Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Tau, Lewis Traveled Different Paths To Play
September 16, 2011 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - Sione Tau has waited nearly five years to make his first college start. Alex Lewis' wait has been all of nine months. Ironically, they might find themselves together in Colorado's starting lineup on the same Saturday.
At the very least, Tau and Lewis expect to see significant playing time as an unforeseen (and unwanted) game of "musical tackles" continues in the Buffaloes' offensive line.
CU faces Colorado State Saturday in the Cinch Jeans Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (11:30 a.m., Fox Sports Net).
Tau, a fifth-year senior who had not played a snap prior to this season, likely will open at right tackle in place of Jack Harris, who is out indefinitely with a fractured lower leg/ankle. Harris underwent surgery on Thursday.
Lewis, a true freshman who enrolled in January, could open on the left side. Sophomore starter David Bakhtiari suffered a sprained knee in the opener at Hawaii and was sidelined last weekend against California. He was replaced by junior Ryan Dannowitz, who had worked mostly as Harris' backup during August camp but shifted to the left side when needed in Week 1.
Then, Dannowitz sprained a knee early in the Cal game, but managed to finish. CU O-line coach Steve Marshall has been monitoring Dannowitz's progress this week in practice before settling on a left-side starter. If he looks to Lewis, it will mark one of the swifter ascents for a freshman at a position that usually requires more time and seasoning.
Plus, Lewis, who spelled Dannowitz for one play last weekend, is coming off a bout with a stomach virus that prevented him from traveling with the Buffs to Hawai'i. While battling the bug, he went from 277 pounds to 264, but noted Thursday he's back up to 274 and has no lingering effects from the illness.
"The bug's long gone, in the past now. I just got dehydrated. My strength is back now and I feel good," said Lewis, who is expecting his parents (his father, Bill, played center at Nebraska) to travel from Tempe, Ariz., for the game.
The 6-6 Lewis benefitted from spring practice with the new CU staff and, according to senior right guard Ryan Miller, "has been a pleasant surprise. Early on, I wasn't sure how he would be, but in practice and meetings, the guy understands the concepts we're throwing at him. And he's athletically gifted enough to play that position."
Lewis, who calls left tackle his "dream position," said he "learned a lot more about the game" during spring drills, particularly in adjusting to calls on blitzes and defensive line movement. And Marshall promises plenty of both will come from CSU defensive coordinator Larry Kerr: "He's been around and really knows what he's doing. We've got to be very sharp up front."
Bakhtiari also helped Lewis last spring "a bunch with my pass set techniques and footwork," Lewis said. "I went into fall camp wanting to improve on one mistake a day and not plateau or start slipping back downhill. I think I improved."
So has Tau, who lost his redshirt freshman season to academic ineligibility then sat out his sophomore year for violating team rules. Weighing upwards of 380 as a junior last season, his bulk hampered his mobility, conditioning and overall ability to perform.
But a strict diet and a rededication to get in shape under new strength coach Malcolm Blacken helped the 6-5 Tau shed nearly 50 pounds and finally work himself into a position to play.
"I was proud of Sione because this March he mentioned to me that he had never played," head coach Jon Embree said. "He's come a long way . . . . Just like some of our other players, he's going to get beat at times - and I understand that. But I know he'll give me great effort. I know he'll know what to do and I know it's important to him."
Miller said Tau "is behind the curve a little, just because it's his fifth year and he's finally playing. But for being as big a man as he is, he's athletically talented. He can really move laterally."
Tau, of Honolulu, saw the first playing of his career on special teams against Hawai'i. Against Cal, he played 31 snaps and believed he was "decent . . . there's always room for improvement.
"Saturday has been a long time coming for me. It's about being patient. Sometimes things don't unfold right away. Sometimes it takes a while for it to happen. I'm glad I stuck it out here."
CAN THERE BE A POSITIVE HANGOVER? Embree believes there can be, and so do his players. While the 36-33 overtime loss to Cal felt like a gut shot last weekend, Tau claimed the defeat "brought this team closer together than we've ever been. Guys really are focused and trying to do their parts in helping this team get better."
At Monday's brief conditioning session, Embree was heartened by his players asking if they could stay a bit longer and get an early start on this week's game preparation. And on Wednesday, when told their contact would be limited, Embree said several players complained about it.
"I'd like to think that's a good sign . . . we'll see," Embree said.
WIN IF YOU MUST (AND YES, YOU MUST): Several Buffs have placed the CSU game in the "must-win" category. Count senior safety Anthony Perkins among them. "There's no other way to look at it," he said. "But every game from here on out, we have to have that mentality. In order for us to change our culture and get over this hump that we're so desperately trying to get over, I think that's how we have to look at every single game. Losing can't be an option for us anymore."
KEEP THE PEDAL TO THE METAL: Might be something to that old coaching axiom concerning teams making the most improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 . . .
CU amassed 582 yards in total offense against Cal, with 474 coming in the passing game. The Buffs' total yardage was 342 above what they managed in the 34-17 season-opening loss at Hawai'i.
Offensive players were buoyed by the increased productivity.
"We showed ourselves a lot," said sophomore receiver Paul Richardson, who caught 11 passes for a school-record 284 yards against the Bears. "To do in a game what we've been doing in practice is good for us. We got a lot of confidence from that."
In this week's Pac-12 statistics, the Buffs are ninth in scoring offense (25.0), third in passing offense (348.5) and seventh in total offense (411.0).
BUFF BITS: The Buffs won't get a glimpse of Sports Authority Field at Mile High until Saturday. They aren't allowed on the field before then, so Embree said they won't waste a trip to Denver . . . . The Buffs are one of only two Pac-12 teams averaging fewer than 100 yards rushing. CU is averaging 62.5 (11th), Arizona 58.0 (12th) . . . . The CU and CSU rosters feature 69 in-state players - 36 Buffs, 33 Rams . . . . Practice visitors this week included former CU defensive back David Gibbs, who played on the 1990 national championship team and most recently coached with the Houston Texans, and former Broncos punter Bucky Dilts, who worked with redshirt freshman punter Darragh O'Neill during the summer.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
