Saturday Morning Buff Bites

Buffs seek right role for Lockridge - The Longmont Times-Call

Lockridge didn’t play football until he was a junior in high school, and he’s still honing his field instincts. Head coach Dan Hawkins said a lot of Lockridge’s challenge is "just reacting in a football sense of things." Hawkins said there was a play the other day — he did not specify if it was the Wyoming game or a practice — in which Lockridge stuck to his pass route when the opportunity to find open space was available to him if he had changed the route just a bit. These are the kind of lessons Lockridge is still trying to learn. "We try to put him in a position where he can use his skills and let him do what he does," Hawkins said. "He’s a smart kid. But that’s the intuitive side of it, where you have guys like Espy (Jason Espinoza) and Scotty (McKnight). ... They can see it and get it and adapt to it and adjust to it just because they have a little bit more familiarity with it."

Hawkins: recruiting going well : All Things Colorado Sports Colorado

Hawkins said recruiting is going well. "It is. We’ve got some commitments from some good kids, so, we’ll see," he said. "(Recruiting) is so whacky, you never know. But, yeah, I think we’ve got some good kids."

The beginning of the end for Dan Hawkins - Idaho Press-Tribune

Dan Hawkins was close to having shrine built in honor outside the varsity center at Boise State prior to taking over as the head coach at Colorado in 2005. Everyone loved him at Boise State, nationally he was regarded as not only a great football coach, but a better motivator. He was considered college football's version of Phil Jackson.

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You're right, Hawk, you should love them up, but this is college football, a game that pays you millions of dollars. It's a cut-throat business and it's not nice when the losses outnumber the wins — by a lot.

Hawkins is close to losing his job and it's starting to show. The pressure is high and now he's going after the media, the same media who "loved him up" not so long ago.

Brooks: Run Game Back On Track - CUBuffs.com

They're hoping for a recurrence against the Mountaineers, whose defensive front usually consists of three down linemen with three linebackers stacked behind them (a 3-3 stack). It will be critical for CU's O-linemen to shed their blockers and get to the linebackers - a process Johnson compares to "sometimes like fighting bees in there." Schematically, said Johnson, the Mountaineers "don't appear different. They've been running that defense for a good long while and are obviously ingrained in it and committed to it. "There's always a wrinkle here or there, but it looks what they've been in for the last several years." Added Miller: "We played an odd-structured team last week, so as far as game-planning, I'm not sure how much it's really going to change. That 3-3 with fast linebackers . . . I think we just need to get to the linebackers. If we can get off the down guys and get to the linebackers, I think we'll be OK."
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"Physically, I think we match up well with anyone," Miller said. We've got freaks - Nate (Solder) at left tackle, I'm at right and all of our interior guys are big. "It's a relief to say that as an offensive line you've got a group of strong, physical guys." Johnson "respects" West Virginia's defensive front, but adds, "Personnel-wise, it should be a competitive matchup. I would certainly think we'd be up to the challenge."

CU Buffs DB Jimmy Smith ready for next test - Boulder Daily Camera

If there has been a strong point in the CU defense thus far in 2009, Smith is probably it. He and fellow cornerback Cha`pelle Brown, a senior, have been on the field for 199 snaps each, more than any of their teammates. Opponents often choose to throw away from Smith and attack other parts of the field and other CU defenders.

CU freshman LBs Major, Rippy show off potential - The Denver Post

West Virginia Working on "Let's Go Mountaineers" Chant for Colorado game - The Smoking Musket

more links after the jump...

Friday night football roundup | After School - Buff Commit QB Nick Hirschman Rolls

LOS GATOS 47, SALINAS 7 Senior quarterback Nick Hirschman completed 15 of 18 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns and Andrew Berg scored every which way to lead Los Gatos. Berg caught two passes from Hirschman and also ran for a score and returned a punt 92 yards to paydirt. The senior finished with seven catches for 135 yards. Cole Cusella ran nine times for 117 yards and Alec Gletzer led the way defensively with 14 tackles.

Gabbert leads Mizzou past Nevada - Buffzone
Blaine Gabbert passed for 414 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring tosses of 74 and 31 yards to Danario Alexander, to help Missouri beat Nevada 31-21 on Friday night.

Chatfield's Fralick boots Columbine to end rivalry losing streak - The Denver Post
Buff commit QB/Ath Danny Spond's Columbine High team lost a tough one to fellow Buff commit TE Kyle Slavin from Chatfield high school:

Early, it was all Columbine as Spond had stellar touchdown runs of 34 and 62 yards. Fralick's first field goal was all Chatfield could muster in the first half. However, two consecutive Columbine fumbles led to Gifford's 5-yard scoring run and Fralick's second field goal.