Sports Illustrated investigation digs deeper into Ohio State’s transgressions

Perhaps now we can understand the timing of Tressel’s resignation.

Sports Illustrated is coming out with an article in this week’s edition, outlining an eight-year pattern of NCAA violations under head coach Jim Tressel.

In the article, the authors report that at least 28 players have been alleged to have traded or sold memorabilia, “at least 20″ players swapped memorabilia for tattoos, and at least four players traded memorabilia for marijuana.

The history of Tressel’s “ignorance is bliss” started at Youngstown State, where he claimed not to know that his star quarterback had received a car and more than $10,000 from a school trustee – even though it was later revealed that it was Tressel who told the player to go and see the trustee.

In 2003, Buckeyes’  running back Maurice Clarett became a pariah after he was found to have received money and other benefits, but Tressel, who had said that he spent more time with Clarett than any other player, claimed he had no knowledge of Clarett’s violations.

In 2004, an investigation uncovered a $500 payment to quarterback Troy Smith. Again, Tressel said he had no knowledge of the payment.

Beginning to detect a pattern?

The most recent troubles – which had led to Tressel agreeing to a five-game suspension to start the 2011 season – began in December, when the Department of Justice informed the University that six players had received tattoos or cash in exchange for Ohio State memorabilia. Tressel had said that he wasn’t aware of the problem - consistent with the “I didn’t know” defense he had raised over the years. The problem this time was that it was later disclosed that Tressel did in fact know about the problem all the way back in March.

Now, Tressel was not only complicit in the NCAA violations – he was caught lying to the NCAA about his knowledge. Rather than alert his superiors about the violations, as he was required to do, Tressel said he “couldn’t think” whom to tell (but he did tell Terrelle Pryor’s hometown advisor). Tressel managed to protect key players for the 2010 season, but in the end his actions cost five players (so far) five games of the 2011 season.

Sports Illustrated’s investigation reveals that the five players suspended may be just the tip of the iceberg.

According to SI, since 2002 a total of 28 players – 22 more than Ohio State has acknowledged – have been involved in memorabilia-for-tattoos. That total includes – and this is what is important to Buff fans – an additional nine current players whose alleged wrongdoing may fall within the NCAA’s four-year statute of limitations on violations.

On the list of nine players: Both the first and second string middle linebackers, Etienne Sabino and Storm Klein; the starting left defensive end, Nathan Williams; the starting right defensive end, John Simon; as well as backup running back Jaamal Berry. If these players were to be suspended, to go with the losses of quarterback Terrell Pryor, running back Dan Herron (Jamaal Berry was expected to carry the load during the first five games), starting offensive tackle Mike Adams, starting wide receiver DeVier Posey, and backup defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (who was the backup to the newly implicated Nathan Williams), there would be real problems in Columbus.

For those keeping score – that would be seven starters and three backups for those starters – who might not suit up September 24th, including both running backs, both left defensive ends, and both middle linebackers.

One former Buckeye, defensive end Robert Rose (whose career ended in 2009), told SI that he had swapped memorabilia for tattoos, and that “at least 20 others” on the team had done so as well (but some of those allegations are more than four years old now, and are not punishable by the NCAA). The magazine’s investigation also uncovered allegations that Ohio State players had traded memorabilia for marijuana, and that Tressel’s violations of NCAA rules may go back as far as his days as an assistant coach at Ohio State in the mid-1980′s (the story here: Tressel was in charge of the summer camps. Participants were allowed to buy raffle tickets for Ohio State gear. Tressel allegedly fixed the raffles so that elite prospects won the OSU gear).

It may not be a coincidence, then, that Tressel resigned two days after Ohio State was infomed of Sports Illustrated’s findings.

Tressel resigns as head coach at Ohio State

“After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach,” Tressel said in a statement Monday morning. “The appreciation that Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable.”

Assistant coach Luke Fickell, who had been named to fill in for Tressel during the first five games of the 2011 season in which he was to be suspended, will take over as the interim head coach, Ohio State said in the news release.

The news comes two weeks after Buckeyes athletic director Gene Smith affirmed his support for the coach amid an ongoing NCAA investigation for rules violations.

“We look forward to refocusing the football program on doing what we do best — representing this extraordinary university and its values on the field, in the classroom, and in life,” Smith said in the statement. “We look forward to supporting Luke Fickell in his role as our football coach. We have full confidence in his ability to lead our football program.”

Then there is this … I have it on good authority that former Utah and Florida head coach Urban Meyer, native of Ohio, purchased a home in Ohio this spring. Whether that means that Meyer, who is employed as an analyst for ESPN, has plans to return to coaching anytime soon, or that Ohio State would be interested in Meyer, is open to speculation.

But it is an interesting coincidence …

More on the new head coach … Luke Fickell, 37, graduated from Ohio State in 1997 and was a four-year starter at nose guard from 1992-96. He started a school-record 50 consecutive games for the Buckeyes. Fickell began his coaching career in 1999 as a graduate assistant at Ohio State. He spent two seasons at the University of Akron as defensive line coach.

He was brought onto the OSU staff full time in 2002 as special teams coordinator before becoming linebackers coach in 2004. Since 2005, Fickell has been co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

May 29th

Even worse than I thought …

In “Predicting the Predictions” (scroll down to the May 14th story, below), I painted a fairly bleak picture of how the University of Colorado would be portrayed in the college football preseason magazines.

As it turned out, I was being optimistic …

Athlon Sports

Athlon pegs Colorado as its 76th-best team in the nation, falling between Virginia and Duke of the ACC, and behind such powers as Navy, UCLA, Tulsa, Iowa State, Hawai’i, Toledo, and Kansas State. Colorado is predicted to finish sixth in the Pac-12 South (it’s worthy of note that Colorado, in its time in the Big Seven, Big Eight, and the Big 12 never finished last alone in its conference – or, in the case of the Big 12, in its division).

Athlon points out as its ”Number of note” for Colorado is “18″, as in the 18 straight losses away from home suffered by the Buffs.

Some of the other low-lights:

On offense … “No one is going to confuse the Buffs with some of the more explosive offenses in the Pac-12″.

On defense … “If the Buffs can get competent play at cornerback, they could be competitive against the explosive offenses around the Pac-12. If not, coaches will have to get creative.”

Specialists … “Colorado needs consistency here after the roller-coaster ride of the past three seasons in the kicking game.”

Final analysis … “There’s excitement around the program with the arrival of a new coach, CU alum Jon Embree. But this is largely the same team which went 5-7 last year … Anything but a last place finish in the Pac-12 South would be a surprise.”

Prediction: 3-10 overall; 1-8 in the Pac-12

The most scathing report about the 2011 Buffs came in the “Coaching Carousel” report about the 21 new head coaches in Division 1-A. Of the 21 new coaches, Athlon rated Jon Embree the 20th-best hire, above only Bill Blankenship of Tulsa. Of Embree, Athlon reporter Mitch Light wrote: “Colorado reportedly made overtures toward Les Miles from LSU and Troy Calhoun from Air Force before hiring one of its own. Embree comes without a high salary – which is good for the cash-strapped CU athletic department – but he also comes without a proven track record. This is far from the most exciting hire of the off-season.”

The Sporting News

The Sporting News was a little friendlier to the Buffs, picking Colorado to finish fifth in the Pac-12 South (ahead of UCLA), and did rate senior offensive guard Ryan Miller as one of its All-American candidates.

On offense … “If (Tyler Hansen is) effective, the Buffs may fare better in their new home (in the Pac-12) than last year’s 52-7 loss to California would suggest … Rodney Stewart is a quality running back (1,318 yards) but there isn’t much in the way of proven depth … The same goes at wide receiver. (Other than Paul Richardson), there are no apparent playmakers at the position.”

On defense … “The Pac-12 South is no place for a fragile defense. And yet the Buffs, who yielded 40 points or more four times in 2010, have issues at every defensive position.

In “Ranking the Conferences”, The Sporting News rated the new Pac-12 third, behind the SEC and the Big Ten, giving props to Utah – “The addition of Utah makes the league stronger in the middle”, while concluding, “The league desperately needs UCLA to return to the elite” … No mention of Colorado at all, either as a positive addition to the league, or as a team which the Pac-12 needs to “return to the elite”.

…

Okay, Buffs. Colorado has been down for so long that a losing record is a given by the preseason magazines, and a last place finish is all but guaranteed.

Yes, we all know the schedule is tough, with 13 straight games without a bye, and only five home games.

Yes, we know that few outside of the Denver metro area have ever heard of Jon Embree, and that the coaching staff lacks a head coach and two coordinators with one season as a coordinator between the three of them (Greg Brown at Arizona last year).

Any yes, we know that there is inadequate depth and speed at many of the positions.

But it won’t get better until it gets better. One of the Buff teams – in the very near future – is going to have to over-achieve and break the cycle.

The first brick can be earned on September 3rd …

May 27th

Fun with numbers

In case you’ve just joined us … I like stats.

So checking out the “Cumulative Overrated/Underrated Teams” compilation was a natural for me. Stassen.com went back to 1989, comparing preseason and postseason polls, checking out which teams over-achieved in a given year, and which teams under-achieived. For example, this past season, Oregon started the 2010 season as the No. 10 team in the nation. After falling to Auburn in the BCS national championship game, the Ducks were ranked third, or a net “plus-7″ on cumulative list. Conversely, Nebraska began 2010 as the No. 9 team in the nation, but finished No. 20, or a “minus-11″ on the cumulative list. (Teams which dropped out of the poll by season’s end were considered to have finished 26th for counting purposes).

Taking only those teams which were ranked at least seven times in the pre-season or post-season over the course of the 21-year survey, the researchers found that the most underrated team in the nation since 1989 has been Oregon. The Ducks racked up a total of 78 1/2 total points, finishing higher in the final polls than the pre-season polls ten times in the past 21 years (including five of the past six). Conversely, the most overrated team in the nation over the past two decades has been USC. The Trojans have had a higher pre-season ranking than post-season ranking twelve times in the past 21 years. Since 2004, USC has only finished higher at the end of the season than in the beginning of the season once, and that was in 2006, when the Trojans finished exactly one spot higher in the final poll than they were in the preseason poll. Overall, USC was a whopping 89 spots worse in the final polls than in the preseason polls.

What about Colorado? The Buffs finished in the middle of the pack, with a minus-7 overall score. In the past 21 seasons, Colorado has improved its preseason ranking six times, while falling below preseason expectations six times. The best years for Colorado came in 1995 and 2001, when the Buffs bested the experts’ opinions by nine spots and 13 spots, respectively. The worst seasons, conversely, came in 1997, 1999, and 2002, when Colorado failed to live up to expectations to the tune of 18, 12, and 13 positions in the poll.

Other observations from the Overrated/Underrated list:

- The Big 12, counting Colorado, had seven teams qualify for consideration, with three teams finishing in the most Overrated Top Ten. Texas came in right behind USC at the bottom of the list, with a cumulative score of minus-85. Oklahoma followed Michigan and Notre Dame to finish sixth, while Nebraska trailed Florida, Florida State, and Clemson to finish tenth, with a final cumulative score of minus-61 1/2. Texas A&M also finished below Colorado, with a score of minus-34, while Texas Tech (plus-23) and Kansas State (plus-31) overachieved over the past 21 seasons;

- The Pac-10 had nine schools qualify for consideration (only Washington State failed to be ranked at least seven times over the past 21 years). As noted, USC was the nation’s most overrated school (minus-89), and Oregon was the most underrated (plus-78 1/2). In between, four schools were overrated overall: UCLA (minus-43 1/2); Washington (minus 28); Arizona (minus-11) and Cal (minus-10); while three schools were underrated overall – Arizona State (plus-eight); Stanford (plus-21); and Oregon State (plus-24 1/2). It is worthy of note that Stanford had a negative score over the first 20 seasons of the survey (minus-one), but went into the underrated category due to a huge leap this past season, going from unranked to a final poll position at No. 4 in the nation;

- The team which was best at over-achieving over the past 21 seasons was Boise State. Six times over the course of the survey (all in the last ten years), the Broncos finished at least ten places better in the final poll than where they started the season (more fodder for those who believe that non-BCS teams have too high a hill to climb to be considered in the national championship race).

- The team which consistently received too much love from the preseason polls was USC. Not only did the Trojans have the worst overall score, but, remarkably, USC fell at least ten spots from preseason to postseason seven times. Translation: in one out of every three seasons over the past two decades, USC has been so overrated as to fall at least ten places in the polls over the course of the year (including both 2009 and 2010).

- The most Schizophrenic teams in the nation are Alabama and Wisconsisn. Nine times over the past 21 seasons Alabama has been off by double digits in the polls. Five times, the Crimson Tide has been underrated; but four times the Tide has been overrated by at least ten spots. The same numbers apply to Wisconsin (five times underrated; four times overrated), but the Badgers managed to pull off the feat in only 14 seasons of rankings. Translation: out of the 21 seasons considered, Wisconsin was not ranked in either the preseason nor postseason, meaning that in the 14 seasons in which the Badgers earned a ranking, pollsters were off by double digits nine times – or 64% of the time!

- Other than USC, with seven seasons of double digit overratings, there have been four teams which have been overrated by double digits five times - Texas; Notre Dame; Miami; and UCLA. Eleven teams, meanwhile, which have been overrated by double digits four times: Oklahoma; Nebraska; Tennessee; LSU; Texas A&M; Washington; Georgia; Auburn; Iowa; Wisconsin; and Alabama. For those keeping score at home, that would be five teams from the SEC; four teams from the Big 12; three from the Pac-10; two from the Big Ten; one from the ACC; and one indepedent.

I’ll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions …

May 25th

USC loses NCAA appeal

USC has lost in its appeal to have its NCAA-imposed sanctions reduced.

The Trojans appealed the sanctions imposed last year, and were allowed to recruit a full class this February while their appeal was pending.

USC will now lose 30 scholarships (10 per season) over the next three seasons, and will have to play with 75 scholarship players instead of 85. The Trojans will also be barred from playing in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game, and will not be allowed to participate in a bowl game.

The sanctions were imposed in June, 2010, after ruling that Heisman trophy winner Reggie Bush and basketball player O.J. Mayo received improper benefits. The school was also cited for the all-important “lack of institutional control”. In addition to the above penalties, USC will be on probation for another three years, and will have 14 victories from the Reggie Bush era vacated (not that anyone pays any attention to vacated victories).

There is also the chance now that some of the USC seniors will transfer. As was the case last year, seniors with one year of eligibility remaining will be allowed to transfer to another FBS school without penalty. This is not likely for the 13 seniors on the USC roster this year, as these same players had the opportunity to transfer last summer, and chose not to do so.

Scholarship math … USC, at least in theory, was prepared to lose its appeal. “I’m not terribly optimistic,” athletic director Pat Haden said back in January, when the USC appeal was heard. “Statisically, you only win ten percent of appeals. The burden of proof is high.”

Despite the odds, USC did not prepare its roster for future sanctions. The Trojans signed a full class in February, and has 82 players on scholarship for 2011. With 13 seniors on the roster, that leaves USC with 69 players on scholarship for 2012 – and a scholarship limit of 75 players.

Will that mean that USC will only sign six players in 2012? Not likely. With attrition, there is a chance that USC will be able to sign a full class – with a “full class” for USC in 2012 (and 2013 and 2014) being 15 players.

Which presents another problem for Lane Kiffin and the USC coaching staff. With the commitment of offensive lineman Max Turek this week, USC has eight players who have given their verbal commitments, leaving a maximum of seven scholarships slots for USC to fill.

What it means to the Buffs … The impact on recruiting for Colorado and the rest of the Pac-12 over the next three years cannot be understated. With USC losing ten scholarships per season for the next three years, there will be thirty quality recruits which will be playing elsewhere in the nation. While some prospects will opt to play for other national powers, it’s a safe bet that the majority of those 30 players will suit up for other Pac-12 teams.

Will any of those players wind up wearing the black-and-gold? Perhaps. One example might be Colorado recruit Shane Dillon. The El Cajon, California, quarterback gave his verbal commitment to Colorado on May 12th, but since then, Dillon’s high school coach has been quoted as saying that other programs have been sniffing around, including USC.

With only seven scholarships left to offer – assuming the Trojans can keep the eight they have lined up already – will Shane Dillon still fit into the Trojans’ plans? USC currently has eight quarterbacks on their roster (not all are on scholarship), with only one of those eight a senior. Two of those quarterbacks are freshmen – Cody Kessler and Max Wittek - who are four-star members of the Class of 2011 who enrolled this spring.

Safe to say that quarterback is not a high priority for USC this recruiting cycle, so can the Trojans take a flyer on Shane Dillon? Probably not.

Does that guarantee that Dillon will sign with Colorado? No (Miami is also reportedly very interested in stealing Dillon away).

But with USC down to 15 scholarships this year – and for the next two years after that – the field has opened up for the Trojans’ rivals.

May 24th

CU passes APR test

It wasn’t exactly an “A”, but the CU football program will take it.

The Colorado football and basketball programs are back in good standing after making significant improvements in this year’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) report.

In the 2009-10 report, football achieved an annual APR of 958, improving the four-year average (2006-07 to 2009-10) from 920 to 929. The improvement was enough to avoid any penalties, which occur when a team’s four-year rolling average falls below 925.

According to the CU press release:  “School officials designed an academic improvement plan for football that was implemented last fall, and predictors are that an upward trajectory in APR scores will continue when the current year’s scores are gathered this fall for next year’s report. CU’s Faculty Athletics Representative, Dr. David Clough, noted that new coach ‘Jon Embree and his staff are attunde to the  team’s APR situation, crediting the transition under the new staff, as well former head coach Dan Hawkins and his staff, the team, and to the great academic support provided in Athletics and by te faculty and staff on the Boulder Campus.’ This improvement came after the football program was issued a contemporaneous penalty in last year’s report, which amounted to a one-year reduction of five scholarships (absorbed in the 2008-09 academic year).”

The Colorado men’s basketball team posted a perfect 1,000 annual score for 2009-10. The four-year score, after three years below 900, jumped to 926. the basketall team also absorbed the loss of a scholarship in 2008-09 (from 13 to 12).

All of the 14 remaining Colorado programs – for the seventh consecutive year – are in good standing, with 12 of the 14 programs showing improvement in the past year (the two which went down – women’s basketball and women’s golf – had perfect 1,000 four-year rolling averages, were reduced to still more-than-acceptable scores of 965 and 964, respectively).

Other than football and men’s basketball, every other program at the University of Colorado scored over 950, and are in no danger of falling below the required cumulative average score of 925

May 23rd

Shane Dillon’s coach on his quarterback

Cajon (Calif.) Christian head coach Matt Oliver has a quality quarterback to work with this fall.

And Buff fans hope that quarterback, Shane Dillon, will be wearing black-and-gold in 2012.

Dillon committed to Colorado on May 12th, but it is still a long way to February 1, 2012. “Miami really likes him. They were out here recently and they really, really like him,” Oliver told BuffStampede.com. “USC has been coming by. He has a lot of people interested.”

Time for Buff fans to get nervous? “We knew for a while that he has been on Colorado’s radar, so I think they were extremely happy to get him to commit,” said Oliver. “I guess things can still happen, right? But he seems very content and happy on going to Colorado and everything seems to be solid.”

So, if the Buffs can hang onto Dillon, what sort of quarterback can the Buff Nation expect? “He has a strong arm and he is very accurate. He is tall, 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5, and I think that helps him”, said Oliver. “I have been doing this at the high school level for 11 years and he has a lot of presence in the pocket. He’ll feel pressure and he is able to just kind of move or roll when he needs to and keeps his eyes downfield whereas a lot of quarterbacks at this level will start watching the line or the guys rushing him. He doesn’t have super great speed but he is tall and has a long stride so he is able to escape pressure”.

The bad news? Colorado is going to have to beat off the likes of USC and Miami if Shane Dillon is to become a Buff.

The good news? Colorado is competing with the likes of USC and Miami for players, instead of Wyoming and New Mexico.

That, in and of itself, is cause for optimism.

May 22nd

Justin Nonu, 22, killed in Oceanside, California, shooting

Justin Nonu, 22, was killed, and a second man injured, in a predawn shooting in Oceanside, California, on Saturday. Nonu was killed as he was standing with four others in a driveway when an unidentified male opened fire on the group from the opposite side of the street.

In 2005, Nonu was voted San Diego County defensive player of the year, and was a member of the Colorado recruiting Class of 2006. Nonu was ranked by Rivals as the No. 45 linebacker prospect in the nation. Nonu suffered from back injuries, and was also involved in the “rock punch” incident involving another Colorado linebacker recruit, Lynn Katoa. Nonu was listed on the roster as a true freshman in 2006, but was no longer with the team in 2007.

There were no known suspects of the crime, and the murder remains under investigation.

May 21st

Stanford/USC to have at least ten BCS games per year

USC is used to playing a minimum of ten games per year against BCS foes. As a member of the Pac-10, the Trojans annually played the other nine teams in the conference, as well as the annual inter-sectional grudge match with Notre Dame.

Count Stanford in on that list as well.

The Cardinal have agreed to extend their contract with Notre Dame for eight additional years, carrying the rivalry through to at least 2019. The two teams have met every year for the past 14 seasons, and 21 of the last 23 counting back to 1988.

In all, Stanford and Notre Dame have played 25 games, with the Fighting Irish holding a 17-8 edge in the series. Stanford, however, has won the last two games, with the teams scheduled to play this fall on November 26th at Stanford.

Colorado, of course, is no stranger to playing double digit games against BCS opponents. Despite having only an eight game conference schedule instead of nine, the Buffs have annually used its four game non-conference schedule to pit the team against a myriad of quality BCS opponents. During its 15-year run as a member of the Big 12, Colorado faced the following BCS schools in non-conference games (not including bowl games): Washington State (three times); Michigan (twice); Washington (twice); USC (twice); UCLA (twice); Florida State (twice); Miami (Fla.); Arizona State (twice); Georgia (twice); West Virginia (twice); and California.

Welcome to our world, USC and Stanford. Don’t forget to bring the rest of the league along with you …

Utah not ready to break out the champagne just yet

What do you do when your television contract payout goes from $1.3 million per year to over $20 million per year?

While Utah is more than happy in its move from the Mountain West to the Pac-12, there are no immediate plans to buy every coach a Porsche.

“There are going to be some growing pains, financially,” Utah athletic director Chris Hill told the Salt Lake Tribune. The Utes have, by far, the lowest athletic department budget in the Pac-12, about $31.8 million a year. This amount is some 20% lower than the next lowest budget (Washington State; $39.3 million), and light years away from the top school budgets in the league – Stanford ($81.7 million); USC ($75.7 million), Oregon ($75.4 million) and Cal ($69 million) (Colorado has had a budget in the mid-$40′s for the past few seasons).

“We have to step it up, there’s no question,” said Hill. “There is no question that we’re going to be in the bright lights, and we have to support our program that way. Everybody has to jump on board … Everybody.”

Utah is already hitting up fans for more dollars. Ticket prices for football games are going up 20-24 percent this year, along with a brand new requirement that all season ticket holders (except those in the bleachers) also donate to the Crimson Club. “The charge is for every one of our resources to grow,” said Hill.

There is also the reality that Utah, unlike Colorado, will not become a full partner of the Pac-12 until 2014-15 season. In the first season of the new television package, 2012-13, Utah will be a 50% partner, moving up to a 75% share in 2013-14.

The first priorities for the Utes will be upgrading football and basketball facilities. Utah has introduced  plans to expand their football headquarters, which will cost at least $16 million. The school is also adding an athletic trainer, an academic advisor, and an extra employee in the compliance office this year, “just to make sure we’re on top of everything”, said Hill.

Like Colorado, the Utes have fans already clamoring for the addition of Olympic sports, but, as is the case with the Buffs, that may be several years away. “There’s so many variables,” said Hill. “Do they have the potential to get us more visibility? Do we have the athletes in place to be successful? Do we have the recruiting budget? Can they have the potential to generate money? Do they have a chance to win a Pac-12 championship? … The one thing we don’t want to do is make somebody feel like they’re not a priority. It may take some sports longer … but we’re trying to get there as fast as we can.”

Sounds a great deal like what Colorado fans are hearing, but the Buffs do have a head start over the Utes. For starters, Colorado already has a larger budget with which to work, so the increased income can be directed to loftier goals. Second, Colorado will be a full partner from the first year of the new contracts (2012-13), so the new inflows of cash will start almost immediately. Finally, Colorado, despite some Buff fans beliefs to the contrary, does not have substandard facilities. The new basketball facility will be ready for next season, with football poised to make significant upgrades of its own. The golf team has a new course to call their own, and improvements have already been made to track and soccer facilities.

Yes Colorado will have to endure, as Utah athletic director Chris Hill put it, “some growing pains”. But Colorado is, undeniably, in a much better position than it was a year ago, when the future of the program as a member of the Big 12 conference was very uncertain.

May 19th

Forrest West to become a member of the Wolfpack

North Carolina State head coach Tom O’Brien announced Wednesday that former Colorado defensive lineman Forrest West has transferred to Raleigh and will play for the Wolfpack.

West will have to sit out the 2011 season, and will have two years of eligibility remaining. As a sophomore in 2010, West had 19 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks. Earlier this year, new Colorado head coach Jon Embree had indicated that West would not be invited back this fall to play for Colorado, then later clarified his statement, indicating that West’s departure “had nothing to do with any academic or disciplinary issue, a lack of commitment to the team, or any question about his ability to continue making substantial contributions as he has done in the past two seasons under former coach Dan Hawkins. In his best interests, Forrest has decided to take his athletic talents elsewhere. He is a fine young man, and will be a tremendous addition to another college football program.”

West was a two-star recruit out of Salisbury, Connecticut, and was a member of the 2009 recruiting class. After suffering a weight room injury during his junior year in high school, West was not highly recruited. His only scholarship offer from a 1-A school came from Colorado.

May 18th

“No directive to establish a playoff”

Two weeks ago (see May 5th story, below) the Justice Department sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert, asking why the NCAA does not have a college football playoff system for the Division 1-A schools, indicating that there are “serious questions” as to whether the current format to determine a national champion violates antitrust laws.

Specifically, the department’s antitrust chief, Christine Varney, asked the NCAA President: 1) Why does the Football Bowl Subdivision not have a playoff, when so many other NCAA sports have playoffs or championships?; 2) What steps, if any, has he (Emmert) taken to create a playoff? To the extent steps were taken, why were they not successful? What plans does the NCAA have in place to create a playoff at this time?; and 3) Have you (Emmert) determined that there are aspects of the BCS system that do not serve the interests of the fans, schools, and players? To what extent could a different system better serve those interests?  

Emmert’s response: “Don’t ask me”.

In a letter to the Department of Justice, NCAA President Mark Emmert, said the NCAA has no role in the BCS, other than to license games. Emmert added that, without direction from its member colleges and universities, “there is no directive for the (NCAA) to establish a playoff.”

Emmert, in essence, put the ball back in the Justice Department’s court, stating that questions about the current system “can best be answered” by the BCS.

Bill Hancock, the executive director of the BCS, said he hadn’t seen the NCAA’s letter but was confident that it was responsive to the Justice Department’s questions. “We’re confident the BCS complies with the law and we know it has been very good for college football,” Hancock told ESPN.com. Hancock had previously said that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money for the government to look into the BCS.

Matthew Sanderson, co-founder of Playoff PAC, which wants the BCS replaced with a championship playoff system, said he wasn’t surprised by the NCAA response. “The NCAA has now confirmed no private solution to this problem exists. It will need to be solved through other means,” Sanderson said, referring to a lawsuit.

Your serve, Ms. Varney.

May 17th

No Buffs to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011

Alfred Williams, 2010 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, will have to wait for his teammate and his coach to join him in the Hall.

Former CU head coach Bill McCartney and All-American running back Eric Bieniemy were on the ballot for the Hall of Fame this year, but were not included in the list of 16 coaches and players who will be inducted this December.

Two coaches did make the list. Lloyd Carr was head coach at Michigan for 13 years, compiling a 75% winning percentage and a share of the 1997 national championship. Fisher DeBerry, longtime head coach at Air Force, will also be inducted. In 23 seasons at the Academy, DeBerry had 17 winning seasons, and took the Falcons to 12 bowl games. DeBerry was the national Coach-of-the-Year in 1984, leading Air Force to a 12-1 record.

Players included on the list who are likely familiar to most fans include: defensive back Deion Sanders (Florida State), running back Eddie George (Ohio State), defensive lineman Russell Maryland (Miami), defensive back Jake Scott (Georgia), offensive lineman Will Shields (Nebraska), and wide receiver Gene Washington (Michigan State).

There were two players from Colorado’s new conference on the list of 2011 inductees - Arizona defensive lineman Rob Waldrop and Oregon State fullback Bill Enyart – along with three from the Buffs’ old conference – Shields, Texas defensive lineman Doug English, and Oklahoma tailback Clendon Thomas.

May 16th

“When in doubt, Colorado Buffs schedule up in Pac-12″

Not that any Buff fans need to be reminded, but it is nice to see some love for the Colorado program when it comes to quality non-conference games.

Matt Hayes of The Sporting News put out an article entitled, “When in doubt, Colorado Buffs schedule up in Pac-12“. Hayes did an article breaking down the best and the worst of the Pac-12 conference’s non-conference games, and, not surprisingly, Colorado, with a gauntlet of @Hawai’i, Cal, v. CSU, and @Ohio State, came in first.

“The conference that annually plays better non-league games than any other,” wrote Hayes, ”now has the program that set the standard”. Hayes notes that when given the opportunity to pick another non-conference foe due to the game at Hawai’i, the Buffs went out and picked Ohio State (we’ll forget, for the moment, that the Colorado athletic department needed the $2 million payday that the road game with no promise of a return visit provides the Buffs).

Colorado’s non-conference slate was picked as the best in the Pac-12, followed by – in order (with the toughest non-conference opponent in parantheses) – UCLA (Texas), USC (at Notre Dame), Arizona State (Missouri), Oregon (v. LSU), Oregon State (at Wisconsin), Utah (at Pittsburgh), Washington (at Nebraska), Stanford (Notre Dame), Arizona (at Oklahoma State), California (at Colorado), and Washington State (at San Diego State).

Only USC plays every non-conference game against a BCS opponent (Minnesota, Syracuse, at Notre Dame), while only UCLA and Washington State fail to go on the road to play a BCS opponent (we’ll give Oregon the benefit of a “road” game against LSU in Arlington).

My main issues, in joining the Pac-12 … Do I now have to cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame (v. USC, at Stanford)? … or even worse, root for Texas (at UCLA), or, God forbid, Nebraska (v. Washington)?? Can’t see that happening!

This is going to take some getting used to …

May 14th

Predicting the Predictions

The number 11 was not kind to the Buff Nation this past week. Colorado was listed at No. 11 in the ESPN Pac-12 power rankings, while Jon Embree was ranked by Sports Illustrated as the 11th-best new head coach amongst BCS coaches … out of 11 new hires.

Get used to it, Buff fans.

If you pay attention to the preseason magazines coming out the next month or so, you will be disappointed/frustrated/angered about how Colorado is being depicted.

So, in order to save you some time and energy seeking out the next Athlon, Lindy’s or Sporting News “College Football 2011 Preview”, here’s a prediction of what you will see …

Buffaloes at a Glance

- Coach Jon Embree – At Colorado: 0-0; Overall: 0-0

- Offensive Coordinator – Eric Bieniemy (first year)

- Defensive Coordinator – Greg Brown (first year)

- Last League Title (Big 12): 2001

- Last Bowl: 2007 Independence

- Returning Starters: 18; 9 offense; 8 defense; punter

- Players to Watch: Quarterback Tyler Hansen; running back Rodney Stewart; wide receiver Paul Richardson; offensive guard Ryan Miller; defensive tackle Conrad Obi; linebacker Jon Major.

Primary Strengths: The Buffs have nine starters returning on offense, as the new coaching staff returns to a pro-style, power rushing game. Quarterback Tyler Hansen no longer has to look over his shoulder to see if Cody Hawkins is being sent in as replacement. Running back Rodney Stewart and wide receiver Paul Richardson return after strong 2010 campaigns.

Potential Problems: Colorado lost two long-time starters at cornerback to the NFL draft in Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown, and has yet to find adequate replacements. No wide receivers have emerged to help keep attention away from Paul Richardson. Two of the three starting linebackers from last season are no longer with the program. Special teams remain a significant hindrance to overall success.

OFFENSE:

The good news for senior quarterback Tyler Hansen is that there is no longer a Hawkins on the roster (nor is  there one on the coaching staff) to impeded his success. Hansen emerged from spring practices as the clear starter, and it will be up to him to lead the Buffs’ new power offense. Running back Rodney Stewart returns after a stellar junior season in which he rushed for 1,318 yards, and will now have a fullback to block for him.

The offensive line, despite the loss of Nate Solder to the New England Patriots in the first round of the NFL draft, should be a team strength, with four starters returning. Senior guard Ryan Miller will be the next Buff offensive lineman in line for All-Conference recognition.

The issue for the Colorado offense will be one of balance. While Colorado should be able to run the ball effectively, the question is whether the Buffs can generate enough of a passing attack to keep opposing defenses honest. Lost is Colorado’s all-time leading receiver, Scotty McKnight. Sophomore Paul Richardson was impressive during the second half of the 2010 season, but the remainder of the receiving corps was ineffective. Colorado needs senior Toney Clemons to live up to the hype he generated when he transferred from Michigan two years ago.

DEFENSE:

Colorado ranked 110th in the nation in 2010 in passing defense, and that was with Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown earning All-American and All-Big 12 honors at cornerback. No clear cut favorites have emerged from spring practice to replace Smith and Brown, which will test defensive coordinator – and secondary coach – Greg Brown’s efforts to combat some of the best passing offenses in the nation in the Buffs’ new conference. The Buffs do have both starters returning at safety, in senior Anthony Perkins and junior Ray Polk, but these two players are going to have to have outstanding seasons if Colorado is going to keep the likes of Andrew Luck (Stanford), Matt Barkley (USC), Darron Thomas (Oregon), and Bryan Moniz (Hawai’i) from having record-setting performances.  

The defensive line is solid, with the return of starters Josh Hartigan, Curtis Cunningham and Will Pericak. The star of the Colorado spring practices, though, was senior defensive lineman Conrad Obi, who languished under the Dan Hawkins’ regime, but seems energized by the new coaching staff. Last season Colorado was decent (48th in the nation) against the run, but will have to be even better in 2011 in order to protect a suspect secondary.

The linebacking corps loses two starters from last fall, with senior Jon Major left to lead the talented but inexperienced crew. For the Buff defense to be successful, new stars will have to emerge from the group including junior Douglas Rippy, sophomore Derrick Webb, and sophomore Liloa Nobriga.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Once the cornerstone of Colorado excellence, special teams under Dan Hawkins fell into disrepair. Gone is inconsistent kicker Aric Goodman, but his replacement, sophomore Justin Castor, had his only field goal attempt of the 2010 season blocked. The punter is also a sophomore, Zach Grossnickle, but he did not have much better freshman season than did Castor. Last season, Grossnickle averaged less than 40 yards per punt, ranking him 75th in the nation overall. Kick returning is so unsettled that the new coaching staff under Jon Embree didn’t even attempt to work on this phase of special teams during the spring, opting instead to wait for new – and faster – kick return candidates from the recruiting Class of 2011 to hit campus in August.

SCHEDULE

The schedule makers did not do Jon Embree any favors. Colorado plays 13 regular season games in 13 weeks, with seven of those games on the road. This is an ominous sign for a team which hasn’t won a game outside of the state of Colorado since 2007. Colorado opens the 2011 season on the road against Hawai’i, with its brand-new cornerbacks going up against an offense which was the No. 1 passing team in the nation last season. The Buffs then return home to face a California team which waxed the Buffs, 52-7, last fall. Next, after a rivalry game against Colorado State in Denver, the Buffs must face Ohio State on the road. The Buckeyes will be without head coach Jim Tressel and star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, both suspended for the game, but that may prove to be of little consolation as Ohio State remains a loaded and talented team.

In the first season of Pac-12 play, the Buffs drew the short straw. Fellow new entrant Utah misses both Stanford and Oregon (both projected to be top ten teams), while the Buffs have to face them both. The league also gave Colorado five conference road games, with two of the four Pac-12 home games coming against conference heavyweights Oregon and USC.

OVERVIEW

Colorado has suffered five straight losing seasons, the second-longest such streak in the 121-year history of the program. Gone is Dan Hawkins, who could not translate success at Boise State into victories in Boulder. The Buffs went retro in hiring Jon Embree, a former star player and coach at Colorado. The two coordinators, Eric Bieniemy and Greg Brown, also have long-standing ties to the program. None of the three, though, have ever been a head coach, and only Brown – last season with Arizona – has even served as a coordinator. It is yet to be seen whether this experiment with such an inexperienced coaching staff will pay off in the long term.

There is renewed enthusiasm in Boulder. The new coaching staff promises to bring the Buffs “back to the future”, restoring a winning tradition with the Buffs’ entry into the Pac-12. The lack of overall talent, the lack of depth at key positions, and an overall lack of speed throughout the roster, though, will hinder the return to prominence for the program. A brutal schedule, including seven games on the road, will likely doom Colorado to a sixth straight losing season.

PREDICTION: 4-9.

If you must, go ahead and buy the preseason magazines (yes, I will, too), but be prepared for language consistent with much of the above.

The renewed energy in the Buff Nation is palpable. But in order for the rest of the nation – including preseason magazines – to take notice, Colorado will have to make its mark on the scoreboard this fall.

May 1th

Fiesta Bowl gets a reprieve

The Fiesta Bowl will remain a part of the Bowl Championship Series after all.

After numerous allegations of illegal campaign contributions, inappropriate spending, and mismanagement of funds, there was speculation that the Fiesta Bowl would be removed from the rotation of the BCS. Instead, the BCS presidential oversight committee will allow the Fiesta Bowl to remain in the club, but only after paying a $1 million fine and agreeing to greater supervision of its officials.

“The message is that they had cleaned house and addressed their problems, but our group doesn’t believe they went far enough,” said Bill Hancock, director of the BCS in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. Hancock added that the $1 million fine was designed to reflect the “serious nature of the matter.”

For its part, the Fiesta Bowl and its officials are happy just to have the matter resolved. “The Fiesta Bowl Board of Directors understands and accepts the sanctions imposed by the BCS,” said Fiesta Bowl Chairman Duane Woods in a statement. “We think that these tough but fair measures are consistent with our commitment to reform the Fiesta Bowl’s governance, and rebuild trust.”

The Fiesta Bowl has cleared a major hurdle, but is not completely out of the woods. An NCAA panel must still decide whether to continue licensing the bowl, but this will likely go through after the NCAA has had the opportunity to review the findings of the BCS presidential oversight committee.

USC, Oregon and Stanford earn ABC/ESPN exposure

ESPN has confirmed a minimum of 19 games involving Pac-12 teams this fall, including several which will appear on ABC. While there will certainly be additions once the regular season gets underway, the league knows that five of its teams will be on national television before the 2011season is a week old.

On the first full Saturday of college football, Oregon, USC, and Colorado will be on the ABC/ESPN family of networks. The inaugural Pac-12 season will begin with USC at home against Minnesota in a split national telecast on ABC.  Oregon will then face LSU in Arlington, Texas, as the primetime ABC game, before Colorado finishes off the first Saturday of the season on ESPN2 in the Buffs’ road trip to Hawai’i. The second week will get underway with a Thursday night game between Arizona and Oklahoma State, with Missouri at Arizona State on ESPN on Saturday night.

There are several non-conference games the network has already deemed worthy of scheduling, with Texas @ UCLA; Utah @ BYU; and Notre Dame @ Stanford all on either ABC or ESPN. In all, five USC games have been slated for telecast, followed by Oregon, Stanford and Arizona with four each. The only two Pac-12 schools which have yet to pick up a national telecast are Oregon State and Washington State.

Other than the Colorado/Hawai’i game, the only other game which Buff fans know for a certainty will be televised is the USC @ Colorado game, which has been moved to Friday, November 4th, for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2.

May 5th

BCS executive director’s response to Justice Department inquiry: “Goodness gracious!”

The Justice Department this week sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert, asking why the NCAA does not have a college football playoff system for the Division 1-A schools, indicating that there are “serious questions” as to whether the current format to determine a national champion violates antitrust laws.

Specifically, the department’s antitrust chief, Christine Varney, asked the NCAA President: 1) Why does the Football Bowl Subdivision not have a playoff, when so many other NCAA sports have playoffs or championships?; 2) What steps, if any, has he (Emmert) taken to create a playoff? To the extent steps were taken, why were they not successful? What plans does the NCAA have in place to create a playoff at this time?; and 3) Have you (Emmert) determined that there are aspects of the BCS system that do not serve the interests of the fans, schools, and players? To what extent could a different system better serve those interests?  

Let’s back up a bit … The Justice Department letter is the latest attack on the BCS system, but last month Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff fired the first legal shot across the BCS bow. In April, Shurtleff stated his intent to file an antitrust lawsuit against the BCS, claiming “serious antitrust violations that are harming the taxpayer-funded institutions to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.” Shurtleff is planning on highlighting the disparity in BCS revenue between the six Automatic Qualifying conferences and the five non-AQ conferences (the former made $145.2 million this past year versus $24.7 million for the latter. These numbers, of course, do not even count the new huge contracts for the Big 12 and Pac-12). “I am not an attorney,” said BCS executive director Bill Hancock at the time. “But I know antitrust laws challenge entities that limit access, and the BCS provides access in spades.”

The Justice Department now seems to agree with the Utah attorney general. “Serious questions continue to arise suggesting the current Bowl Championship Series system may not be conducted consistent with the competition principles expressed in federal antitrust laws,” wrote Varney in her letter to NCAA President Emmert. “Your views would be relevant in helping us to determine the best course of action with regard to the BCS.”

For its part, the NCAA has stated it will reply to the letter upon receipt. Spokeman Bob Williams said Emmert has consistently said that the NCAA is willing to move to a playoff format if the schools wish to go that route.

The executive director of the Bowl Championship Series, Bill Hancock, who said last month that the “BCS provides access in spades” to the BCS championship game, stated that he was confident that the current system complies with the law. “Goodness gracious,” said Hancock. “With all that’s going on in the world right now, with national and state budgets being what they are, it seems like a waste of taxpayers’ money to have the government looking into how college football games are played.”

Aside from Hancock’s simplistic statements, those who are in the know – and have the power instigate change – aren’t budging.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, who serves on the BCS committee, also believes that the current system is on “solid ground” with regard to this antitrust claim. Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott stated that these claims have “no merit”. Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said, “I don’t understand how anyone thinks, how any court, or any legislator, can force us to require the creation of a college football playoff system.”

Other than the “the federal government should have better things to do” argument, there is the real question of whether this letter – and the response to it – will gain any traction, or whether the antitrust lawsuit promised by Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff will go anywhere.

One school of thought is that there may be a move to at least a +1 championship playoff, as the BCS, according to one antitrust lawyer, “recognizes, despite its public statements, the weakness of its case, and because it may not want to have all of the inner workings of the BCS come to light.”

There are other lines of defense which the BCS may take.

For starters, the BCS may argue that the NCAA is free to set up a playoff system if it so chooses. For one example: The NCAA basketball tournament wasn’t always in place. The NCCA tournment (which, by the way, didn’t allow any team other than conference champions into the tournament until the early 1970′s) came into existence after the National Invitation Tournament. For many years, the winner of the NIT was considered the true national champion. The NCAA is free to establish a playoff system anytime it wants one.

The NCAA, though, won’t go out and set up a playoff system in football without the blessings of the presidents and chancellors of the colleges and universities which constitute the BCS conferences, and that is not going to happen. There is too much money at stake for these schools to scrap their system, and create a playoff of four, eight, or sixteen teams. It was reported last month that about half of the BCS teams which went to BCS bowls this past year lost money on the trip. The money is not in the bowl games for these schools, it’s in the regular season revenue. And to dilute the product by eliminating a regular season ”where every game counts”, is not likely an avenue the member schools will wish to pursue. (There would also be the argument that schools cannot – and will not – ask their fans to travel to multiple games during the holidays. If schools are not able to sell enough tickets to make money on one bowl, how  can they be expected to make money on two bowls … or three?).

Then there is the more practical argument … If a playoff system is the only fair way to crown a champion, what constitutes a “fair” way to crown that champion? Is a four team playoff “fair”? What about eight teams? Sixteen? Will it only be “fair” if the champion of every conference allowed in (as is the case with the NCAA basketball tournament)? What about the manner in which the participants are selected? If you don’t like computers or subjective press polls, where do you turn? Would participants be based simply upon won/loss records (if so, say good-bye to non-conference games between quality opponents). Would an undefeated Conference USA team automatically get in, while a one-loss SEC team stays home?

The letter to the NCAA submitted by the Justice Department is not likely to generate any change. As noted, the NCAA executive director is already on record as being in favor of a playoff … if its members ask for one. That will likely be the reply NCAA President Emmert will send back to the Justice Department.

As to the Utah lawsuit, it’s hard to say where it will go … it hasn’t even been filed yet. Notwithstanding the fact that Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff’s threatened suit has lost some steam locally – what with Utah joining a big bad BCS conference, and BYU going independent – the BCS and its supporters have the will and the means to fight the lawsuit, and the case could drag on for years.

After all, the BCS schools have a lot of money to fight over, and to fight with …

May 4th

Buffs’ wide receiver recruit arrested

Nelson Spruce, a member of the Colorado recruiting Class of 2011, was arrested for marijuana possession late last month. The arrest, according to the Daily News of Los Angeles, took place at Spruce’s school in Westlake Village, California. Senior Deputy Jim DeSoto said a drug-sniffing dog supplied by a private company detected marijuana in Spruce’s vehicle on campus.

There was no other information released as to the arrest, and the University of Colorado athletic department has yet to comment.

Spruce, one of only two wide receiver recruits from the Class (Tyler McCulloch is the other), was considered a three-star prospect when he signed with the Buffs in February. Spruce, at 6’2, 195-pounds, caught 73 passes for 1,292 yards and 18 touchdowns in being the named the most valuable player in the Marmonte League last fall.

May 3rd

Colorado at Hawai’i an afternoon affair … in Honolulu

ESPN has set the Colorado/Hawai’i game for 4:15 p.m. local time, or 8:15 mountain time, on Saturday, April 3rd. The game will be shown nationally on ESPN2. The game was previously set for 6:00 p.m. local time, or 10:00 p.m. mountain time.

So, while it will still be a late night for the Buff Nation, it won’t be quite as bad as previously thought.

May 2nd

Blackout coming …

The Colorado/USC has been moved to Friday, November 4th, and will be televised nationally on ESPN2, the Pac-12 announced Monday.  The game will kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

Colorado has played a Friday home game in every odd year since 1997 … but those were against Nebraska on Thanksgiving weekend. The last home weeknight  game not against Nebraska was on September 18, 2008, against West Virginia. Before that, Colorado has only played on a weeknight in 1990 (v. Stanford on a Thursday night), and in 1989 (v. Texas on Labor Day). Colorado won all three of those home games (since we’re only counting home games, we’ll quietly ignore for the moment the Friday night debacle on the road against Toledo in 2009).

“I believe this game will provide us another opportunity to highlight our beautiful campus and its many achievements,” said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “These rare weeknight games provide a spotlight on CU-Boulder for a national audience, and create a sense of community across our cvampus.”

The game will represent a short week for the Buffs, who will travel to play at Arizona State the weekend before the USC game. The Trojans will host Stanford the weekend before traveling to Boulder.

The short week notwithstanding, the move to Friday night represents a golden opportunity for the Buffs and the Colorado program. It’s likely that a “blackout” will be planned, and the exposure will be a great chance for the Buffs to put CU in the national consciousness.

 The only other potential downside is that the Buffs’ coaches were probably looking to the USC game as a great weekend for high school players to take their official CU visits. With a Friday night game, though, many of those potential recruits might be in uniform for their teams that night, and will miss the game, and possibly the benefits of attending a Colorado home game.

Ohio State suspends linebacker for 2011 season

Ohio State has suspended linebacker Dorian Bell for the entire 2011 season due to violations of unspecified team rules. Bucknuts.com, which first reported the suspension, cited sources which said that Bell committed a third violation of the same rule.

Bell missed the Sugar Bowl last season due to a suspension, and was already suspended for the season opener before the latest infraction. As a red-shirt freshman last season, Bell played in eight games. As two of the Buckeyes top linebackers were drafted this past weekend, Bell was being counted on to contend for a starting position this fall.

A member of the recruiting Class of 2009, Bell was considered by Rivals to be a five-star prospect, the No. 3 outside linebacker in the nation. Scout was even more flattering, ranking Bell as the No. 2 overall linebacker prospect in the country.

“Guys are showing who they are”

Colorado conducted its last practice before the Spring game on Thursday, with the practice, at the last minute, being opened to the public. Jon Embree described the two-hour run-through as a “good practice. The defense had a couple of lapses, but otherwise they did well. Offensively, we got some things accomplished, some things done we wanted to get done as far as some install stuff. Guys are showing who they are.”

The Colorado head coach then raised some eyebrows when he was asked about whether there were some players who had not lived up to expectations. “It’s a privilege to be a Buffalo; it’s not a right,” said Embree. “If they can’t play, and they’re not doing what they are supposed to do academically, and buying into the program, they won’t be here.” Embree went on, ” Some won’t be back; everyone’s year-to-year.  It’s simple. I don’t ask a lot. I want effort; I want you to compete. I want you to do it on and off the field. That’s basically all I ask … and for some guys, they can’t do that.”

Player Notes -

- Jon Embree spoke about his wide receivers on Thursday, noting that Toney Clemons, when he was available, along with Paul Richardson, have “done well”. But that’s about it in terms of wide receiver play. “After that, we haven’t had anyone really step up and say, ‘I’m the next one in line’.

- Paul Richardson drew praise from his head coach. “He’s fast; he’s good with the ball after he catches it; he has good hands,” said Embree. “He could have great hands. He’s almost to the point where literally anything near him, he will catch. He’s a football player. He really understands football. And he’s hard on himself. He wants to be really good.”

- Junior wide receiver Will Jefferson, according to Embree, “has been up and down”. Jefferson has tendinitis in both knees. “Some days,” joked Embree, ” it looks like I could beat him running.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Thursday

On the desire to build toughness back into the Buffs – “We’re physical … Guys have a little bit of an edge. It’s been a very good spring from that standpoint. I know that they understand how to practice. It’s been pretty grueling; we’ve done a lot … 95% of the guys have responded.”

On what he is looking for from the Spring game – “Health” and … “A couple of guys are pushing for some positions, whether it’s a number two at a certain spot, or a starter, or just a spot on the team – to have a chance to go to Hawai’i. When the freshmen come in (in August), we’re plugging them in, because we’re going to evaluate them. These guys have had 15 practices, they’ve had off-season workouts. They’ve had all their opportunities to show what they can do. So we’ve got to evaluate the young guys coming in to see what they can do so we can get the best guys out there … So, for some of the guys (the Spring game) is a big day.”

April 5th

“Eric has two kids he needs to feed”

Colorado ran its second-to-last closed practice before the Spring game on Saturday (the next practice will be a light run through on Thursday, focused on special teams and “on-field” teaching). Colorado head coach Jon Embree was not dismayed by not being able to evaluate some of the injured personnel, either this week or throughout the spring. “I don’t look at it as being a negative,” said Embree. “I look at it as a positive, being able to evaluate who our backups could be, and maybe some starters. There are some guys who I thought would be backups, who have a chance to play a lot of football for us.”

Player Notes

- Sophomore tight end DaVaughn Thornton, ushered into an ambulance on Monday, was back on the field on Tuesday, though not practicing. “He’s fine,” said Jon Embree, noting that Thornton’s injury was related to the tight end’s back. “He’ll do some stuff on Thursday, and then we’ll decide if we’ll do anything with him on Saturday. He wants to play, but we’ll see.”

- Also in the “maybe” category for the Spring game is senior wide receiver Toney Clemons, who has been nursing a hamstring injury. “I have no idea (if Clemons will play in the Spring game)”, said Embree. “We’ll see if he can do anything on Thursday”, noting that he did not want Clemons to aggravate his injury just to put into action during the Spring game. “Once August comes, I don’t want any issues,” said Embree.

- The fullbacks, Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, are doing well in their transition from linebacker. “They bring a physical element to us,” said Embree. “They are a lot better than I thought they would be, being defensive players … I’ve been surprised by them, pleasantly. I think between the two of them, we’ll be fine.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Tuesday

- On what sophomore wide receiver Paul Richardson needs to do to become an elite performer: “He’s got to be better running routes; he’s got to get better understanding what the coverage is, and what the defense is trying to do to him … More consistent catching the ball. He’ll make the spectacular catch, but then he’ll drop some, too … He can be a great one.”

- On running backs coach Eric Bieniemy riding his players hard, making them do extra work and drills: “Eric has two kids to feed. So, if they (the running backs) fumble the ball, I’d rather be hard on them than tell the family we’ve got to move. We had a fumble; we had a back run out of bounds in (the) four-minute (drill), when we’re trying to run out the clock … They earn (the punishments) … If that’s too much for them, we’ll find some guys who will hold onto the ball, or understand that they will be held accountable when they don’t.”

April 4th

Defense bounces back

Perhaps motivated by the impressive numbers put up by the Colorado offense in the second scrimmage, the Colorado defense made a statement of their own during Monday’s practice. “The defense had a great practice,” said CU head coach Jon Embree. “Very physical. They did a good job of tackling; forcing some turnovers … The (defense) won every situation today.

Embree saw the rise of the defense as an issue the coaches have had to deal with all spring. “Right now as a team, we’re not very good when things don’t go our way early,” said Embree. “We’ve got to get better about playing the next play. We still watch the scoreboard too much.” The flip side was true for the offense on Monday. After doing well in the second scrimmage on Saturday, the offense struggled in its first effort back on the practice fields. “(the offense) didn’t know how to handle success,” said Embree.

Player Notes

- Sophomore tight end DaVaughn Thornton was escorted off of the playing field by trainers during Monday’s practice, but Embree did not see the injury as serious. “He jogged off the field”, explained Embree, explaining that the injury was “something in (Thornton’s) back”, but that he felt the attention afforded Thornton was largely precautionary.

- Sophomore kicker Justin Castor continues to improve, according to Embree. “Each day, he gets better and better. He’s been fixing things from a mechanical standpoint”, explained Embree, noting that improved play from the snapper and holder was helping Castor be more consistent.

Jon Embree Quotes – Monday

- When asked if injuries to the defense was an excuse for the unit’s poor play on Saturday, Embree laughed off the explanation. “This is your opportunity to show you want to be on that plane going to Hawai’i,” said Embree, noting that there would be some freshmen coming into camp in August that would be more than happy to take the spots of these players if they are too tired this spring. “You want to be tired?”, asked Embree. “You can watch the game on TV”.

- Embree also spoke about an increased emphasis on special teams this spring (except for kick returns, which will be worked on more this fall, when some new players, who will be asked to fill some of those roles, will be in camp. “We’re trying to get our kickers, especially our punter, to understand how he can change the field; the importance of putting the ball where we need it from a coverage standpoint,” said Embree. “When you’re not the most talented, you need to win all three phases of the game. We need to make (opposing offenses) go a long way (to score)”.

April 1st

“A good mental day”

Colorado went through a lighter practice on Friday (no pads, no tackling) in preparation for the second scrimmage of the spring season, set for 1:30 on Saturday (open to the public). Buff head coach Jon Embree indicated that it would be a regular scrimmage, with “1′s v. 1′s and 2′s v. 2′s” starting at the minus-30 yard line. Embree also stated that the Buffs would mix in “a little red zone, because we want to get in a little more red zone work”. There will also be some field goals attempted during the scrimmage.

“I don’t know how many plays it will be,” said Embree. “We’re beat up on one side of the line, the D-line, but we’ve got to go.”

Player Notes -

- Red-shirt freshman tight end Harold Mobley has been reinstated to the team. Mobley was held out of the first nine practices so that he could concentrate on school work (and remaining eligible). Embree noted that Mobley was “way behind”, but that “is his own fault”.

- Senior defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham has been nursing a sore elbow, but should be available for the spring game, so as to let his elbow “calm down a little bit”, according to Embree.

- Red-shirt freshman defensive tackle Kirk Poston, slowed by an ankle injury, will be allowed to participate in the April 2nd scrimmage.

- Sophomore defensive tackle Nate Bonsu should also play on Saturday. Bonsu’s injury has been a sore shoulder.

- True freshman offensive lineman Alex Lewis has been “down on himself”, said Embree, but needs to remember that he is still just a true freshman (Lewis was a member of the recruiting class of 2010, but gray-shirted, enrolling in January. He still has five years to play four). Embree remains high on Lewis. “He’s going to have a bright future here,” said Embree.

Jon Embree Quotes – Friday

Embree was asked after the Friday practice what the biggest issue is facing the Buff offensive players in adjusting to the West coast offense. “Details,” Embree replied. “It really falls on the receivers and tight ends. Those are the guys who have to do the most learning”. Still, Embree is pleased overall. “They have done pretty good with it. I’m pleasantly surprised at how well they’re picking up some things. It’s starting to click.”

The Colorado head coach was particularly impressed with the work of the offensive line under new line coach Steve Marshall. “They’re a lot farther along than the other positions,” said Embree. “That’s been very encouraging, because usually that’s the group that you have to hold things back for … The good thing is, we can put in as many passes as we want, as soon as (the wide receivers and tight ends) can learn the ones we have in.”

March 31st

“I’m finding out who we can count on”

“Early on, the defense was wearing them out,” said Colorado head coach Jon Embree about Thursday’s practice. “The defense was very good against the run today.”

While Colorado has made it through its first nine practices without a significant new injury, there still have been a number of players who have spent time on the sidelines. The walking wounded total, though, does not bother Embree. “”The guys that are playing for the guys who are injured are doing a great job of taking advantage of their opportunities,” said Embree. “They’re showing up. We’re going to play 13 straight weeks, we’re not going to have everybody. As a staff, we don’t really talk about it. We just coach the guys that we have.”

Player Notes -

- Embree is encouraged by getting to see his new team on the field. “I’m finding out who we can count on,” said Embree. “The guys that aren’t necessarily workout warriors; the guys who are football players.”

- Colorado may be naming a starting quarterback sooner rather than later. “If there is a clear cut guy, then we’ll do it,” said Embree. “I’m not into playing games, or trying to make the other team figure out all that stuff. When I know, we need to let everyone know. The team needs to know who their leader is in the huddle.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Thursday

- On his tight ends: “They’re getting there. We need tight ends. We need more.”

- On the cornerbacks biggest problem: “Knowing what to do. No one does anything consistently. No one does it every play yet.”

March 29th

“There’s nobody on this team that we need to go out there and lose”

Colorado passed the midway point of spring practice, 2011, on Tuesday, with the eighth of 15 practices. Overall, head coach Jon Embree was pleased. “This was the first practice that both sides did stuff good, so that was encouraging,” said Embree. “We continued to run the ball good. We’re still not sharp in the passing game, so we’ve got to clean that up.” As for the defense, Embree noted that “the defense created some turnovers at the right time.”

Still, there is plenty to improve upon before September. “We’ve got to start learning how to handle success,” said Embree, explaining, “The defense stops them twice, and they start feeling good about themselves, and then the offense scores a couple of touchdowns.”

Player Notes –

- Embree was asked about junior defensive end Nick Kasa, who Embree noted on Monday was amongst the walking wounded. “Something in his knee,” Embree said. “one of those L’s” – but Embree did not indicate that Kasa was being held out of practice, or that Kasa’s injury was long term.

- With Kasa limited, Embree noted the play of sophomore defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe, walk-on senior defensive end Tony Poremba, senior walk-on outside linebacker David Goldberg, and senior defensive end Josh Hartigan. “Guys are taking advantage of their opportunities,” said Embree.

- Senior wide receiver Toney Clemons has been bothered by a hamstring this spring. “He’s about 85%,” said Embree. “He caught a deep ball (Tuesday); about a 60-yarder.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Tuesday

- On the play of the cornerbacks: “I guess good and bad. No one is jumping out and taking the lead.”

- On the kicking game: “We have to be more consistent. And it’s not all on (the kickers). We’ve been inconsistent snapping (where the Buffs are replacing Joe Silipo) and holding (where the Buffs are replacing Scotty McKnight and Cody Hawkins), so it’s the whole battery which has to be more consistent.” Embree went on to note that he has not had to deal with kickers before, so they are not getting special treatment. “They’re not fragile. I’m treating them like everybody else.”

Only “Players” will earn the trip to Hawai’i

The best quotes from Tuesday’s practice came after Embree was asked about sophomore center Gus Handler, seen running laps. Embree said he wasn’t exactly sure about the nature of Handler’s punishment, but felt it had to do with Handler not getting treatment. Which led Embree to the following monologue:

“We can take 70 to Hawai’i, but we may not be taking 70. I’m going to take guys who can play and who can help us. I’ve told the team, ‘We’ve lost enough games with everybody, so there’s nobody on this team that we need to go out there and lose. We can lose without them.’ If you can’t do it right off the field, you won’t do it right on the field, either.”

Is it too early to start campaigning for Pac-12 coach-of-the-year?

Offensive line picture crystalizing?

Colorado only has one hole to fill along its offensive line this spring … but it’s a big hole.

Off to the NFL as a likely first round draft pick is CU left tackle Nate Solder. Rather than replace Solder at the all-important “protect the quarterback’s back” position, sophomore David Bakhtiari, who started 11 games at right tackle last season as a red-shirt freshman, has been practicing at left tackle.

Which moves the hole in the line over the right tackle position.

Through the first half of spring practice, sophomore Jack Harris has been getting the most repetitions. Harris was doing well in practice last fall before a shoulder injury kept Harris from playing.  “We were almost done with camp, and everything was going well, but I ended up with a shoulder injury and I was out for about eight weeks,” Harris explained to BuffStampede.com. “It was definitely disappointing … It took me a long time to get all the strength back in my shoulder. I feel like I didn’t get back to 100 percent until winter conditioning with (strength and conditioning) coach (Malcolm) Bracken.”

Harris has done well at right tackle so far, but he still has work to do before he will be considered as a lock at becoming the Buffs’ next starting right tackle. “Jack has been up and down,” said Jon Embree after the March 28th practice. “He had an up-and-down day (Monday). He went the wrong way a couple times. But he brings a physical presence that you need on the right side.”

For his part, Harris appreciates the chance to prove his worth. “I am very grateful that I am getting an opportunity to work with the starting team,” said Harris. ”I am going to try and keep my job, and fend off other guys who are coming up.”

In words which will be pleasing to hear from Buff fans confused by the use of the offensive line the past few seasons, Harris said, “(offensive line) coach (Steve) Marshall is different (from former offensive line coach Denver Johnson). He just  has a totally different demeanor,” said Harris. He just seems more into it. He wants you to get it perfect, and, if you don’t, you’re going to hear about it.

“One word that I hear coach Marshall use a lot is ‘displace’. He definitely wants us to pound people into the ground in the run game, and be aggressive in pass pro(tection),” said Harris. “So I would say there is more emphasis on being aggressive all the time.”

March 28th

 “Really good practice for the defense”

Colorado conducted its seventh practice of the spring on Monday, with this week’s practices to be culminated with a scrimmage on April 2nd (at 1:30 – open to the public).

All of the players were back from spring break and accounted for.

Player Notes -

- Several players who have not been able to practice much to date are working their way back into the rotation. Offensive lineman Shawn Daniels, defensive end Nick Kasa, sophomore linebacker Derrick Webb, and defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe are amongst those walking wounded who are getting onto the practice fields more after the break.

- Sophomore Jack Harris has been practicing with the first team offensive line. David Bahktiari is doing well making the transition from right tackle to left tackle.

- In reviewing the tape of the March 18th scrimmage, head coach Jon Embree noted that senior defensive tackle Conrad Obi played well, as did senior linebacker Doug Rippy. Embree also noted that red-shirt freshman running back Tony Jones ran well.

Jon Embree Quotes – Monday

- On Monday’s practice – “A really good practice for the defense; a really good practice. I was very encouraged to see them come out and respond. They were really sharp.”

- On the play of the offense in the March 18th scrimmage – “I felt better about the run game. We do have to get better throwing it; I was happy with the quarterbacks running of the offense.”

- On the play of the defense in the March 18th scrimmage – “Defensively, the tackling could have been better at times; could have been better up front. Conrad Obi played well, Doug Rippy had a very good scrimmage.”

- On sophomore defensive back Terrel Smith, who tore off his red-shirt last midway through the 2010 season, compiling 60 tackles in six games – “I need to see more from him … I haven’t seen it yet.”

March 27th

Back from break

The Colorado Buffaloes have had ten days off since their scrimmage on March 18th. Monday’s practice will be the seventh of 15 allowed practices (the April 2nd scrimmage and April 9th Spring game count against the total).

“I’m happy with the way they’ve responded, and now we’re going to pick it up again when we come back,” said Jon Embree. The Colorado head coach, did spend some time on the west coast meeting with boosters before spending some time with family in Boulder looking for a house for he and his wife and daugther.  

On the sixth day, they rested …

After going through five straight days of practices, the Buff players had a day off on Wednesday. They will be back at it on Thursday, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at how the quarterback race is shaping up.

Five practices are in the books, with ten practices, including a scrimmage (April 2nd) and the Spring game (April 9th) yet to come. Still, if the season were to start tomorrow, it appears clear that senior Tyler Hansen would be the starting quarterback. Head coach Jon Embree has noted Hansen’s efforts on the field, and also named him as one of the leaders of the team.

What about Hansen’s position coach, Rip Scherer?

“I think Tyler, he has game experience, game maturity. I’ve been really pleased with him,” said Scherer. “Some of the things I saw on tape that were bad habits, that I thought he needed to correct right away, he has taken to heart and improved right off the bat. I like his leadership. I like his huddle demeanor. And he’s done a good job of playing with the pocket.”

Hansen, for his part, is embracing the challenge of having to prove he belongs in the starting role. “I am. That’s life; you have to live through and battle through the tough times,” Hansen told BuffStampede.com. “But I like it. I have to re-prove myself, it is more exciting. It’s fun to learn a new offense; it’s fun to compete.” Hansen also is embracing the role of being a senior leader. “Coach Rip has asked me to be more of a leader within our group, too, to help Nick and Brent along … I am teaching them tricks and trying to relate it to something I have learned in the past … As a senior quarterback, the coaches have asked me to be a leader, and asked me to be the guy the other guys look to and ask questions, and look to for leadership.”

This is not to say that the starting position has been ceded by Hansen’s competitors. Redshirt freshman Nick Hirschman, for one, is excited about the change in offensive philosophy. “It’s more pro style than we were last year,” said Hirschman. “That suits me a little better than last year’s offense did. I’m more of a traditional drop back guy who can run around with his feet if he needs to, but I’d rather stay in the pocket and throw.”

Junior transfer Brent Burnette has the advantage of being “more of a pocket guy – at least that’s how it looked on his junior college tapes,” said Scherer. “His team (Western Arizona) ran some spread and shotgun, so there’s still going to be a learning curve. But I think his forte is to play from the pocket.” Still, Burnette is under the handicap of not having spent time with the Buffs’ receiving corps, as have Hansen and Hirschman. “We’d throw a little bit in the bubble after we got done running,” said Burnette of the winter conditioning period. “But it really doesn’t compare to coming out here and strapping the pads on and going full against the defense and against the rush. That’s something I’m still working on, and figuring out how this receiver runs routes compared to another. That’s just something that with time, it will come.”

As a result, all three players have a great deal to learn this spring. “Anytime you go from a spread offense to a pro-style, it’s different for everybody, but more different for the quarterback,” said Scherer. “It’s a whole different perspective for the quarterback to take the ball from center and go back three, five or seven steps, put your foot in the ground and make a decision – as opposed to standing back there and kind of sorting things out.”

So, who will win the job?

“What will go into it is the guy that has leadership skills and also will handle the ball and value the ball,” said Scherer. “You know, if you don’t turn the ball over in this game, you’ve got a chance to win. So it doesn’t matter how talented a guy is, if he is going to spray the ball around and turn it over, you’ve got problems. so value the ball and then making plays.

“The bottom line with a quarterback is how many times do you take the offense and cross the last line? If you can put the ball in the end zone, you may not be the most stylish guy doing it, but the bottom line is making sure the ball gets in the end zone.”

Meanwhile, quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer is already looking to the future

“I think we’ve created a niche for ourselves in recruiting,” said Scherer. “We’re going to try and go nationally and recruit the top quarterback that we can every year. I think for a young player who has aspirations to play at the next level, you’re in this kind of offense you’re more readily prepared, and there’s not many of us doing it.”

College offenses, Scherer contends, are cyclical, with the spread offense the current rage. “It’ll cycle back to this, but we’ll be on the cusp of it, the front edge,” said Scherer. “We create an alternative for a top flight quarterback that has projected ability to move beyond college.” Scherer pointed out that 18 NFL teams “run a west coast offense of some sort. I think you can sit in front of a high school kid and his parents – not that that should be the only reason that a guy comes to Colorado or anyplace else – but the fact is, it gives us a different niche. The NFL’s not changing; the NFL’s not going to the spread offense. I think it will allow us to get our foot in the door of some of the top prospects in the country.”

The 2011 season? It may well be that Hansen, Hirschman or Burnette – whoever wins the job – will struggle to make the West Coast offense work in Boulder.

But the future looks bright …

March 15th

Buffs have a more productive practice

Player Notes

- Head coach Jon Embree was asked after Tuesday’s practice to name players which were assuming leadership of the team. On offense, Embree named quarterback Tyler Hansen – “He’s taking the reins of the offense”; right guard Ryan Miller – “trying to do some stuff”; as well as wide receivers Toney Clemons and Paul Richardson. On defense, Embree had a tougher time coming up with names, noting that he wanted to see more out of defensive tackles Curtis Cunningham and Will Pericak. Jon Major was named as the linebacker doing the most in terms of leadership, while Embree named safety Anthony Perkins, who is injured and not participating in hitting drills, as the likely leader of the secondary. Of the players named, all are seniors except for Pericak and Major, who are juniors, and Richardson, who is a sophomore.

Running backs

The running back corps has been getting  a great deal of attention in the early going. (Yes, I know there is a rumor about a running back quitting the team. I would like to have that confirmed by the player or the team first, though, before taking that issue any further). Much of the discussion has centered around the coaching style of offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who is known for his energy, as well as his fiery attitude. “Bieniemy is a little bit more experienced,” senior running back Rodney Stewart said when comparing Bieniemy to Stewart’s former position coach, Darian Hagan. “He’s more aggressive than Hagan, but Hagan’s pretty aggressive, too.”

“It think it takes a while to get used to,” said Bieniemy of his coaching style. “But one thing I always tell them is don’t confuse the message with the speech. Make sure you listen to what I am saying … When they do it right, I’m going to be the first one to praise them. When they do it wrong, I’m going to critique them and make sure they understand why they did it wrong, and make sure I stay on their tail so that they don’t make the same mistake again.

“I tell my guys I coach hard, but I coach fair,” said Bieniemy. “I’m your biggest fan, and I expect you to be great at all times. If we make a mistake, things happen. If we get physically beat, things happen. If we make a mental error, I take personal issue with that.”

Rodney Stewart, for one, doesn’t have a problem with Bieniemy’s style. “He wants me to be more of a leader, helping the other guys out,” said Stewart. “I’ve got to get better, too. There is a lot of things I need to work on to be a good back, and if I want to go to the next level and be good at that. I think he’s going to get me where I need to be.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Tuesday

Coach Embree was asked which running back is the number two back behind Stewart this spring: “Tony Jones is doing very well. He needs to get stronger, but he has a good knack of finding the seem.”

On how many backs he would like to have in the rotation this fall, Embree said he was looking for at least three backs to be ready (including Stewart and Brian Lockridge, who won’t be able to practice until August): “People remember Chris Brown for all those touchdowns against Nebraska, and he was the third back in. It was Cortlen (Johnson) who got a ‘hammie’; then (Bobby) Purify got an ankle sprain. And then Chris came in. You’ve got to have them. You’ve got to have them ready.”

On running nine-on-seven drills, something Dan Hawkins specifically went away from in his practices: “You could tell (Monday) that it was the first time doing it for some of them. For some of them, the first time ever. Today was a little better; the intensity. You could hear the pads. Yesterday, it was like a pillow fight. Today we’re hitting.” (Note: In a nine-on-seven drill, the offense pits the offensive line, a tight end, the quarterback, and two running backs against the front seven of the defense. The drill is designed to improve both the run offense and the run defense. It is considered a “high intensity” drill).

March 14th

“We don’t know how to work yet … We’ll get it”

Player Notes

- There have been rumors about players leaving the team (specifically, a running back). Head coach Jon Embree was asked about player defections after practice on Monday. “Not that I know of yet,” said Embree. “I think there might be some guys that are on the fence, so we’ll see.”

- As to players who are standing out, Embree had several names in mind. “You know the guy I am really proud of?, said Embree. “Forrest West. After day one, I ripped him and demoted him, and all he has done since then is make plays. Now, he can still get better, but he responded.” Embree also singled out red-shirt running back Tony Jones. “He is responding,” said Embree. “He is stepping up his game and doing some things.” Embree also gave props to quarterback Tyler Hansen, wide receiver Paul Richardson, the tight ends, and the offensive line.

Jon Embree Quotes – Monday

 On “Separation Day”: “Oh yeah, some guys got exposed, and that is good because their teammates will know about them. It is habits right now. That is the problem right now, habits. They want to feel sorry for themselves a little bit. We don’t know how to work yet … We’ll get it.”

On intensity during Monday’s practice: “We are still up and down. We can’t get to a certain level and just sustain it. Offense beats the defense in nine-on-seven and then we go to team run offense and offense does well again and then defense dominates the rest of practice. We can’t be like that.”

On focusing on running plays: “I feel like we are really progressing. There are going to be some plays we can hang our hat on. Short yardage scrimmage, like I said, the defense got us. But we put in new plays and new personnel groups for that, but when we ran the plays that we’ve been running; we were very good at it. So I am encouraged by that. But yet, at the same time, we have to be able to take new stuff on the field, and get going. We can’t keep taking a day to figure it out. We have to do better. We have to have some football IQ to be able to take some of that to the field.”

March 13th

“We can run, but we can’t throw worth a dang”

Sunday’s practice, the last practice open to the public, brought about mixed reviews from the Colorado head coach.

“I was pleased from a running standpoint,” said Jon Embree. “I feel like we can run the ball, but we can’t throw worth a dang. Some of that is because we installed new plays today. So guys are swimming, but we have to get better. We can’t have center-quarterback exchange (problems); we can’t keep putting the ball on the ground. We can’t have that.”

Sunday was the last for the Buffs in shoulder pads and shorts. On Monday, the Buffs will conduct the first full contact practice of the spring.

“It counts tomorrow,” said Embree, who called Monday “separation day”. “Anybody can play in shells and shorts, but when you really have to tackle and not tag off, we are going to find out who can play. It is going to separate who can play from the pretenders”.

Player Notes

- Sophomore linebacker Liloa Nobriga sat out Sunday’s practice with a minor hamstring injury.

- Senior wide receiver Toney Clemons suffered a minor hamstring injury during Sunday’s practice.

- Junior wide receiver Will Jefferson has been hobbled, but has practiced this spring. “Will just has knees older than mine, that’s his problem,” said Embree. “He just has to take care of them … I think he’ll be alright. He has tendinitis.”

- Sophomore defensive back Parker Orms continues to recover from his torn ACL, suffered in the first quarter of the Colorado State game. “Prior to that, I hadn’t missed a game since I was seven years old,” Orms told BuffStampede.com. “Last fall was the toughest time of my life, for sure.” Orms is doing some light workouts this spring. “I am about 90 percent right now, they say the last ten percent is the hardest,” said Orms. “There is definitely still some pain … They say six months after the injury is the projected time when I should be getting close. It will be six months (on March 24th), so we will see. After we come back from spring break, I will see if I can participate. It is better to come back a little late than too early.”

- Sophomore offensive lineman Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner is also on the mend, recovering from two torn ACL’s. “He has done a good job of re-habbing it, we’re trying to give him an ample opportunity to get back,” said Embree. “I don’t want to get him out there too soon and then have to shut him down for sure … So it is just a matter of when he is going to put in some actions.”

Jon Embree Quotes – Sunday

On reported struggles by kicker Justin Castor: “The issue is our snapper and holder. We have to get that worked out. One time the ball was four inches inside the spot; another time it is behind it.”

On the overall effort through three practices: “Yeah, they are (learning new plays), but, as I told the coaches, we can’t accept, ‘Oh, we almost did it,’ or, ‘That is close enough’. If we say a six-yard split, (it has to be) a six-yard split. There is going to be a standard you can’t bend on … They are doing a lot of things right, but we are not doing everything right. I was told my job as a coach was not to be satisfied, so I will find something.”

On closing the next eight practices: “(It’s) so we can get some work done with the players … As we get going, as this program progresses, I want people around all the time.”

March 12th

Offensive line moves

With starting center Mike Iltis out for the spring, and All-American left tackle Nate Solder waiting to hear his name called during the first round of the NFL draft, there has been some movement along the Buffs’ offensive line. Sophomore David Bakhtiari, who started 11 games at right tackle last season, has been running with the first team at left tackle.

“I actually practiced at left tackle last spring, so I feel comfortable there,” Bakhtiari told BuffStampede.com. “I am still good friends with Nate, so when he came back for (pro) timing day, we went in the practice bubble and we did some sets. He taught me some new tricks he learned while training for the draft.”

In Bakhtiari’s place at right tackle, grey-shirt freshman Alex Lewis has impressed head coach Jon Embree in the first two days of practice, but it has been sophomore Jack Harris who has been lining up with the first team at the position.

At the center position, sophomore Gus Handler has been getting most of the snaps with the first team, with both Iltis and possible backup Shawn Daniels out for the spring recovering from off-season surgeries.

Starting offensive lineup – first weekend

The Colorado depth chart lists players alphabetically, and Jon Embree has taken pains to remind everyone that each and every starting job is up for grabs, but someone has to run with the first team. The first weekend of practice, the “ones” on offense are:

QB – Tyler Hansen; TB – Rodney Stewart; FB – Tyler Ahles; WR – Paul Richardson; WR – Toney Clemons; TE – Ryan Deehan; LT – David Bakhtiari; LG – Ethan Adkins; C – Gus Handler; RG – Ryan Miller; RT – Jack Harris.

This could all change several times before fall (it could change several times before the spring game), but, if the Hawai’i game were next Saturday, this might well be the lineup the Buffs would trot out onto the field in Honolulu. Not bad …

Player Notes

- Junior offensive lineman Bryce Givens is being held out of practice until his fate is decided by the Office of Judicial Affairs. Givens was caught on video vandalizing three cars in a Denver parking garage in December. Teammates Eric Richter and Will Pericak were with Givens that night, but both are practicing with the team.

- Harold Mobley may never get his shot at quarterback. The red-shirt freshman tight end is being held out of practice for undisclosed disciplinary reasons. Mobley may be back to practice sometime this spring, but no timetable was given by Jon Embree for Mobley’s return.

- Quarterback turned defensive back Justin Gorman may have found his way onto the field. Gorman is being given a look at holder for extra points and field goals. The job was held down by Cody Hawkins and Scotty McKnight the past few seasons.

- Red-shirt freshman defensive lineman Kirk Poston is concentrating on playing inside at defensive tackle.

- There are a total of six new walk-ons listed on the Colorado roster (Hunter, a transfer, would not be eligible to play until 2012): 

Drew Ebner                 WR          5-11       200        Fr.        HS       Arvada, Colo. (Pomona)

Jacob Frost                  PK           6-  0       170        Fr.        HS       Bakersfield, Calif. (Liberty)

Harrison Hunter        DB           5-10       170        So.       TR        Fountain, Colo. (Fountain-Fort Carson/Fort Lewis)

Andre Nichols            DE           6-  4       220        Fr.        HS       Colorado Springs, Colo. (Rampart)

Alec Parker                OLB         6-  0       210        Fr.        HS       Westminster, Colo. (Standley Lake)

Conner Wilhelm        WR          5-11       170        Fr.        HS       Los Angeles, Calif. (Hamilton)

Jon Embree quotes – Saturday

On the second day of practice: “The intensity stayed up high. Anyone can do it once. They answered the call; competed well.”

On the coaches getting on players for making mistakes: “Someone’s in their ear. Someone’s on them when they make a mistake. So they have that constant pressure on them, and I told them that we’re going to keep the pressure on them. We’re not going to let them breathe and relax.”

Concerning some of the fights between the players, and whether that was okay with him: “Yeah, I expect it. When I was a player here, we fought each other. That’s part of the deal.” Embree then went on to explain that going against the same players every play, with them trying to prevent you from doing what you were trying to do, it would get to him as a player, and he expects it to get to his players now. This is a deviation from the policy about fights under Dan Hawkins, when the entire team had to run “gassers” if a fight broke out. “When you are on the football field, emotions are running high so that is bound to happen,” said sophomore offensive tackle David Bakhtiari. “I got in a tussle with Josh Hartigan today, and, shortly after, I went up to him and said, ‘Good (****)’. We are good friends, it is nothing personal.”

“Intensity” the word of choice by players after practice

“For the record, it’s intense,” said senior wide receiver Toney Clemons of the Buffs’ practice regime. “But it’s what we need. It feels good to have everything crisp, everything real militant and everything real professional. They’re teaching us how to become young men and young football players, and we’re getting a feel for what the game is like on the next level. You want that high level coaching, and we’ve got it here.”

Red-shirt freshman quarterback Nick Hirschman agreed. “I thought the level of intensity was so much higher,” said Hirschman. “It was a lot more enthusiastic, and that makes it a lot more fun for the players and the coaches.”

For senior linebacker Jon Major, the first practice was just a continuation of what the players have seen since winter conditioning began. “It’s really attention to details, maximum effort, and if you don’t do it right, then you’re going to do it again or you’re going to get punished,” said Major. “That’s definitely going to carry over I think in the fall.”

Former safety – now cornerback – Deji Olatoye concurred. “It was a rough program for everyone (this winter),” said Olatoye, who had an interception in the first practice. (New strength and conditioning) Coach (Malcolm) Blacken did a good job of getting us prepared for this. It was a lot of running, it definitely opened up our eyes, and I feel like I am a part of a college football team now.”

Sophomore wide receiver Paul Richardson, who joined the team just a few days before the start of fall practice last summer, is going through his first spring practices as a Buff, and, at least for now, he is enjoying the ride. “The coaches wanted us to get used to facing adversity,” said Richardson of the winter conditioning program. As for his goals this spring, Richardson said that “getting in and out of my breaks better, and having the role of a leader. “I like the weight the coaches have put on my shoulders,” said Richardson, “and the level of responsibility that I have”. Richardson also indicated that he had decided to return to Colorado even before Jon Embree was hired, and that he made it through his first Colorado winter without any difficulties.

New names

There are some new names on the Colorado roster. These are names not likely to make the starting roster, but you never know …

Linebacker Alec Parker, defensive end Andre Nichols, and kicker Jacob Frost, all walk-ons, appeared on the rosters handed out to the media at the first practice. 

There is also a potential transfer, Hunter Harrison, a defensive back from Fountain, Colorado. Harrison comes from Fort Lewis, and the walk-on would have four years to play three after sitting out the 2011 season.

March 11th

Colorado opens Jon Embree era with afternoon practice

“I am going to have to get some throat lozenges,” Jon Embree joked after his first practice as the 24th-head coach in Colorado football history.

“I have to be me”, said Embree of his raising his voice on a number of occasions during the shorts-and-helmets opening practice. “I am very demanding. I am going to be on them. There is a standard, and either you do or you don’t. And we can’t bend or compromise it.”

Embree’s no-nonsense approach hasn’t been lost on the players, with one player describing it as “a lot more professional.”

It is the intent of the coaches to install the basics of a West Coast offense this spring, but not cloud the players’ minds with too much information. Rather, the coaches want to see which players have the physical skill to run the playbook, and the heart to help bring back a winning tradition to the program. “It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be intense,” said senior quarterback Tyler Hansen. “It’s going to be hard work, a lot different than it was.”

Hansen, for one, likes the look of the new offense. “I like it a lot,” said Hansen. “I don’t have to run the ball as much, take as many hits, and we’re getting the ball off on time. Stuff like that. It’s good stuff.”

On defense, many eyes will be trained upon the secondary, where the Buffs have lost two cornerbacks, Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown, to the NFL. “The big issue is we’re going to have to replace two proven playmakers in Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown,” said defensive coordinator and secondary coach Greg Brown. “Behind that, there weren’t a lot of guys who stepped in at that corner spot for the last two or three years because of the play of those two guys. So corner is a large unknown right now, and it probably will still be an unknown going all the way into the fall.”

The defensive playbook will also be vanilla this spring, as the coaches evaluate talent. “We’re evolving right now,” said Brown. “There is no way of knowing where the thing is going to end up. Our focus right now is on spring ball and just trying to line up and play it straight and see if we can win some one-on-one battles.”

Player Notes

- There were four players who were already known to be “OUT” for spring practice due to off-season surgery: Tight end Matt Bahr; offensive lineman Blake Behrens; center Mike Iltis; and offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner. Joining that list now are four players who were previously listed as “TBD” … Out for the spring are: defensive back Anthony Perkins; defensive back Parker Orms; offensive lineman Shawn Daniels; and defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe. The only name which was not on the “TBD” list earlier was Uzo-Diribe, who had surgery on a broken toe in late February. While listed as out for the spring, Uzo-Diribe believes he could be available for the second half of spring practices.

- With center Mike Iltis out, three players will see time at that position this spring … sophomore Gus Handler; red-shirt freshman Daniel Munyer; and red-shirt freshman Kaiwi Crabb.

- Senior guard Ryan Miller, rumored to be moving to left tackle to replace the departed Nate Solder, isn’t going anywhere. Miller will remain at guard.

- As it turns out, there will be more competition at quarterback. With a lack of depth in the secondary, it was thought that red-shirt freshman Josh Moten would be asked to concentrate on learning the defense. Moten will, however, be given a tryout at quarterback, as will red-shirt freshman tight end Harold Mobley. Both Moten and Mobley played quarterback in high school, and Moten believed that he was to be given a chance at quarterback by Dan Hawkins, but that did not work out.

- Perhaps in return for Moten, the quarterbacks are sending Justin Gorman, a walk-on red-shirt freshman, over to the secondary (interestingly enough, in his post-practice comments, Jon Embree was surprised to learn that Gorman was listed as a quarterback on the depth chart. Embree had been under the impression that Gorman had always been a defensive back).

- Junior Eric Richter, listed on the depth chart as an offensive lineman, will be moving to the defensive line.

- Red-shirt freshman Deji Olatoye, who practiced at safety last fall, will be tried out as a cornerback this spring.

- The Buffs have a new walk-on kicker. His name is Jacob Frost (no further information currently available).

Jon Embree Quotes – Friday

Overall view of first practice: “I think the guys are starting to understand a little bit about what’s expected … They had a pretty good grasp of what we’re asking them to do. They know what to do. They weren’t great in the details.”

On coaching college players instead of NFL players, and not being too hard on the team: “Skill has nothing to do with effort”.

On bringing a fullback into the offense: “The fullback is very important … We want to run the football. Having a fullback will allow you to mess with the defensive spacing.” (Embree also mentioned that Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, both former linebackers, volunteered to make the move to fullback).

Second Scrimmage – Behind the numbers

“There are three kinds of lies: lies; damned lies; and statistics”, a phrase widely attributed to Benjamin Desraeli and popularized by Mark Twain.

The phrase certainly holds true when reviewing the numbers from an intra-squad scrimmage, and a spring one at that. For every celebration over a long touchdown pass, there is consternation over a blown coverage by the secondary; for every sack, there is a missed assignment by an offensive lineman.

Still, as the 2011 Buffs have been under wraps for the past few weeks, a look under the hood of Jon Embree’s team is certainly called for after the team completed practice No. 11 of 15 allotted practices.

Quarterbacks

While head coach Jon Embree wouldn’t agree that Tyler Hansen was “clearly” the choice for starting quarterback in September, Hansen’s numbers – and those of his competitors – suggest otherwise.

True, Hansen’s 18-for-19 performance was against a depleted defensive line and a secondary missing both of its likely starters at safety, but Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette went up against much of the same personnel, with significantly different numbers. Hirschman went 4-of-11 for 27 yards, while Burnette went one-for-five for eight yards. Hansen threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns;  Hirschman/Burnette threw for 35 yards and no scores (in just three fewer passes).

Buff defenders managed four sacks on the afternoon, all against Nick Hirschman. Hansen was not sacked, and did not take off running with the ball, carrying the ball only twice on the afternoon (once for 13 yards; the other for two yards). All together, Hirschman/Burnette were in for eight drives, netting two touchdowns. In Hansen’s seven drives, the offense scored six touchdowns (three drives for 70 yards, the other three in red zone drives started at the 20-yard line).

“If it’s still like this at the end of the spring, yeah, we’ll go with Tyler,” said Embree. “If Tyler continues like he has, and Nick doesn’t pick it up a little bit, Tyler will be the No. 1″.

I appreciate Embree’s diplomacy, but, barring injury or a very strange summer, Tyler Hansen will be the starter in Honolulu.

Running backs

Senior Rodney Stewart had the 5th-best season in Colorado history last year, rushing for 1,318 yards. Stewart is the No. 1 running back, and he did little to dissuade anyone from that conclusion during the second scrimmage, when Speedy carried the ball 11 times for 48 yards and three touchdowns (Stewart also had five catches and another touchdown receiving).

The more interesting story goes to who will serve as Stewart’s primary backup. With senior running back Brian Lockridge out for the spring as his ankle mends, red-shirt freshman Tony Jones has become a fan favorite. The Gatorade Player-of-the-Year in New Jersey in 2009, Jones had to sit out last year, waiting for his turn. “I felt sick to my stomach not playing, and seeing all the guys having fun, and seeing Speedy run for touchdowns and me just being on the sidelines cheering him on and wishing I was playing,” said Jones. “But you know everything happens for a reason, and I’m pretty grateful that I red-shirted last season and played scout team and got the feel of the college level.”

Jones rushed for a team-best 76 yards on 13 carries in the first scrimmage of the spring, and had 11 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown in the April 2nd scrimmage. “Tony Jones is doing very well,” Embree said earlier this week. “He is starting to show up. He needs to get stronger, but he has a knack of finding the hole and the seam. The other thing is he’s protecting the football. Don’t ever take that for granted.”

The other back trying to get into the discussion is Josh Ford. A sophomore walk-on, Ford was a star at Mullen high before signing with Kansas State. After a year with the Wildcats (and Barton Community College), Ford is trying to make his way into the Buffs’ rotation. Ford had 60 yards on only five carries in the April 2nd scrimmage. Even taking out his impressive 39-yard run, Ford had 21 yards in his other four carries, still over five yards per tote.

The fullbacks remain a work in progress, though former linebackers Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington are getting good reviews. With the fullbacks you can lump in red-shirt freshman Cordary Allen, the biggest of the tailbacks (6’1″, 225-pounds), who may become a short-yardage specialist for the Buffs. In the second scrimmage, Allen had four carries for 17 yards and a touchdown.

Wide receivers / Tight Ends

For now at least, it appears that the Colorado receiving corps is sophomore Paul Richardson … and everybody else. Richardson continues to impress, hauling in four passes for 85 yards on April 2nd, including a 58-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Hansen.

After Richardson, though, there are question marks, and head coach Jon Embree has complained throughout much of the spring about a lack of production amongst the receivers. Senior Toney Clemons sat out the second spring scrimmage, and junior Will Jefferson had only one catch (albeit for 45 yards and a touchdown). Walk-on senior Kyle Cefalo had the second-best day on April 2nd, catching three balls for 53 yards, including a 33-yarder.

Perhaps it is due to a recognized lack of depth and talent at the wide receiver position that the Colorado coaches may yet bring in a receiver or two before the start of the 2011 season. Georgia transfer Logan Gray will be in Boulder for the spring game, with one season of eligibility remaining. Also coming to Boulder is Thomas Carter from Cajon high in California. Carter has not received any scholarship offers (due to academic concerns, which have since been rectified), telling BuffaloSportsNews.net, “They said when I come out there and meet the coach, if he likes me, then they will offer me a scholarship.” (More on Gray and Carter in the “Recruiting Prospects – 2012” section of CU at the Game).

At tight end, however, things are looking up. Senior Ryan Deehan is starting to look like the four-star prospect he was out of high school (three catches for 39 yards on April 2nd), while sophomore DaVaughn Thornton (four catches for 33 yards) is looking to make his own mark. “This spring is like a breath of fresh air,” said Thornton. “I will be on the field way more than I was last year. I will still make plays in practice, and the difference will be that I’ll also be out on the field in Folsom making plays.”

Offensive Line

Even without the likely starting center (Mike Iltis, out for all of spring practice), and a potential backup at center (Daniel Munyer, excused to attend his sister’s wedding), the Colorado offensive line did well in the second scrimmage. The Buffs managed 173 yards rushing, and 454 yards of total offense.

The Colorado quarterbacks were sacked four times (Nick Hirschman was the victim all four times), but otherwise had a good afternoon. When asked about Tyler Hansen’s 18-for-19 day, wide receiver Paul Richardson replied: “A big part of that is our offensive line, giving him enough time to make his reads, and deliver the ball.”

Defensive Line

The flipside of that same coin is that – if the Colorado offensive line had a good day, it must mean that the Colorado defensive line fared poorly.

Considering that the Buffs, due to injuries, were down to three defensive tackles and 2 1/2 defensive ends (red-shirt freshman Kirk Poston played despite a sore ankle), the line did give up many big plays. Of the Buffs’ 34 rushes, only one went for over 20 yards. Conrad Obi, who has earned the praise of Jon Embree, had seven tackles on April 2nd, including three tackles-for-loss, a sack, and a third down stop. Helping out on the defensive line was senior walk-on Tony Poremba, who contributed five tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and a sack. Eric Richter, a converted offensive lineman, chipped in four tackles of his own.

Hopefully, two or three of the walking wounded – Curtis Cunningham, Nate Bonsu, Forrest West, and Nick Kasa – will be available for the Spring game, and will give a better representation of what the Buff Nation can expect from the defensive line this fall.

Linebackers

After losing two starters from the 2010 team, the linebackers are in rebuilding mode. Fortunately for Buff fans, the lone holdover from the Dan Hawkins staff is long-time linebackers coach Brian Cabral. Starter Jon Major returns, along with long-time contributor Doug Rippy. In the second scrimmage, Rippy had seven tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, while Major contributed four tackles, which included two tackles-for-loss, one sack, and a third down stop.

Sophomores Derrick Webb and Liloa Nobriga have been out, so this is another unit which has yet to realize its full potential.

Secondary

Yes, this is a problem area.

And yes, it will get better before September.

While it is true that Tyler Hansen put up a ridiculous passer rating of 255.6 (18-for-19, 246 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions), it is also true that Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette also took their shots against the Colorado secondary, and went a combined 5-for-16 for 35 yards.

It is also important to remember that three potential starters – senior safety Anthony Perkins, junior safety Vince Ewing, and sophomore nickel back Parker Orms – are all out for the spring.

Sophomore Jered Bell has received the most lukewarm praise from Jon Embree, being called the “most consistent” of the defensive backs, but it clear that this unit has a great deal of work to do before fall. Transfer cornerback (from Georgia) Makiri Pugh was supposed to have an immediate impact this spring after sitting out last season, but that has yet to take place. Senior Jonathan Hawkins has had his moments, as have a a trio of sophomores – Paul Vigo; Terrel Smith; and Deji Olatoye – but none have had a break out spring.

Defensive coordinator and secondary coach Greg Brown has had to “make do” before with even less talent than he has on hand now, but the secondary will remain a question mark into the fall. Five defensive backs will hit Boulder in August – Sherrard Harrington; Greg Henderson; Kyle Washington; Jermaine Clark; and Will Harlos. If the existing players are not able to improve, and/or the injured players do not come back full strength and full throttle, it could be a long fall for the Colorado secondary.

Kickers

There was no punting during the second scrimmage, and no extra points attempted.

Jon Embree did, however, allow sophomore Justin Castor eight opportunities at field goals, and …

… Castor was good on six of those.

Okay, it’s not exactly time to break out the champagne over finding a consistent kicker, but it’s a start. Castor was good on six kicks ranging from 31 to 43 yards, with his only two misses coming from 43 and 45 yards out.

Sure, those are not Mason Crosby numbers, but bear this in mind – during the second scrimmage last spring, the two kickers (Zach Grossnickle and Marcus Kirkwood) went a combined one-for-six in their field goal attempts.

Note:  There have been posts that Zach Grossnickle was punting off to the side of the scrimmage, and that Grossnickle had a few punts over the bubble on Saturday (thanks, Nic, for that info).

For comparison’s sake … Last spring, after the second scrimmage of the 2010 spring practices, my article was entitled “Second Scrimmage Report – In a word: Offensive“. During last season’s second scrimmge, the offense failed to score a point until the ball was placed at the five yard line. Despite the horrendous effort by the offensive unit, CU fans got this: “Kiesau’s final comment will likely send shivers down the spines of many in the Buff Nation: ‘I like the way (Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen) are playing.’ ”

Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps … but we’re getting there.

Hansen asserts himself in second scrimmage

For those who understand how passer ratings are figured, break out your calculator.

Senior quarterback Tyler Hansen went 18-for-19 in the second scrimmage of the spring, going for 246 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. That’s about as close to perfection as you can get for a quarterback.

Stats

The one-hour, 16-minute scrimmage covered over 82 plays. Complete stats sheet

Passing

Tyler Hansen – 18-for-19, 246 yards and three touchdowns

Nick Hirschman – 4-for-11 for 27 yards

Brent Burnette – 1-for-5 for 8 yards

Rushing

Tony Jones – 11-for-60 yards and one touchdown

Rodney Stewart – 11-for-48 yards and three touchdowns

Cordary Allen – 4-for-17 yards and one touchdown

Josh Ford – 5-for-60 yards

Receiving

Paul Richardson – 4-for-85 yards and one touchdown (a 57-yarder)

Rodney Stewart – 5-for-6 yards and one touchdown (a six-yarder)

DaVaughn Thornton (TE) – 4-for-33 yards

Ryan Deehan (TE) – 3-for-39 yards

Kyle Cefalo – 3-for-53 yards

Will Jefferson – 1-for-45 yards and a touchdown

Jon Embree Quotes – April 2nd scrimmage

On Tyler Hansen – “He did a good job of placing the ball. I thought his accuracy was pretty good for the most part. He made a couple of throws on the deep ball, so I was encouraged”

On Nick Hirschman – “He’s doing well. He’s doing better. I just want him to be more assertive; to be more aggressive. I think he needs to trust himself more. He hasn’t turned it loose.”

On whether Tyler Hansen is clearly the stater – “I wouldn’t say ’clearly’ yet. I’m going to evaluate this through … If it’s still like this at the end of the spring, yeah, we’ll go with Tyler … If Tyler continues like he has, and Nick doesn’t pick it up a little bit, Tyler will be the No. 1″.

On perhaps running fewer plays due to a lack of healthy defensive linemen – “We were sensitive to that”, said Embree, noting that there were only three defensive tackles and “2 1/2″ defensive ends, with Kirk Poston playing despite a sprained ankle. 

On the play of the defense overall – “I was disappointed in the defense from the standpoint that we didn’t have enough energy and enthusiasm. That’s 90% of defense, just being excited about being out there and having some energy when you’re running around out there hitting people. We were just going through the motions, feeling sorry for ourselves.”

On the plans for the coaches between the second scrimmage and the Spring game – “We need to get better at tackling; our corners need to be better tackling … From an offensive standpoint, continuing to install our passes.”

After noting that the coaches may only install about 30% of the offense this spring, and whether Colorado could go into the season with less than a full playbook – “My philosophy: It doesn’t matter what we (the coaches) know. It’s what they (the players) know; what they can do.” 

Tyler Hansen Quotes – April 2nd scrimmage

On learning the new offense, of which only 30% is installed – “It’s going to take a lot of studying; a lot of preparation. It’ll be fun. Every week we’ll have different plays … This summer’s going to be very important for all of us.”

On competing with Nick Hirschman – “I still have to compete every day. Whether it’s with Nick or myself, I still have to compete.”

On what Hirschman has to do better – “He’s thinking too much. You’ve just got to relax and play what you see. If your read is a middle backer, read the middle backer. Just relax.”

On playing well as an offense on April 2nd – “The offense was efficient today, but we’re not going against all of the 1′s … yet. Yeah, we did great, but we have to take it with a grain of salt.”

Paul Richardson Quotes – April 2nd scrimmage

On whether his success on the field is “easy” for him: “I wouldn’t say that it’s easy. I’m just truly blessed and gifted … I just try and make it look as easy as possible. But a lot of this stuff is challenging.”

On Tyler Hansen’s big day: “A big part of that is our offensive line, giving him enough time to make his reads, and deliver the ball.”

Inactive List

In addition to the players who are out for all of spring practice – tight end Matt Bahr; offensive lineman Blake Behrens; center Mike Iltis; and offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner – there were a number of players who were inactive for the April 2nd scrimmage: center Daniel Munyer (excused for his sister’s wedding); defensive end Nick Kasa; defensive tackle Nate Bonsu; defensive end Forrest West; linebacker Derrick Webb; wide receiver Jason Espinoza; wide receiver Toney Clemons; running back Brian Lockridge; safety Anthony Perkins; defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham; nickel back Parker Orms; and safety Vince Ewing.

As you can see, head coach Jon Embree wasn’t kidding about having to be “sensitive” to the lack of defensive linemen, with Curtis Cunningham, Nick Kasa, Nate Bonsu, and Forrest West all unavailable for the April 2nd scrimmage.

First Scrimmage – Thursday, March 17th

Stats from first scrimmage

The Buffs, in their final practice before spring break, conducted an 86-play, game-like scrimmage. There were no kickoffs or punts, and the offense started each drive on the 30-yard line. Some numbers from the scrimmage:

Passing:

Tyler Hansen – 13-of-19; 161 yards. One touchdown; no interceptions

Nick Hirschman – 7-of-13; 77 yards. One touchdown; no interceptions

Brent Burnette – 5-of-12; 52 yards. One touchdown; no interceptions

Rushing:

Tony Jones: 13 for 76 yards

Josh Ford: 8 for 40 yards

Rodney Stewart: 10 for 23 yards

Cordary Allen: 4 for 12 yards

Receiving:

Rodney Stewart: 5 for 48 yards

Ryan Deehan: 4 for 49 yards

DaVaughn Thornton: 2 for 49 yards

Josh Ford: 2 for 23 yards

Jason Espinoza: 2 for 20 yards

Paul Richardson: 2 for 18 yards

Will Jefferson: 1 for 12 yards and a touchdown

Alex Wood: 1 for nine yards and a touchdown

Keenan Canty: 1 for four yards and a touchdown

Tackles:

Doug Rippy: 15 tackles; 10 solo; two tackles for loss

Conrad Obi: nine tackles; eight solo; three for loss (one sack)

Patrick Mahnke: six tackles; four solo; two quarterback hurries

Overall, the offense rushed for 189 yards on 39 carries. There were five total penalties, and the defense had four sacks.

Player Notes – First Scrimmage

- In lieu of extra points, the field goal team was brought in. Sophomore kicker Justin Castor had eight attempts from betweend 32 and 47 yards, making only three.

- Injury notes: Senior wide receiver Toney Clemons did not participate in the scrimmage due to a hamstring injury. Clemons is expected to be back on the practice fields after spring break … Senior offensive lineman Shawn Daniels, who has been out since fracturing his foot in the Colorado State game, will be back to practicing after spring break. Daniels had been listed as “full go” before the start of spring practices, but his participation was limited during the first week … Sophomore linebacker Derrick Webb was seen on crutches, but did not have a cast or a boot, so the speculation is that the injury is relatively minor, and that Webb will be back after the spring break layoff.

- Senior quarterback Tyler Hansen, who appears to have the early lead for the starting job (see story, below), was not sacked, while Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette were each sacked twice. “In previous years the defense was way ahead of the offense early during the spring, but this year is kind of different,” said Hansen. “I feel like today especially, the offense got after it a little bit. We ran the ball really well, and I feel like we took it to the defense a little bit.”

- Sophomore tight end DaVaughn Thornton has been playing well this week. “DaVaughn is the kind of guy whose going to give us some flexibility,” said Jon Embree. “Because he can play, obviously, flex out, he can move, and he can play as an end line guy. As he gets stronger and a little more confident in our offense, more of his talent will come out.”

- Senior defensive lineman Conrad Obi continues to have a good spring. In the Thursday scrimmage, Obi had nine tackles (eight solo), with three tackles for loss and a sack. In the last two seasons, Thursday’s effort would have constituted a year’s worth of work. As a red-shirt freshman in 2008, Obi was on the field for all of 12 plays. The number went up to 23 snaps the following year, with a grand total of 64 snaps (and four tackles) in 2010. “I want to do big things this year,” Obi told BuffStampede.com. “It is not to say I have ever come out here to play mediocre, I have always put in the effort. But this is my last year, last chance. I am going to give it my all, and we’ll see how things fall. That is all I can do.

“There are so many stories out there like Josh (Hartigan, who went from backup linebacker to second team all-conference defensive in one year), guys who rise up and meet their potential,” said Obi. “There are so many stories out there like that … I want to be all-conference, and I really believe I can get that done. I’m putting in the work; I am putting in the time.”

While Obi would be considered a backup to starters Will Pericak and Curtis Cunningham heading into the 2011 season, Obi isn’t daunted by his lack of playing time in the past. “New coaches, new opportunity this spring,” said Obi. “I love it.”

Jon Embree Quotes – First Scrimmage

On the progress of the Colorado running game, which produced 189 yards on 39 carries: “I was very pleased with how well we ran the ball. We’re starting to establish our physical nature … You’d like to be around 250-275 (yards rushing), so there is work to do. But it’s a start.”

On the first week of practice overall: “I am glad that they are embracing the physicalness and the intensity, and understanding that we have to do it. That was one of the reasons I wanted to (practice) five days in a row, just to see who really wanted to play; who was willing to put it all out there.”

On getting into pads for three practices, and conducting a scrimmage: “I think they are realizing they are not going to hurt themselves. It is okay to hit and be hit, and you are going to get up and live to tell about it … And I think they are enjoying it some, too. I think they are kind of having fun getting after each other.”

On the play of the defense in the scrimmage: “The defense was playing well early, and then we had a couple of guys get dinged, so our lack of depth showed up there, but it gave opportunities to some guys to petition, or make their case, as to why they should be a part of this thing next year.”

On what he told his players about Spring break: “I told them about Curt Koch, who was an All-American at CU and going into his senior year (1987) he was at Padre Island walking down the street and he got hit by a car, and it cost him an NFL career … Be smart. Don’t let that ‘liquid courage’ get it you and make you do stupid things. No one is exempt from something happening.”

Special Teams

Roster: Toney Clemons (Sr.); Arthur Jaffee (Sr.); Brian Lockridge (Sr.); Will Jefferson (Jr.); Justin Castor (So.); Zach Grossnickle (So.); Ryan Iverson (So.); Justin Gorman (R-Fr.)

Players Lost: Aric Goodman; Joe Silipo; Scotty McKnight; Cody Hawkins; Travon Patterson

“Numbers Don’t Lie“

Yuck.

There was very little which was special about the special teams play by the University of Colorado in 2010.

Colorado was ranked 88th in net punting last year, with Zach Grossnickle struggling to a 35.7 yards net average (Colorado’s opponents’ net average was 40.2). Senior kicker Aric Goodman connected on two-thirds of his attempts (10-for-15), but was only accurate half the time from beyond 30 yards (5-for-10).

In the return game, Colorado was adequate at best. There were several long kickoff returns, with a long of 89 yards by Arthur Jaffee against Iowa State, but the Buffs were unable to come up with a kick returner which they felt comfortable with, as four players posted between eight and 14 kickoff returns during the season. All four – Arthur Jaffee (14); Toney Clemons (10); Brian Lockridge (10); and Will Jefferson (8) – return in 2011, but there are no guarantees that any from that group will be on the field returning kicks this fall. The same problem exists in the area of punt returns, where departed Travon Patterson returned 15 of the 18 punts returned by Buffs in 2010.

While there may be open auditions for kick returners this spring, there is limited competition for the kicking positions …

… which may prove to be unfortunate.

Sophomore Zach Grossnickle handled the punting chores last year, to mixed reviews. Meanwhile sophomore Justin Castor inherits the placekicking job. Castor had his red-shirt burned in the fifth game of the season when his only attempt of the year, a 40-yarder against Missouri, was blocked. Castor did have the opportunity at some kickoffs later in the year, but was not allowed another kicking attempt.

Help may be on the way this fall, in the name of freshman recruit Will Oliver, but for this spring, the kicking jobs are Grossnickle’s and Castor’s to lose. (There are reports that there is walk-on competition on campus this spring. On name cited is that of Jacob Frost, a 2010 graduate of Liberty High School in Bakersfield, California. Another name is that of Darragh O’Neil from Fairview High in Boulder. Neither name, though, was on the roster when spring practice opened on March 11th).

The positions of long-snapper and short-snapper were manned this past season by Joe Silipo and Ryan Iverson, with Iverson, a sophomore, returning this spring.

The all-important job of holder, meanwhile, will need to be filled. Scotty McKnight and Cody Hawkins filled that role for the past several seasons. Justin Gorman, a red-shirt freshman walk-on quarterback (who has been moved to the defensive secondary for spring practice) is one player who may inherit the job. Walk-on senior wide receiver Kyle Cefalo is also taking turns at holder.

With unproven talent at both punter and kicker, and with no clear-cut favorites for kick and punt returners, special teams coach J.D. Brookhart has his work cut out for him. That being said, there is plenty of young talent (and speed) in the Colorado receiving corps and secondary, so there is no reason that a pair of excellent kick returners cannot be produced by this team. As for the kickers, both Grossnickle and Castor were highly ranked kickers coming out of high school. Perhaps with the departure of Aric Goodman (and his patron, Dan Hawkins), these kickers can develop into something special over the next three seasons.

The numbers won’t lie …

Jon Embree outlines his goals for Spring Practice

The Colorado Buffaloes in 2011 will not resemble the Colorado Buffaloes of 2010.

Not if new head coach Jon Embree has anything to say about it.

“I told the guys in the first team meeting that there were things we needed to do,” said Embree. “We had to create an identity of what this program needs to be, and the first thing was mental toughness, and that was going to be how we train, that was going to come from the weight room.

“The next thing was our physical toughness and that comes from how we practice, so we are starting that phase right now, and as we go into spring ball there is going to be a certain way that we are going to learn how to practice. To help them with that I have some clips from when I was at Washington of some of the different drills and different team periods of how you practice, how it should look.”

In order to focus on doing things the right way, Embree indicated that the plan this spring was to K.I.S.S. – “I want to see who can play,” said Embree. “If you throw a lot at guys, and it takes them awhile to pick it up, then you may not get your best players. I want to see who can play, and then we can go back and teach them and get it going … It’s not what I know or Eric knows or Greg Brown knows. It is what they know, and what they can execute. So we are not going to throw a lot at them.”

That is not to say, though, that this spring will be a breaking in period. Embree said he will hold his players accountable for their actions, and is already doing so through winter conditioning. “We have been doing that from day one, not just starting with spring ball,” said Embree. “Competing is an all the time thing. So when they mess up, and they don’t do something, either they are punished, their unit is punished, or that side of the ball is punished to try to create an environment of positive peer pressure.”

What type of punishment is being dispensed? “Well, you bear crawl 100-yards, then you logroll 100-yards, then you summersault 100-yards, and then you jog,” said Embree. “If you can get six of those, or 30 minutes, whatever happens first. One thing they have learned is that if they are going to get punished, don’t eat lunch. They learned that one quick.”

And what mistakes merit such punishment? “Being late to class, just something like that,” said Embree. “It’s a little thing to them, but when you are late off the count or you jump off-sides and you lose the game, then it is not so little. Just again, getting them to understand it all counts, everything we do counts. It can’t just be a sometimes thing.”

It’s also safe to say that Embree was not impressed with the 2010 Buffs. “What shows up to me on tape was we didn’t play hard,” said Embree. “That’s what really showed up on tape. We let the scoreboard affect how we played way too much … You can’t look at the scoreboard. Your job is to beat the guy across from you that play, no matter what happened good or bad before it.”

Secondary

Roster: Jonathan Hawkins (Sr.); Travis Sandersfeld (Sr.); Makiri Pugh (Jr.); Ray Polk (Jr.); Paul Vigo (So.); Jered Bell (So.); Terrel Smith (So.); Deji Olatoye (So.); Josh Moten (R-Fr.); Arthur Jaffee (Sr./walk-on); Jordan Marquez (R-Fr./walk-on); Eric Ghent (R-Fr./walk-on)

Injured, may not practice this spring: Anthony Perkins (Sr.) (knee); Vince Ewing (Jr.) (knee); Parker Orms (So.) (knee)

Players Lost: Jimmy Smith; Jalil Brown; Matt Meyer; Cameron Ham

“No preconceived notions”

A defensive coordinator’s dream: two shut-down cornerbacks.

The Colorado defense in 2010 boasted not one, but two, future NFL draft picks at cornerback. Both were seniors; both seasoned veterans of the Big 12 passing wars.

Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown afforded the Colorado coaching staff the luxury of focusing on stopping other elements of the opposition’s offensive arsenal, content to leave Brown and Smith out on an island.

The net result? Colorado was 110th in pass defense; 112th in pass efficiency defense; and 91st in scoring defense.

What happened? And, more to the point this spring – how can the Buffs manage to keep matters from getting even worse, now that Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown are gone?

Greg Brown returns to Colorado as the Buffs’ new defensive coordinator and secondary coach. In his two previous stints, Brown coached CU Thorpe Award winners Deon Figures and Chris Hudson. In between, Brown coached four six NFL teams, and was the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach for an Arizona Wildcat team which ranked 44th in pass defense and 33rd in scoring defense – much better numbers than those produced in Boulder.

What does Brown have to work with this spring?

Three potential starters are injured, with their status for this spring listed as “TBD”: senior safety Anthony Perkins; junior safety Vince Ewing; and sophomore safety Parker Orms. All three are nursing knee injuries suffered last fall, and will be limited as to the drills and practices in which they will participate.

Perkins was the starter at strong safety before being injured in the Missouri game. Jered Bell, a true freshman last fall, started the next game against Baylor, with fellow true freshman Terrel Smith earning the starting role for the remainder of the season. Smith recorded 60 tackles in only six games, finishing fourth on the team in tackles (all three players who finished above Smith in tackles played in all 12 games).

So, assuming senior Anthony Perkins is a “Full Go” for the fall, the Buffs seem to be ably manned at strong safety.

What about free safety?

At the free safety position, the Buffs have a 23-game veteran, a player who has made 15 starts, including all 12 games last season.

But he might not be there this fall …

Ray Polk moved from running back to safety after his freshman year, and started all 12 games last fall. Polk was second on the team in tackles, with 72. He was on the field for more snaps – 787 – than any other defensive player other than Jalil Brown.

The problem with Polk, however, is that he has also struggled at the position. True, he was second on the team in tackles, but he was not a play-maker. Polk had no sacks, no tackles for loss, only four third-down stops, and only one pass broken up to his credit. For the Buffs to be successful on defense, the free safety position needs to be more productive.

Will Polk even return at the position? There are rumors that Polk may return to the running back corps. The new coaching staff is looking to institute more of a power rushing attack, and while Rodney Stewart and Brian Lockridge have had their share of success, they are not of the physical makeup (6’1, 210-pounds) of Ray Polk.

Still, the rumor may turn out to be just that, a rumor. “Between Ray Polk and Anthony Perkins, they have a compilation of a proven number of starts,” said Greg Brown. “So at safety, we feel we have some experience and guys are going to be able to get lined up and do the right thing.” … Sounds as if Brown is expecting Polk to remain on the defensive side of the ball.

At cornerback, Brown will have a large number of players from which to choose his starters, but all are lacking in game experience.

Senior Jonathan Hawkins has the most experience of any player in the group, playing in nine games last fall. He and walk-on senior Arthur Jaffee, who led the team in special team points last fall, also have the benefit of having already spent time with Greg Brown as a coach (before Brown left for Arizona after the 2009 season).

Two interesting storylines of the spring could involve red-shirt freshman Josh Moten and junior transfer Makiri Pugh. Moten was a quarterback recruit who practiced half the season at cornerback (to rave reviews) before an off-field incident (since resolved) kept him from practicing. With the change in coaching staffs, Moten may also be given a look at quarterback this spring, so we’ll have to track Moten’s progress.

Pugh is a transfer from Georgia who sat out the 2010 season under NCAA transfer rules. Largely forgotten since being interviewed the week of the Georgia game last fall, Pugh may make his presence known on the depth chart before the end of spring drills. Out of high school, Pugh was considered to be the 31st-best cornerback prospect in the nation (Rivals), and had offers from a number of SEC and ACC schools. In 2009, as a red-shirt freshman, Pugh saw action in nine games for Georgia.  

The rosters is filled with potential cornerbacks and nickelbacks, though no one may want to take the field wearing the label of the latter position.

Colorado went through nickelbacks like candy in early 2010. Parker Orms was given the job as a red-shirt freshman last fall, but in his first start, he didn’t make it out of the first quarter, injuring his knee on punt coverage during the Colorado State game, and did not return all season (Orms will be entitled to a medical red-shirt season as a result). Orms was replaced by Travis Sandersfeld, who was injured during  following game against Cal. Sandersfeld’s replacement, Paul Vigo, was subsquently injured during the game against Hawai’i. Against Georgia, the Buffs started linebacker Patrick Mahnke at nickelback, with Jonathan Hawkins and linebacker Liloa Nobriga also receiving starts at the position in 2010.

By the end of the season, some sense of normalcy had been returned to the nickelback position. After starting six different players at the position in the first eight games of year, Sandersfeld started the last four games. Heading into spring drills, the job may be Sandersfeld’s to lose. “Travis Sandersfeld has done nothing but come on and be a steady guy from years past and worked his way up,” said Greg Brown, who also recruited Sandersfeld.

So, who will be in the starting lineup come September?

If the depth chart from last season is a guide, you would look to Anthony Perkins at strong safety, Ray Polk at free safety, Travis Sandersfeld at nickelback, and perhaps Jonathan Hawkins at one cornerback position. The other cornerback? Will it be senior Arthur Jaffee? Junior transfer Makiri Pugh? Sophomore Jered Bell? “Right now, there are no preconceived notions about what is going to happen,” said Brown.

Colorado secondary coach Greg Brown does have two things going for him: 1) depth – Colorado has a good number of quality backs returning; and 2) versatility – almost every back mentioned above can play any of the positions in the secondary. With Colorado looking at a 3-4 defense – or even a 3-3-5, versatility will be at a premium this fall.

This spring will be crucial … the opener is against Hawai’i, which just happened to lead the NCAA in passing offense in 2010, at 394 yards per game. Quarterback Bryant Moniz, who led the nation in total offense last year, and who had 330 yards passing against the Buffs in Boulder last fall, returns for his senior campaign.

No time like the present to being shoring up those defensive statistics …

Linebackers

Roster: Patrick Mahnke (Sr.); Jon Major (Jr.); Doug Rippy (Jr.); Derrick Webb (So.); Liloa Nobriga (So.); Lowell Williams (R-Fr.); David Goldberg (Sr./walk-on); Gage Greer (R-Fr./walk-on); David Blaha (R-Fr./walk-on) .. This Fall … Brady Daigh (Fr.); Woodson Greer (Fr.); K.T. Tuumalo (Fr.)

Players Lost: B.J. Beatty; Michael Sipili; Evan Harrington (moved to fullback); Tyler Ahles (moved to fullback)

“Where’s the Depth?”

There is a real buzz in the Buff Nation about Colorado’s new attacking defense. Getting away from the 4-3, the Buffs will be playing more 3-4 or even 3-3-5, with new defensive line /linebackers coach Kanavis McGhee unleashing his charges upon unsuspecting quarterbacks in the Pac-12.

Problem is … There isn’t a great deal of depth for the coaches to work with – yet.

Colorado loses two senior starters from its linebacker corps. Michael Sipili led the team in tackles last fall with 94, while fellow senior B.J. Beatty made the most of his 36 tackles (Beatty had five sacks and four other tackles for loss in 2010). Only junior Jon Major, who was injured during the Texas Tech game and did not return for the remainder of the season (though he is a “Full Go” for practice this spring), and Major’s replacement, sophomore Liloa Nobriga, have any starting experience from those remaining on the roster.

Still, depth was apparently not seen as a issue amongst the Colorado coaching staff, as two linebackers in line for significant playing time this fall, seniors Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, will be learning the fullback position this spring.

So, other than Major and Nobriga, who does linebacker coach Brian Cabral have to work with this spring?

Senior Patrick Mahnke has 35 games to his credit, including six starts. Last season, Mahnke played in all 12 games, starting three as the Buffs’ nickel back. Junior Doug Rippy has not lived up to expectations, and was in on 27 plays over six games in 2010. Sophomore Derrick Webb earned his first start of his career against Oklahoma last fall, seeing action in seven games overall.

With Colorado moving to more of an attacking style, players who are “hybrids” – too small to be a linebacker; too big for safety – will see a great deal of attention. Patrick Mahnke (6’1, 205-pounds) fits into this mold, as do recruits K.T. Tu’umalo (6’2″, 200-pounds) and Will Harlos (6’4″, 200-pounds).

Another player who could help out in this blending of the linebackers and defensive backs is junior Ray Polk. A former running back recruit, Polk (6’1, 210-pounds) was second on the team last season with 72 tackles. Polk started every game last fall at safety and … is rumored to be back on his way to the offensive backfield.

Two seniors lost to graduation; two other seniors converting to fullback; and a starting junior perhaps moving back to running back.

Apparently, depth at linebacker is not a concern for the CU coaching staff.

We’ll see how the dust settles this spring …

Offensive line

Roster: Ryan Miller (Sr.); Ethan Adkins (Sr.); Shawn Daniels (Sr.); Sione Tau (Sr.); Bryce Givens (Jr.); Ryan Dannewitz (Jr.); Eric Richter (Jr.); David Bakhtiari (So.);  Jack Harris (So.); Gus Handler (So.); Kaiwi Crabb (R-Fr.); Daniel Munyer (R-Fr.); Alex Lewis (Fr.); David Clark (Sr./walk-on) … This Fall: Marc Mustoe (Fr.); Alex Kelley (Fr.); Paulay Asiata (Fr.).

Injured: Mike Iltis (Sr.) (knee surgery- out for spring practice); Blake Behrens (Sr.) (shoulder surgery – out for spring); Max Tuioti-Mariner (So.) (knee injury – out for spring practice)

Players Lost: Nate Solder; Keenas Stevens

“Job Opening: Left Tackle”

In one sense, the Colorado offensive line is fairly set, as four of five starters from last season return. Senior Ethan Adkins started 11 games at left guard last season, and has 20 career starts on his resume. Senior Mike Iltis also had 11 starts last fall, with ten of those at the center position (Note: Iltis suffered a torn ACL against Nebraska, and will not be available for spring practice). Senior Ryan Miller is the most recognizable name amongst the returning lineman. Miller has already played in 38 games in his Colorado career, and has earned 35 starts (including starting all 12 games in 2010 at right guard). Sophomore David Bakhtiari is the baby of the group. Still, as a red-shirt freshman last fall, Bakhtiari played in all 12 games, and had 11 starts at right tackle.

Overall, the foursome has played in 95 games, and has earned 83 starts. Behind them, Rodney Stewart rushed for 1,318 yards, the fifth-highest total in school history.

So, what’s not to love?

Well, for starters, there is the loss of that fifth starter, one Nate Solder. A consensus All-American, Solder is believed to be a shoe-in for the first round of the NFL draft, with some draft boards placing Solder in the top 10-15 picks overall. Solder had 40 career starts, and left the team after starting the last 36 games of his career. Solder was the only Colorado lineman in 2010 to grade out at over 90% (at 94.3%), with 142 finishes/knockdown blocks (Miller was second on the team, with 83), had ten touchdown blocks (Miller; second with six); and graded out with a 99% in the 44-36 win over Kansas State.

Very large shoes to fill.

Colorado’s new offensive line coach, Steve Marshall, will have a number of candidates from which to choose, and how Marshall tinkers with the starting lineup will be one of the most interesting stories to follow this spring. Junior Ryan Dannewitz was listed behind Solder on the depth chart at left tackle last fall. Dannewitz has played in 20 games in his career, but did ot play in 2010, and has never started a game for Colorado. Junior Bryce Givens will be another candidate to replace Solder. Givens has played in fewer games than Dannewitz (11), but does have eight starts to his credit. Last fall, Givens played in three games – against Colorado State; Cal; and Texas Tech – but only in spot duty. The only other returning player listed as a tackle on the 2010 depth chart is senior Sione Tau, who has yet to see action as a Buff.

While it may appear that Steve Marshall only has one position to fill, there may be significant adjustments made to the line this spring. Colorado is shifting to more of a power offense, with fewer spread formations and more two-tight end alignments. The emphasis this spring will be on creating a strong rushing attack, and Marshall may not like what he sees on the film from last season. Yes, Rodney Stewart did have a great year, but overall, the Colorado offense struggled. The Buffs were 85th in the nation in rushing and 79th in total offense. Even with All-American Nate Solder protecting the quarterbacks’ backs, Colorado was 51st in the nation in sacks allowed.

Then there is the question of how well the Buffs adjust to their third offensive line coach in four seasons. Solder is seen as a great talent by NFL scouts, but not necessarily as one which was home grown. In a Sporting News article, “drafnik” Dennis Dillon was asked who were his risky picks. Dillon included Solder, stating, “(Solder) reminds me of that great athlete who’s so raw and technically terrible that he gets beaten,” Ouch. Translation: Solder is high on the draft charts in spite of his coaching at Colorado, not because of it (thank you, Denver Johnson).

Jon Embree has stated at every opportunity that every job is open, and that every player must compete for their job. This will be no different along the offensive line.

On paper, Colorado has a strong nucleus of returning talent, including four of five starters, with three of the four being seniors. There are many teams which would like to have that much experience returning.

Whether those four starters are starters against Hawai’i, however, remains to be seen.

Defensive Line

Roster - Defensive Tackle: Curtis Cunningham (Sr.); Conrad Obi (Sr.); Will Pericak (Jr.); Nate Bonsu (So.); Kirk Poston (R-Fr.)

Roster – Defensive End: Josh Hartigan (Sr.); Nick Kasa (Jr.); Forrest West (Jr.); Chidera Uzo-Diribe (So.); Tony Poremba (Sr./walk-on) … This Fall: Stephan Nembot (Fr.); Juda Parker (Fr.)

Player Lost: Marquez Herrod

“In the trenches”

The intrigue this spring for the Colorado defensive line will be as much about style as substance. What form of defense will Colorado play? How will they be coached?

A look at the Colorado coaching staff shows that Brian Cabral, in addition to being the linebackers coach, is also the “Defensive Run Game Coordinator”. Meanwhile, Mike Tuiasosopo is listed as the “Defensive Line” coach and Kanavis McGhee is listed as the “Defensive Line/Assistant Special Teams” coach.

Three coaches working with the defensive line. In a 3-4 defense, that is a lot of attention for each member of the defensive line unit.

Which may not be a bad idea.

Last fall, the Colorado defense had its moments. The Buffs were decent against the run (48th in the nation), but were 71st in tackles for loss and 91st overall in the only statistic that really matters – scoring defense.

The Colorado coaching staff under Jon Embree has only one word for the 2011 Buff defense: Attack.

Along the defensive line, there is plenty of starting experience, but very little depth. Junior nose tackle Will Pericak led the defensive line in 2010 with 45 tackles and two sacks. Joining Pericak as a mainstay along the defensive line is senior defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham, who had 31 tackles and five tackles for loss last year. Both Pericak and Cunningham have been in the starting lineup for every game the past two seasons. The third member of the band, senior defensive end Josh Hartigan, might have joined his linemates in starting every game if not for a mid-season injury. In Hartigan’s absence, three other lineman received their first career starts in consecutive games, with junior Nick Kasa earning his first start against Texas Tech, then junior Forrest West against Oklahoma, and sophomore Chidera Uzo-Diribe against Kansas. Hartigan then returned to the starting lineup against Iowa State, finishing the last three games as the starter. Rounding out the players returning with experience is sophomore Nate Bonsu, who played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2009 before sitting out the 2010 season after suffering a knee injury during winter conditioning.

Is the defensive line, as a result, set for 2011?

Hardly.

As noted, the philosophy of the defense is being altered, and, with it, the role of the defensive line. This will make for some intrigue during spring practice …

Will the three starters solidify their roles? Will Nick Kasa live up to the hype surrounding his signing three years ago, when the hometown star de-committed from Florida to stay in Colorado? Will Forrest West, who came on strong at the end of the season (five tackles in the first half of 2010; 15 tackles, including 4 1/2 sacks in the second half), continue to earn more playing time? Will Conrad Obi, in his senior seasons, finally force his way into the starting lineup (28; 0 starts)?

(Note: It is being posted on the internet that sophomore Chidera Uzo-Diribe – according to his Twitter account – underwent some form of surgery on March 22nd. The nature of the surgery, if any, and whether the surgery will have any impact on Uzo-Diribe’s ability to compete this spring, has yet to be announced).

Mike Tuiasosopo and Kanavis McGhee were touted as great recruiters when they were brought in from Arizona and Houston, respectively. Their ability to mold a dominating defensive line, though, remains to be demonstrated.

Class begins March 11th.

Wide Receivers

Roster: Toney Clemons (Sr.); Jason Espinoza (Sr.); Will Jefferson (Jr.); Paul Richardson (So.); Jarrod Darden (So.); Keenan Canty (R-Fr.); Kyle Cefalo (Sr./walk-on); Dustin Ebner (Jr./walk-on); Alex Turbow (R-Fr./walk-on); Parker Robbins (R-Fr./walk-on) … This Fall: Nelson Spruce (Fr.); Tyler McCulloch (Fr.).

Players Lost: Scotty McKnight; Kendrick Celestine; Andre Simmons Travon Patterson

“In search of the next Scotty“

Scotty McKnight finished his career with more receptions, yards, and touchdown catches than any other receiver in Colorado history.

While McKnight is off to prove to NFL scouts that he can translate his prowess in Boulder into similar success in the big leagues, he leaves behind some significant shoes to fill.

Two players with significant playing time will help to fill the void, as senior Toney Clemons and sophomore Paul Richardson return. Clemons has eight starts to his credit, and was second on the team in catches in 2010, with 43 for 482 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the high number of catches (just seven behind McKnight), and a team-best 73-yard touchdown reception (against Hawai’i), however, Clemons failed to capture the attention of the Buff Nation.

Instead, the excitement about the future of the receiving corps rests with Paul Richardson. Signed by the Buffs just two days before the start of fall camp, the true freshman had a late on-the-field start to his 2010 season as well. In the first half of the campaign, Richardson had seven catches for 64 yards and no touchdowns. In the second half of 2010, though, Richardson posted 27 catches for 450 yards and six scores. With the graduation of Scotty McKnight, Buff fans will be looking even more to Richardson to lead the receivers.

After Clemons and Richardson, where will the Buff coaches turn to for help?

Two potential senior wide receivers, Andre Simmons and Kendrick Celestine, did not have their scholarships renewed. The only remaining scholarship upper-classmen who remain on the roster are senior Jason Espinoza and junior Will Jefferson. Espinoza has played in 25 games in his Colorado career, and has earned five starts. However, Espinoza sees most of his playing time on special teams, and had only one catch (for 13 yards) in 2010. Meanwhile, Buff fans have been waiting for Will Jefferson to have a breakout game/season, but such a breakout has yet to happen. Last fall Jefferson, who has ten starts to his credit, had 14 catches for 177 yards and one touchdown.

The only other scholarship receivers on the roster this spring are sophomore Jarrod Darden and red-shirt freshman Keenan Canty. This spring will be an audition for both of these players. It is time for them to either distinguish themselves, or make plans to be buried on the depth chart as the Buff coaching staff makes a concerted effort to bring in new and fresh talent to the position.

Colorado will be implementing a west coast offense this spring. “It’s going to be the quarterback making the decision based upon what the defense does to distribute the ball correctly,” said passing coordinator J.D. Brookhart. “It’s a very quarterback-driven offense. So what you see on Sundays is what you’re going to see on Saturdays here.”

With more emphasis on a strong running game and better use of the tight ends (see below), the wide receivers do not have to be great for the Buffs to be successful.

The receivers do, however, have to be very good. And right now, other than Paul Richardson, there is not much in the lineup to put fear into the hearts of Pac-12 defensive backs.

Perhaps this spring a receiver or two will prove me wrong.

Tight Ends

Roster: Ryan Deehan (Sr.); Matthew Bahr (Sr.) (injured/out for spring practice); DaVaughn Thorton (So.); Kyle Slavin (R-Fr.); Harold Mobley (R-Fr.); Henley Griffon (R-Fr.); Alex Wood (So./walk-on); Matt Allen (So./walk-on).

Player Lost: Luke Walters

“We’ve got to be smart how we use them”

The University of Colorado football team in 2011 will be more physical on offense.

Okay, so that’s not really a secret. But the emphasis on the strong running game will also mean more two-tight end sets, which translates into more opportunities for the tight ends on the roster to make a contribution and see playing time. “I think that as grow through spring, we’ll probably have a little better idea of how they fit our system, because the system is flexible,” said tight ends coach J.D. Brookhart. “You don’t have to line up in two tight ends and run downhill all the time. You can do some different things.”

The best blockers will likely get the first opportunity to see the playing field, and senior Ryan Deehan is the best of the bunch. Deehan already has 36 games under his belt, and 18 starts. Last year, Deehan had 25 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown. “Deehan is an interesting kid because he was all over the field,” said tight ends coach J.D. Brookhart. “He’s a smart kid. Those guys will allow you to be more flexible with things, when you can put them in multiple positions.”

After Deehan though, there is little experience. Converted offensive lineman Matt Bahr will be working with the tight ends, while third-year sophomore DaVaughn Thornton and red-shirt freshmen Henley Griffon and Kyle Slavin will be trying to make an impression this spring.

“I think if you look at the tight ends specifically, you have some different body types,” said Brookhart. “Some are more adept to the run game, some more to the pass game who were kind of more recruited to the spread offense.

“I think we’ve got to be smart how we use them. I think they’ve made a good commitment to the 6 a.m. (off-season workouts), and things we’ve seen from them. They want to be good, and that’s half the battle.”

The second half of the battle – adjusting to the new offense, and showing that they are entitled to be on the field this fall, begins March 11th.

Quarterbacks

Roster: Tyler Hansen (Sr.); Brent Burnette (Jr./Transfer); Nick Hirschman (R-Fr.); Justin Gorman (R-Fr./walk-on) … This Fall: Stevie Joe Dorman (Fr.)

Player Lost: Cody Hawkins

“Iron sharpens iron“

Colorado has a returning senior at quarterback, a senior who has had starts in each of his first three seasons. None of his competition for the starting job has so much as a snap behind center at the Division 1-A level.

So, a no-brainer that Tyler Hansen will be the starter against Hawai’i?

Nope.

“It’s nothing new,” said Hansen, who has had to contend with Cody Hawkins for starting time the past three seasons. While Hansen has posted 2,822 career passing yards, he only has 15 career touchdowns to offset 17 career interceptions. Hansen was the starter for all of the 2010 season until he suffered a ruptured spleen against Texas Tech, missing the remainder of the campaign. While Hansen is a “full go” for practice this spring, how well he adapts to another quarterbacks coach and another offensive scheme will be one of the most talked about issues of the 2011 spring practices.

“I like it, actually,” said Hansen of having his third quarterbacks coach (Rip Scherer) in his four years in Boulder. “Different opinions will make you better. The more opinions the better. I think the different techniques to coaching help. Coach (Mark) Helfrich was a hands-on guy, and coach (Eric) Kiesau was a lot different than that. I’m looking forward to coach Scherer and seeing what his techniques are to coaching.”

Will having a new offense level the playing field between Hansen and his competition? “I’m not really worried about that,” Hansen said. “I think whatever they ask me to do, I can do it … I’ve got to be a leader even more than I already have. I’ve got to invest myself in the offense and really learn the offense pretty good, because the old offense we had last year, I knew it inside and out.”

New head coach Jon Embree appreciates the fact that Tyler Hansen is not coming into spring ball assuming he has the job. “Tyler’s not walking around like, ‘I have this job’,” Embree said.

So, who is the competition?

This spring, the main contenders are red-shirt freshman Nick Hirschman and junior college transfer Brent Burnette. Hirschman has the advantage of having been in Boulder last season; Burnette has the advantage of having been on the playing field, albeit at Middle Tennessee in 2009 and at Western Arizona Junior College last season. Still, those advantages are tempered – Hirschman, along with Hansen, has to learn a new system; while Burnette was not exactly spectacular when he was on the playing field, earning only one start, with 1,219 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games last season.

Still, the starting job is open. “Nick is not walking around like, ‘Oh, I’m just the backup’, and neither is Brent,” said Embree. “I think it’s great because like I’ve talked about, they’ve got to learn to compete. Iron sharpens iron. The better your backup is, the better your starter is. If you beat him out, you beat him out.”

While spring practice does not begin until March 11th, the competition has already begun. “They have all been very competitive,” said Embree. “They all show their face around here a lot, asking questions and wanting to learn the new offense that we’re still in the process of putting together.”

Any other players in the mix?

Walk-on red-shirt freshman Justin Gorman is on the roster, but it would be a surprise if he rose dramatically up the depth chart. There has also been speculation that former high school quarterbacks Josh Moten (now a red-shirt freshman cornerback) and/or Harold Mobley (now a red-shirt freshman tight end) might also be given a look at quarterback this spring, but, with all the work that the coaching staff has to do to orient the likely quarterback candidates to the new offense, Moten and Mobley may be given only a courtesy look, if they are given one at all.

The other potential candidate to start on September 3rd against Hawai’i will not be participating in spring ball. Incoming true freshman Stevie Dorman will be given a chance this fall. “Stevie’s advantage is that the guys who are here only have 15 days,” said Embree. “It’s not one of those things in a normal situation where Tyler had been in this offense for four years, or Hirschman is going into his third year in the offense and knowing all of the nuances.

“So, depending on how fast they learn, and depending what he’s capable of learning, because that window is so short, he has a chance. If he can learn quicker than them to show his skills, he’ll put himself in position to play.” It also won’t hurt Dorman’s chances that the offense the Buffs are installing is similar to the offense which he played in high school at Somerset, Texas.

Still, you would have to assume, at least for now, that the job is Tyler Hansen’s to lose. “I’ve got to be (a leader) the same way with this offense,” said Hansen. “If I do that, I think I can have a pretty good shot at being a leader and a playmaker on this team.”

All eyes will be on the quarterbacks … starting March 11th.

Running backs

Roster:  Running backs – Rodney Stewart (Sr.); Brian Lockridge (Sr.); Quentin Hildreth (So./Walk-on); Tony Jones (R-Fr.); Trea Jones (R-Fr.); Cordary Allen (R-Fr.); Josh Ford (R-Fr./Walk-on) … This Fall: Rashad Hall (Fr.); Malcolm Creer (Fr.).

Roster: Fullbacks – Tyler Ahles (Sr.); Evan Harrington (Sr.); Scott Fernandez (So./Walk-on).

Player Lost: Corey Nabors

“Aces and spaces“

In bridge, the term refers to a player who has been dealt several aces, but does not have any supporting face cards, or much depth in those suits.

At the University of Colorado, the term refers to the depth chart at running back.

Colorado does have two quality returning seniors. In 2010, Rodney Stewart posted 1,318 rushing yards, the fifth-highest total in CU history. ”Speedy” was able to get the tough yards despite his diminutive size (5’6″, 175-pounds), and was able to stay healthy for the entire season for the first time in his career. Stewart’s potential running mate, Brian Lockridge, suffered an ankle sprain against Georgia in early October, ending his season with only 146 yards on 35 carries. In his stead, wide receiver Will Jefferson picked up some carries later in the season, but it appears that the junior wideout will be returning his attentions this fall to being a full-time wide receiver.

After seniors Stewart and Lockridge, both of whom are a “full go” for practice this spring, there is no depth. No juniors, no scholarship sophomores. Just “spaces”.

It wasn’t meant to be this way. In 2007, Colorado received letters-of-intent from junior college running back P.T. Gates and incoming freshman Devan Johnson, but neither player saw action at running back at Colorado. The big haul came in 2008, when Colorado signed (along with throw-in Rodney Stewart) two of the top ten running back recruits in the nation – Darrell Scott (now with South Florida) and Ray Polk (now a junior safety for the Buffs). In 2009, Colorado failed to sign any running backs.

Which leads us to the Class of 2010. Colorado signed three running backs last February, and all three red-shirted last fall. Looking to make an impact this spring will be Tony Jones, a Rodney Stewart clone at 5’7″, 180-pounds, and two bigger backs, Cordary Allen (6’1, 230-pounds) and Trea’ Jones (5’10″, 190-pounds). Also in the mix is a sophomore walk-on, Quentin Hildreth.

Joining this trio in the backfield this spring are two other “newcomers”, though not to the team. Former linebackers Tyler Ahles and Evan Harrington, both seniors, are being asked to give it a go at fullback this season. Ahles and Harrington join walk-on sophomore Scott Fernandez, who saw action at fullback last season in goal line situations.

As Colorado is clearly attempting to bulk up its running game, the early name to watch amongst the newcomers is probably Cordary Allen, the largest of the red-shirt freshmen. Allen may be the coaches’ first choice to provide the larger back in a two-back offense, serving as as additional blocker for Stewart and Lockridge, while also serving as a short-yardage back.

That being said, Buff fans will be keeping an eye on all three of the red-shirt freshmen. Other than Stewart and Lockridge (and other than Jefferson and Justin Torres, who had 14 carries as a freshman last fall, but has since left the team), there isn’t a single collegiate carry amongst the backs on the Colorado roster. If nothing else, the Buff coaching staff must begin to look towards 2012. While it would be great to see Rodney Stewart go over a 1,000 yards again in 2011, and while it would make an interesting story to watch Stewart chase the record of his position coach (Stewart has 2,744 career rushing yards, needing 1,197 yards to surpass Eric Bieniemy for the all-time Colorado rushing lead), the much better story for Colorado as a team would be to see one of more of the red-shirt freshmen emerge as the next star at running back for Colorado.

The testing begins this spring. If the firm of Jones, Allen and Jones can’t get the job done in March and April, Buff coaches may turn to true freshmen this fall, with Rashad Hall and Malcolm Creer joining the roster this summer.

Pick your favorite baby Buff back this spring, and see how well they fare.

Due to Colorado’s “Aces and spaces”, you may be looking at the feature back for the Buffs in 2012.