, gets up in there, hardly ever tackled for a loss.

-With protection, I love how Hansen drops back, plants and goes forward with the ball. He works in a good rhythm if he can stand in the pocket and the ball is not late out of his hands.

-Defense is hitting well and tackling well.

-Ben Burney does very well coming up to the line of scrimmage and making tackles. Looks good as a safety.

-First half defense was great, good mix of blitzes and coverage schemes.

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

Browse more photos »

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

Mini Buff Bites - Burney Will Stay At Safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday Buff Bites - OT Bryce Givens, OG Max Tuioti-Mariner Return to Practice

irish1611 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:36:19 -0000

The Buffzone Blog - Bryce Givens and Max Tuioti-Ma…

Bryce Givens and Max Tuioti-Mariner returned to practice with the Buffs today. No word on when either will return to the lineup on game day.

Great news to have both come back this week. Coach Hawkins said "we will see" when asked if Givens will play this week. Givens left last week before the Wyoming game to deal with some personal issues. Those issues were not made public. Tuioti-Mariner is returning from his third torn ACL in as many years. Max started as a freshman last year before being knocked out early in the season with his second knee injury.

Full Game Highlights - Colorado Buffaloes vs Wyoming Cowboys
Pretty cool platform on CUBuffs.com to watch the full Wyoming game as well as highlights. The defense definitely made some good plays out there...hopefully they keep Ben Burney in at safety. I really like what he brought to the field.

Legacy Day Throwback Jerseys On Sale Now - CUBuffs.com
CU has made 100 of these available to the public for purchase at the price of $600. The price covers the cost of the uniforms to the University.

Bzdelik scores CU Buff prospect thanks to Hawkins - Boulder Daily Camera

Jeff Bzdelik compared freshman guard Alec Burks -- a skinny, 6-foot-6 swish machine -- to the program`s all-time leading scorer during a teleconference with reporters this summer. The arrival of Missouri`s reigning high school player of the year to Boulder should, if nothing else, provide a spark to a CU team that finished last in the Big 12 in scoring the past two seasons running Bzdelik`s system. Believe it or not, Dan Hawkins and Aric Goodman deserve credit for an assist on this one. Burks committed to CU a year ago after the Buffs` nationally televised overtime victory over West Virginia at Folsom Field. The Buffs next face West Virginia on Oct. 1. "I came on my visit and I just loved it here," said Burks, who also considered playing for Kansas State. "They had a football game on ESPN and we won and everybody rushed the field. I wanted to be a part of that experience, so I committed here."

Big 12 grades: Sooners' Tulsa demolition earns highest marks - Big 12 - ESPN

Colorado: A: A simple defensive plan led to a shutout for a Buffaloes defense that had been gashed for 54 points against Toledo and was allowing an average of 500 yards per game before their victory over Wyoming. The offense showed some growth, too, with the strong running of Rodney Stewart keying the victory.

The Longmont Times-Call - Booters Booming

Colorado’s Aric Goodman and Matt DiLallo are off to good starts in 2009. Goodman is 3-for-4 on field goals after going 5-for-14 in 2008. DiLallo is averaging 43 yards per punt, and his net average is 37.4. Those numbers are up from last year’s 40.5 and 34.

New stars about to shine across Big 12 - Boulder Daily Camera
Kyle Ringo has a nice preview of players that he think will turn into Big 12 stars soon enough.

Defense Sparks Buffs, Get First Win of 2009

irish1611 — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:31:11 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

2 months ago: Colorado tailback Rodney Stewart, center, is congratulated after his touchdown run by fullback Jake Behrens, left, and tight end Riar Geer during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Wyoming in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Needing a win more than ever, the Colorado Buffaloes delivered. It is one we should definitely enjoy, it has been a turmoil filled start and finally being able to celebrate a Buffs' win wherever you were watching the game was a relief. It wasn't the prettiest of victories but there are certainly a few takeaways from this game that hopefully continue to improve as the year goes on.

The defense for the most part played fantastic. You must first start with the energy level that the team displayed in the early going. Players were ready to go and played with little apprehension, something we saw the last two weeks that made the defense look slow and confused. Clearly, the goal today was bring pressure from the linebacker spot. The Buffs also made a very strategic move to put CB Ben Burney at the safety spot, instantly adding some experience and more leadership to the team while keeping two of their best players on the field in CB Cha'pelle Brown and CB Jimmy Smith. Defensive coordinator Ron Collins said that the eleven best players will play this offseason and getting more experience back in the safety spot was a step in that direction. Burney looked like another linebacker out there as he was often around the ball, something we can't say about the performance of the safety position the last few weeks.

LB B.J. Beatty finally played in a role that we expected him to be in this year as a replacement for last year's sack leader LB Brad Jones. One of the keys to the game was playing in the Wyoming backfield and Beatty led the charge, sacking the quarterback twice and causing much more havoc as a rush end than anyone has all year. Finding a constant pressure guy is important going forward and for the Buffs to be successful for remainder of the season, B.J. Beatty will have to continue to play as he did today. Defensive linemen Marquez Herrod and Curtis Cunningham also played well. Herrod had four tackles and a sack while Cunningham was second on the team in tackles with six and also had a sack. Whenever their was push in the backfield, numbers 90 and 68 were usually the instigators. Also, great to see LB Jon Major get in and make some plays on the defense. After battling back from an injury a year ago, Major had four tackles.

In total, Colorado's defense held the Dave Christensen-led offense to a feeble 3.2 yards a play, 0-2 on fourth down, 4 - 18 on third down, 24 minutes of possession, 13 first downs and only 230 total yards. That's a big improvement over the week before as Toledo gained 624 yards on the ground and averaged 9.9 per play. Of course, this was a bad offense in Wyoming that hasn't scored a touchdown since third quarter of the Weber State game, which was a full two games and a quarter ago. Wyoming has little in terms of playmakers but considering the defense's play the first two weeks, credit must be given to Ron Collins and the defensive staff for dialing up a good game plan that was successful. Collins will still need to get this unit to improve as the schedule now gets exponentially tougher with West Virginia, Texas and Kansas all down the pipeline. Not to scare Buff fans but those three teams are ranked 12th, 13th and 3rd in the nation in total offense, all averaging over 482 yards of total offense. The real test for this defense will start against West Virginia.

But Saturday was a start for the defense. Great move to get Burney on the field and establishing some confidence in Beatty to get things done in the opponents backfield. The Buffs didn't allow the big play and the corner back play looked much more settled. Again, it was against the 99th ranked offense but we will take it.

As for the offense, it is still very much a work in progress. On a positive note, the return of RB Rodney Stewart, although not entirely healthy, proved beneficial. Although only averaging 4.0 yards a carry, Stewart was a workhorse scoring twice.

The offense also did it's job, scoring first just one minute and thirty seconds into the game, giving the Buffs their first lead of the year and allowing the defense to play with the lead, something that hasn't happened this year. The offense held the ball for over 35 minutes by running the ball 45 times. WR Scotty McKnight continues to be the the main target that Cody Hawkins looks for and the main target offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau works around. McKnight caught five balls for 77 yards, good for 15.4 per reception. Through the first three games of the year, McKnight already has 20 catches for 227 yards. If he continues on this pace, McKnight will have an 80 catch year which will destroy his 46 catch total of a year ago.

The Buffs only allowed one sack and just one turnover, improvements over the first two games.

But this offense still lacks any threat of explosiveness. Fast and atheltic defenses, which the Buffs will be playing in the immediate future, are going to have a field day if Colorado cannot loosen up the defense with some ability to go down field. WR Markques Simas supposedly started but rarely received a look in the passing game. WR Andre Simmons was no where to be found as was WR Anthony Wright. The only receiver to have a double-digit yards/catch average yesterday was McKnight. In a game that the Buffs had a comfortable lead early, I was disappointed that the Buffs didn't try to incorporate Simas, Simmons and Wright in the offense more. It is time to see what these players will do on the field. A slant route, a fade route, a bubble screen...anything to get them in the rhythm of the offense.

Colorado has three receivers in Simas, Simmons and Wright that can have the playmaking potential that is much needed for the rest of the year. The Buffs coaching staff has 12 days before they head to Morgantown to play West Virginia. The offense needs a similar make over like defense showed against Wyoming and that change is a commitment to becoming an offense that can stretch the field and add a little imagination to a stagnant unit.

The defense showed some explosiveness, the offense needs to follow suit for the Buffs to have any success with the remainder of the schedule. Colorado needs more consistency from Cody Hawkins, he needs to capitalize and make a few passes downfield that will change the game. Still too many mental lapses and missed opportunities. The Buffs' offense needs it's players to make plays and it's coaches to put them in a position to be successful.

At this point, I speak for most Buff fans in that a win is a win and we will take it any way. This team still has a lot of issues but let's enjoy this one for the time being.

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