Colorado University Athletics
BUFFS OPEN SPRING FOOTBALL FRIDAY
April 01, 2004 | Football
BOULDER - The University of Colorado football team kicks off its annual spring drills Friday afternoon, as the Buffaloes will conduct 15 practices during the month and cap off the stretch with the spring game at Folsom Field on April 24.
Coming off a 5-7 (3-5 Big 12) 2003 campaign, CU is anxious to return to the gridiron for the NCAA mandated 15 sessions, which can occur over a 29-day period. After doing away with its usual format of two weeks of drills before spring break and three weeks after (break days do not count toward the 29), CU has decided to use all its time in one stint. With the regulations, the 15 practices may only include three in shorts (no contact), four in pads (no tackling), four in pads (tackling allowed 50 percent or less of the time) and four in pads (tackling allowed throughout).
"There's a lot of excitement," interim head coach Brian Cabral noted on his players' expectations for the spring. "They're very excited about the gains that they've made through the winter. Our players feel like they're farther ahead than they were at this time last year. So there's a lot of excitement because of that for one, but secondly, I think there's a lot of desire to go practice and to get away from everything and just go play some ball."
Returning 42 letterman (19 offense, 19 defense, four specialists), the Buffs will be with the services of seven qualified offensive starters and seven defensive starters. For the scoring unit, junior quarterback Joel Klatt leads the charge, as he is joined by junior tailback Brian Calhoun, sophomore guard Brian Daniels, junior tight end Joe Klopfenstein, senior guard Derek Stemrich, junior fullback Lawrence Vickers and senior tackle Sam Wilder ? all of whom started six or more games or were staples in the lineup at the end of the year.
On the other side of the ball, fifth-year senior end Marques Harris heads the pack after returning from a broken leg suffered in the second game of the season. Harris, who would have been a starter all of 2003, is joined by junior free safety J.J. Billingsley, senior nose tackle Brandon Dabdoub, junior linebacker Akarika Dawn, junior end James Garee, sophomore cornerback Sammy Joseph and senior tackle Matt McChesney.
The Buffs also return seven players with starting experience (three or more career starts), as sophomore linebacker Walter Boye-Doe, sophomore strong safety Dominique Brooks, junior linebacker Brian Iwuh, junior offensive tackle Clint O'Neal, senior tailback Bobby Purify, senior tight end Quinn Sypniewski and senior tight end Jesse Wallace head the list. Like Harris, Purify (ankle) and Sypniewski (toe) return after contracting early season-ending injuries in 2003, as each was awarded a medical redshirt in the off-season.
On the injury front, the Buffs appear fairly healthy and should be with the services of most players. Absences arise with Stemrich, who will miss all of spring, as he continues to recover from knee surgery. Harris will practice lightly and be evaluated on a day-to-day basis, but fellow line mate Dabdoub will miss all action with a torn pectoral muscle sustained in weight training.
The Buffs will practice Friday afternoon for two hours in shorts, and then once again Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Sunday is scheduled to be the first day in pads.
Quick Program Notes: Colorado has been ranked in the preseason top 25 (Associated Press) for 12 of the last 15 years (lone exceptions coming in 1998, 2001 and 2003); CU was in the top 15 in 11 of those 12 years... CU has defeated at least one ranked team in 15 of the last 16 seasons... Colorado's 125-53-4 record dating back to the start of the 1989 season is the eighth best in the nation over the last 15 years... The Buffs have played the nation's toughest schedule two times in these 15 seasons (1990, 1997) and played the second toughest in 2001 (eight bowl teams), fourth hardest in 2000 (seven bowl foes), eighth toughest in 2003 (10 bowl teams) and 13th toughest in 2002 (nine bowl teams)... CU owns the nation's ninth best road record since 1988 (52-25-1)... In 2003, Colorado had the 12th most alumni active in the NFL (29 players), tied for the second most in the Big 12 (17 participated in the NFL playoffs, four in the Super Bowl).
