Preview Archive

The Colorado Daily – Hawai’i

//posted 9.14.2010

(There have been 3 comments, post your CU memory now)

September 17th

Fearless Forecasts

The Buffs let their fans down against Cal, that really cannot be debated.

But to let down the “Fearless Forecasts”?

Scotty McKnight ended last weekend’s 52-7 debacle eight yards shy of 2,000 for his career, leaving the Fearless Forecasts with a five-for-six record for the season. Still, the beat must go on, so here are this week’s “take-to-the-bank” predictions:

1) Colorado will exceed its points per game average … The Buffs have posted only 31 points thus far in 2010, a paltry 15.5 per game average. In two games in 2010, Hawaii has given up 77 points, or 38.5 points per game (good for 111th in the nation). Last season, Hawaii was scored on to the clip of 29.5 points per game. In seven games, the opposition surpassed the Buffs’ 2010 point output to date. Suffice it to say, if the Buffs are hovering anywhere around their 2010 average, it will be a long day for Colorado fans …

2) Attendance for the Hawaii game will be the lowest in a home opener since 2002 … at least against a Division 1-AA opponent. In 2002, Colorado played before a crowd of 44,126 in the home opener…

Posted in Preview | 3 Comments >> | Leave a Comment

’10 First Look – Special Teams

//posted 1.31.2010

(There have been 2 comments, post your CU memory now)

2010 Special Teams - Returning Players / Recruits

It’s doesn’t take a word play expert to come up with the truth about Colorado special teams’ play in 2009: It was far from special.

From the kicking game, where every field goal attempt was an adventure, to the punt return team, where a fair catch without a fumble was about all that Buff fans could hope for, it was a miserable season for Colorado on special teams.

The numbers bear this out.

Junior kicker Aric Goodman went 10-for-18 (56%) on the season, connecting on just three-of-ten attempts from outside of 40 yards. Bouncing back from a horrid 2008 season, which witnessed a school record setting eight misses in a row, Goodman actually hit on three of his first four attempts in 2009, only to slide back to earlier form late in the season, missing his final four attempts of the year (including one in the 17-10 loss to Iowa State, one in the 31-28 loss to Oklahoma State, and two in the 28-20 loss to Nebraska). By contrast, opponents’ kickers in 2009 hit on 17-of-24 attempts (71%), including six-of-ten from outside of 40 yards.

The punting game, if anything, was worse than the kicking…

“T.I.P.S.” for Oklahoma State

//posted 11.17.2009

(Post your own memories)

This season was supposed to be the Cowboys’ year. The stars were aligned in Stillwater for Oklahoma State to break the stranglehold of Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12 South and be a serious contender for the national championship. Oklahoma State had a great quarterback in Zac Robinson, a great runing back in Kendall Hunter, and a great wide receiver in Dez Bryant. The season opened with Oklahoma State ranked 9th in the nation – the highest pre-season ranking ever for the Cowboys – and, after a 24-10 opening day victory over Georgia, the sky was the limit.

Then, a week later, reality crept back onto the Oklahoma State campus. The Cowboys were upset by Houston, 45-35, to recede back into the backwater of the nation’s consciousness. A five game winning streak brought back new hope, but a 41-14 home loss to Texas ended any national title aspirations, along with the hopes for the the first football championship in Stillwater since the 1976 team finished in a three-way tie with Colorado and Oklahoma atop the Big Eight (Colorado earned the Orange Bowl berth. Oklahoma State went to the Tangerine Bowl – since Oklahoma State joined the Big Seven to form…

Posted in Preview | No Comments | Leave a Comment

The Colorado Daily

//posted 11.14.2009

(There has been 1 comment, post your CU memory now)

November 18th

It’s not like we don’t feel bad enough, dept. …

Tim Griffin, the ESPN blogger for the Big 12, did a piece on Tuesday on the upcoming Nebraska/Kansas State game. As the survivors of the Big 12 North race, the two teams will face off this weekend in Lincoln to decide which team will have the honor of being molested by Texas in the Big 12 title game. The fact that Colorado would still be in the race - had the Buffs even been within shouting distance of mediocre in 2009 – makes watching the title chase all the more maddening.

Then there was this in the Griffin article: “If there’s such a thing as North Division bluebloods, it would be these two teams,” wrote Griffin. “So it’s somehow fitting that that both will be involved in an old-school winner-take-all battle for the division championship Saturday night in Lincoln”.

So there you have it, Buff fans. Colorado, with its fourth straight losing season erasing the memory of the four Big 12 North titles earlier this decade, is out of the mix when discussing the “bluebloods” of the Big 12 North. Kansas State, with no Big 12 North championships…

Posted in Preview | 1 Comment >> | Leave a Comment

“T.I.P.S.” for Iowa State

//posted 11.12.2009

(There have been 2 comments, post your CU memory now)

“T.I.P.S.” for Iowa State

Saturday, Colorado seeks to post back-to-back wins for the first time since opening the 2008 season with a 3-0 record, traveling to Ames, Iowa, to take on the 5-5 Iowa State Cyclones. Seen as potentially being one of the Buffs’ best chances at a road victory back in August, Colorado needs to win out just to become bowl eligible. For the Cyclones, the math is much easier – defeat Colorado, and a bowl bid for the first time since 2005 is in the offing. Jack Trice Stadium holds up to 55,000, with a crowd of 40,000 to 45,000 expected.

Can the Buffs pull off their first road win in over two years? Can Colorado make the trip to Stillwater next Thursday relevant? Can the Buffs keep the Iowa State offense from regaining its early season form?

Let’s find out … Here are this week’s “T.I.P.S.” …

T – Talent

For the first time since the Kansas State game, and perhaps for only the second time since the Wyoming game, Colorado will field a more talented squad. Iowa State is 5-5, but has struggled since non-conference wins over North Dakota State, Kent State, and Army propelled the…

The Colorado Daily

//posted 11.2.2009

(There have been 6 comments, post your CU memory now)

November 4th

So, how is recruiting coming along?

One of the first thoughts many Buff fans had when the Darrell Scott defection was announced: “how much worse will this make our 2010 recruiting class?” – we’ll, let’s find out.

Colorado either has five or seven commitments for signing day next February (Rivals and Scout agree on five, with two players, running back Mister Jones, from Littleton, Colorado, and defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe, from Corona, California, being considered “soft verbals” by Scout.com). Even with the seven commitments, Colorado ranks dead last in the Big 12 in verbal commitments. At present, the Buffs are only within shouting distance of Nebraska, which has 11 commitments. Five Big 12 rivals (Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech) have over 20 known commitments.

At first blush, this is not alarming. Colorado under Dan Hawkins has consistently trailed other schools during the regular season. Part of the Buffs’ recruiting philosophy has been to allow players to take their time to make their decisions, hoping that the lack of pressure will be attractive to high school seniors who are being contacted on an hourly basis by numerous schools. Last season at this time, for instance, Colorado only had four verbal commitments.

The problem, of course, is that there…

Posted in Preview | 6 Comments >> | Leave a Comment

“T.I.P.S.” for taking on Missouri

//posted 10.28.2009

(Post your own memories)

News - Colorado hasn’t played on Halloween since 1992, and hasn’t played at home on Halloween since 1970.

Not News – Colorado has stunk it up against Missouri the last two seasons.

Colorado is hosting Missouri this Saturday morning, with kickoff at 11:30 MT. The Homecoming game represents the first time that Colorado has played on Halloween since 1992.

[The last game Colorado played on October 31st was a true nightmare. No.8 Colorado played in Lincoln against No. 8 Nebraska (no, that's not a typo - the teams were tied in the polls). Both teams had aspirations of a Big Eight title and national recognition. The Buffs were mauled that night, 52-7, the first conference loss for Colorado since 1988 (a run of 23-0-2). Nebraska went to win its first Big Eight title in four years. The Buffs finished the 1992 season with a 9-2-1 record after falling to Syracuse, 26-22, in the Fiesta Bowl]

Colorado’s play against Missouri the past two seasons has been ghoulish, falling to Missouri by scores of 55-10 and 58-0 in the last two meetings. The latter loss snapped the Buffs’ 242-game scoring streak, the 9th-longest in NCAA history. This week, the Buffs have been talking about…

Posted in Preview | No Comments | Leave a Comment

“T.I.P.S.” for taking out K-State

//posted 10.22.2009

(There have been 2 comments, post your CU memory now)

It’s been 728 days …

… since the Buffs last won a game on the road. It was October 27, 2007 – Lubbock, Texas. Another early morning game. Colorado jumped out to a 14-0 lead against the Red Raiders, using four turnovers to preserve a 31-26 win.

Remember?

Since then – nothing. The next road game after the Texas Tech game was the epic meltdown in Ames. The Buffs turned a 21-0 halftime lead against Iowa State into a 31-28 loss (perhaps the game which will prove to be the defining moment of the Dan Hawkins’ era, as a win against the Cyclones would have given the 2007 Buffs an overall winning record). The Buffs had opportunities to break through on the road last season against Kansas, Texas A&M, and Nebraska, and certainly had their chances against West Virginia and Texas this season.

Still …

Back in August, the game against Kansas State appeared to be one of the best chances for a road win. Two weeks ago, as the Wildcats were being blown out, 66-14, by Texas Tech, the Buffs’ chances for victory appeared good. Then, last weekend, the Wildcats jumped out to a 38-0 halftime lead at home against Texas…

Colorado Buffalo Football Analysis and Recaps - CU At the Game

Searching for CU football? you'll find it here.

Preview Archive

The Colorado Daily – Hawai’i

’10 First Look – Special Teams

“T.I.P.S.” for Oklahoma State

The Colorado Daily

“T.I.P.S.” for Iowa State

The Colorado Daily

“T.I.P.S.” for taking on Missouri

“T.I.P.S.” for taking out K-State

2012 Season

Archive Game of the Week