2010 Colorado Preview – Offense
Quarterbacks
Personnel: Senior Cody Hawkins and junior Tyler Hansen.
New to the Buffs this season: Freshman Nick Hirschman and freshman Justin Gorman (walk-on). Hirschman and Gorman are additions in 2010, with Hirschman enrolling in January, and Gorman coming to the Buffs from Manheim, Pennsylvania, as a preferred walk-on.
Losses from 2009: Seth Labato was a preferred walk-on last season, but has since transferred (to Northern Colorado), as has former quarterback recruit Clark Evans, who had been switched to tight end before he too, decided to transfer.
Strengths: Colorado boasts two quarterbacks with ample starting experience. Cody Hawkins already ranks first in all-time touchdown passes (46) in Colorado history, and is third in all-time passing yards (5,862), behind only Kordell Stewart and Joel Klatt. Hawkins, however, is also first on the all-time list for interceptions (36). Tyler Hansen started the last seven games of 2009, and has stepped in for Cody Hawkins mid-season each of the past two years. Hansen was named the starter after the Buffs’ second scrimmage, giving Hansen two weeks to assume undisputed leadership of the offense.
Weaknesses: There is an old axiom in football: “Show me a team with two quarterbacks, and I’ll show you…
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August 28th
Georgia suspends starting tailback
Eigth is definitely enough.
Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey, who led the Bulldogs in rushing last season, was suspended for at least the first game of the season after being charged with a hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license.
Georgia opens with Louisiana-Lafayette, so Ealey will not likely be missed, but the problem for head coach Mike Richt, who is hearing whispers after his Bulldogs went 8-5 in 2009 (and who have given up 34 or more points ten times over the past two seasons – one more time than Colorado during that span), is that Ealey is not the first of his players to be arrested this off-season.
Ealey is the eighth.
Sophomore tailback Dontavius Jackson left school after being suspended for six games after being charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.
Sophomore wide receiver Tavarres King was suspended for one game after being charged with underage possession.
Quarterback Zach Mettenberger was dismissed from the team before pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery.
Linebacker Montez Robinson was kicked off the team after being charged with battery/family violence.
Backup punter Trent Dittmer was kicked off the team…
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August 24th
Colorado picks up 13th game for 2011
While Colorado does not know for certain that it will be playing in the Pac-12 conference in 2011, the Buffs do know that there will be 13 games on the calendar.
On September 24, 2011, Colorado will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Buckeyes of Ohio State. The Buffs will receive $1.4 million for the one-time, no return trip contract (the payoff will increase if the game is televised, which is all but certain).
“Colorado has always recognized the significance of playing marquee opponents in the non-conference portion of our football schedule,” said Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn in a prepared statement. “This is a tremendous opportunity on the national platform to schedule a game with Ohio State … We are looking forward to what will be CU’s first trip to the ‘Horsehoe’ in 25 years.”
The two teams have met four times previously, with Ohio State owning a 3-1 advantage. In 1971, the No. 10 Buffs traveled to Columbus to face the 6th-ranked Buckeyes, coming away with a 20-14 victory. The teams met again in the 1977 Orange Bowl, with Ohio State prevailing, 27-10. The two teams…
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August 3rd
Pac-12 focus to be on “frequency of games”
Circle your calender now.
Thursday, October 21st.
Two days before the Buffs play their final Homecoming game as a member of the Big 12 (we’ll assume a 2011 switch to the Pac-12 until informed otherwise), Pac-12 presidents and chancellors will meet in San Francisco. At that time, it is likely that the new division alignment for the conference will be announced.
In the meantime, different scenarios will be offered, discussed, and debated, according to Pac-10 deputy commissioner Kevin Weiburg. The topic certainly came up this past weekend, as the conference’s athletic directors met in Los Angeles. Going forward, the conference is working with Bortz Media and Sports Group (a Colorado company!), which advises professional and college leagues and conferences on different scheduling models. Any of the league’s athletic directors can request computer models, showing multi-year schedules with different division alignments.
The focus, according to Weiburg, is “frequency of games”.
That, simply translated, is not the number of games each team will play against Washington State, but how many times each team can find a way to put Los Angeles on its itinerary.
Some variation of the “zipper” plan seems…
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Summer in Boulder never quiet for receiving corps
Summer in Boulder.
Warm days. Shakespeare in the Parks. Farmers’ markets. Hiking, biking, and barbeques …
… and turmoil in the University of Colorado receiving units.
A look back – 2009
While the 2009 preseason magazines were discussing the merits of head coach Dan Hawkins’ “ten wins; no excuses” statement, the Colorado receiving corps was undergoing an upheaval. Josh Smith, a record-setting kick returner (1,568 yards on 50 kickoff returns) and a speed burner being counted upon to stretch opposing defenses, announced he was leaving the program. Citing a desire to pursue a music major not offered in Boulder, Smith set his sights on a return to the state of California (ultimately settling on UCLA).
Also leaving the Buffs, but with less fanfare, was tight end Ryan Wallace. The red-shirt freshman was reportedly homesick, expressing a desire to return to a school closer to his native Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The loss of Smith and Wallace were off-set during the summer as news of the pursuit of transfer Toney Clemons. Unhappy with the new coaching staff at Michigan, Clemons, a former four-star recruit, was looking for a new home. Clemons ultimately chose Colorado, with…
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Tags: Andre Simmons, Jarrod Darden, Jason Espinoza, Markques Simas, Paul Richardson, Scotty McKnight, Terdema Ussery, Toney Clemons, Travon Patterson, Will Jefferson
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August 2nd
Rchardson not yet a Buff
Former UCLA recruit Paul Richardson had a great visit last week, according to a report on BuffaloSportsNews.net …
… but he left Boulder without a scholarship offer.
“I had a nice visit,” Richardson said. “It’s definitely out there in terms as far as the air and the culture, but overall it was an alright trip.”
The hangup? Apparently the theft charge, which led to Richardson’s dismissal from the Bruins, has not been resolved, which led to the Buffs not offering a scholarship at this time.
With time of the essence (fall camp opens Wednesday), the Buffs may not be able to sign Richardson. The four-star recruit from the 2010 class indicated that he may take the fall off, re-open his recruitment, and enroll at the school of his choice in January.
The matter of Richardson coming to Boulder is not completely closed. Richardson could still become a Buff if he is offered a scholarshp and is enrolled in fall classes by the end of August. However, if the theft case remains unresolved, the chances of Colorado obtaining Richardson’s services appear to be remote.
July 30th
Player updates
Nothing new to report on UCLA wide receiver Paul…
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August 2nd
Jimmy Smith makes Thorpe Award watch list
Senior cornerback Jimmy Smith has been named as one of 35 players on the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list. The award, given to the nation’s top defensive back, has been awarded to two Buffs in the past, Deon Figures (1992) and Chris Hudson (1994).
Enthusiasm from Buff fans might be tempered somewhat, however, from the knowledge that 3/4 of the Texas Longhorn backfield has also been nominated. Safety Blake Gideon is joined on the watchlist by both Texas cornerbacks, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams. In all, there are six players from the Big 12 nominated (For those keeping score at home, there were two players from the Pac-10 nominated, one from Arizona, the other from UCLA).
The Thorpe Award committee will meet the first week of November to narrow the field down to 10 to 12 semi-finalists, and will meet again the Monday before Thanksgiving to select the three finalists. The names of the finalists will then be submitted to a national panel of about 50 sportswriters, coaches, and former players who will vote and determine a winner.
But …
“He is hands down one of the best corners in the…
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June 21st
Home again
Back in Bozeman after eight days on the Monterey pennisula – tough duty.
The final round was a great deal of fun for Brad and I. We actually took time to eat breakfast before leaving for the course (not to mention doing my Father’s Day write-up, below. If you read my June 20th posting sometime during the day, you know my wish came true! I finished Tiger chasing more than Dustin Johnson with, “Thanks, Tiger, for that (keeping Jack Nicklaus’ legacy a topic of discussion at every major). Now go out an shoot a 75 today. You have my permission.” All Tiger did was go out and shoot a 75, when an even par 71 would have won the championship).
Sunday was bright and cool, much like it had been most of the week. There were a number of early pairings with well known players, so we took off for the 6th hole to watch them play through that par-5, which was the easiest hole on the course through three rounds. We saw pairings with Jason Gore, David Toms, David Duval, and Sergio Garcia hit on and make their putts.
Our plan – After watching the…
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