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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

Spring Recap: The Offensive Line

irish1611 — Sun, 03 May 2009 13:11:38 -0000

Pre-Spring Thoughts:

Coming into spring ball, all we could really think about was the potential the offensive line had. Last year with the injuries to Ryan Miller, Mike Iltis and Max Tuioti-Mariner as well as other issues that plagued the offensive line, many young Buffs played and gained experience. When you looked at the 2009 roster before the start of spring, there were 12 players that were eligible for any one of the starting spots on the offensive line (that doesn't even count players like C Evan Eastburn and OT Ryan Dannewitz.)That is great depth and with many players getting a taste last year, it was easy to think that all of this competition would make the o-line that much better. Going into camp, you could guess that Ryan Miller (6'8 310 So.) and Nate Solder (6'9" 300 Jr.) had the inside track at both of the tackle positions with the three other spots open for battle. Optimistic was the best way to describe the offensive line.

But that optimism was tempered by the departure of 2008 offensive line coach, Jeff Grimes, to Auburn and the hiring of Denver Johnson, a former head coach of Murray State and Illinois State as well as the ACL injury to one time 2008 starting guard, Max Tuioti-Mariner (6'3" 300 RFr).

Prior to his head coaching stints, Denver Johnson worked his way through the ranks at Oklahoma State, Mississippi State and Oklahoma, gaining important Big 12 experience and establishing himself recruiting-wise in the state of Texas, something that made Buff fans excited.

As for MTM, the ACL injury was his third in as many years, something most of us cannot imagine returning from. Tuioti-Mariner showed why he was a top recruit in 2008 by quickly inserting himself into the starting lineup before he was lost early the season with his second ACL injury. He, as well as Ryan Miller, received a medical redshirt for last season, something that only increased the optimism around the future of the offensive line. MTM is still determined to come back and coach Dan Hawkins thinks that he can be ready for fall.

click after the jump to read the rest of the offensive line recap...

Post Spring Thoughts:

Starting with Denver Johnson, it seems like he has fit in extremely well with the offensive line as well as pleasing the fan base saying the Buffs were going to be more aggressive, playing on the opponents side of the ball. Johnson learned the terminology of the offensive line instead of instilling his own to keep the learning curve down, focusing more on changes in technique from the Grimes era, something that will pay dividends in the fall. Basically, Johnson's goal is turn the Buffs into a smash mouth team, something that fits the change in the overall offensive scheme. I think 9 out of 10 Buff fans would give an enthusiastic two thumbs up for the Denver Johnson hire thus far, with a perfect 10 coming if he can turn heads recruiting Texas.

On to the players. The first day of spring ball, the starting lineup was Solder at left tackle, Matt Bahr at left guard (6'4" 285 So.), Mike Iltis at center (6'3" 275 So.), Miller at right guard and initially surprising, Bryce Givens at right tackle (6'6" 275 R-Fr.). The move of Miller to guard and redshirt freshman, Bryce Givens, to right tackle came as a surprise to many Buff fans considering Miller's past starting experience at tackle but Denver Johnson stuck to his word; he wants the five best offensive lineman on the field. If you remember correctly, Givens was a four star recruit in 2008 but was about 250 pounds and had concussion issues. It looks like he has put the health concerns behind him and with the addition of 25 pounds to his 6'6" frame, he made himself a serious contender for the starting tackle spot. Solder and Givens are both big, athletic guys on the edge and should be a successful mainstay for the Buffs the next two years. At the conclusion of camp, Solder, Givens, Miller and Iltis found themselves in the same spots while the left guard spot is still up for grabs, in my opinion. Johnson is still trying to get a feel for all of his guys which would explain three different starters at the guard position this spring from Bahr to Sione Tau (6'5" 325 So.) to Ethan Adkins (6'4" 295 So.). Expect as many as six players battling for that one guard spot with the three I mentioned above as well as Shawn Daniels (6'3" 280 So.), Tuioti-Mariner and Blake Behrens (6'3" 290 So.) (all three out due to injury this spring) to have their shot.

As far as the performance this spring, it was a nice progression of results. With a new offensive line coach, Miller moving to guard, new starters at the other guard position as well as center and right tackle, everybody had to adapt and it took time to see the results on the field. I do have to say I am excited about the offensive line especially if we can solidify the guard spot. Hopefully Tuioti-Mariner or Behrens, who can gained experience last year, can step in and be a starter for the next three to four years.

The running game failed to really get going in the initial two scrimmages. The first scrimmage, the offense rushed for only 108 yards on 33 carries, good for a 3.3 average. No running back averaged over 4 yards a clip. The second scrimmage was not much better: 29 carries, 102 yards for an average of 3.5 ypc. The spring game was a different story, though. You could tell that the line had progressed and were more comfortable with the offense and the scheme. In a perfect way to end the spring session, the Buffs ran 50 times for 310 yards, an average of 6.2 per carry. All running backs went for over 5.5 yards an attempt, something that we expected based on the talent of the offensive line.

Injuries:

OG Max Tuioti-Mariner out for entire spring, OG Devin Head limited this spring, played in spring game, OG Blake Behrens limited/out this spring, OG Shawn Daniels limited/out this spring, OL Sione Tau did not play in spring game, missed a few practices for personal reasons after starting at left guard for the second week of spring. All expected to be ready for fall ball, doubt about MTM being ready.

Player(s) Who Emerged:

C Mike Iltis and RT Bryce Givens. Iltis has filled in nicely for last year's starter and stalwart, Daniel Sanders. Iltis is still learning this position and getting comfortable making the line calls but he never relinquished the center spot all spring. As for Givens, enough was said above about his successful offseason. Both Givens and Solder should be fun to watch at the tackle spots.

Final Assessment:

All things still look on the up and up. This squad is deep and if MTM comes back healthy, watch out. This unit has all the talent and it looks like the coaching to be very successful in the Big 12. A lot will be on the shoulders of the offensive line with a depleted wide receiver corp and a duo at quarterback that probably isn't going to beat anybody by themselves. The way this group goes, is the way the offense goes in 2009. The best part is they are still young, but experienced from last season!

Assessing Our Team For the Opponent

irish1611 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:38:37 -0000

The guys over at Corn Nation, the Nebraska blog on SBNation, asked us to put together a small synopsis of the Buffs going into spring ball so that they could educate their fan base on what to hear out of camp this year. I thought it would be good to share so you can see what I am looking at going into camp.

Corn Nation: Who's Gone: (What Star Players Are Gone in 2009)

Biggest loss on Offense: Center Daniel Sanders. Right now the Buffs have three or four guys who can probably step in but not like Sanders did. He was a big performer for the Buffs and right now, no one has any experience at the position worth mentioning. Look for Mike Iltis, Blake Behrens or Evan Eastburn to battle for the starting spot this offseason with the favorite being Iltis who is recovering from an ACL injury. Other than that, the Buffs lose no one of any significant value on offense from last year's team. Same goes for next year as Colorado will only lose a starting tight end, a fullback and an offensive guard. This offense will have a lot of time to grow together.

Biggest loss on Defense: CU lost a few significant senior starters from 2008 although many underachieved. On the underachiever side you can put DT George Hypolite, DT Brandon Nicolas, DE Maurice Lucas and S Daniel Dykes. LB Brad Jones and S Ryan Walters will be the hardest players to replace. Jones led the team in sacks last year and was the only player that could get any sort of consistent pressure. The good thing for the Buffs is that linebacker is one position we have recruited well at and have many candidates to replace him. B.J. Beatty will provide the Buffs with Jones-like pass rush skills. Beatty is one of those guys who flies around and makes plays. Also look for redshirt freshman LB Jon Major and LB Doug Rippy to see time and with the Buffs returning All Big 12 players in LB Shaun Mohler and LB Jeff Smart, linebacker should not be a concern. The only concern on defense in my mind, and it is a big one, is defensive line. Even though Hypolite, Nicolas and Lucas underachieved last year, they were the only guys we had and the only guys we saw play with any significant time. This year, we are flying blind and all positions are up for grabs. Hawkins got two big recruits in 5* DE Nick Kasa and 4* DL Edward Nuckols in 2009 but whether they will be ready to go physically is never a guarantee. Cornerback should be solid with plenty of depth and although the Buffs lose both safeties, Walters and Dykes had plenty of injuries last year giving replacements S Anthony Perkins and S Patrick Mahnke time to get a feel for the spots as freshman. Walters was a leader of the defense as well as a pretty hard nosed ball player so that will need to be filled in 2009.

Corn Nation: Who To Watch: (The best guys on your team, and maybe your quarterback if you have a new one)

see more after the jump...

Right now as Buff fans we get really optimistic before the season starts about a lot of players, we always do that! Here are a few:

Offense:

RB Darrell Scott - has dropped all the excess weight he had carried last year as a freshman, down to his high school weight of 205 pounds (was at 225), is said to be healty again, running a 4.4 forty, got mentioned in a recent interview with our strength and conditioning coach saying he was the hardest working player this offseason and really made a point to show everyone that he is ready to break out in 2009. I have no doubt that 2008 will be a distant memory after this season.

RB Rodney Stewart - hard not to have him on this list even though I think Darrell Scott will replace him as the starting back. Although he broke his leg late in the season, he worked hard this offseason and tested out as the strongest player pound for pound on the team. No questioning what he did last season was pretty amazing for a freshman (can't you tell that we had a lot of freshman playing last season...it makes me sick typing this). This running back combo could be special for years to come.

WR Markques Simas - was ineligible last season but is said to have a strong GPA this year. He was a four star commit in 2007 and should be the top play maker on the edge in 2009. It has been reported that no one is even close to his talent level at wide receiver and he just torched the defensive starters last year playing on the scout team.

OT's Ryan Miller and Nate Solder - they will anchor this line, a line that if healthy, has the talent to be a top 3 or 4 squad in the conference. Both of these guys have the build (6'9" 300+) and the athleticism (Solder ran a sub 5.0 forty this offseason) to be pro prospects.

QB Tyler Hansen - because we need a change. The offseason should do wonders for him learning the playbook and gaining confidence controlling the offense. People forget that last year he was strictly the scout team quarterback until about two weeks before the Kansas State game. Basically, he had to learn the Colorado playbook in a few short days. He is taller, has better feet and a better arm than Cody Hawkins. The only thing that we need to see is his ability to grasp the offense and the leadership that goes along with being the starting Q.

WR Josh Smith - was third in the Big 12 last year in all purpose yards and ninth in the nation. Need a more consistent performance from him but if he dedicates himself, he has already shown that he can be explosive and a game changer.

Defense:

LB Shaun Mohler: impressive last year in his first season as a JUCO transfer. Became a starter after the second game and never gave it up. I expect second team All Big 12 or better this year for Mohler. Was honorable mention last year. He plays down hill and is my pick for CU's defensive player of the year.

LB Jeff Smart: Second team All Big 12 linebacker last year. He isn't the most gifted linebacker the Buffs have but he is the most productive. He might get pushed by some of the younger, bigger guys this year but I expect another strong season from him.

CB Jimmy Smith: he will be the first cornerback selected out of the Big 12 in 2010's NFL draft. He has great size (6'3" 200 pounds) and is by far and away the most athletic player on CU's roster. Husker fans should remember Smith after last year's game.

CB Cha'pelle Brown: an All Big 12 player last year. What he lacks in size, he offsets with consistent play. With the return of 2007 starter Ben Burney from injury as well as the emergence of backups Jalil Brown and Anthony Wright, Cha'pelle will have his hands full but I expect him to be the day one starter based on last season.

Corn Nation: Under the Radar players who might make an impact this season:

OL Bryce Givens - a former Nebraska commit, Givens has added 25 pounds this offseason to go along with his great athleticism. He should push for a starting spot if he can stay healthy.

LB's Doug Rippy and Jon Major - part of the big 2008 LB recruiting trio, look for Rippy (who is physically ready to play at the college level) and Jon Major to push for time. Unfortunately, the cream of the crop in 2008, LB Lynn Katoa, is struggling both on and off the field and it wouldn't be a surprise if he never suited up for the Buffs.

DL Conrad Obi - honestly, we have no idea who is going to make up three or even all of our starting defensive line spots. I can't even make an educated guess but Obi is said to have all the physical talent but now it is time for the sophomore to turn it into production. CU is very young on the D-line.

DL Curtis Cunningham - he saw the most action of any player as a backup last year which was pretty amazing considering he was a 260 pound true freshman. If I had to put my money on one player starting next year on the defensive line, it would be him. He showed in limited action that he can make plays.

Let the Spring Practice Preview Start!

irish1611 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:10:37 -0000

March is now upon us and it is time to get back in that mode of football. It feels good just to say that. Although preparation for one of the most important seasons in the past decade began right after the 2008 season ended, March 31st will be the first time we personally get to see things like RB Darrell Scott at 200 pounds, a new offensive scheme (sort of), Denver Johnson coaching the offensive line and hopefully, we see a young & injured team last year begin to mature and show signs of a 8+ win team.

Inaugural Preview

Over the next couple of weeks, we will breakdown the top 10 - 20 questions going into spring ball as well as a position by position breakdown as we see it this springtime. Of course, no one has ever won a starting spot in spring practice. With only a few days of pads and actual hitting, we won't get a great look at important position battles like defensive line. But there are a few things I am definitely looking for that aren't necessarily measured by yards gained or completion percentages. I will be keeping an eye on a couple of intangibles that are always important, especially in the transformation of an inexperienced and often hurt 2008 squad to a successful 2009 contender. Intangibles are key in the game of football, just ask the Denver Broncos right now. A new coach and GM who has already rocked the boat to a point possibly beyond repair, a wide receiver who can't stay out of a trouble (most recent charges have been dropped), a very insecure & immature quarterback that forgets he gets paid to play this game, etc. there is no doubt in my mind that this won't show in their play next year. Here are some intangibles I will be watching for when I attend spring practice:

1) Team Morale and Energy Level - basically, how is this team going to respond after a disappointing 2008 season. Is this team going to be flying around out there, running to their drills, being vocal, cheering each other on or is their still some indecisiveness out there about the quarterbacks, the coaches, the defensive line that will come through in the players' play? Basically does this team believe they can win a ton of games next year and does that show in their play? Half of the battle with a still young team is getting them to believe and buy into what the goal is.

2) Team Leadership - Over 60% of the defense is still considered an underclassmen and over 65% of the offense are made up of sophomores or freshmen. The Buffs lost two vocal leaders in S Ryan Walters and DL George Hypolite to graduation on the defensive side of the ball. They also lost a leader by example in C Daniel Sanders. QB Cody Hawkins is definitely a leader but he is only one guy and is in a battle right now for the starting job. I would prefer for a leader to be on the field all the time and that we have at least 2 guys on each side of the ball who everyone can look to in tough situations. Is OT Ryan Miller ready to accept that post? How about a guy like RB Darrell Scott...a kid who has shown nothing but maturity and class in what was a tough first year, can he be the tough guy when he needs to? Let's face it, the Buffs and Dan Hawkins needs a few of these sophomores to take the reins and lead. They are the foundation of this team. Other candidates would probably include TE Riar Geer, LB Shaun Mohler, CB Cha'pelle Brown, LB Jeff Smart and QB Tyler Hansen. They don't need to be the most vocal people but can be like Daniel Sanders who consistently works hard and does their job. Leadership is huge and it's one thing that the players need to take on themselves, not the coaches.

3) A Sense of Urgency - Dan Hawkins made note of the sense of urgency this team needs to have this year when he didn't predict, but said he expects 10 wins this year. That is a sense of urgency. Two things you hear a lot when you are on a sideline playing in a game is "sudden change" and "a sense of urgency" both of which center around a player's ability to respond in the toughest of situations. It embodies a teams character and will to get the job done. When the Buffs take the field on March 31st, do they practice with a sense of urgency and a will to perform? I look for the coaches to instill this from day one.

4) Are We Having Fun Yet? - Again, some of you might be like "what is this guy talking about?" Trust me, I know about football player psychology and it is extremely important. One of my big pet peeves from last year was a lack of excitement. It just didn't seem like the Buffs were all that amped to get out there and roll. Seemed more like a job and less like a game. Call it a lack of fire or whatever. Hopefully it was a result of being young and just trying to keep up their head above water but this team seemed really tense last year. in 2009, watch to see if there is excitement when a guy makes a big stick or a ton of emotion when the game starts. Having fun means the ability to relax and have confidence in yourself to get the job done. A tense team doubts themselves, finds flaws in their game, etc.

Simply said, this team needs confidence. Whether it has been built in the offseason or will be built up in spring and fall practice, come that first Saturday against Colorado State, it is a must.

Fun Facts for the Spring Game

In preparation to make sure you know all the information to get you ready for spring ball, we will try to post some facts leading up to March 31st.

Our first one is a no brainer... the 2009 Spring Practice Schedule from Dave Plati and the SID:

Spring practice will begin Tuesday, March 31, and end with the spring game on Saturday, April 25. The tentative dates are as follows: March 31; April 2-3-
6-9-11-13-14-16-17-20-21-23-25; a high school coaches clinic is set for April 2-3. The team is allowed 15 practices over 29 days; this is the first time in
four years CU is not starting prior to spring break (March 23-27) and will complete spring ball from start to finish when the players return. How the practice sessions will break down, per NCAA rules: three in shorts (no contact), four in pads (no tackling), four in pads (tackling allowed 50 percent or less of the time), four in pads (tackling allowed throughout).

Questions and Topics You Want to See Covered

In an attempt to make sure you use the Ralphie Report as your home for all questions leading into spring ball, we welcome you to post in the comment section or email us at theralphiereport@gmail.com any topics you would like discussed in the next 30 or so days leading up to spring practice.

Anyone else pumped?

Poll

Who will be attending spring ball this offseason?

I will be getting up for some practices and the spring game. Can't wait to get my full fix!

35 votes

Just the spring game.

39 votes

Just some practices. CU is crazy for scheduling the spring game on the day of the NFL draft.

3 votes

I hate all of you people who live in Colorado! I will be stuck to my computer looking for updates as I am out of the state.

39 votes

No interest, only interested when the games count.

3 votes

119 votes | Poll has closed

Big 12 All-Conference Teams & Players of the Year

irish1611 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:44:22 -0000

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR	DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, So., QB	Brian Orakpo, Texas, Sr., DL,
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR	COACHES OF THE YEAR
Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, So., PR/KR	Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, 10th season
Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, So., PR/KR	Mike Leach, Texas Tech, 9th season
OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR	DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Robert Griffin, Baylor, Fr., QB	Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, Fr., LB,
OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR	DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Brandon Banks, Kansas State, Jr., WR	McKinner Dixon, Texas Tech, Jr., DE
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR	DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Jon Cooper, Oklahoma, Sr.	Brian Orakpo, Texas, Sr., DL

Click after the jump to see the first, second and honorable mention teams along with some commentary...in my opinion, Josh Smith got screwed.

2008 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Sam Bradford	Oklahoma	So.	Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City North
RB	DeMarco Murray	Oklahoma	So.	Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
RB	Kendall Hunter	Oklahoma State	So.	Tyler, Texas/John Tyler
FB	Matt Clapp	Oklahoma	Jr.	Phoenix, Ariz./Paradise Valley
WR	Jeremy Maclin [r1]	Missouri	So.	Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood
WR	Dez Bryant	Oklahoma State	So.	Lufkin, Texas/Lufkin
WR	Michael Crabtree** [r1]	Texas Tech	So.	Dallas, Texas/Carter
TE	Jermaine Gresham	Oklahoma	Jr.	Ardmore, Okla./Ardmore
OL	Jason Smith	Baylor	Sr.	Dallas, Texas/W.T. White
OL	Phil Loadholt	Oklahoma	Sr.	Fountain, Colo./Garden City CC
OL	Duke Robinson [r1]	Oklahoma	Sr.	Atlanta, Ga./Washington
OL	Trent Williams	Oklahoma	Jr.	Longview, Texas/Longview
OL	Russell Okung	Oklahoma State	Jr.	Fort Bend, Texas/Bush
OL	Adam Ulatoski	Texas	Jr.	Southlake, Texas/Carroll
PK	Jeff Wolfert	Missouri	Sr.	Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West
KR/PR	Dez Bryant	Oklahoma State	So.	Lufkin, Texas/Lufkin

2008 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
DL	Ziggy Hood	Missouri	Sr.	Amarillo, Texas/Palo Duro
DL	Gerald McCoy	Oklahoma	So.	Oklahoma City, Okla./Southeast
DL	Roy Miller	Texas	Sr.	Killeen, Texas/Shoemaker
DL	Brian Orakpo	Texas	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Lamar
DL	Brandon Williams	Texas Tech	Jr.	Fort Worth, Texas/South Hills
LB	Joe Pawelek	Baylor	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas/Smithson Valley
LB	Sean Weatherspoon	Missouri	Jr.	Jasper, Texas/Jasper
LB	Sergio Kindle	Texas	Jr.	Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson
DB	Jordan Lake	Baylor	Jr.	Houston, Texas/Memorial
DB	Darrell Stuckey	Kansas	Jr.	Kansas City, Kan./Washington
DB	William Moore**	Missouri	Sr.	Hayti, Mo./Hayti
DB	Nic Harris [r1]	Oklahoma	Sr.	Alexandria, La./Alexandria
DB	Darcel McBath	Texas Tech	Sr.	Gainesville, Texas/Gainesville
P	Justin Brantly	Texas A&M	Sr.	Sealy, Texas/Sealy
A tie in voting created an additional offensive line spot on the first- and second-teams.
[r1] - Repeat first team selection from last season
**Unanimous Selection

2008 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Colt McCoy	Texas	Jr.	Tuscola, Texas/Jim Ned
RB	Derrick Washington	Missouri	So.	Peculiar, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar
RB	Shannon Woods	Texas Tech	Sr.	McKinney, Texas/North
FB	Jorvorskie Lane	Texas A&M	Sr.	Lufkin, Texas/Lufkin
WR	Dezmon Briscoe	Kansas	So.	Dallas, Texas/Cedar Hill
WR	Juaquin Iglesias	Oklahoma	Sr.	Killeen, Texas/Killeen
WR	Jordan Shipley	Texas	Sr.	Burnet, Texas/Burnet
TE	Chase Coffman	Missouri	Sr.	Peculiar, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar
OL	Kurtis Gregory	Missouri	Jr.	Blackburn, Mo./Santa Fe
OL	Matt Slauson	Nebraska	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Force Prep
OL	Jon Cooper	Oklahoma	Sr.	Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins
OL	Chris Hall	Texas	Jr.	Irving, Texas/Irving
OL	Louis Vasquez	Texas Tech	Sr.	Corsicana, Texas/Corsicana
OL	Rylan Reed	Texas Tech	Sr.	Dallas, Texas/Crossett (Ark.)
PK	Hunter Lawrence	Texas	Jr.	Boerne, Texas/Boerne
KR/PR	Jordan Shipley	Texas	Jr.	Burnet, Texas/Burnet

2008 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Class	Hometown/Previous School(s)
DL	George Hypolite	Colorado	Sr.	Los Angeles, Calif./Loyola
DL	Ian Campbell	Kansas State	Sr.	Cimarron, Kan./Cimarron
DL	Stryker Sulak [r2]	Missouri	Sr.	Rockdale, Texas/Rockdale
DL	Ndamukong Suh	Nebraska	Jr.	Portland, Ore./Grant
DL	Jeremy Beal	Oklahoma	So.	Carrollton, Texas/Creekview
LB	James Holt	Kansas	Sr.	Altus, Okla./Altus
LB	Travis Lewis	Oklahoma	Fr.	San Antonio, Texas/Robert E. Lee
LB	Andre Sexton	Oklahoma State	Jr.	Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls
DB	Dominique Franks	Oklahoma	So.	Tulsa, Okla./Union
DB	Lendy Holmes	Oklahoma	Sr.	Dallas, Texas/South Oak Cliff
DB	Jacob Lacey	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Garland, Texas/Naaman Forest
DB	Ryan Palmer	Texas	Sr.	Arlington, Texas/Bowie
DB	Daniel Charbonnet	Texas Tech	Sr.	The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands
P	Matt Fodge	Oklahoma State	Sr.	Garland, Texas/Garland
[r2] - Repeat second team selection from last season

2008 ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
Baylor:	Derek Epperson, P; Dan Gay, OL
Colorado:	Cha'pelle Brown, DB; Brad Jones, LB; Daniel Sanders, OL
Iowa State:	Mike Brandtner, P; Leonard Johnson, DB/KR/PR; Rashawn Parker, DL; James Smith, DB; Jesse Smith, LB; Reggie Stephens, OL; Kurtis Taylor, DL
Kansas:	Caleb Blakesley, DL; Ryan Cantrell, OL; Jake Laptad, DL; Adrian Mayes, OL; Kerry Meier, WR; Mike Rivera, LB; Jake Sharp, RB
Kansas State:	Brandon Banks, KR/PR/WR; Jordan Bedore, OL; Eric Childs, DL; Brandon Harold, DL; Joshua Moore, DB; Brooks Rossman, PK; Nick Stringer, OL
Missouri:	Tim Barnes, OL; Jaron Baston, DL; Castine Bridges, DB; Colin Brown, OL; Brock Christopher, LB; Chase Daniel, QB; Justin Garrett, DB; Jeremy Maclin, KR/PR; Tommy Saunders, WR
Nebraska:	Larry Asante, DB; Roy Helu Jr., RB; Alex Henery, PK; Jacob Hickman, OL; Zach Potter, DL; Ty Steinkuhler, DL; Nate Swift, KR/PR/WR
Oklahoma:	Chris Brown, RB; Keenan Clayton, LB; Brandon Walker, OL
Oklahoma State:	Jeray Chatham, DL; Perrish Cox, KR/PR; Orie Lemon, LB; Ricky Price, DB; Tonga Tea, DL
Texas:	Quan Cosby, KR/PR/WR; Cedric Dockery, OL; Blake Gideon, DB; Aaron Lewis, DL; Henry Melton, DL; Roddrick Muckelroy, LB; Chris Ogbonnaya, RB; Charlie Tanner, OL; Earl Thomas, DB
Texas A&M:	Jeff Fuller, WR; Trent Hunter, DB
Texas Tech:	Baron Batch, RB; Brandon Carter, OL; McKinner Dixon, DL; Brian Duncan, LB; Stephen Hamby, OL; Graham Harrell, QB; Jamar Wall, DB; Colby Whitlock, DL; Marlon Williams, LB; Marlon Winn, OL

Some early commentary regarding these selections. The biggest disappointment to me is the fact that Cha'pelle Brown wasn't a first team selection. He had a great year on the #1 pass defense in the Big 12.
The Buffs only had 4 players selected to any team, tied for last with Iowa State. Yes, Texas A&M, Baylor and Kansas State placed more players than the Buffs. Motivation boys, motivation! Do they deserve huge numbers? No but for a defense that was pretty consistent all year, not to have more on that side of the ball in such a bad defensive conference is crazy. Call me a homer.
LB's Shaun Mohler and Jeff Smart were 5th and 4th in the conference respectively in tackles? Not to pick on a player or team by Iowa State's Jessie Smith was eighteen in the Big 12 in tackles, had the same amount of tackles for loss as Shaun Mohler and had one less sack...he got honorable mention? Orie Lemon from Oklahoma State, same thing?
Josh Smith led the conference in punt return and kick return yardage by a pretty big amount with 1,568 yards. Not honorable mention. First team PR/KR Dez Bryant had 405 yards return yards. thats almost four times less than Smith. Bryant also made first team offense so its not like it was a charity give for his all around work. Josh Smith was the only player to rank in the top 5 of both kick off returns and punt return average this year. Other players who got awarded instead of Smith were Leonard Johnson from Iowa State, Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Shipley from Texas, Perris Cox from OSU, Nate Swift from Nebraska and Quan Cosby from Texas. Josh Smith ranked ahead of all these players in all purpose yards except for Maclin who was already named a first team receiver? Smith got the shaft in a big way.
Rodney Stewart was on pace for a second team selection until he got hurt. His yards/game is still 7th in the conference.
How can Oklahoma center Jon Cooper be selected as the "Lineman of the Year" in the Big 12 but not make the first team unit. Cooper made the second team?
How can anyone in their right mind select Javorskie Lane to any team, let alone second team fullback? I guess being overweight to a point of confusion gets you enough publicity to trick people into thinking you are good?

Here is the release from the Big 12 site:

Sam Bradford is the third Oklahoma player to be named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Former Sooners Jason White (2003 and 2004) and Josh Heupel (2000) previously won the award. OU is now tied with Texas for the most Offensive Player of the Year winners in conference history with four.

Brian Orakpo of Texas is the third Longhorn to receive Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was also named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2005. Orakpo is the fourth player in Big 12 history to receive both the defensive freshman and player of the year awards (Mark Simoneau, Kansas State - 1996, 2000; Derrick Johnson, Texas - 2000, 2004; Jordan Dizon, Colorado - 2004, 2007).

Bob Stoops was tabbed Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career (2000, 2003, 2006), while Mike Leach was honored for the first time. No other coach has matched Stoops' four coaching awards in 13 years of Big 12 conference play.

Robert Griffin was named Offensive Freshman of the Year, marking Baylor's second individual award winner. Griffin joins Daniel Sepulveda, who was named Special Teams Player of the Year in 2006.

Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State, the Special Teams Player of the Year, gives the Cowboys their third individual Big 12 award in program history. Previously, Adarius Bowman was honored as Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2006, and Bob Simmons earned Coach of the Year accolades in 1997.

Kansas State's Brandon Banks gave the Wildcats their second straight Offensive Newcomer of the Year award winner and league-leading third overall. Deon Murphy was honored in 2007, joining KSU's first honoree, Michael Bishop (1997).

Oklahoma has won the most major awards in the 13-year history of the Big 12 with 23. Texas is next with 20 winners, followed by Kansas State (14), Nebraska (9), Texas Tech (7), Colorado (6), Iowa State (6), Kansas (6) and Missouri (5).

Be Honest With Me Brothers & Sisters: Colorado Buffaloes Embarrassed by Texas Longhorns

irish1611 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:54:29 -0000

The Kool-Aid was emptied last week. This week, hope became a hard reality...and it came like a freight truck coming 100 mph down the freeway right into Folsom Field. There were so many things to be disappointed with last night, it made all Buff fans take the big pill that was prescribed for those who still maintained the FSU game was an anomaly. This post will be honest and straight forward. It will be different than other wrap ups because it is not all about X and O's anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still believe this team is headed in a positive direction, we are just so far from the talent that the Big 4 in Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Texas put on the field. The question is will the Buffs ever have the talent to compete with Texas and Oklahoma? After sitting 20 rows right behind the Texas sideline (unfortunately with a bunch of Texas fans...thanks for selling your tickets to Texas fans CU donors), you see the eye-popping difference between the two teams. I have to tell you Buff fans, there might be one or two players on Colorado that would start/play at Texas. That is a fact. CU's defensive line would be scout players, that includes DT George Hypolite. I like our linebackers but they would be special teams players. C Daniel Sanders and injured OT Ryan Miller might play for the Longhorns but that is it. And do I have to go into our skill players? Texas backup quarterback John Chiles was bigger than our linebackers. And it isn't just bigger for Texas players, it is faster, taller, stronger, tougher and more physical. And they make plays, they are confident, they have an amazing amount of pride in their university and it shows in their performance. I can't say that for Colorado. It is a complete athlete.

It is really hard to look anywhere other than the talent on the field and blame coaching or play calling but once again I am dumbfounded. I know some of you are sick of WR/KR Josh Smith. He almost made a bad safety last night and had bad kickoff return/fumble against FSU but nothing is bad about his offensive game. Last night, Josh Smith was taken out of the game by the coaches and substituted for Cody Crawford until they went 4 WR in the fourth quarter? Smith is CU's leading statistical WR? The Buffs' coaches have voluntarily taken our best play maker off the field for a possession receiver. Unbelievable. The Buffs already have 2 possession receivers out their in Scotty McKnight and Patrick Williams. CU has no field stretch, no deep threat, nobody who can out run the defense when Smith isn't in there. What is going on...am I missing something?

Once again the opposing teams offense showed the Buffs how to do it. First, EWU showed the Buffs how to smoothly execute the spread offense. The Buffs still run it like an erratic fire drill that has no consistency and is starting to become a detriment. Then it was FSU who knew they didn't have a strong QB, just like CU, and they made a point to run the ball. Last night Texas did something beautiful that the Buffs refused to do until a 7 minutes left in the third quarter. Texas got McCoy into rhythm, throwing quick passes to get the ball out of his hands, away from the CU blitzes and into their receivers hands. Texas was moving forward on first down every single time because the ball was out of McCoy's hands early. The Buffs continue to call long developing plays, running that slow play action out of the shotgun and roll out passes that Cody doesn't have the arm strength to throw on a consistent basis. No simple out routes, no screen passes to counter the "pass rush first" Longhorn defensive line. Nothing but plays that took forever to develop. Time for CU to watch how OU runs the spread offense or is it time to scrap the spread offense? The Buffs aren't physical enough and they don't have the speed to make it work. The offense doesn't feature the running game enough (the strong part of this team) while it over features the quarterback (the weakest part of this team).

Now for the impending quarterback controversy. A couple of weeks ago, I think one our members was calling for Matt Ballenger and I dismissed it. I am here to say I was wrong. I am wrong not on the basis that Ballenger looked decent against a second team Texas team and not because I think Ballenger can do much better than Hawkins. I was wrong because it cannot get much worse. I have been a big supporter of Cody Hawkins but he is not going to get it done. Great kid, great perspective, good football...not physically big enough to do it in the Big 12. Cody went 13 - 33 and 118 yards with one TD and one fumble. Too many balls batted down, too many easy throws missed, too much of an altered game plan to get it done. Too many mistakes and turnovers like the fumble last night where he just dropped the ball on the broken play for fumble that led to 7. It's hard to say that because I like the kid but this team needs a jump start and Cody just isn't going to take this team to where they need to go.

Among other thoughts...was K Aric Goodman wearing some sort of copper/gold colored shoes last night? That is embarrassing especially when you miss 3 field goals. Make those, the game is probably 14 - 9 heading into half time and who knows at that point. Add a kicker to the need list. And whoever game him the nickname "Money" needs to rethink that immediately to more like "Practice Player." Nothing drives me up the wall more than kicking problems. That being said, the play calling on the series before being forced to kick the field goal was confusing. The Buffs threw the ball 7 of the 9 times? Two were forced by a holding call but still the Buffs tried to get cute again with subpar talent. Do we need to start questioning Coach Hawkins game day coaching now? It is probably unfair right now due to the talent disparity between Texas and Colorado? If anything, the play calling is not strong right now. The CU offense is anemic. I thought the defense came out with a good game plan, blitzing a lot and at least trying to attack Texas early. Shaun Mohler was active, Brad Jones got to McCoy early and the Buffs forced a couple of meaningful turnovers. There was actually some movement up front. The first touchdown was a great play by McCoy who really impressed me with his zip on the ball and his complete control of the offense. Nothing the CU defense could really do about that one. The offense continues to put the defense in horrible spots.

Now looking at Texas. Good team...I don't think a great team. I still think this defense can be beaten and the offensive line was not extremely impressive to me. The Buffs were able to get some pressure and Colt McCoy won't have that much running room against a faster defense like OU. I believe the OU vs Texas game is not within 14 points. Yes, if Texas fans read this, you can beat me up now but the OU team is scary good.

Now to the fans. I am ashamed to be a CU fan this morning not because of the play on the field but because of the students. I realize we have students who read this report and we thank you. But hopefully you weren't one of the people/idiots throwing shirts on the field, right in front of recruits, all night long. And then you leave in the 3rd quarter. I am in my mid 20's so don't call me an old fart. I don't see Texas or OU (the class of the Big 12) throwing items on the field on a regular basis like Boulder fans do. The fans not in the student section don't stand up. Luckily or unluckily on other fronts, there were a lot of Texas fans in my section so the complaining fans who yelled at them to sit down in the first quarter where forced to finally stand up as they refused.

I don't like to judge an entire group based on a couple of fans but I had the most annoying Texas fans around me that at one point I got up told this lady that she should stop saying "Colt McCoy was better than Mark Sanchez from USC so Colt should win the Heisman" because she was embarrassing Texas fans. A couple of them then asked the others around them whether this game counted or not in the season standings or do the games start counting only when Texas plays OU. All of the Texas fans were good for in my section was putting their horns up and singing that fight song. The best part is how Texas fans have "OU sucks" worked into their songs. Should be more like "OU owns us." I think Texas fans successfully turned 50,000 CU fans into Oklahoma fans next week. Yeah, bitter CU fan here, say what you want but I wasn't very impressed with the supposed great football IQ of Texas fans? Texas fans shouldn't be impressed with CU fans either so I guess it cancels itself out.

Either way, Texas worked the Buffaloes this weekend. A darn good football team beat an athletically challenged Buffaloes team. The Buffs better get something to click quick or this could be a 5 win season before we know it. Buffs can take nothing positive from this one. The coaching staff needs to shake it up to get a fire under this team. Thanks to Burnt Orange Nation for the Q&A session this week. Buffs take on Kansas this week...could be another long day. At least we don't have to watch it in person.