Colorado football coaches and players spent an offseason talking about developing a downhill running game that still hasn`t fully emerged a month into the 2009 season.
The program needs to find some downhill momentum more than any time in recent memory tonight in the rolling hills of the Appalachian Mountains at West Virginia or the season could turn even more sour than its unpleasant start.
The Buffs must find a way to run the football against the 14th ranked rushing defense in the nation in order to keep an explosive Mountaineer offense off the field and break a road losing streak that stretches back to the 2007 season. CU also needs its defense to produce some turnovers in the nationally televised tilt.
CU will have a full stable of running backs for the first time tonight with both Darrell Scott and Rodney Stewart expected to contribute in meaningful playing time for the first time since last season. Demetrius Sumler and Brian Lockridge also are expected to touch the ball in what should be an interesting offensive game plan.
"It`s exciting, and I think it`s exciting for the fans, too," Scott said. "They want to see both of us out there. We both make plays and it`s all because of the line."
Together they racked up 201 rushing yards against the Mountaineers in a 17-14 overtime victory last season in Folsom Field. Scott compared the tandem and their different styles to LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles of the San Diego Chargers.
With a 1-2 record and a road game next week at No. 2 Texas followed by a date with No. 18 Kansas, Colorado`s season already appears to be teetering on the edge. A 1-5 start, another losing season, another year without a bowl game and another long offseason are real possibilities and on the minds of CU faithful.
On the flip side, an unexpected Colorado victory tonight could have a dramatic effect on the perception of the program and morale inside it. A win would at least dull the pain of two early losses to Colorado State and Toledo and bring the postseason back into the realm of possibility.
But a win appears to a tall order fora program that hasn't won a game on the road in nearly two calendar years, and hasn't won east of the Mississippi River since the season opener in 1995. Did we mention West Virginia is favored by 17?
"We just have to have an intense mentality and know what the challenges of playing on the road are," senior tri-captain Jeff Smart said. "Being on the road, the fans are against you and you have to create your own excitement.
"It's got to be about us and not the fans or the other team or anything like that."
CU did not conduct a walk-through at the stadium on Wednesday, which has become the norm under Hawkins in recent years. The team stayed about 50 miles away from Morgantown and coaches did not want to keep players on busses for extended periods.
Both teams have had 10 days to prepare for the rematch of last season's thrilling Thursday night tilt on national television. They combined to rush for 498 net yards last year and CU probably needs to do even better this time around.
The Colorado defense was a disaster and an embarrassment three weeks ago against a Toledo team with similar athleticism to what the Buffs will encounter tonight. Coaches simplified things for defenders after the Buffs gave up 624 yards and 54 points in that game, and players responded with a shutout of Wyoming.
The last time CU shut out an opponent was 2007, when the Buffs beat Miami (Ohio) at Folsom Field. The next week the Buffs stunned then-No. 3 Oklahoma. They hope for another shocker tonight against a team 10th in the nation in total offense.
The Buffs have been prone to big plays this year and West Virginia has demonstrated a knack for them. The Mountaineers already have 27 plays of 20 yards or more. The CU defense already has surrendered 19 plays of 20 yards or more. That seems to foreshadow an ugly night for black and gold.
"They've got a lot of athletes out there and a lot of speed," senior cornerback Cha'pelle Brown said. "So for us, we've got to be in the right place at the right time."
The big three in the West Virginia offense are quarterback Jarrett Brown, who has shown a tendency to throw interceptions, speedy running back Noel Devine, who can score in seconds from anywhere on the field, and wide receiver Jock Sanders.
The Mountaineers attempted only 14 passes in last season's game, but they are throwing the ball more often this season. In fact, they rank 15th in the nation in pass offense and Brown has completed 69 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and five interceptions.
"They still have a ton of talent, a ton of speed and spread you," Hawkins said.
The program needs to find some downhill momentum more than any time in recent memory tonight in the rolling hills of the Appalachian Mountains at West Virginia or the season could turn even more sour than its unpleasant start.
The Buffs must find a way to run the football against the 14th ranked rushing defense in the nation in order to keep an explosive Mountaineer offense off the field and break a road losing streak that stretches back to the 2007 season. CU also needs its defense to produce some turnovers in the nationally televised tilt.
CU will have a full stable of running backs for the first time tonight with both Darrell Scott and Rodney Stewart expected to contribute in meaningful playing time for the first time since last season. Demetrius Sumler and Brian Lockridge also are expected to touch the ball in what should be an interesting offensive game plan.
"It`s exciting, and I think it`s exciting for the fans, too," Scott said. "They want to see both of us out there. We both make plays and it`s all because of the line."
Together they racked up 201 rushing yards against the Mountaineers in a 17-14 overtime victory last season in Folsom Field. Scott compared the tandem and their different styles to LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles of the San Diego Chargers.
With a 1-2 record and a road game next week at No. 2 Texas followed by a date with No. 18 Kansas, Colorado`s season already appears to be teetering on the edge. A 1-5 start, another losing season, another year without a bowl game and another long offseason are real possibilities and on the minds of CU faithful.
On the flip side, an unexpected Colorado victory tonight could have a dramatic effect on the perception of the program and morale inside it. A win would at least dull the pain of two early losses to Colorado State and Toledo and bring the postseason back into the realm of possibility.
But a win appears to a tall order fora program that hasn't won a game on the road in nearly two calendar years, and hasn't won east of the Mississippi River since the season opener in 1995. Did we mention West Virginia is favored by 17?
"We just have to have an intense mentality and know what the challenges of playing on the road are," senior tri-captain Jeff Smart said. "Being on the road, the fans are against you and you have to create your own excitement.
"It's got to be about us and not the fans or the other team or anything like that."
CU did not conduct a walk-through at the stadium on Wednesday, which has become the norm under Hawkins in recent years. The team stayed about 50 miles away from Morgantown and coaches did not want to keep players on busses for extended periods.
Both teams have had 10 days to prepare for the rematch of last season's thrilling Thursday night tilt on national television. They combined to rush for 498 net yards last year and CU probably needs to do even better this time around.
The Colorado defense was a disaster and an embarrassment three weeks ago against a Toledo team with similar athleticism to what the Buffs will encounter tonight. Coaches simplified things for defenders after the Buffs gave up 624 yards and 54 points in that game, and players responded with a shutout of Wyoming.
The last time CU shut out an opponent was 2007, when the Buffs beat Miami (Ohio) at Folsom Field. The next week the Buffs stunned then-No. 3 Oklahoma. They hope for another shocker tonight against a team 10th in the nation in total offense.
The Buffs have been prone to big plays this year and West Virginia has demonstrated a knack for them. The Mountaineers already have 27 plays of 20 yards or more. The CU defense already has surrendered 19 plays of 20 yards or more. That seems to foreshadow an ugly night for black and gold.
"They've got a lot of athletes out there and a lot of speed," senior cornerback Cha'pelle Brown said. "So for us, we've got to be in the right place at the right time."
The big three in the West Virginia offense are quarterback Jarrett Brown, who has shown a tendency to throw interceptions, speedy running back Noel Devine, who can score in seconds from anywhere on the field, and wide receiver Jock Sanders.
The Mountaineers attempted only 14 passes in last season's game, but they are throwing the ball more often this season. In fact, they rank 15th in the nation in pass offense and Brown has completed 69 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and five interceptions.
"They still have a ton of talent, a ton of speed and spread you," Hawkins said.
