Woelk: Big 12 need not be waste for Buffaloes - Buffzone
I love Neill Woelk's spirit and optimism. The nine days off since the Buffs' last game against West Virginia has given Woelk the opportunity to rationalize that the Buffs' conference season hasn't even started and there is time to be successful. It is true, conference play hasn't started yet but one thing I don't necessarily agree with, and I may catch some flack for it, I am not in the general consensus of CU fans that a respectable showing would be satisfying and that a respectable showing would be defined as anything north of the 33 point spread. I can't rationalize moral victories at this point, maybe after year one or two, not year four...that is a hard notion for me to submit to. There are only two options in my head for the rest of the year's results and one of them is win. The other one I will keep a secret because it is depressing.
Start over.
....
But despite their disappointing 1-3 start, despite the tumult that swirls around the program, Dan Hawkins` Buffs still have plenty to play for in their final eight games. The Buffs are 0-0 in the Big 12. That means the chance to make a dent in the Big 12 North standings is within their grasp. It means a chance to improve, the chance to establish something resembling consistency and continuity remains. And it means they need to begin heading that direction in a hurry. Nobody outside of the Buffs` locker room is expecting Colorado to win tonight (did we mention the 33-point spread)? The general consensus among CU fans is that a respectable showing -- i.e., anything north of the point spread -- would be a start.
Woelk calls for the Buffs to go to a short passing game featuring playmakers at wide receiver. He singles out Andre Simmons, Markques Simas and Anthony Wright as those playmakers that need to be able to work with the ball in their hands.
Amen, brother.
Young CU Buffaloes looking for fast start against No. 2 Longhorns - The Denver Post
Now here is a quote I can get behind. The best thing for Buff fans today is to see a team play with an attitude and get after the Longhorns physically.
"It's important for us to get out and play physical with Texas, right from the beginning," Buffs LB Marcus Burton said. "It sets a tone for ourselves, and for them. We have to come out of the gates fast."
and our favorite reoccurring quote:
"Darrell had a great week of practice," Hagan said. "I'm expecting big things from both Speedy and Darrell. We should be able to roll a little bit."
Buffs looking to begin again - The Longmont Times-Call
This about sums it up...as the Buffs look to begin again:
Texas leads the Big 12 in scoring; CU is last in scoring defense. Texas has gained the second-most yards; CU has given up the league’s second-highest total. The Buffs have amassed the league’s fewest yards; Texas’ defense allows the second fewest. Texas has a Heisman contender at quarterback; the Buffs have Hawkins. CU is a 321/2-point underdog.
Buffs face long odds vs. Longhorns - Buffzone
If the Buffs can surprise the nation by keeping things close and playing a competitive game from beginning to end, it could be used as evidence that Hawkins is on the right track, despite unexpected setbacks earlier this season against the likes of Colorado State and Toledo. If the Hawkins skeptics and Las Vegas wagering gurus are proved correct, it will undoubtedly fuel the Fire Dan Hawkins movement that began to rumble a month ago. "I`ve never been real big believer, long term, in extrinsic motivation," Hawkins said of being such a big underdog. "I think every sports psychologist would tell you that`s not the road to go down. Ultimately at the end of the day, it`s about your own self-efficacy and being able to get your 'A` game on regardless of who you play and where you play or what the situation is. Whether you`re favored or not favored, you better have a healthy respect for the other team and yourself and understand the variables that go into it. I just think that`s what all great coaches and all great players and all great teams aspire to do."
The Daily Texan - Colorado running game will test defense
It is hard for me to keep a straight face when Mack Brown says that the Colorado running game will give the Longhorns a good test today. Maybe they will through the first 10 minutes of the game but then Air Hawkins.
"[They] are very much like us. Each back does something a little better than the others," said Texas head coach Mack Brown. "The big question mark on our defense …is, can we stop the run? We haven’t had the test yet. The way people beat you is they keep the ball. We cannot let Colorado come in and run the ball."
While the Buffaloes’ offensive numbers don’t look impressive, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry and ranking second to last in rushing in the Big 12, Texas is more concerned with proving its run-stuffing ability before facing more-daunting competition the rest of October.
Colorado program has a long way to go
Yes we know:
The Colorado athletic department has operated in the black the last three years even though basketball produces little and the department's annual budget of $46.5 million ranks no higher than 10th in the Big 12. Financially, Colorado has long been fighting those "enterprises that gobble up resources," as Bohn calls them. Throw in the added challenges of trying economic times, athletic facilities in dire need of upgrade like the 30-year-old Coors Events Center that the school's basketball and volleyball teams share, an $8 million loan the athletic department is repaying the university over 10 years and an angry alumni base, and Bohn is facing the Olympics of obstacles.
The Daily Texan - Top recruits who didn't pick Texas have been unlucky
"This is an older team, so we can tell them the truth," Mack Brown said. "We can be direct with them."
Texas-Colorado position matchups
Colorado's run offense vs. Texas' run defense The Buffaloes would like to get their running game going, behind Rodney Stewart. He's averaging 90 yards a game and is coming off a 105-yard performance. The Longhorns are second-best in the country defending the run, allowing only 47.25 yards per game. Edge: Texas
The Colorado Buffaloes (1-3, 0-0 Big 12) open conference play this Saturday, October 10, traveling to Austin to face the No. 2 Texas Longhorns (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) in a 5:15 p.m. MDT kickoff at Memorial Stadium (100,119) … The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, with Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analysis) and Erin Andrews (sideline reporter) to call the action.
Game Day Notes - Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns have had great success following regular-season bye weeks in recent years. Since Mack Brown took over the program in 1998, the Horns have posted a 14-4 (.778) record following regular-season bye weeks. The only defeats came against Texas A&M (38-30, 2007; 12-7, 2006; 20-16, 1999) and versus Arkansas in 2003 (38-28). If you include bowl games, in which Brown is 8-3 at Texas, the Horns have posted a 22-7 (.758) mark in the last 11 years when they’ve had at least one extra week to prepare.
Brooks: Buffs Know McCoy's The Real Deal - CUBuffs.com
Good luck. McCoy is averaging 286.2 yards passing per game (fourth in the Big 12) and 301.5 yards in total offense (fifth). He's accounted for 10 touchdowns (nine passing, one rushing) in an offense that leads the nation in scoring (49.5 points a game) and is second in total yardage (545.2 a game).