Brooks: Buffs Like It Plain

BOULDER - As first scrimmages go during August camps (and they go like this more often than not at schools nationwide), well, let's just say it wasn't a Baskin-Robbins of offensive variety.

"It was unbelievably vanilla," Cody Hawkins said of the 165-play, two-plus hour afternoon of work done by the Buffaloes Thursday.

Continued Colorado's junior quarterback, who is dueling sophomore Tyler Hansen for the starting job: "It was so funny walking out there and calling simple plays. That's stuff you talk about on Day 1 when you're introducing concepts; it's not something you show on Saturday and try and beat guys with.

"We ran maybe five percent of the offense . . . . We've got a lot of new stuff people haven't seen before; we don't want to come out and scrimmage and show everybody else. Especially when you've got a couple of eyes in the stands - not just you guys (media) but you don't want everybody seeing what you're doing."

So anyone entering Folsom Field hoping for secrets to be revealed by Hawkins, Hansen and new offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau left with curiosity still piqued as to how - and how efficiently - the Buffs will move the ball when the season opens on Sept. 6 against Colorado State.

Told of Hawkins' benign description of the offense, junior guard Ryan Miller laughed and said, "That's a good thing. I mean we definitely started off real well, things were just clicking, then it was all over the place."

Still, Dan Hawkins said the Buffs achieved their No. 1 goal: "We didn't want to send anybody to the hospital . . . knock on wood, but I think by this time last year we had three guys out for the year."

The scrimmage featured only one touchdown, that by tailback Demetrius Sumler on a 1-yard run to cap the first series.

But it was the kind of power drive that Kiesau envisions more of: "(That's) what we're going to be - 12-13-14 plays, methodical and down the field. That was good to see early, then we kind of tailed off. But we'll clean it up."

Cody Hawkins (21 of 29 passing, 184 yards) and Hansen (10-15, 137) shared time directing the first and second offenses, with freshman Clark Evans (4-10, 55) getting most of the work with the third outfit.

None of the QBs, including walk-ons Seth Lobato and Jerry Slota, threw an interception. But there were seven sacks, with Cody Hawkins "touched" down twice and Hansen once (they were off-limits to tacklers).

QB DUEL STILL ON: Of the Hawkins-Hansen QB battle, Kiesau said, "It's still an open competition . . . both of them are working hard."

Hansen believes he is making more plays and called Thursday's work "a big step for me. I think the first couple of days of camp, I was maybe a little overwhelmed and struggling a little bit. But today I was more relaxed and making plays."

Hansen scrambled five times for a team-high 58 yards, which apparently left Kiesau with mixed feelings.

"That's the thing, everybody sees him scrambling around and think, 'Oh, that's great,'" Kiesau said. "It's good, don't get me wrong, but really you want guys to drop back fast . . . and throw it.

"Now, if he's got the ability to break out and make some plays, that's great - and that's what Tyler does. But usually when he's scrambling around, there's a breakdown somewhere, and we've got to clean that up."

THIRD AND WHATEVER: Much of the scrimmage's final hour was devoted to situational third-down work - third-and-long, third-and-short, etc.

"You don't get a lot of situational work in camp, then when you get to a game, guys aren't comfortable with those situations," Kiesau said. "We tried to make things situational with the third downs, the red zone. It's good to do, and we're trying to improve our overall third-down percentage from last year."

The Buffs' third-down conversion ratio didn't sparkle in 2008; in 12 games, they converted 68 of 181 (37.6 percent), leaving them 11th in the Big 12 Conference.

"That's exactly why you've got to practice it," Miller said.

IT'S CALLED FOOTBALL: With just one TD scored all afternoon, placekicker Aric Goodman didn't get much PAT work. As for attempting field goals, that's a different tale.

"I had a busy day,'' understated Goodman, who made 10-of-14 field goal attempts and didn't expect to kick nearly that many times. He wasn't complaining, though.

"It's a good thing I guess to get in as many game situations as possible, as many situations with a live rush and get into Folsom where the wind kinda swirls a little bit and get used to that," he said.

"I'm kicking and it's fun. It's fun to get out here with a bunch of people (in the stands) again. We've been waiting for nine months, and it's good to get back at it."

After battling a late slump last season (he made 5-of-14 for the year), Goodman said he hit the ball well Thursday: "I had two kicks I was disappointed in. I hit the upright again (he actually hit it twice, but one kick caromed through), but I can't be too disappointed in that.

"You just have to be happy with the ones that went through . . . it's a process and fortunately we've still got 22 more practices before Colorado State. I'll just get the process going with Justin (Drescher, center) and Scotty (McKnight, holder) . . . they're doing a great job, so it's just up to me to put it through."

However, Dan Hawkins hopes his offense can ease Goodman into better range when a kick is called for. Six of Goodman's attempts Thursday were 42 yards or longer, with a long try of 57 yards. His shortest kick was from 30 yards.

Said Hawkins: "I told 'Ridd' (Kent Riddle, special teams coach), 'Can the guy hit one from the 303 area code?' I mean, the poor guy never gets a chip shot.

"It's like, 'OK, let's see if you can knock this 63-yarder in there . . . oooh, you're just off. And how about this 57-yarder.' I mean, the guy can't come in and hit a 32-yard field goal. We've got to get him in the same area code a little bit."

Hawkins said Goodman is "still hard on himself a little . . . he's got to learn to flush that. But he's certainly a little more relaxed than last year."

Work for Goodman was scripted into the scrimmage, noted Kiesau, "But as many (field goals) as he attempted? No. That's the one thing, my first impression coming off the field after the first scrimmage is that I need to do a better job and get the offense going in the red zone, be a little more efficient down there."

NEW FACES, PLACES: Freshmen Nate Bonsu (defensive tackle) and Will Jefferson (receiver) appear to be moving to the head of their class.

Bonsu, a 6-foot-1, 295-pounder, spent considerable time with the first and second defenses. He said he had been told to expect that by D-line boss Romeo Bandison: "Coach told me I was going to get a lot of 'reps.' I'm just trying to get my fundamentals down and work on my technical stuff.

"I believe I'm big enough, I'm strong enough, to play. I need to work on my hands more - just all the fundamentals and my pass rush."

Jefferson, meanwhile, is proving to be somewhat of a surprise after signing the week that camp opened. He's moving up the ladder quickly, and appears further along than the pair of receivers - Jarrod Darden, Terdema Ussery - that spent most of the summer on campus.

Why the swift move to the front of that pack?

Kiesau and Dan Hawkins said Jefferson is a quick study who applies himself.

"He's smart, he studies, he takes time, he doesn't go goof around and play X-box all night," Kiesau said. "He gets in his playbook and takes notes."

Added Dan Hawkins: "He's real smart, a good studier and learner. Plus, he's a very aggressive guy, he can run and he's got good hands - a nice mixture of all of that. He processes and learns things, and he can do all the other things."

Jefferson made two receptions for 27 yards. Tailback Darrell Scott (6-47), tight end Riar Geer (3-44) and McKnight (3-43) topped that category.

PLAYMAKERS APLENTY? Well, maybe an adequate number of playmakers is more accurate.

While awaiting the further development of Jefferson and signs of growth from Darden and Ussery, the Buffs figure to use a talented stable of tight ends and tailbacks as receivers to complement McKnight, Jason Espinoza and Markques Simas, who is suspended until the third game.

Junior college receiver Andre Simmons remained a spectator in civilian clothes Thursday.

Wherever the outside speed comes from, Cody Hawkins doesn't believe the Buffs will have trouble stretching the field against CSU.

"We've been stretching the field in practice, and we're doing a good job with the explosion plays," he said. "But I'm not going to come out here (in a first scrimmage) and try to throw as many balls downfield as possible when we've got a brand new offensive coordinator."

'D' IT UP: With the offense spending much of its time lining up for field goal attempts and only one TD scored, outside linebacker B.J. Beatty said his group showed well for a first camp scrimmage.

"It was the first one, and everybody is kinda of getting the feel of getting back into it," Beatty said. "We're trying to keep it simple right now. This year the coaches are trying to slowly put everything in; they're not trying to overwhelm us and the younger guys with everything at one time."

Beatty, who made four tackles (two solo), said the first and second defenses "got a lot out of our base look and our coverages, and got a couple of simple blitzes in here and there."

But progress beckons.

"I'm one that never settles . . . I always want to get better," Beatty said. "I didn't see (the offense) get into the end zone so much today, so I'll take that as a small victory for us. But as a defense we can do better."

BUFF BITS: Sophomore tailback Rodney Stewart was credited with one reception but no carries. Kiesau was uncertain if Stewart was injured . . . . Demetrius Sumler carried 11 times for 36 yards, while freshman walk-on Quentin Hildreth had 16 carries for 32 yards, mostly with the third offense . . . . Middle linebacker Michael Sipili's nine tackles (seven solo) were a team high. He made four tackles for losses . . . . Beginning Friday, the Buffs' remaining camp practices will be closed to the public . . . . Two more full scrimmages are scheduled before game-week preparations begin on Sept. 1.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU