Brooks: Buffs 'O' Opens Fast In First Fall Scrimmage

BOULDER - Fast starts in first fall scrimmages, particularly on offense, have been rarities during the five-year Dan Hawkins era at Colorado. Thursday was different - in a very good way.

On consecutive drives, the Nos. 1-2 CU offenses - the first unit quarterbacked by junior Tyler Hansen, the second by senior Cody Hawkins - drove 80 yards each for touchdowns. Hansen's team required 11 plays to score against the No. 1 defense, Hawkins' squad needed 14 against the No. 2 defense. Hansen ran 16 yards on a keeper for a TD, while tailback Brian Lockridge ran 7 yards for the No. 2 offense's initial score.

"They just came out and were ready to play; I guess we were playing a little slower than they were," nickel back Parker Orms said. "It was good that we came out in the second half and worked harder. We finished a lot stronger in the second half.

"The offense is doing great right now and I'm happy for them. I just hope we can feed off each other just like we did today."

Receiver Will Jefferson called the Buffs' not-so-humble beginnings "a whole lot better than last year . . . we're on the right path."

Frills were absent from both long opening drives as well as throughout the 156-play (131 from under center) situational scrimmage. Noted Hansen: "We kept everything pretty simple."

Still, while staying simple, the first, second and third offensive units racked up nearly 700 total yards.

But as Orms noted, both defensive units rallied and finished strong during the 21/2-hours of work at Folsom Field. Orms played a part in one of two long scoring returns, but for once, Buffalo coaches didn't have to fall back on "the defense is usually ahead at this time of year."

Not to be overshadowed, the kickers made 8-of-9 placement attempts, and overall the team drew just five penalties for the afternoon - possible good news for a team that finished 2009 in a flag daze (107 penalties).

Hansen, who afterwards acknowledged to reporters that he believes the starting QB job is "his to lose," called his offense's start "real good . . . we just drove it down, we didn't care if it was first down, third down, whatever. We were getting completions and the running backs were running hard. And we were executing as an offense - which was really nice."

He attributed the successful beginning to "older guys and experience . . . we've done it before, so it's nothing new to us. We're just used to the grind now and we're more comfortable in the offense."

Coordinator Eric Kiesau agreed that the uncommonly good starts were oddly overdue but welcome: "Yeah, definitely . . . absolutely. Again, I'm saying that without looking at the film. I know I say that after every scrimmage, but it's hard when you're in the flow of the game - you're thinking about the next play.

"My feeling is, we moved the ball well in the first half. I know we had one third-down period where we were really good (Hansen completed nine-of-10 passes in that period). But I have to say we're a long ways away from playing four quarters against an opponent, that's for sure."

Dan Hawkins said the first and second offenses "clearly were efficient" in their opening drives, but tempered his excitement about the third-down periods by reminding that the first offense was going against the second defense.

Hansen wound up completing 18-of-26 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. His QB rating was 145.3, while Cody Hawkins' 115.0 rating was based on a passing stat line that read: 17-of-31, 182 yards, 1 TD.

But if Hansen had the better numbers, he also committed two of the afternoon's costliest errors. After botching an option pitch in the red zone that was returned for a score, he threw an interception for a TD.

"That's a huge gaffe right there," Dan Hawkins said of the pick.

Hansen agreed: "(Only) two mistakes is a pretty good day, but those also were two big mistakes."

Dan Hawkins remained non-committal on naming a starting quarterback, again saying the situation would play itself out through camp and before the opener.

In jest, he said, "We're not going to make an announcement, so that way you'll have something to write about every single day . . . This way it keeps you going; if it's a slow day you always know, let's go back to the quarterback thing. It makes interesting."

Asked if not naming a starter might keep opening opponent Colorado State guessing, he answered, "I don't know . . . I don't know that their game plan is going to be a whole lot different based on one guy or the other, I really don't."

FIRM GRIP ON NO. 1? Hansen, a junior, entered fall camp atop the depth chart at quarterback and with what coaches have continued to call "a slight edge" over Cody Hawkins.

After the scrimmage, Hansen said, "I think I have the edge right now. I had the advantage coming out of spring and was on top of the depth chart. So I felt good about that. Over the summer I felt like I gained a leadership role and that really jump started my fall camp. So I think it's my spot to lose."

He said his coaches' evaluation since last season has been consistent, noting that he needs to be a more vocal leader. He believes he's doing that.

Kiesau initially agreed that the No. 1 job was Hansen's to lose, then added that both QBs "are competing very well." He said Hansen appears more comfortable with the more experience he gets: "I think he's seeing more of the field and the game has slowed down for him. When you're young and trying to make things happen, a lot of things are going on very fast . . . Simplifying (the offense) is going to help as well. He's progressing."

It remains to be seen, though, how costly his two glaring mistakes might be - particularly since both resulted in defensive scores. After defensive tackle Curtis Cunningham scooped up the botched pitch, he lateraled to safety Ray Polk for a 72-yard score. Orms returned Hansen's only pick 29 yards for a TD.

Hansen also had a pair of long passes dropped, but said, "Those things happen . . . I know we're going to have a real good receiving corps."

PARKER THE PLAYMAKER: Orms reported last summer weighing 165 pounds. He reported for his redshirt freshman season 30 pounds heavier. The first week of camp dropped him from 195 to 190, but he's dropped none of his playmaking skills.

His "pick six" off Hansen resulted from "a great read" of Hansen's eyes and Hansen "never seeing the little squirt."

Orms, though, had a feeling a big play was about to happen: "I didn't tell anybody or say it out loud, but I said to myself, 'I need to get a pick six right here.' I spit on my gloves and got down. It was a little bit of luck, but I just had a great read outside."

Orms is more comfortable now at his position than he was coming out of spring ball. "I'm a lot more confident and feel like it's my spot to lose now," he said. "I just want to play as hard as I can on every play."

CALL HIM 'TOUGH YARDS TORRES': Freshman tailback Justin Torres ran seven times for 35 yards and scored once (3-yard run). Most of his carries came during a 4-minute drill that saw his No. 2 offense attempting to run out the clock.

Torres, a 6-1, 215-pounder, made sure that happened - although he said he had no idea position coach Darian Hagan was going to use him in that situation.

"Hagan just called my number and I just went out there and did my thing . . . I think I did pretty well," Torres said. "We went up the field and got those tough yards. We kept the ball and ran the time out."

Torres said that role - running for the hard yards - suits him: "I like getting the tough yards. (Killing) time you have to run the ball and hold onto it. I'm not going to break it, but I'm going to get the tough yards."

He also said he believes he's not prone to fumble: "I'm going to put two hands on the ball and hold it for dear life. That situation is going to win or lose the game."

Dan Hawkins called Torres "a very hard-nosed runner," but said the same of fellow freshman Cordary Allen (6-2, 230). "I think there's probably a good chance that one of those guys, if not both, will play just because they bring a little something extra to the table with their size."

Torres, whose high school coach was former CU quarterback Mike Moschetti, said redshirting "would be fine with me . . . but I want to help the team in any way I can."

NOTHING SHORT OF PERFECTION: Sophomore receiver Will Jefferson has a hard time meeting his expectations. It sounds as if it rarely happens.

"That's just the way I am," he said. "I'm that way because no one expects more out of it than me. When I do something wrong, no one is going to say anything that's going to be more hurtful to myself than me. I accept nothing less than perfect. Today was not good enough."

Although he made seven catches for 88 yards - the afternoon's best numbers by a receiver - and blocked a punt, he walked away being pretty hard on himself. That was mainly because of a dropped Hansen pass in the open field behind the secondary.

"I had a drop, then I started playing. It can't be like that; I need to turn it on from the first play," Jefferson said, blaming the drop on a lack of concentration.

Jefferson said he never played on special teams in high school, but will "do whatever they want (at CU). If they put me there and say go block a punt, I'll just block the punt."

LET THE BIG DOGS EAT: The Buffs switched short-yardage backfield personnel Thursday, employing a pair of reserve offensive linemen - Scott "Scooter" Fernandez and Matt Bahr - in tight end/H-back roles.

Fernandez is a 6-3, 275-pound redshirt freshman, Bahr a 6-4, 290-pound junior. During spring drills, short-yardage blocking duties were assumed by a pair of linebackers-turned-fullbacks - Derrick Webb and Tyler Ahles.

Dan Hawkins said Fernandez, who also caught a 3-yard TD pass, and Bahr "technically are tight ends" and are working with position coach Kent Riddle. "They're over there (on offense) all the time anyway."

He called them "two great kids. It's a good sign for our team. I always tell them you've got to find your role and embellish and embrace it. Those guys are probably second-team, third-team linemen right now, but hey, in a short-yardage situation it's pretty nice when you've got a couple of 300-pound guys that can line up in spots where guys are usually a lot smaller . . . now, you've got a 300-pounder running into a 230-pound linebacker."

It is a role, Hawkins conceded, that he wanted guard Kai Maiava to fill. But the player left for UCLA following a freshman year that saw him start in the O-line.

Kiesau said drafting the big bodies for backfield duty was a no-brainer: "There's some third-and-ones and fourth-and-ones that we have to get. If we get those, those are different games. We looked at ourselves in the mirror and said let's get a big guy who's 300 pounds and can maybe move some people."

ALIVE AND KICKING: Three Buffs placekickers - Aric Goodman, Marcus Kirkwood and Justin Castor - were almost perfect (8-of-9) in their placement attempts. The lone miss belonged to Kirkwood, who had his only field goal try blocked but made a pair of PATs.

Goodman made kicks of 43, 39 and 32 yards, while Castor was good from 36, 29 and 52 yards - the long kick coming on the final play of the afternoon.

Of Castor's 52-yarder, Dan Hawkins said, "Justin stepping in and kicking that last field goal, that's really good. It's one thing to stand over there by yourself with a holder and a snapper and make kicks, but when the game is on the line, if you can step up and make it against a rush, that's a whole different avenue. So that's a plus for him."

Of the placekicking competition overall, Hawkins said, "We're getting there. It's all an evolution - guys growing up a little bit, getting used to the whole thing and having a little competition . . . clearly when we get down in the red (zone) you've got to make most of those. You get down in that red area you have to be pretty consistent about knocking it through."

Goodman, who underwent off-season hip surgery, called the kicking performance "obviously big. Special teams the last couple of years have been what's lacking and has put us in some holes we didn't need to be in. Coming out here and starting off strong, not only in field goal kicking but in punts and kicking off, that's going to be big for us."

BUFF BITS: Freshman Paul Richardson (3 catches, 19 yards) is "picking up things great," Dan Hawkins said. "If this keeps going like it's going we'll probably use him." . . . . Another freshman who likely will play is cornerback Terrel Smith, who was the afternoon's leading tackler (10, four unassisted). Smith has been working with the No. 2 defense . . . . Transfer receiver Travon Patterson, who saw duty as a non-contact returner, gets in full pads Friday . . . Receiver Dustin Ebner (lower leg) and defensive back Vince Ewing (knee) were the only injuries reported . . . . The Buffs have one practice Friday afternoon. Drills are now closed to the public through the opener.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU