More photos » Jack Dempsey - AP

3 months ago: Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen looks to pass during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Nebraska in Boulder, Colo., Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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One of my favorite things to do is take in some early season football practice, even if it is a big tease as the regular season which is still many months away. It was a beautiful day in Boulder, 55 degrees and sunny. The University hosted their annual junior day so many high school recruits were in attendance and they couldn't have picked a better day to visit Boulder in early March. 

The first practice the players were just in shorts and helmets, no contact. The drills, as expected for the first time out this year, were pretty simple and routine. A good amount of special teams work, 7 on 7, fumble drills, form tackling drills (every player participated even the quarterbacks), defensive back drops, etc. Very similar to what we have seen at prior spring practices. Certainly nothing ground breaking.

Without much contact, it is hard to give breakdowns other than "this player looked good, or that player really stood out" but here are a few things I took away from the first day:

-Two players caught my eye all morning: WR Toney Clemons and TE DaVaughn Thornton.  By far, they are the two most athletic looking players on the offense. Clemons looks great. He has a very athletic build, taller than I expected, is quick and made plenty of catches. He is an instant upgrade for the position. Thornton just looks gifted. Both Jon and I went to practice and I kept saying to him, "I can't believe how big Thornton is."He runs well, is built and I believe still has room to add on weight. He and Clark Evans, now at tight end, seemed to have developed a  friendship. Thornton looks like a power forward playing football at 6'4" 235 pounds. He was in the mix a lot today. Both Evans and Thornton bring athleticism to the tight end position. Hopefully Thornton's development continues because he sure looks the part of a big time player

-WR Andre Simmons was nowhere to be found today. I haven't heard anything regarding his status. More to come on that when we hear something. WR Markques Simas was out on the field, not practicing but him being out there is a good sign, certainly better than him not being present. It was frustrating seeing Simas, Clemons and Thornton standing together and realizing that could be a pretty powerful trio out there on Saturdays. Hopefully, Simas earns his way back so we can see what the two receivers could do together.

-DT Nate Bonsu is a horse. He was on crutches but he is a monster of a man and will be a big part of this defense for the next three years in the middle. DE Nick Kasa looks huge, as usual. He sticks out on the defensive side of the ball. Forrest West certainly added some weight from last year, at least 10 pounds. I think he is going to explode in 2010. These three players can bring some stability to the defensive line.

-Patrick Mahnke was practicing with the linebackers today, something that is a welcomed move. I think he is a better fit there. As always, Doug Rippy steals the "wow" factor when you watch the linebackers. It was good to see Jon Major out there injury free. This unit looks a little thin after losing Shaun Mohler, Jeff Smart and Marcus Burton from a year ago. You have to imagine now is the time for Major to make his mark. Michael Sipili, Douglas Rippy and B.J. Beatty are three players who should receive a lot of time but players like Major, Derrick Webb, Tyler Ahles and Liloa Nobriga need to step up and contribute.

-Speaking of thin, that is the best word to describe the running backs. The Buffs have four running backs total, three on scholarship and all under 5'9". Just hope Rodney Stewart doesn't get hurt. If any incoming freshman have the opportunity to play in 2010, it will be at running back, especially the two bigger backs in Cordary Clark and Justin Torres

-DB's Jimmy Smith, Jalil Brown and Ray Polk all look the part on defense. Another year of experience for Polk will do wonders for him back at safety. Polk, Anthony Perkins and Tyler Sandersfield were on the field together a lot, similar to last spring where the Buffs featured three safeties early in camp.

-The offensive line is full of monsters, nothing new here. Without pads on, it is hard to get a gauge. The first offensive line group in team drills was OT Bryce Givens, OG Ethan Adkins, C Keenan Stevens, OG Ryan Miller and OT Nate Solder. Coach Brad Bedell was spending a lot of time with Bryce Givens. You never know about the offensive line until that first game. Max Tuioti-Mariner is sporting a shaved head, different from the long hair we are used to. OT Sione Tau was practicing after taking a leave from the team last year.

-Tyler Hansen was the first quarterback in the team drills. He looked pretty solid today. Cody Hawkins has already taught true freshman Nick Hirschman how to roll his sleeves up on his jersey. For a player who is supposed to be in his second semester of high school, Hirschman looked pretty good. Didn't get a lot of reps. The reps were given in this order: Tyler Hansen, Cody Hawkins, Seth Lobato, Nick Hirschman with Hansen and Hawkins understandably receiving the bulk

-Kickers Zach Grossnickle and Aric Goodman took turns kicking both field goals and punting. Both were inconsistent on their punts and both looked decent, from what I saw on field goals.

Let me know if you have any questions about the practice and I will answer them below in the comment section.

14-15, 5-10 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

March 6th, 2010 2:00 pm MT Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders Where: Coors Event Center - Boulder, Co TV: Altitude, ESPN 360 Radio: 760 AM Line: Colorado -4.5

16-13, 4-11 NR (AP) NR (Coaches Poll)

Welcome to the Ralphie Report as the Colorado Buffaloes play in one of their most important games in recent memory against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Boulder. Why is this game important? A win gets the Buffs a 15 - 15 record in the regular season heading into the Big 12 tournament, which would lock up the #8 seed and the opportunity to play either Tech or Oklahoma in the first round. A win in Kansas City at the Big 12 would make the Buffs eligible for the NIT and the CBI postseason tournaments, something that would be a huge step in the right direction for this program. Their is good chance Colorado will play Texas Tech the next two games. Tech comes in struggling, losing six straight and eight of their last ten. Texas Tech is 3 - 8 on the road this season and 1 - 7 away from Lubbock in the Big 12.

Throw all your comments about today's game below and let's get this thing rolling. If you don't have an account, sign up here for free and enjoy all that our site has to offer.

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More photos » L.G. Patterson - AP

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Today is a pretty big day in the Colorado Buffalo sports world. The 2010 football season begins and the men's basketball team tries to even their regular season record at 15 - 15 against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. A win today would get the Buffs an #8 seed in the Big 12 tournament and a matchup with either the Red Raiders or the Oklahoma Sooners next week in Kansas City.

If Colorado wins the next two, you can make a great argument that the NIT post season tournament will come knocking considering they would have won four in a row and five of their last seven. Let's not get ahead of ourselves too much but what an improvement that would be for Jeff Bzdelik and his squad. Tech comes in struggling, losing six straight and eight of their last ten. The Red Raiders are 3 - 8 on the road this season and 1 - 7 away from Lubbock in the Big 12. The Buffs, on the other hand, are 12 - 3 in Boulder.

Currently, Colorado is a 4.5 point favorite.

Live game thread will be up today at 1:30 pm MT. The game is televised on Altitude or ESPN360 and is in Boulder so hopefully we see a packed house to support the Buffs.

Links after the jump, a good mix of both sports today. Let the fun begin!

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More photos » Charlie Riedel - AP

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The alphabetical depth chart has been released for tomorrow - basically it's a fancy look at each position not ranked by depth...i.e. a roster. Nothing surprising in terms of injuries or players out: WR Markques Simas (suspension), DT Nate Bonsu (leg), WR Terdema Ussery (personal reasons), WR/DB Anthony Wright (knee) and DB Steven Hicks (academics). This is the healthiest the Buffs have been in a long time as we enter spring ball. Hopefully it stays that way, Ussery and Simas come back to the team by fall, and Bonsu recovers fully. Bonsu is an important piece to the puzzle in the middle of the Buffs defense. He played very well as a true freshman last year and along with DE Nick Kasa and DE/LB Forrest West, Colorado has a nice young nucleus developing on the defensive line.

Below is the practice schedule:

  
Goals for this spring: no injuries, get the offensive line nasty and ready to light people up. The season depends on them in 2010.

More photos » Jack Dempsey - AP

Any major injury to RB Rodney Stewart this offseason would be a huge blow to the offense as the Buffs' lack depth at the position.

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The first piece of good news for this spring is the Buffs didn't have to move practices back a month to try and accommodate the wounded. If you remember last offseason, many players had surgeries that kept them on the sideline for most of the preseason drills leading up to spring ball. As of now, their are only a few notable injuries/missing players to report for spring ball. Sophomore DT Nate Bonsu (leg), redshirt freshman WR Terdema Ussery (personal injuries) and junior WR Markques Simas (suspended) are most notable players who will miss spring ball this year.

Unfortunately, there are more question marks on the offensive side of the ball this year than answers. Other than a few players here and there, many positions still need to be solidified if the Buffs have any dreams of making it to a bowl game in 2010.

As in every camp, the microscope will be on the quarterback spot, especially when you are talking about Dan Hawkins, Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen. Dan Hawkins has stated his son and Tyler Hansen will be battling for the 2010 starting spot and both will receive time with the starting units this spring. In year five, many would like to see stability at the position but after a 3 - 9 year, that is not the case. The most disheartening comment from the elder Hawkins is his intent to name a starter after spring ball concludes. Hopefully, Hansen starts off camp strong and earns more reps and assumes the starting role to start fall ball. 

Watch out for incoming freshman QB Nick Hirschman. It is doubtful Hawkins will place a freshman at the helm considering the ever present talk regarding his job security but Hirschman has a lot of upside. He is a true student of the game, he has enrolled early at Colorado and from all accounts, he has been impressive.

The Key: Hansen assumes the starting position early, receives most of the reps come the second week of spring. Hirschman continues to progress.

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