Up next for Rocket Nation is the premier showing of the all new Honeymooners. The original 1955 sitcom ran for a total of 39 episodes. This will be Coach Hawkins thirty-ninth game as Colorado’s head coach.
Jackie Gleason and his team, led by Art Carney and Audrey Meadows, debuted on a Saturday evening (October 1, 1955). The new show takes place under the lights this Friday in front of a nationwide television audience. The script of this new show is yet to be written but the previews are engaging.
CU head coach Dan Hawkins is 13-25 with three losing seasons. The Buffaloes (0-1) and 5-7 in 2008, are picked fourth in the lesser Big 12 North division. Most recently, they lost at home to their intrastate rival, CSU, last night. These figures, when discussed in the Boulder/Denver media, beg the question: is Coach Hawkins’ honeymoon over?
On the other side of the Glass Bowl field the honeymoon is barely underway and there’s a landslide of love in Rocket Nation for Coach Tim Beckman.
Thunder and Lighning
A herd of Buffaloes creates a lot of dust and a thunderous din. Colorado’s offense early on is run heavy. And with a load of bison beef upfront, the Buffaloes offense begins with the O line. "There's a lot of shade to be had underneath most of those guys," Hawkins said.
Hawkins is well situated with seven returning offensive line players with starting experience, and has a handful of true and redshirt freshmen who are in position to serve in important roles. Just running the height and weight averages, you have to be impressed. The starting center, guards and tackles average 6’6” and 296 pounds.
Okay, size matters but what about athletic skill set of this group? Converted tight end LT Nate Solder, with his 6’9”, 305 # frame, is reported to have just 8 percent body fat and runs a 4.8 40. In high school he was the conference basketball MVP and was offered a hoops scholarship at Ivy League Dartmouth. Opposite Solder is redshirt freshman RT Bryce Givens, 6’6”, 275# who did not allow a single sack during his high school career. (He lost that record at the collegiate level last night.) Talented five-star right guard SO Ryan Miller 6’8”,310# started the first game before his season ended due to injury. LG Blake Behrens, 6’3”, 290# also was a starter as a freshman. Rounding out the starting unit at center is another sophomore, Mike Iltis, 6’3”, 275#. Iltis went out in the first quarter of last night’s game with an ankle injury replaced by junior Keenan Stevens who had a total of 10 game snaps prior to completing the game at center. The smallest on the OL, Iltis is one of the strongest players on the Buffaloes roster but his status for the Toledo game is not known.
Projections are, over this season, CU’s OL will become one of the top units in the Big 12. To do so, they have a steep learning curve based on last night’s opener. They gave up four sacks and provided for a total of 29 yards rushing . . . for the game.
The strength of the OL suits the offensive scheme of smash mouth football with four talented tailbacks: RBs Darrell Scott, 6’1”, 200#, Rodney "Speedy" Stewart 5’6”, 175# (Westerville,OH), Demetrius Sumler, 5’10”, 215#, and Brian Lockridge, 5’7”, 180#.
All are quality runners who can catch short passes coming out of the back field. Scott was the top rated running back in the nation coming out of high school two years ago. Injuries slowed his progress last year and he had only one carry last night. Don’t look strictly at the numbers of decreasing rushing yards per game falling each of the last three seasons from 173 to144 to124 ypg last year. Last year’s spread offensive put the RBs five yards deep behind an OL that was young and afflicted by injuries.
This year, the offensive scheme is designed to feature the run. First-year offensive coordinator Eric Kiseau plans to pound defenses early and often with Sumler and Scott running behind a mammoth offensive line. That should allow the Garrett Wolfe-sized Stewart and Lockridge some opportunities to make some big plays later in games. Here’s your combination of thunder and lightning . . . a combination that CSU young linebackers and defensive linemen turned into a drip system.
Passing Offensive
The passing game will likely be triggered by QB Cody Hawkins 5’11”, 190# with Tyler Hansen 6’1”, 200# looking for playing time. Both shared playing time last year and are competing for the starting spot. Last year Hansen replacing Hawkins in the Kansas State game. It was Tyler’s mobility and running ability that led the Buffs to victory.
Without a proven WR deep threat, and formations favoring the run and short passes, avoiding turnovers will be the main assignment for whoever is at the quarterback position. There is some talk on campus that Coach Hawkins may employ a two-QB rotation. Last night Cody Hawkins looked his best late in the game recovering from a poor first half. CU’s lack of experienced receivers limited the late game passing attack mainly to TE Geer and WR Scotty McKnight who together had 10 of the team’s 24 catches. McKnight, despite sustaining a huge hit in the fourth quarter and a reported concussion, returned to the game. This was his 25th straight game with at least one reception.
TE Riar Geer 6’4”, 250# is on the Mackey Watch List. Ryan Deehan 6’5”, 245#, and Patrick Devenny 6’3”, 240# add plenty of depth to the tight end position. Their blocking skills add to the Colorado propensity to run. Geer likes to work down field on seam routes. He and WR Scotty McKnight are clearly the go to receivers.
Hold the receiver. Aside from Geer and McKnight, the CU receiving corps is on call waiting. Injuries, suspensions, transfers, conversions, and graduation have done a number on the Buffs stock at wide out. Andre Simmons, JC transfer, has finally been cleared academically but will have no more than a week of practice in full pads in preparation for the season opener. He has size, speed and experience, just not with CU.
Starting WR Josh Smith transferred, Jason "Espy" Espinosa broke his collarbone, twice, Markques Simas will miss the Toledo game finishing a two game suspension. Scotty McKnight is the best route runner and the leading receiver over the last two years. The Buffs will field two WR with starting experience, McKnight and Espinoza. The other receivers are freshmen and sophomores with Simmons starting after his JC transfer.
Inexperience and lack of height – all WR are under 6’0” with the exception of Andre Simmons, 6’3”, 210#. Timing and unfamiliarity of the routes were both issues for Simmons and Hawkins. RB Brian “B-Lock” Lockridge may line up as a wide out with his breakaway speed. The Buffs involved tight ends, wide outs and running backs in screen plays with limited success last night.
On the D Side of the Ball
The Colorado defense has to replace seven starters lost to graduation including three up front, one linebacker and three DBs. The Buff’s D is led by a strong linebacking unit and a solid crew of cornerbacks. Taking advantage of their strength at linebacker, the Buffs are transitioning to a 3-4 scheme but will play a 4-3 as the base package.
The LBs are led by tri-captain, former walk-on, Sr. Jeff Smart, 6’0” 225#, (118 tackles in 2008), Sr. Shaun Mohler, 6’3”, 225# (97), and tri-captain Marcus Burton, 6’0” 265#. The balance of LBs are upperclassman mostly in the 230# to 240# range. Not tall, but beefy.
While the Buffs are developing their safeties, they are solid at the cornerback position. CU CBs feature seniors and juniors in their 2-deep and are led by the Browns at left CB; Cha’pelle Brown, 5’7”, 170# and Jalil Brown, 6’1”, 210# . On the other side are Jimmy Smith, 6’2”, 210# and Benjamin Burney, 5’11”, 195. This group accounted for 230 tackles, 3 INTs, 27 passes broken up last year. Conversely, free and strong safety will be in the hands for sophomores and freshman with very limited game experience.
The Buffs had the top rated pass defense in the Big 12 despite Cha'pelle Brown playing four games with a broken finger and losing both starting safeties to injuries late in the season. It’s no wonder the CBs are referred to as the “fab four” in Boulder. To repeat the stats from last year, however, the secondary will require fast learners at the safety positions. Last night they were schooled in the deep ball by CSU quarterback senior Grant Stucker in his first career start.
Up front defensively, Colorado will be playing lots of underclassmen.
The DL features DEs Marques Herrod, 6’2”, 280# and Lagrone Shields, 6’3”, 275# with Eugene Goree, 6’1”, 300# in the middle at NT. Herrod is projected to the lead this group in sacks.
Special team play
The good and bad on special teams starts with the kickers who were not consistent last year. Punter Matt DiLallo, was the most improved special teams player in the spring, put a third of his punts inside the 20. PK Aric Goodman was 5 for 18 on FGA with a long of 37 yards last year but did have a better spring. It was on display last night as he connected on a career-best 54-yard field goal late in the first half to put the Buffs on the scoreboard.
Kickoff returns will be handled by running backs Sumler and Scott with punts being fielded by WRs Espinoza and McKnight.
Look for vast improvement in CU’s kickoff coverage. Last year they were last in the Big 12. This year coverage team will feature up to eight players with speed from the secondary.
Overall, this should be an improved bunch of Buffaloes but they are young and developing. Getting them early in the season, on three days of prep plus cross country travel, plays to the Rockets advantage. This will be a big test for Coach Beckman’s offense, particularly the running game. Moving the chains on the ground against the CU CBs will be a challenge. If the Rockets can establish the run and continue their potential passing attack, it should be a great night in the Glass Bowl and on ESPN for our Rocket Nation.
Getting RBs and TEs in the open among the LBs and the WRs stretching the safeties are key. Watch the match up of RTs Jared DeWalt and John Morookian with CU’s number 90 LE Marquez Herord.
Colorado looks to run sustained, double-digit drives chewing up yardage and the clock. The Rockets will need to crowd the line of scrimmage getting some key stops along with an INT to allow our offense to stretch the field and put us some points. Initially I thought Coach Mike Ward would be happy with a number of QB hurries and tipped balls even if we come up empty in the sack stats. The CSU Rams had a total on nine sacks last year, one less than the Rockets. Now I’m thinking the defense will not be happy if they don’t have multiple sacks.
One advantage our honeymooner has – he developed a defensive game plan for CU the next to last regular season game last year holding the Buffs to 17 points in the Cowboys 30-17 win.
A sold-out, Blue-out will make an impressive 12th man. This may be exactly what the veterinarian ordered.
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