Monday CU Football Buff Bites - Injuries Strike Buffaloes Again

Recapping Colorado Buffaloes Football and Pac-12 News, Links, and Stories

Brooks: Huskies’ Huge First Half Buries Buffs - CUBuffs.com 

CU made a game of it for a mere two series, matching UW’s 65-yard opening scoring drive with a 70-yard march to tie the score at 7-7 on Tyler Hansen’s 5-yard TD pass to Kyle Cefalo and Will Oliver’s PAT. It was the Buffs' first score on an opening drive this season.

That happened at the 9:42 mark of the first quarter – and from that point forward, the first half (and ultimately the afternoon) was under the Huskies’ control. When Oliver kicked his 46-yard field goal – CU’s only other first-half scoring – UW was comfortably ahead 21-10.

The Huskies’ first-half offensive work was staggering. Everything worked; their 42 plays gained 379 yards in total offense, including 230 passing by quarterback Keith Price. Aided by CU’s depleted secondary, Price look like Heisman Trophy material; four of his 18 first-half completions (23 attempts) went for touchdowns.

"… Loyal, we will be to you …" " CU At the Game - A CU Football blog by Stuart Whitehair

Under the best of circumstances, Colorado would be a heavy underdog. Now, the Buffs are on a four-game losing streak, and have given up 100 points in the past two weeks on defense. To add injury to insult – Colorado last week listed nine defensive backs on the weekly injury report, and two of the Buffs’ top linebackers – Josh Hartigan and Doug Rippy – missed all or most of the Washington game with injury, and are questionable at best for the Oregon game.

Will the Oregon game be a rout? Undoubtedly.

Will the Arizona State game which follows – on the road – likely be as ugly? Probably.

Does that mean I am giving up on my team? Not a chance. 

Pac-12 power rankings: Week 7 - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN

11. Colorado: The cold reality has set in: The Buffs don't have enough horses to compete in the Pac-12 at present. One word: Recruiting. Another word: Recruiting. 

When Oregon looked down, it surged - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN

How bad did things look for Oregon early in the third quarter against Arizona State? Let us count the ways. One, running back LaMichael James, the best running back in college football, was on the Ducks' sideline in street clothes with a dislocated elbow. Two, he had been joined by QB Darron Thomas, who hurt his knee on a three-and-out possession to start the second half. Three, the Sun Devils took the ball and raced 67 yards in four plays -- all running -- to take a 24-21 lead. And four, redshirt freshman QB Bryan Bennett was coming off the bench cold for his first meaningful career action on ESPN.

The Four Sun Devils of the Duckapocalypse! Or not. 

Deep Ducks bringing high-powered offense to Folsom Field - Buffzone

"Speed and tempo," CU defensive coordinator Greg Brown said when asked what makes Oregon's offense so productive. "They use every inch of the field. The spread you out and use every inch of the field from sideline to sideline."

Brown was the co-defensive coordinator at Arizona last season when the No. 1-ranked Ducks traveled to Tucson to face the No. 20 Wildcats. Thomas passed for 148 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score, and James rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns to lead Oregon to a 48-29 win en route to the BCS national championship game.

"They have great coaches. Last year when we matched up with them, Arizona had a bye, Oregon had a bye," said Brown, who was CU's secondary coach when Helfrich was on the staff. "Mark and those guys did a better job than we did of preparing, and they beat us."

CU quarterback Tyler Hansen is still close to Helfrich, who mentored him through some growing pains early in his career. "What they're doing at Oregon, you could see that vision when coach Helfrich was here. We just didn't have the personnel," Hansen said. "It's been fun to see his offenses do so well the last few years. That's the vision he had for us."

CU Buffs need Andre Roberson to deliver - Buffzone

Roberson, CU's leading rebounder last season as a true freshman, is the player head coach Tad Boyle can least afford to lose on a team with a lot of depth at point guard and on the wings.

"I don't even know if I can say this, because I didn't think it was possible, but his rebounding has gotten better," senior forward Austin Dufault said of Roberson. "He's such an animal on the boards. It's tough to keep him off the glass."

Men Win Pre-Nats, Women Take Fourth - CUBuffs.com - Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado

Andy Wacker took second-place overall as the No. 8 University of Colorado men's cross country team won the 2011 NCAA Pre-National Invitational on Sunday afternoon.  The No. 4 CU women's team placed fourth at the meet and was led by Shalaya Kipp's ninth-place performance.

Wins are good, Go Buffs!