November 2nd
Hawkins takes responsibility
Something new came from head coach Dan Hawkins Sunday – accepting responsibility. With the Buffs at 2-6, and all but guaranteed a fourth straight non-winning season, Dan Hawkins says its his fault the Buffs have not been better prepared. “It’s all on me,” said Hawkins. “Ultimately, that’s what it comes down to. No question. That’s the nature of it. I don’t shirk that at all.” Thing is, I have been waiting all season for these words. In my mind, Dan Hawkins has, in fact, been “shirking” responsibility. There has been mulitiple “we’re thisclose” quotes, and many times we’ve heard about the youth and inexperience on the team. Glad to hear that the head coach is accepting his role in the Buffs’ demise.
Another quote Sunday, though, was disturbing. When asked about how the Buffs have been playing from behind all season – Colorado has been out-scored 64-27 in the first quarter in 2009 – Dan Hawkins said that he has been trying his best. “I’ve tried to pull more rabbits out of the hat in this deal than I’ve done in 25 years of coaching,” said Hawkins.
Damn.
So this is the best we can hope for? …
More on Nick Kasa
It was reported Saturday that Nick Kasa was held out of the Missouri game due to an undisclosed illness. On Sunday, it was disclosed – mononucleosis and an enlarged spleen. Dan Hawkins indicated that paperwork would be filed with the NCAA requesting a medical hardship, but did not hold out a favorable opinion that the hardship would be granted. Kasa has played in over 30 percent of the Buffs’ games, which would normally disqualify the appeal. However, Kasa has been in for only 47 plays total (about one half of one game, in terms of plays). “He’s kind of outside the window,” said Hawkins. “But like a lot of kids who transfer and do things like that, you never know based upon his situation because it is unique.”
Stay tuned. Colorado and Kasa likely won’t hear back from the NCAA until January or February …
November 1st
Huskers’ star blows a .035
Nebraska defensive tackle – and to hear it from Cornhusker fans, Heisman Trophy candidate – Ndamukong Suh was ticketed for negligent driving after he hit three parked cars with his SUV. Suh was ticketed after he blew a .035 (below the legal limit of .08). The accident occured at 2:20 a.m. Sunday, and Suh did $10,000 damage to his Land Rover.
You know if it was a Colorado player, there would be repercussions. Stay tuned to see what “internal” penalties are meted out by the Nebraska coaches …
Updated injury report
Coming out of the Missouri game, the Buffs had more than their feelings hurt. Former defensive back, now wide receiver Anthony Wright has an injured knee. He will undergo and MRI and is definitely out for the Texas A&M game … cornerback/safety Benjamin Burney suffered a shoulder bruise, but returned to action against Missouri and is probable for next week … running back Darrell Scott continues to rehabilitate from surgery last week, and is doubtful for the Texas A&M game. Scott could be available for the Iowa State game …
The most intriguing injury story of the weekend concerns freshman defensive end Nick Kasa. The CU injury report indicates that Kasa did not play against Missouri due to illness, and would be out for Texas A&M as well. In the Daily Camera Sunday, went further. “I’m not coming back,” said Kasa. “I’m going to see about a red-shirt”. Problem is, Kasa has played in parts of four games, which is a third of the Buffs’ season. Normally, that would disqualify a player from applying for a medical red-shirt. However, Kasa does have the argument that he was only in for 47 plays all season, as he was slowly working his way into the lineup after suffering a sprained ligament in his knee.
Kasa was in for only three plays late against West Virginia. Those three plays, though, may cost Kasa a full season …
October 29th
Injury report
This item could also be in the “For What it’s Worth” category, as the Buffs’ injury report, and the lineups on Saturday, do not always mesh. Listed this week …
Two linebackers are on the list. B.J. Beatty is listed as probable with a knee injury sustained against Kansas State, while Douglas Rippy is probable as he recovers from a sprained knee suffered against Texas. Defensive tackle Eric Lawson is “questionable”, out with a fractured hand sustained in practice October 14th.
Darrell Scott continues to recover from arthroscopic surgery on his knee. Scott was out for Kansas State, and will be out this weekend as well. Originally, it was thought that Scott might be back in time for the Texas A&M game, but now Iowa State is the target date …
October 27th
Buffs not considered a tough opponent
How far have the Buffs fallen? Remember two weeks ago, when Texas beat Colorado by three touchdowns, and dropped in the polls?
Now Bill Snyder (Bill Snyder!) has indirectly, but quite certainly, denegrated the Buffs. In his Big 12 weekly press conference, the Kansas State coach was asked about being the surprising leader of the Big 12 North. Instead of praising his team’s 3-1 conference record, Snyder instead replied that he was disappointed as to how the Wildcats played against the Buffs. Snyder was particularly angry about his team being shut out in the second half by the Buffs, after scoring on three of their first four possessions.
“The name of the game is trying to get better,” said Snyder. “We did not get better on offense … If you finish well, it means you played well and prepared well … Half of our game we did not prepare well or play well. That’s why I’m upset.”
So, there you go. The Buffs lose by 14 points, fall to 2-5, 1-2, and the winning coach, whose team is leading the division, is pissed that his team – Kansas State! – didn’t get the 62 points they got the week before. This is the state of the program at Colorado. There was no rushing the fields by students in Austin or Manhattan when the Buffs were defeated. No were no “breaking news” stories when Colorado dropped yet another game on the road.
It’s gotten so bad, that just defeating Colorado by double digits is not enough. You drop in the polls and call out your team because you didn’t maul the hapless Buffs worse than you did.
Someone please write Mike Bohn a big check to buyout this coach and stop the bleeding …
For What it’s Worth …
… there was a players’ only meeting held on Monday. It doesn’t take too much effort to come up with some of the topics of discussion. Still, it would have been interesting to have been a fly on the wall during the meeting. As you might expect, there are differing versions of events. Senior linebacker – and captain – Jeff Smart said the meeting was productive, and that it led to the best practice of the season on Tuesday. “There are points and times when you want to be able to speak to the team without the coaches around,” said Smart. “You just really get things on people’s minds and let them speak and try and bring the team closer.”
Sounds good, but there was also this. “I don’t really know if much is going to come from it,” said offensive lineman Ryan Miller. “It was just kind of a reminder for us as a team that we need to do our own jobs.” …
… The CU/Texas A&M game will be kicking off at 11:30 a.m. on November 7th. The game has been picked up by Fox Sports Central, giving the Buffs their third straight morning kickoff …
… Interesting point made by Tim Griffin on his ESPN Big 12 blog. Nebraska has lost its last two Big 12 games (to Texas Tech and Iowa State), both times to back up quarterbacks. What’s more, Nebraska will be playing backup quarterbacks in its next two games, against Baylor (where third-string quarterback Nick Florence gets the start), and against Oklahoma (Landry Jones in for Sam Bradford). The Big Red offense has posted 17 points total in its last two games, so they might try a backup of their own, freshman Cody Green, this weekend …
3 Replies to “The Colorado Daily”
Stuart:
Thanks for providing some perspective during this most trying of football seasons. My freshman year was 1965 – I have bled black and gold for more than 40 years now. Games like K State and Missouri this year have been wrenching. Even in the darkest times, I appreciate having this web-site to come to to get a sense of shared angst and to know that there are others who share the deep disappointment that I feel these days. Please keep this web-site going – we need something in these dark days to look forward to – even if it is just a web-site that I can cry into my beer with.
Thank you!
GVILLE BUFF, I HOPE YOU’RE RIGHT. HOWEVER RUMORS SWIRLING AT THE GAME SATURDAY (AGAIN) OF A DONOR WHO HAS STEPPED UP WITH THE MONEY. ALSO TALKED WITH A CERTAIN SENIORS PARENT WHO SAYS MANY PLAYERS HAVE LITTLE FAITH. TAKE IT FOR WHAT ITS WORTH, COULD BE DISGRUNTLED PLAYERS, BUT NEVERTHELESS BOHN MUST LOOK INTO SOME OF THIS STUFF.
Okay I’m prepared to have metaphorical tomatoes thrown at me for the comment I’m about to make: I haven’t completely lost faith in Hawkins.
End of the 2006 season I believe he made a comment “check back with us in four years”. That will be the end of the 2010 season. I will personally use that point in time to gage the progress of this program. At that time all 5 classes will have been recruited by Hawk (although the 5th year players will have been from a class that he had little time to compile). Next year, we will have experienced (and perhaps talented?) receivers. Every O-lineman will return, with significantly more experience then they had at the beginning of this year.
Perhaps I’m a fool and am being too patient (which sometimes I am), but I think there is still a chance that things get turned around, maybe not this year but possibly the next.