Friday Fast Facts
Injury Update
With the exception of one position, Colorado is about as healthy as it has been since September. The problem area has moved from cornerback, which will see the return of Parker Orms and Paul Vigo this weekend, but the safety position. Three of the four players who have started at safety this fall are on the injury report, with only sophomore Terrel Smith, who started his first game of the 2011 season last weekend against USC, not listed amongst the injured. Of the remaining three, Anthony Perkins is the least likely to play, with Ray Polk and Kyle Washington each listed as “day-to-day” as they recover from concussions.
On the mend:
Brian Lockridge – (Sr.) – defensive back – suffered a sprained ankle v. Washington State – listed as “day-to-day” for Arizona
Anthony Perkins – (Sr.) – safety – suffered an ankle sprain nine plays into the Oregon game – listed as still being out 1-2 more weeks
Kyle Cefalo – (Sr.) – wide receiver – elbow injury suffered v. Washington State; sprained knee v. Washington – “probable” for Arizona
Brady Daigh – (Fr.) – linebacker – suffered a wrist sprain two plays into the USC game – wrist in a cast – listed as “probable”
Logan Gray – (Sr.) – wide receiver – suffered a bruised leg in second half of the USC game – listed as “day-to-day”
Ray Polk – (Jr.) – safety – suffered a concussion in the Washington game – missed Oregon, symptom returned against Arizona State, did not play against USC; listed as “day-to-day”
Kyle Washington – (Fr.) – safety – suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the USC game, did not return – listed as “day-to-day”
Suspended indefinitely – violations of team rules:
Parker Orms – (So.) – defensive back – reinstated and practicing with the team, will return for Arizona game
Paul Vigo – (So.) – defensive back – reinstated and practicing with the team, will return for Arizona game
Ayodeji Olatoye – (So.) – defensive back – did play in the first four games of the season (no tackles)
Liloa Nobriga – (So.) – linebacker – dressed for two home games and CSU game, but had not yet played a down
Out for the Season:
Jared Bell– (Soph.) – defensive back – Out since August with a torn ACL
Doug Rippy – (Jr.) – linebacker – suffered torn ligaments in his knee against Washington – surgery pending
Blake Behrens – (Sr.) – offensive lineman – chronic shoulder and bicep tendinitis have ended his career
Tony Poremba – (Sr.) – defensive lineman – suffered a concussion in practice on October 4th, one of many in his career
Will Harlos – (Fr.) – defensive back – hamstring and concussion injuries have ended his season
Sherrard Harrington – (Fr.) – defensive back – suffered a hip contusion during the summer, decision to red-shirt made in August
Malcolm Creer – (Fr.) – running back – suffered a torn ACL and MCL 15 carries into his career – surgery pending
Jack Harris – (Soph.) – offensive tackle – Out for the season with a broken ankle, surgery on September 22nd
Overall, Colorado has lost 90 games to date from player who figured to be in the two-deep roster, or just over 20 percent of the possible 440 (ten games times 44 players). This total projects to be the highest total of lost games since 1984.
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Colorado v. Arizona – Notes worth Noting
– Colorado is 12-1 all-time vs. Arizona, the most lopsided winning percentage for the Buffs against any opponent with more than ten games played (next on the list is Wyoming, a series CU leads 24-2-1);
– The majority of the games in the series were played between 1950-60, with ten of the 13 games being played over that 11 year period (Colorado won all ten). The first game was played back in 1931 in Tucson, a 27-7 CU victory. In the 1958 game, a 65-12 Colorado victory, the Buffs set a rushing record which still stands of 551 yards rushing;
– The lone victory for Arizona in the series came the last time the two teams met, in 1986. In a game played in Boulder, No. 10 Arizona (the only ranked Wildcat team CU has faced) survived with a come-from-behind 24-21 victory. The 0-3 Buffs built leads of 14-3 and 21-12, but could not sustain the advantages. One of the Buff heroes in the game was senior tight Jon Embree. On the second play of the game, Buff quarterback Mark Hatcher hit Embree for a 68-yard completion to set the Buffs up with a first-and-goal at the Arizona six yard line (the 68-yard reception proved to be the longest of Embree’s career in Boulder). After falling to Arizona, the 1986 Buffs would go on to post a 6-1 record in Big Eight play, including the epic 20-10 victory over No. 3 Nebraska four weeks later;
– (Yes, it was once like this) – Against Arizona in 1986, the attendance was 41,024. Coupled with the 45,109 who had attended the season opener against Colorado State, the game against the Wildcats represented the first time since 1982 in which the Buffs drew consecutive home crowds in excess of 40,000;
– In addition to the 12-1 record against Arizona in football, Colorado also has the advantage in men’s basketball (8-5) and women’s basketball (6-3);
– Colorado is 100th or worse in the nation in eight statistical categories, including: rushing offense; scoring offense; total defense; scoring defense; and sacks allowed. Arizona, meanwhile, is also 100th or worse in eight statistical categories, including: rushing offense; total defense; scoring defense; pass defense; and sacks. It should be an interesting – and high scoring – game.
Pac-12 Notes of Note
– Stanford can clinch the Pac-12 North title with a victory over Oregon. Despite its recent success, the Cardinal has not won a conference title since 1999 (the same year Nebraska also won its last title – sorry, I just had to throw that in);
– If Oregon can defeat Stanford, the Ducks will be in line to win their third straight Pac-10/12 title. No team in the Pac-10 other than USC has won three straight titles since 1959;
– Oregon defeated Stanford, 52-31, last season. The Cardinal has not lost since, a FBS-best active streak of 17 games;
– For its part, Oregon has a streak of 18 consecutive conference wins, dating back to the Ducks loss to Stanford in 2009;
– With a victory, Stanford will have back-to-back ten-win seasons for the first time in school history. Truth be told, 2011 would mark only the fourth ten-win season for Stanford … ever (Colorado has seven: 1971; 1989; 1990; 1994; 1995; 1996; and 2001).
– College GameDay will be on a Pac-12 campus for the third time in five weeks, having been in Eugene for the Arizona State v.Oregon game, and in Los Angeles for Stanford v. USC;
– Since 1986, there have been 12 games between Pac-12 opponents with both teams ranked in the top ten (No. 6 Oregon at No. 3 Stanford will make 13). In those 12 meetings, the home team has won nine games, including every such game since 1998;
– As go John White and Jon Hays, so go the Utes. In Utah’s five victories, junior running back John White has run for over 100 yards in each game. In the Utes’ four losses, White has been held under 100 yards. Junior quarterback Jon Hays is 3-2 as the starter. In the Utes’ three victories with Hays behind center, Hays has thrown five touchdown passes and no interceptions;
– Stanford, Oregon, Washington and Arizona State are bowl-eligible. Either Utah or UCLA (both 5-4) will join the group this weekend. Cal, which hosts Oregon State (2-7), could also become bowl-eligible with a victory this weekend;
– Oregon State freshman quarterback Sean Mannion has thrown for over 200 yards in eight consecutive games, the first Beaver quarterback to do so since 2003 (Tyler Hansen has thrown for over 200 yards in seven of ten games this fall);
– Senior defensive tackle Bo Moos will start for Arizona State this weekend against Washington State. Moos has started each game this season, but this will be the first time he faces off against his father’s team – Bill Moos is the Washington State athletic director;
– Washington State wide receiver Marquess Wilson needs only 26 more receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the second consecutive season. If he does so, Wilson will become only the second Cougar to post two 1,000-yard receiving years in a career (joining Jason Hill, 2004-05) – Wilson is only a sophomore.
Buff kickers keep setting records
Colorado freshman kickers Will Oliver and Darragh O’Neill continue to be bright lights in an otherwise dismal 2011 campaign.
Oliver, despite having two kicks blocked against USC, still tied a Colorado freshman record with his 10th field goal of the season. His 30-yarder in the second quarter gave Oliver ten field goals for the season, tying him with Tom Field (1979) for the most field goals by a freshman kicker in school history. (Oliver is 10-15 this fall; Field was 10-14 in 1979). Oliver’s 52-yard field goal against Cal set a freshman record for Colorado, and is the longest by a freshman this season.
With 51 points, Oliver is just one point shy of tying Mason Crosby for the most points ever by a freshman kicker. Crosby had 52 points in 2003, hitting on 7-9 field goal attempts (while going 31-37 on extra points). Oliver has his ten field goals to go with a perfect 21-21 on extra points.
O’Neill, meanwhile, has also fared well as the Buffs’ freshman punter. Of the 15 freshmen punters in the FBS, O’Neill’s 43.0 average per punt is second in the nation, behind only the 43.4 yard average of LSU red-shirt freshman Brad Wing. O’Neill has been called upon to punt 61 times this season – none of the other freshmen have as many as 50.
This fall, O’Neill has placed 16 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, with only one touchback. Last season, Zach Grossnickle, in 60 punts, had 11 punts inside the 20, with two touchbacks. O’Neill has had 15 punts go for over 50 yards; Grossnickle had two.
While the Colorado coaching staff will struggle to fill out the roster at most positions next fall, it appears that the Buffs are set at kicker (assuming Oliver’s performance against USC was an anomaly) and punter for the next three seasons.