SB Nation - Lagrone Shields

Around the SB Nation: Urban Meyer takes an 0-2 record to Death Valley

Joel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:15:29 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - ASSOCIATED PRESS

On Saturday Florida travels to Baton Rouge (where Urban Meyer is 0-2) for the biggest game on the college football slate this weekend; And The Valley Shook has the big game preview.
Dawg Sports has the run down on this week's SEC football action.
As turmoil swirls in Tallahassee, Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation amps up their terrific coverage of the Bobby Bowden news.
Virginia Tech looks to stay atop the ACC when they host the 4-1 BC Eagles on Saturday. Gobbler Country has a helpful game guide to prep you for the contest.
California Golden Blogs has an absolutely terrific in-depth breakdown of the Pac 10 after week 5 of the football season.
Nebraska and Missouri square off in a huge game on Thursday evening on ESPN. Both SBN's Nebraska blog and Missouri blog are providing excellent coverage in the lead-up.
Speaking of Rock M Nation, Bill Connelly's algorithms for predicting games are a treat to peruse, and the computer has spit out its Week 6 projections.
ND blog Rakes of Mallow offers an evaluation of the team's win over Washington and starts looking ahead to the big showdown with USC.
Colorado defensive end Lagrone Shields has left the team. The Ralphie Report wonders if this is the beginning of mass defections.
Searching for Billy Edelin notes that KU shooting guard Brady Morningstar was arrested for DUI.
BYU safety Shiloah Teo has been kicked off the team for violating team rules.

Colorado State Offensive Preview

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

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

View full size photo »

What you need to know about the Rams' Offense:

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

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

continue reading the preview after the jump...

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

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

Stat To Know About:

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

The Best Matchup:

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

Matchup Buff Fans Should be Worried About:

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

What Remains to Be Seen:

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

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

Wednesday Buff Bites - Experts Pick Buffs, Toledo's Top RB Suspended

irish1611 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:40:46 -0000

Scout.com: 2009 CFN Big 12 Expert Picks, Schedules, More
College Football News' "experts" pick the Big 12 games for week one and all but one believe the Buffs will cover 11 points.

Rockets' Williams suspended - Top rusher out 2 games; 2 others also punished
Sophomore running back Morgan Williams, the Rockets' leading rusher last season, will sit out the first two games of the season, while senior linebacker Daris Quinn and senior safety Chris Faison will miss the season opener at Purdue on Saturday. Hat tip to CleBuffs for finding this.

The View From Dan Hawkins Office - Endzone's Painted...Anyone Else Ready???

Woelk: Financial sense trumps tradition for Buffs, Rams - Boulder Daily Camera
Neill Woelk of the BDC wishes college games were always played on campus but he also realizes that playing in Denver "could mean as much as an extra $10 million for CU over the lifetime of the deal."

Ranking the Big 12's defenses - Big 12 - ESPN
Tim Griffin of ESPN ranked the Buffs' offense 8th yesterday and he has a better feeling about the defense: 6. Colorado:

The Buffaloes are faster this season and that should help them cope with the high-powered offenses in the Big 12. The linebackers are deep with Shaun Mohler and Jeff Smart as the prime producers. And I really like the secondary, with Jimmy Smith and Cha’pelle Brown among the best pair of cornerbacks in the conference. The biggest concern is along the defensive line, particularly after the injury of heralded freshman Nick Kasa that may idle him for the season. One area to note will be at right defensive end, where sophomore Lagrone Shields and freshman Forrest West are in the two-deep. Shields has played four snaps in his career.

Oregon-Boise State: Travel squad - no Jackson - Behind The Ducks Beat
Former Buff commit, current Oregon wide receiver Diante Jackson is not on the travel list for the Oregon's first game against Boise State. The Ducks are bringing nine wide receivers excluding Diante. Boy, anyone have any doubt that Diante wouldn't be playing this week for the Buffs? In fairness to Jackson, he has been injured most of fall camp.

2009 Commit QB/Ath Josh Moten Officially Listed as a Non Qualifier in the CU Notes

The Longmont Times-Call - Effort, smarts earn CU’s Cunningham spot as top tackle

Starting Guard for the Rams "Day to Day"- The Denver Post
The Rams starting offensive guard Shelley Smith was held out of practice Tuesday due to a sprained ankle and his status is unknown for the game. Shelley is a fifth-year senior post- season honors candidate.

CU Stewart turns corner, gets back up to speed - The Denver Post

It's been nearly three weeks since Colorado running back Rodney "Speedy" Stewart has felt like himself on the field. But Tuesday, the CU sophomore said he's turned the corner. Stewart participated in his most extensive practice since injuring his left hamstring Aug. 13 and came out of it all smiles. "It's getting better, it's definitely getting stronger," Stewart said. "The issue with it last week was it's kind of weak, so they didn't want me practicing. But now I can make my cuts. It might hurt a little bit, but I can finish strong." At this point, Stewart says he's about 80 percent healthy. By the time Sunday's game against Colorado State rolls around, Stewart says he expects to be about 90 percent.

CU Buffs' Darrell Scott seeks redemption - Colorado Daily

Wednesday Buff Bites - Just Can't Seem to Catch A Break

irish1611 — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:05:42 -0000

In arguably the two biggest weak spots on the entire football team, the Buffs have potentially lost four newcomers that were being counted on to elevate their respective positions. Most recently, blue chip commit DE Nick Kasa partially tore his MCL after being rolled up on during practice on Monday. Instead of deciding whether to use the swim or the rip move to get around the Colorado State offensive tackle, Kasa is now weighing the options of playing a shortened freshman season or redshirting. The 6'7" defensive end was the potential rush end that would not only play a role in getting to the quarterback but be a consistent mainstay of the Buffs defense.

Staying on the defensive side of the ball, the Buffs also lost another blue chip recruit in DT Edward Nuckols, who failed to academically qualify out of high school. He is expected to grey shirt but once you start down that "difficulty in qualifying" path, who knows if we will ever see him in black and gold. Nuckols says he will be back in Boulder which is good news for 2010.

Now instead of four defensive linemen in the 2009 recruiting class, the Buffs might only have two to try and sure up one of the most important tasks in all of football; getting to the quarterback.

The equivalent weakness on the offensive side as it wide receiver. Last month, good news about junior college transfer Andre Simmons qualifying was being filtered throughout the media. Well, the Buffs are two weeks into camp and still no 6'3" 210 pound sub 4.5 running receiver on the field. And the situation doesn't look like their is a happy ending. Instead of Coach Hawkins relaying the "everything is fine, we are just dealing with paperwork" scenario for Simmons, the news wire has gone silent. Who knew it would be this hard to get an answer from the different "ruling bodies" in charge? I feel for Andre Simmons who has been on one large roller coast ride in trying to jump through hoops to academically appease both the NCAA Clearinghouse and the University of Colorado Admissions office.

But, at least we have Markques Simas, right? He and Scotty McKnight teamed to together will be an upgrade over the past three years at wideout, right? Nope, Markques Simas is suspended for the first two games for violating team rules or something like that "a long time ago." Around the same time as Simas' suspension, West Virginia went the opposite route in dealing with their receiver who had an incident "a long time ago;" suspend early reinstate before impacting games. West Virginia has reinstated leading receiver Jock Sanders six months after a drunken-driving arrest in Morgantown.

As any coach would now say, he needs the players who are "able" to play at defensive line and wide receiver to step up and claim the starting spots. And as fans, that is all we can hope for. Good news out of camp is that late 2009 signee Will Jefferson has looked good at reciever and is ahead of Jarrod Darden and Terdema Ussery, two other freshman recievers. But expecting big production out of freshmen doesn't always lead to a happy ending either. As for defensive line, until they actually lineup against a different colored jersey, who knows? But now, more than ever, the Buffs will be counting on Conrad Obi, Lagrone Shields, Will Perciak, Curtis Cunningham, Tyler Sale and Marquez Herrod to he the anchors of the defense.

One thing is for sure, a lot of eyes will be on these two positions come September 6th.

Links after the jump...

The Wiz of Odds: Let the Voting Begin for Poster Primary No. 4
Vote for the great Colorado Buffaloes schedule poster and look at how horrible to Colorado State poster is. Talk about portraying the wrong message!

Brooks: Q&A With Cody H. - CUBuffs.com
Junior quarterback Cody Hawkins talks about camp, the season, the change in offensive coordinators and more.

The Longmont Times-Call -Article on Buffs' Linebacker B.J. Beatty

Bob Foster, CU’s outside linebackers coach for 2009, said it remains to be seen how good Beatty can be. "I think he has great quick feet," Foster said. "I think against certain tackles and guards, he’ll be really good. He’s still learning. "The only thing he lacks is a little bit of size when it comes to some of those big-old tackles with those long arms out there. He has great movement, great quick feet. ... He has to learn to use the tools he has — his arms and his hands and his hips, how he can move his hips to put a move on these big slow tackles. He’s not going to do a lot of power rushing."

Young Texan stands tall on D-line - The Denver Post
With Edward Nuckols out for 2009 and Nick Kasa looking to be out for a better part of season, DT Nate Bonsu might be the one from the 2009 recruiting class to solidify the Buffs defensive line:

On either side of the ball, most freshman linemen could use a year in the weight room. Bonsu, however, arrived ready to go.

"He's really strong," junior defensive end Marquez Herrod said. "He squats almost what I do (600- to 700-pound range), and I've been here three years."

The Longmont Times-Call - Tempering Wide Receiver Expecations

So the chances that Jefferson, Terdema Ussery and Jarrod Darden — a talented core of true freshmen — will somehow work themselves onto the field this season is pretty likely, although Eric Kiesau won’t admit it just yet. "We’re expecting so much out of these guys, but we’ve got to keep pinching ourselves and saying, ‘These guys were in high school four months ago, and now we’re expecting them to go out and play against some senior cornerbacks that have been in the Big 12 for a long time,’" the Buffs’ offensive coordinator said. "That’s why we have to have a ground check. These kids are still learning, and they’re still young. But they continue to get better as camp goes through." Kiesau did say Jefferson, a late arrival to Boulder after the Buffs offered him a scholarship just before camp began, is probably "a little further along" than the other two, but they’re all in the mix.

Buffs' starter not only QB in question - Colorado Daily
Third string is also a batte in fall camp. As they always say, you are just two plays away from being the starting quarterback.

Lobato finds right fit at CU — Loveland, Colo., Reporter-Herald
Walk on freshman quarterback Seth Lobato has opened eyes at Buffs camp, even garnering more attention than Clark Evans at times.

Brooks: Goodman Finds Perspective - CUBuffs.com
Placement specialist Aric Goodman believes he's put a sub-par 2008 season behind him and is on track to rebound in 2009.

The Longmont Times-Call - Ray Polk Showing Well at Safety
Healed and ready to hit Buffs’ Polk rebounds from surgeries to make mark as defensive back

Chat: Chat with Tim Griffin - SportsNation - ESPN
Tim Griffin thinks a bowl trip for the Buffs is in the cards in 2009:

Travis (Omaha, Nebraska) Colorado is getting very little talk, but I believe they are a legitimate contender for the Big 12 North. What are your thoughts on the Buffs?

Tim Griffin (2:23 PM) Travis:You are right. The Buffaloes are getting little mention behind either Kansas, Nebraska and even Missouri in the North. The quarterback situation troubles me. Don't know if Cody Hawkins has the arm to really exploit Big 12 teams. Also the loss of Josh Smith to UCLA and Markques Simas for two games will hurt. But I do like their cornerbacks, who are among the best in the conference and a real weapon in this conference. I think the Buffaloes will run the ball with a collection of running backs. And another to keep your eye out for is the fact that all of their major games against major North Division foes -- Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas -- will be at home. Add it together and I think they might surprise some people. I definitely think a bowl trip is in the offing this season.

Buffs Will Play Thursday's Scrimmage at Regis High School
The Buffs will travel Thursday afternoon to Regis High School for work that is closed to the public and media. Reason for the road trip: To get the team used to travelling and playing in an unfamiliar venue, Hawkins said

CU's Kasa mulling redshirt : Boulder Daily Camera

Colorado freshman defensive end Nick Kasa might have to undergo surgery after a magnetic resonance imaging test revealed he suffered a partially torn medial collateral ligament on Monday during two-on-two pass-rushing drills. Kasa said CU doctors and athletic trainers have told him to expect a 6-8 week recovery time, which could allow him to return prior to the beginning of conference play in early October. "Right now, they don’t really know," Kasa said. "It could heal itself or maybe not. We’re just going see what happens. Surgery could be an option or it could not be."

CSU's QB picture is getting clearer | coloradoan.com
The Colorado St. Rams QB race might be down to two participants due to injuries to the other two quarterbacks.

Grant Stucker and Jon Eastman not only are the top contenders to become CSU's starting quarterback this fall, they might be the only candidates.

Catch Up Buff Bites - Clearance Issues, Suspensions, Missions...We Got It All At CU

irish1611 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:01:01 -0000

It was a bad weekend to go away for a bachelor party, never a bad event but bad timing for sure. Many noteworthy news stories in Buffland: WR Andre Simmons is still awaiting the final clearance from who knows who but Dan Hawkins says their should be no problems what so ever, OG Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner has decided to take a leave of absence to fulfill his LDS mission, and WR Markques Simas has been suspended for two games in what has been dubbed as an off the field incident that happened "a long time ago." You have to wonder if Simas will ever get it; I sure hope he does and one day it will click that he has a great opportunity to be a special player. I do find it ironic that West Virginia just allowed their number one receiver, Jock Sanders back on the team after his DUI arrest earlier this offseason. The Buffs received clearance from the newest member of the 2009 recruiting class, WR Will Jefferson, who seems to be impressing early on.

That was the big news of the weekend. Then their was the talk about Cody Hawkins increased build and Darrell Scott's weight as Hawkins added some more definition to his biceps and well, Darrell Scott is now 220 pounds after convincing us 205 pounds was his ideal playing weight. Again, who knows? From all accounts, Scott's 220 is not like last year's weight, consisting of all muscle. As long as he is running through guys this season and is healthy, no one will care.

Let the college football season begin and begin like a freight train it has. Here is the most links you will ever see posted in one serving. Enjoy as their is some good stuff. I am trying to get to practice this week as I know you are craving them.

Brooks: Kiesau Embraces New Role - CUBuffs.com

What does Kiesau, who replaces Mark Helfrich, have in mind to fix all the above? For starters, he, head man/receivers coach Dan Hawkins and the other offensive coaches have committed to what Kiesau calls "a downhill, blue-collar run game and an extensive passing game. "It'll be very different from last season . . . we're not going to do the no-huddle spread stuff. If I had to categorize and give it a name, it would be more of a pro-style, NFL offense. "We're going to get the ball downfield, let our playmakers get vertical. If you just run the ball along the box, they're going to stop you. We're going to play action and be able to throw it, we'll be extremely multiple. "It could change from week to week - one week we could be in a lot of two-back, the next week be empty (no backs). But we want to keep a lot of the same concepts, a lot of the same rhythm of the offense. "I don't know if 'identity' is the right word, but people will be able to see it."

Buffs tailback Scott bulks up for sophomore season - Boulder Daily Camera

Scott trimmed down to 200 pounds for spring ball and has since put on weight again. He started camp Friday at approximately 220 pounds. He hopes to play this season between 210 and 215 pounds. He believes a little extra weight will help achieve his goals. Hawkins announced Friday that redshirt freshman offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner will take two years away from the program to complete his Mormon mission. He will return to the program in 2011. "I feel like I'm more experienced," Scott said. "I like this weight I have on and I'm going to use it to my advantage. "After our summer lifting, I put on a little extra muscle and I like it. I can run people over and it will help me with my durability."

Scout.com: 2009 Big 12 Schedules & Picks
CollegeFootballNews.com thinks the Buffs will be 7 - 5, beating Nebraska in the finale to get to win #7.

Scout.com: 2009 Big 12 Preview - Unit Rankings
College Football News was very friendly to the Colorado Buffaloes in their Big 12 unit rankings in my opinion going into the 2009 season. Nebraska was ranked behind the Buffs in both offense and quarterback rankings. The Buffs also were noted with the best secondary, 3rd best running backs and a 4th ranked defense.

Scout.com: 2009 CFN Top 30 Big 12 Players
CFN ranks the top 30 players in the Big 12 with Darrell Scott making an appearance as #17 on their list. Not a bad ranking at all.

Guard Max Tuioti-Mariner is leaving the program to serve an LDS mission - Longmont Times

Guard Max Tuioti-Mariner is leaving the program to serve an LDS mission, CU coach Dan Hawkins said Friday. Andre Simmons was on Colorado’s practice field wearing jersey No. 1 Friday night when the Buffs opened August camp. But he was not participating. Simmons, the wide receiver from Independence Community College whom CU signed last February, said his former school "closed early" Friday and did not send his transcripts to CU. CU reported Thursday night that Simmons has been accepted to the university as long as his community college transcript confirms what the football program has been told about it. The school will continue to wait for it over the weekend. Simmons said he expects Independence Community College to fax the transcript to CU on Monday. Once CU has it, he expects to be able to practice with the team.

Markques Simas Suspended - Longmont Times

Saturday’s news about Markques Simas’ suspension for the first two games of 2009 has left some Colorado Buffaloes frustrated. Simas, for one. "It’s a little frustrating, but I’m the only person you can blame for it," Simas said. "So I’m just going to keep preparing and work hard. "When it comes time for Wyoming, I’ll just be prepared and mentally ready." Simas redshirted in 2007 as a true freshman after he missed most of the summer and arrived in need of conditioning. He was academically ineligible in 2008. Simas will miss CU’s season opener against Colorado State on Sept. 6, then its first road game five days later at Toledo. Wyoming visits Folsom Field on Sept. 19. CU announced that Simas violated team rules to earn the suspension. Said Simas: "It’s just an issue me and (coach Dan Hawkins) have. It happened a while ago, but it’s overlapped into the next season." Senior linebacker Bryan Stengel, senior tight end Devin Shanahan and sophomore safety Travis Sandersfeld have been awarded scholarships.

Paige: A look at Buffs' H&H QB battle - The Denver Post
Woody Paige sits down with Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen for an interview that has some great quotes from the two buddies/competing quarterbacks.

Many, many more links after the jump...

Buffs DE Kasa not looking back - Boulder Daily Camera

"Once I made the decision that this was right for me, I haven't thought about it at all since," Kasa said after his first official collegiate practice. "I love it up here." Had Kasa gone to Florida, the preseason No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches poll, he would have almost certainly redshirted and perhaps been asked to play offensive line. At CU, there is a good chance Kasa will be in the rotation at defensive end this season. Over the summer he added 20 pounds to his 6-7 frame while working out with the rest of the Buffs. "He impacted the team in the offseason just by his ability," Bandison said. "He came in and he was able to compete right away in the conditioning stuff. He was running with Nate Solder, who makes every lineman look bad because he's so talented. Solder always wins all of the drills, he's always the fastest and the most athletic. And now Nick's competing with him. I think that helps them both.

Brooks: Buffs A Closer Bunch - CUBuffs.com

Returning Colorado players who began fall camp Thursday night say something was different about this opening, something present that might not have been there in recent camps. "Before, there were some really loving guys like Brad Jones (graduated outside linebacker), but there also were some other guys who just . . . weren't," said defensive end Conrad Obi, a sophomore scheduled to battle classmate Lagrone Shields for a starting spot at right defensive end. Continued Obi: "Now, everybody just loves everybody; there's not much hazing going on . . . everybody's respectful. There's no more fighting, things like that. We've got our minds on one thing and that's it."

The Buffzone Blog - A few minutes with RB Brian Lockridge

Optimistic Buffs open camp : Top Stories : Boulder Daily Camera

From Cody Hawkins' biceps to Darrell Scott's powerful runs to Nick Kasa's un-freshman-like physique, it's clear that this group made a commitment to the strength and conditioning program over the summer after injuries made life miserable for the Buffs last season.

Four Big 12 teams make USA Today coaches' poll - Big 12 - ESPN
Colorado received two votes in the coaches poll, putting the 53rd overall in the rankings

Coach Hawk Press Conference Transcription - CUBuffs.com

Buffs Wrap Up Third Day Of Practice - CUBuffs.comThe CUfootball team was back on the practice field on Sunday afternoon, as they continue to work their way through fall camp.

The Longmont Times-Call - Expectations remain high for CU running back Scott

Buffs Wrap Up Media Day After Second Fall Practice - CUBuffs.com
The University of Colorado football team wrapped up the second official practice of 2009 fall camp on the practice fields and then took part in the annual fall sports media day Saturday at the Dal Ward Athletic Center.

Scout.com: 2009 CFN Big 12 Preview

Coach On The Hot Seat Dan Hawkins, Colorado - Insiders suggest that there's no thought whatsoever of Hawkins not being around in 2010 unless the Buffs go into the tank this year, but there needs to be a major positive step forward to show the fan base that there's hope for a return to glory. The Gary Barnett era might have been marred by scandal and embarrassment, but the Buffs were in the Big 12 title mix every year. The program hasn't been close under Hawkins, but to be fair, he had to rebuild. Now there needs to be a payoff.

Young CU defense learning ropes - The Denver Post

Kiesau's plan: Stick to it - Boulder Daily Camera

Purify enjoys purity of semipro football - Colorado Springs Gazette

Bobby Purify doesn’t miss the days of scoring touchdowns for the University of Colorado. He’s OK with not hearing his name on ESPN and not reading his name in the newspaper. "It’s in my past," said Purify who works in real estate as a contractor for Colorado Springs Utilities. "I’ve lived my dream. I’ve done what I’ve wanted to do in my life. I have a blessed life in my eyes. My two girls (ages 4 and 2) are healthy, and I’m still able to play the sport I grew up playing." From 2000 to 2004, Purify trotted out to games in a black and gold uniform for the Buffaloes. Now, he takes the field donning red and black for the Colorado Springs Flames, a semipro team in the Colorado Football Conference.

The Quad Countdown: No. 26 West Virginia - The Quad Blog - NYTimes.com
Life after Pat White begins with Jarrett Brown under center, though the Mountaineers will rely heavily upon running back Noel Devine. Can West Virginia upend Cincinnati and return to the top of the Big East?

West Virginia Mountaineers receiver Jock Sanders reinstated 6 months after DUI arrest - ESPN
West Virginia has reinstated leading receiver Jock Sanders six months after a drunken-driving arrest in Morgantown.

Current Colorado Buffaloes' Defensive and Special Teams Roster

irish1611 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:38:30 -0000

Following our offensive roster chart, below is the 2009 Colorado Buffaloes' defensive and special team players. Compared to the offensive piece, this chart has a little more distribution between years of each position as well as depth oming down the 2010 pipeline unlike tight end and fullback on the offensive side of the ball.

Position		SENIORS	JUNIORS	SOPHOMORES	FRESHMEN	INCOMING Fr
DT		Taj Kaynor	Eric Lawson	C Cunningham	Will Pericak	Nate Bonsu
DT		Tyler Sale*	Eric Lawson	Eugene Goree	Will Pericak	Edward Nuckols
Sch	7	1	1	2	1	2
NSch	1	1
DE			M Herrod	Kevin Cooney*	Nick O'Neill*	Nick Kasa
			Joe Silipo*	David Goldberg*		J. Forrest West
				Conrad Obi		Sc Fernandez*
				Tony Poremba*
				Lagrone Shields
Sch	5		1	2		2
NSch	6		1	3	1	1
LB		Marcus Burton	Michael Sipili	Tyler Ahles	Jon Major	Liloa Nobriga
		Shaun Mohler	B.J. Beatty	*Brandon Gouin	Doug Rippy	Derrick Webb
		Jeff Smart		*Zackary Farley	*Guy Sergent	Geoff Sissom*
		*Bryan Stengel		Josh Hartigan
Sch	11	3	2	2	2	2
NSch	5	1		2	1	1
CB		Cha Brown	Jalil Brown	Jon Hawkins	Stephen Hicks	Deji Olatoye
		Ben Burney	Jimmy Smith	*Arthur Jaffee	Paul Vigo	Cody McAninch*
				Anthony Wright
Sch	9	2	2	2	2	1
NSch	2			1		1
S			*Bret Smith	Patrick Mahnke	Vince Ewing	Parker Orms
				*Erik Manarino	Ray Polk
				*Matt Meyer
				Anthony Perkins
				*T Sandersfeld
Sch	5			2	2	1
NSch	4		1	3		0
K			Aric Goodman	Jameson Davis		Z Grossnickle
P		Matt DiLallo
SN		J Drescher	Austin Bisnow
Sch	5	2	1	1		1
NSch	1	0	1
DEFENSIVE AND SPECIAL TEAMS TOTAL
Sch	42	8	7	11	7	9
NSch	19	2	3	9	2	3
Total	61	10	10	20	9	12
TEAM TOTAL
Sch	78	12	14	24	10	18
NSch	37	5	5	13	5	9
Total	115	17	19	37	15	27
*italics - transfer / - non-scholarship player**

The linebacking and cornerback spots are the class of the defense. The Buffs will have solid depth for many years at linebacker, assuming Jon Major recovers from his ACL injury and Doug Rippy continues to develop. I would expect the Buffs to take a couple more 'backers in the 2010 class to keep the continuity going. The linebacking depth is exactly what you want as a coach when you look at your group of players; a great mix of experience as well as young talent who are pushing the veterans. As for cornerback, the next two years look very solid as long as Jimmy Smith doesn't jump for the NFL early. I think he is still in need of all four years of college but if he has the year that I expect him to have, he may be tempted by the NFL scouts who would be drooling over a sub 4.5, 6'3" physical cornerback. After the next two years, the Buffs will need to get help at corner as you will be looking at all new starters after 2010 with not much known about the players behind the juniors and seniors.

The rest of the defensive positions, youth prevails. There are only three scholarship upperclassmen at defensive line and safety. The Buffs are young at safety with potential starters Patrick Mahnke and Anthony Perkins both sophomores but they gained valuable experience as freshmen. Defensive line continues to be the main question mark on the defense mostly because we don't know what we are going to get from the underclassmen, who will be forced to play this year. Guys like Eugene Goree, Conrad Obi, Lagrone Shields, Curtis Cunningham, Nick Kasa, Edward Nuckols, Nate Bonsu, Will Pericak, Lagrone Sheilds, etc. haven't showed us a lot because they are all first or second year players. They might be great but the doubt surrouding them is one reasons many Buff fans wonder if the team will turn the corner and get to that 8+ win mark.

On special teams, the Buffs had to take a kicker in the 2009 class in Zach Grossnickle after the dismal performance last year. Grossnickle (both a placekicker and punter) may technically be the only punter on the team after this season with starter Matt DiLallo graduating. Special teams is another part of the equation that most Buff fans forget about but shouldn't in evaluating the possible success next year. You name it, it went wrong in 2008 so improved play is a must.

Five Things About Five Players - Things We Hope to Learn (Part Two)

irish1611 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:35:50 -0000

Part two of our "things we hope to learn" series features five players (see part one here), some not as well known as the other five we featured first but maybe just as important. It calls for people to fill voids, go beyond expectation and just flat out be prepared to compete.

Remember we are fast forwarding to April 25th, 6:00 pm. What do we hope to know about these five players at that time? Let's draw it up:

DL Conrad Obi - with Curtis Cunningham LIMITED this spring, the best chance for the Buffs to sure up the line looked to be a fall practice task. Further, many Buff fans are still holding out hope that incoming freshman Edward Nuckols and Nick Kasa may have an immediate impact but Conrad Obi has really stepped up and filled a vacant spot on the defensive line. At 6'3' 265, Obi has the ability to play both inside and outside and his motor looks have improved from his freshman year. Shields and Goree also showed well but Obi stood out the most of all defensive lineman and if the learning curve continues for young guys like Goree, Shields, Obi, Cunningham and Pericak, Colorado might not have to force incoming freshman Nick Kasa and Edward Nuckols into action, something that should be music to our ears.

WR Josh Smith - similar to the Simas situation, Buff fans were easily frustrated at Smith last year. We saw all the potential in spring and fall ball but rumors of a lack of commitment to the playbook to self prophesized comparisons to Jeremy Maclin to some head scratching decisions just kept Buff fans wondering if Smith would reach his potential and be our version of the Missouri all purpose player. Well, it looks like that frustration the players have had over the past couple of losing seasons really hit home with Smith. Coaches complimented Smith on his new dedication and like his nephew, he has assumed a vocal leadership role on this team. Finally healthy, Coach Kiesau and Helfrich have him inserted in the lineup on every play in the slot, being creative with Smith and getting the ball in his hands to make plays. When I was at practice, I didn't see one end around play called to #1, something that all Buff fans appreciated. What I did see is Simas and Smith working together to finally provide the Buffs a one-two punch in the offense-happy Big 12. Barring any injuries and the continuation of hard work from both Simas and Smith, we may be looking at a top four duo in the conference. Further, KR/PR Jason Espinoza looks to be healthy again, allowing the Buffs to monitor Smith's special teams output as to not affect his offensive production.

OL Bryce Givens - with Max Tuioti-Mariner out this spring and Devin Head & Mike Iltis LIMITED, guys not named Ryan Miller and Nate Solder have a chance to snag one of the three remaining offensive line spots come fall. No players' progress to gain weight has been followed more than Givens, a very talented redshirt freshman who's main task to go along with his athleticism was to gain weight this offseason. Givens succeeded to say the least. He added 25 pounds to get to 275 - 280 but I have heard rumors that he may be up to 290 pounds without having lost too much speed. Not only did he make it through camp without a re-occurrence of a concussion but he pretty much made it impossible for Denver Johnson not to find a place for him whether it means putting him at guard or moving Ryan Miller inside. He has the best feet of all the offensive linemen and now, can physically stand-up to the players on the other side of the ball. Givens provides another reason why Buff fans should be excited about the future of the offensive line.

TE Riar Geer - coming off a junior season where nothing seemed to go right for Geer both on and off-the-field, we saw a more effectively utilized tight end this spring. 2009 should be different for both Geer and Ryan Deehan as no position will get opened up more from what is going on around them than tight end. Injuries, the inability of the wide receivers to stretch the field, the spread offense and youthful core of players caused the tight end to be rendered useless in 2008. Last year, Geer had his least productive season as a collegiate player, only grabbing thirteen passes. With a new pro-style offense, the coaching staff made a point to bring back the tight end in both the passing game and as an effective second level blocker, something that Geer can handle well with his big frame. Other than the University of Miami, Colorado has had one of the more successful programs in turning out big time pro prospects at the tight end position. This year with a trio of impressive candidates in Geer, Deehan and Ryan Wallace, I would be shocked if we see the position go ignored again. If the Buffs are hitting the tight end like they showed in spring ball, this offense just became more dynamic.

K Aric Goodman - public enemy number one last year showed that he can respond. Goodman had a very impressive spring, gaining his confidence back with a more effective two step approach to place kicking. Although practice was not Goodman's problem in '08, he did nothing this spring that would hint to the coaches that he lost his confidence or had a hangover. Hawkins and Riddle made a point to make Goodman's life miserable with constant taunting and hints of 2008's misfortunes. Every day, the Buffs conditioning program was increased in severity based on the performance of Goodman, bringing pressure from both coach and player. Buff fans should be rooting for a turnaround from Goodman. Something tells me we don't want a freshman kicker trying to win the game at West Virginia. Goodman continued to show he had a strong leg and so far accuracy doesn't seem to be a problem.

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown

irish1611 — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:37:15 -0000

Here is the defensive class breakdown for the 2009 season as we stand today. Here is the offensive breakdown I posted last week. See analysis of the defensive squads after the jump...

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown
2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown
Pos.	Senior	Junior	Sophomore	Freshman	Incoming
DT	Taj Kaynor	Eric Lawson	C Cunningham	Will Pericak	Nate Bonsu
DT	Tyler Sale*		Eugene Goree
DE		M Herrod	Lagrone Shields		Nosa Eguae
			Conrad Obi
			Tony Poremba*
			Kevin Cooney*
LB	Marcus Burton	BJ Beatty	Tyler Ahles	Lynn Katoa	None
	Shaun Mohler	Micheal Sipili	Josh Hartigen	Jon Major
	Jeff Smart	D Goldberg*	Brandon Gouin*	Doug Rippy
	Bryan Stengel*			G Sergent*
CB	C Brown	Jimmy Smith	Anthony Wright		Deji Olatoye
	Ben Burney	Jalil Brown	J Hawkins
			Lamont Smith
S		Bret Smith*	Patrick Mahnke	S Hicks	Parker Orms
			A Perkins	Vince Ewing
			T Sandersfield*	Paul Vigo***
			Matt Meyer*
P	Matt DiLallo
K		Aric Goodman	Jameson Davis
SP	J Drescher	A Bisnow*
* walk on / potential medical redshirt / * grey shirt 2008 class
Total	10	10	17	8	5
%	20.0%	20.0%	34.0%	16.0%	10.0%
Scholarship	8	7	12	7	5
Walk On	2	3	5	1	0

As you can see again, the sophomore class is, once again, extremely large compared to the other classes. Combining the offensive chart's 18 sophomore players, 35 of the total 100 players are in year number 2. If you add in incoming freshman, 63 of the total players are underclassmen. No excuses, right?

Just don't look at the defensive line spots. The Buffs seem to be in a good position on the offensive line, especially with the two new additions in the 2009 class. If they could add one more offensive lineman for depth, I feel good about that unit for the next 2 - 3 years. It is just the opposite for the defensive line. They all might be players but the fact that we haven't seen any substantial results from these guys scares me to death. Their are clearly depth issues as well. The fact that the front four were dead tired in the Nebraska game and the coaching staff refused to substitute any of these guys for a substantial period would conclude that this year could be a struggle upfront. Right now, the Buffs don't seem to be in on a ton of DL and DE which is extremely troubling. If the Buffs could get 2 - 3 JUCO players to fill this void, it would go a long way to solidifying the defense.

For as much as the defensive front might be a worry, the linebacker and corner positions must make all CU fans smile. LB coach Brian Cabral has a ton of talent to work with at the linebacker spot. The X factor of this whole unit will be Katoa and Major. If Katoa can right the ship and Major can fully recover from the ACL injury, this unit could be the best in the Big 12. If the defensive line situation does not improve, look for guys like B.J. Beatty, Marcus Burton and Michael Sipili to be a pseudo-defensive end/rush end all year. In the defensive backfield, the Buffs are young at safety but Anthony Perkins and Patrick Mahnke showed that they have some talent and stepped in pretty well as freshman last year. The Buffs will also get 2008 grey shirt S Paul Vigo in this year as well as S Steven Hicks and S Vince Ewing to add depth. You might also seem some slotted at corner back make the move back to safety (Jalil Brown would be a likey candidate to get more playmakers on the field). CU is also in on a few other safeties in the 2009 recruiting class that would provide much needed depth on both defense and special teams.

Now to the corners. This could rival the linebacker spot for the best unit on the team. Cha'pelle Brown and Ben Burney (2007 starter who was injured last year) return as well as juniors Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith. Smith really stepped up last year and played a ton down the stretch. He looks to be piecing together the consistency that goes with playing corner as he has all of the physical attributes that you crave in a corner. The Buffs will play some good receivers next year and I expect Smith to be on all of them. If we could only generate a pass rush!

I am not going to talk about punters and kickers because we all know we need new one(s).

In summation, we can see the depth starting the build in certain spots but their are still some major concerns at a few positions: defensive line, wide receiver (could be fixed if Josh Smith progresses, Andre Simmons qualifies and Diante Jackson becomes a Buff) and can the Buffs win with their current situation at quarterback?

2009 Big 12 Recruiting As of Dec 22nd - By the Numbers

irish1611 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:05:23 -0000

As you can see from our countdown timer on the left side of the site, signing day is 43 days away. It is truly a great day to be a sports fan as it brings new hope and the possibility of so and so player really being the next big thing. That being said, I decided to put together a chart based off of rivals.com information for ratings for all the Big 12 teams to see how the Buffs and other schools were stacking up. Of course, ratings are one man's opinion and by no means the final say but their is most definitely a reason why the USC's and Florida's of the world are at the top of the list in ratings and usually in a BCS bowl. Anyway, it is something fun to look at as we are nearing the February 4th signing day.

Right now, the Buffs have eight commits with 3* DT Nosa Egaue still a very very soft verbal and 4* WR Andre Simmons still needing to prove that he is eligible academically to attend the University of Colorado. Yes, their is still 43 days and a lot can happen over that time and a lot did happen over that time last year. Coaches can get fired, coaches can change jobs, schools can cool on a kid and the Buffs could sweep them up. But the Buffs are in a middle of a pretty big dry spell since November 16th which was the last day a recruit committed. One month and six days of really stagnant news on the recruiting front while the Buffs have watched their top two priorities, 4* WR Diante Jackson and 4* DT Edward Nuckols, either take more time to think about it and entertain other schools. The fact that Nuckols has Florida calling on him scares the ever living crap out of me. Could Florida really single handily ruin the Buffs defensive line recruiting by taking big Ed and Kasa? They certainly have the power to do so.

But I am not freaking out, nor should you. Freak out time starts Feb 4th at 10 pm. Until then, anything is possible. I mean Rodney Stewart signed on the day last year to no one's knowledge and look what he turned out to be. The Buffs still feel they have a chance at 4* WR Bryce McNeal and have their name in the hat with a few other big dogs. Do I see them landing a ton of 4*? Not really because the wins aren't there but one of the few things Hawkins and Co. have not been a disappointment in is their ability to recruit supposed highly rated players. What they did last year was pretty phenomenal. This year, don't expect a top 15 - 20 class but if Hawkins can get the "Big 2" and guys like S Stan McKay, DE Iatu Tepa, WR Terderma Ussery, one of the two Union High School guys (S Terrell Williams and TE Tracy Moore), DE Colton Nash, maybe a big DL JUCO to support the middle and hold onto Eguae and Simmons, the Buffs might find themselves in the top 30 - 35 which would be adequate. Next year is all about the development of the last two classes that Hawkins has recruited and building enough wins to recruit BIG TIME in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Defensive line and wide receiver are still a major concern. One must hope that something serious happens to the DL this offseason and one of the unknowns on the roster really blows up because right now, other than possibly Nuckols, I don't see any of the potentials or commits not red-shirting. I think Goree, Obi Cunningham, Herrod and maybe Pericak or Shields can be solid but the pass rush will probably need to come from a linebacker like Brad Jones provided and we all know that wasn't nearly good enough or committed to enough last year. At wide receiver, every Buff fan should write on their Christmas list that Simmons qualifies, Simas stay eligible and Diante Jackson signs and is ready to play. Simmons, Josh Smith and Simas are really the "X" factors, though. If the Buffs could get the trio on track and up to speed, those three guys coupled with McKnight would be a big upgrade. In a perfect world, you would love to redshirt Jackson (if we get him) and get him acclimated, as CU fans now know, highly rated recruits aren't always an immediate slam dunk. A ton of "ifs" in the last couple sentences but in 2009, the Buffs need some luck, in fact, they deserve a lot of luck after went they went through last year.

Here is where the Buffs stand compared to others in the Big 12 as of December 22nd, 2008.

According to Rivals.com Recruiting
Team	The Numbers							The Averages
North	# of Commits	Rank	# of Off	# of Def	5*	4*	*3 or Less**	Average Stars	Rank	Offense Avg	Defense Avg
Nebraska	23	2	11	12		5	18	3.17	4	3.09	3.25
Missouri	18	6	9	9	1	1	16	3.06	5	2.88	3.22
Kansas	17	8	6	11		1	16	2.88	8	2.7	3
Colorado	8	11	4	4		1	7	2.88	10	3.25	2.5
Iowa State	16	9	9	7			16	2.44	11	2.44	2.43
Kansas St	8	11	4	4			8	2.25	12	2.25	2.25

Team	The Numbers							The Averages
South	# of Commits	Rank	# of Off	# of Def	5*	4*	*3 or Less**	Average Stars	Rank	Offense Avg	Defense Avg
Texas	19	4	9	10	2	13	4	3.89	1	4.0	3.8
Oklahoma	21	3	10	11		8	13	3.38	2	3.2	3.5
Texas A&M	26	1	10	16		4	22	3.12	3	3.2	3.06
Oklahoma St	16	9	6	10		4	12	3.13	6	3.5	2.9
Texas Tech	18	6	9	9		4	14	3.06	7	3.33	2.77
Baylor	19	4	10	9		3	16	2.68	9	3.1	2.22

Poll

Which current Buff commit are you most excited to see in spring and summer drills next year?

QB Clark Evans

45 votes

WR Andre Simmons

17 votes

DE Nosa Eguae

4 votes

DT Nate Bonsu

3 votes

WR Jarrod Darden

5 votes

S Parker Orms

5 votes

79 votes | Poll has closed

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Five Things About Five Players - Things We Hope to Learn (Part Two)

Top Spring Ball Questions: Should We Expect Anything From the Defensive Line?

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown

DT

DE

LB

CB

S

P

SP

2009 Big 12 Recruiting As of Dec 22nd - By the Numbers

Which current Buff commit are you most excited to see in spring and summer drills next year?

QB Clark Evans

WR Andre Simmons

DE Nosa Eguae

DT Nate Bonsu

WR Jarrod Darden

S Parker Orms