Track and Field Continues to Roll, Tolan Misses Saturday Cut

Same old story. The CU Men dominated the 5,000 meter again this time at the Midwest NCAA Regional with Brent Vaughn placing first for the 3rd time in his career followed by Stephen Pifer and Kenyon Neuman who placed fourth. All three runners will advance to the NCAA Championships in Des Moines starting June 11th. The final day of Regionals wraps up today with several Buffs looking to qualify for the Championships as well.

In other Buffs news, Derek Tolan started well on the first day of the NCAA Golf Championships finishing 10th. The next two rounds were downhill shooting a 5 over and a 12 over in the next two rounds and missing the cut.

The First of Many Season Previews...

Sunday Morning Quarterback has posted their season preview for the Buffaloes. It's a good write-up but I think he underestimates CU quite a bit. I especially think our run defense will be better than just slightly "above average". I just keep coming back to that schedule though, it's going to be a killer.

Buffs Lighten Football Schedule

What do the following teams have in common: West Virginia, California, Hawaii, Georgia, Oregon, Washington and LSU? These are just some of the home and home non-conference games that the Buffs had in the next decade...enough big time BCS schools to make every Buff fan cringe. And when you add the Big 12 schedule on top of these games you start to question the sanity of the athletic department. Here is a glimpse into 2010 and some of the notable opponents...Colorado State, @ California, Hawaii, Georgia, @ Missouri, Texas Tech, @ OU, @ Kansas, @ Nebraska. The next year they were supposed to swap LSU for Georgia but in a great move based on the teams the Buffs are already lined up to play, the University announced that Fresno State would be taking the LSU spot for the 2011 - 2013 season in which the Buffs were able to get a 2 for 1 home scenario. I know Fresno is not a pushover because I was sitting in the endzone when David Carr torched the Buffs at Folsom in the first game of the year in 2001. Buffs win that game, they are probably in the National Championship. But lets face it - Fresno State or LSU? All in all, this was a great move for the Buffs. Yes, every Buff fan would love to see the Bayou Bengals roll into Boulder but its about taking a page from the Big 10's book of success...don't kill yourself in non-conference.

Other Friday Morning News -

Rivals.com list Colorado along with North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Washington and Alabama as teams who could rise to new heights within their respective conferences.

Derek Tolan moved down the leader board yesterday from 10th to 44th after shooting a 5 over 77 in the second round of the NCAA Championships in Indiana yesterday. Only the top 6 individuals not on a team will make the cut for the final round Saturday and as it stands now, Tolan is 15th of individuals not on a team. He is three shots off the pace to make the cut.

The Track & Field NCAA Championships get underway today. The Buffs Men's Team is fresh off a Big 12 Championship win and hope to have similar success in Lincoln, Nebraska this weekend.

Kasa Down to Florida and Colorado

It is safe to say that DE Nick Kasa is the recruiting star for the state of Colorado in 2009. He is big (6'7" 245lbs), he is fast (4.6 forty), almost scary fast for a kid that big and he is also one of the most prized recruits in the nation. Please Coach Hawkins, get this kid. Not only will he be an improvement to a defensive which needs more big body players to get pressure on the emerging QB stars in the Big 12 but also it is important in continuing with the statement to local Colorado players that you don't have to leave home to find success. Yes, the state of Colorado isn't Ohio, Texas, Florida or California but it has turned out a solid core of players year after year and many of them have left in the past. Hawkins has done an excellent job in his two years at CU keeping the #1 recruits in the state of Colorado in OT Ryan Miller and LB Jon Major. Signing Kasa would be an exclamation point on the in-state pipeline.

Kasa announced that he has pretty much narrowed his choices down to Florida and Colorado, siting many obvious reasons why to attend both schools. Kasa's list of attributes are eerily similar to the words from Darrell Scott about 4 months ago when courting Texas and CU. The list is probably similar to anyone of us trying to formulate reasons to either attend CU or Florida. For Florida, it comes down the being on a national title contender now and Urban Meyer has apparently given Kasa the indication that he will probably play from Day 1.But going to Florida would be away from home and the friends that would follow him to Boulder. For Colorado, Kasa loves the direction of the program and as all the recruits say, they love Hawkins and his passion for both the school and the sport. Undoubtedly, Kasa will play right away at CU especially with the skill set on the DL outside of a select few being less than adequate. Its hard to turn down Florida but hopefully Hawkins will sell him on more than just the program but the entire state of Colorado. Maybe Mr. Scott could get on the phone and help his coach out!

Bzdelik Staying, Tolan's First Round A Success

Although probably not a front runner for the Bulls job, Bzdelik announced today that he is not interested in the head coaching vacancy and expressed his commitment to the University of Colorado.

"I am honored that one of the premier organizations in all of sport, the Chicago Bulls, would consider me as a candidate for their head coaching position," the statement said. "However, my staff and I remain deeply committed to re-establishing Colorado basketball as a consistent winner."

This is a major win for the Buffs as a coaching change, especially after a large footprint has already been left on the program by Bzdelik, would have set the program back many years.

Tolan in the Hunt

It is safe to say that the pressure of being the first CU golfer to make it to the NCAA Championships in 6 years didn't effect the Buffs Junior Golfer Derek Tolan. After a relatively late tee time yesterday, Tolan shot himself to a 2 over par 74 which was good enough for 1oth place and only 5 shots off the lead. UCLA's Kevin Chappell is currently in the lead shooting a 3 under 69. We will keep you posted on Tolan's status for the rest of the tournament.

Thursday Tidbits

-- In regards to yesterday's post on the Bzdelik to the Bulls rumors, CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn is already playing the spin doctor.

"Our high-quality, marquee coaches' names will always be speculated with openings across the country"

-- If Buff golfer Derek Tolan is going to finish in the Top 5 of an NCAA Golf Event for the first ever, than I know of no better place the National Championships.

-- Here's to hoping that the Colorado's entire D-Line is scary next year (to opposing teams, not Buff fans)...

-- I just hope I'm not building myself up for a let down as my excitement over Darrell Scott's arrival continues to build.

-- Seems like the Sooners (as well as every other college in the country) should have done this a long time ago. You can skim over the article, but make sure and read all of the crybaby comments.

-- Last but not least, 3rd Saturday in Blogtober has a post on the new and innovative ways that SEC coaches are getting around the "Saban Rule".

Bzdelik on the Move?

Fresh off one of the more shocking lottery upsets in recent history, the Chicago Bulls are narrowing down the list of options to become their next head coach. Still remaining on that list is CU's own Jeff Bzdelik, who is a Chicago native and still has many roots in the Windy City. Although Bzdelik is considered a dark horse, his ties with Chicago and his tough defensive style of coaching could be intriguing to the Bulls. For Bzdelik, you have to believe that he will listen seriously to any offer from such a high profile team. He does have a good thing brewing in Boulder, currently bringing in the #3 draft class in the Big 12 according to many of the recruiting experts and he has already received strong financial support that was non-existent in the Patton era. With that being said, the Bulls have a lot to offer Bzdelik. Again, he is a Chicago native, and the Bulls are also one of the premier franchises in the NBA and they are located in the lowly (but improving) Eastern Conference. They have a pretty solid core group of players but the most important thing is the money that could come along with the deal. Currently, Bzdelik makes about $800,000 a year with the Buffs. The Bulls offered former coach Scott Skiles a four-year, $16.5 million contract last year before he was let go this season so Bzdelik would be in line for a huge pay increase. And did we forget to mention that they will have the #1 pick. Coaching at Colorado does offer a little more job security, though, as most NBA coaching positions are like a revolving door.

It will be interesting to see what develops. If Bzdelik were to leave the program, it could set the Buffs back significantly as 7 players have already left the program since he took over for Ricardo Patton and who knows what would happen to the recruits that have signed with the Buffs this year. Bzdelik had to sell himself more than the program and with that bond potentially being broken, the next couple of years could be terrible in Boulder.

ESPN Looks Back on the BCS Era?

This is definitely another one of those "were stuck in May and can't wait for football season" articles. I am not complaining, we do it here on the Report all the time. Although CU doesn't get a lot of play because for most of the BCS era we were under the Barnett regime and a lingering blowout Fiesta Bowl loss to the Joey Harrington-led Oregon Ducks continues to be a BCS memory. In this article by ESPN, it highlights how the Big 12 has been very successful in the current BCS system. They put together the best of list and the Buffs have two of the top 10 games in Big 12 BCS history. All I have to say is the Nebraska game was one of the best ass kickings I have ever witnessed.

5. Colorado 39, Texas 37, 2001 Big 12 championship game -- Dec. 1, 2001: Colorado took advantage of three interceptions and a fumble by Texas QB Chris Simms to jump to a 19-point lead in the first half. The Buffaloes then held on despite a furious comeback led by backup QB Major Applewhite.

6. Colorado 62, Nebraska 36 -- Nov. 23, 2001: Chris Brown rushed for 198 yards and six touchdowns to lead a Buffalo stampede over the No. 2 Cornhuskers, clinching the Buffaloes' first Big 12 North title.

Roby Gets Big Invite

One of the few things good to come out of the Ricardo Patton era for CU Basketball was the 6'6" guard Richard Roby. Roby got some good news this week as he will try to become the first CU player since David Harrison to get drafted. Roby will be attending the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando starting Tuesday where he will have an opportunity to showcase his talent in front of all 32 teams. This camp was the most important camp that Roby could have been invited to since it has the most exposure.

Here is where some of those "expert" mock draft sites have Roby going. Most of the boards have him just getting drafted at the end of the 2nd round. The invite to the NBA pre-draft camp will definitely improve his chances.

DraftExpress - Roby to the Pistons with the 59th pick in the 2nd round
NBADraft.net - Roby to the Rockets with the 54th pick in the 2nd round
HoopsWorld - Roby to the Rockets with the 54th pick in the 2nd round

Friday's Fix

CU Track & Field Coach Wetmore Honored -

After the solid year and dominance in the Big 12 Championship, Coach Mark Wetmore was honored with men's Big 12 Coach of the Year Honors. Wetmore has had 21 COY awards for Cross Country but this is his first distinction for Track & Field. Currently, the men's team is ranked 11th in the nation and will partake in the NCAA Midwest Region Championship in Lincoln, NE on May 30 - 31.

Big 12 Votes to Keep Original Revenue Sharing Model -

In one of the more anticipated topics this week in Colorado Springs, the Big 12's board decided to keep the revenue sharing model that was instilled upon the Big 12's inception. This discussion is important on many fronts but the main reason it is getting national attention is that unlike the ACC or Big Ten, the revenues from the conference are not spread equally among the programs. Their is a large portion of the revenue from TV appearances that is dispersed based on the appearances and success in postseason tournaments/bowl games. CU, doesn't have the success in basketball but was one of the most televised football programs last year.

Please...Enough Arrowhead Already!

Once again, all those fans who would like to go to the Big 12 Championship game have many reasons not to make the trip to frigid Kansas City and outdated Arrowhead stadium.

First of all, its a night game so that will mean 10 - 20 degree weather with zero degree wind chill.

Second, Arrowhead is a dump. I have been to a few games there and its like taking a trip back to the 80's from the fan base to the audio coming out of the speakers slower than the words coming out of the mouth of a person on the jumbo tron. I feared for my life as I tried to walk up the cracking concrete stairs at a 82 degree incline. Did I mention the weather and windchill. It's a horrible place to be in the winter.

Third, nothing against Kansas City, I like the city for the most part, but its still Kansas City. The Big 12 owns Texas, they have a presence in Colorado. Yes, it might be 20 degrees in Denver but you won't get the wind, the stadium is a huge upgrade and Denver as a city is an upgrade over KC. How about Reliant Stadium in Houston? And don't give me the central location excuse.

Fourth, I forgot something about how big of a dump Arrowhead is. The turf is ridiculously bad. I think they spray paint the field green and they don't believe in a sprinkler system or re-sodding. I don't think you would want a school to blame the loss of a big bowl game on losing a player to improper playing conditions.

Maybe the Big 12 commissioner will see how nice Colorado is this week and make the change because I know Denver would support and promote the game to the fullest.

Thursday's Happenings

Big 12 Meetings in Colorado Springs Continue -

Topics for the day include revenue sharing among the Big 12 teams. The Buffs are probably neutral in the discussion and if they had to decide, they would probably go more towards a non revenue sharing relationship due to the fact that most of their football games are on television and that is where the money is. The reason the Buffs would be neutral has to do with the lack of postseason success in the past in basketball . Obviously the Texas' and the Oklahoma's of the world would want the non revenue sharing plan due to their athletic success while Baylor and Iowa State would prefer revenue sharing. Other topics include which golf course was the best, who danced with the ugliest girl the previous night in town, who drank the most and who has the hottest wife. Maybe we could put the hottest wife question as a poll in the future.

Premier ABC/ESPN Televised Big 12 Football Games Released -

ABC will broadcast 18 Big 12 football games this year including two games involving the Colorado Buffaloes. The first game will be the much anticipated Thursday night in Boulder versus Fiesta Bowl Champion West Virginia. That game will kickoff on ESPN Thursday, September 18 at 7:30pm. Playing under the lights at Folsom will be a treat and should be a great recruiting forum for the Buffs. The second game is in Lincoln in the traditional day after Thanksgiving game on ABC.

Other marquee match ups that all Big 12 fans should look forward to include-

Illinois at Missouri - Exciting game last year and a great forum for Chase Daniels to launch his Heisman campaign.

Cincinnati at Oklahoma - Could be a tough early home test for the Sooners.

Kansas at South Florida - Will answer a lot of questions whether these two teams will be as successful as last year.

Texas vs. Oklahoma - Will OU continue its Red River dominance?

News from the Big 12 Boondoggle at the Broadmoor

Here is a recap of how the day went for the Big 12 meetings at the world famous Broadmoor yesterday -

7:00 am - 12: 00pm - Tee Off on the East Course, the Course that the 2008 U.S. Senior Open will be played on. My guess is that Stoops gave everyone strokes and Mangino quit after nine. Leach got thrown off the course, Hawkins stopped over at a local school to talk to a recruit and Mack Brown tried to lure Darrell Scott back to Texas. Boone Pickens bought half of the hotel and hassled Bill Self to join the Pokes...again.

12:30 pm - 1st round of "business" Location - Infinity Pool. Discussion topic - BCS Plus One (They have to talk about it but they will never pass it)

12:32 pm - 2nd round of "business" Location - Infinity Pool. Discussion topic - Rid the Red Shirt
(Lets play Darrell Scott early and as much as we want)

12:45 pm - 3rd round of "business" Location - Infinity Pool. Discussion topic - Add Conference Games to the BBall Schedule (Lets see, do we play Alcorn State or Kansas?)

1:00 pm - 4th round of "business" Location - Penrose Lounge and Bar - Add More Bowl Games
(How many 5-7 teams can we get into the cash cows)

1:15 pm - Tee Time on the Mountain Course or Spa.

6:00 pm - Dinner at the Penrose Room for a nice 3 course meal

11:00 pm -Downtown Colorado Springs for a bar hop to the Thirsty Parrot(personal favorite college spot), 15C, RumBay and Jack Quin's.

1:30 am - Hit up Pita Pit for a late night gyro or philly. A few coaches got two.

Wednesday Quick Hits

The Big 12 Spring Meetings run today through Friday in Colorado Springs (good to see they traveling on the cheap, staying at the Broadmoor and all...) and the main topic on the agenda is the possibility of adding two more conference games to the basketball schedules. I'm all for for it as long as the South teams that CU plays twice every year are Tech and Baylor only...

Big 12 Mulls Adding Two More League Games

This post-spring practice article from the Colorado Daily talks about the offense having an injection of much needed speed...
"After a spring full of changes, the one clear issue is that the name of the game on offense is speed. Fast players and faster execution, the new no-huddle offense, that would be led by quarterback Cody Hawkins if play began tomorrow, promises to keep opposing defenses on its heels and should rack up the points."

and a lack of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.

"During the spring, no one player has stood out as the true playmaker that CU lost with the graduations of Terrence Wheatley and Jordon Dizon. If someone on the Buffs' defense is going to step up and fill that role, they will have to do so with speed and athletic ability."

Buffs Leave Spring Practice...

Finally, it looks like ESPN still hates us because they are subjecting us to yet another season of "Coming to Your City"... Ugh...

Gameday Intro to Be Taped

Colorado DL Hypolite Named to Nagurski Watch List

Watch list #2 as we try to wait out the off-season. Its hard but recruiting, watch lists and upcoming season projections feed the fire a little. George Hypolite, DL for the Colorado Buffaloes, has been put on the long watch list of 80+ for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy which honors the best defensive college football player. Hypolite is also on the Outland and Lombardi Trophy Watch Lists. The Nagurski list includes Ohio States James Laurinaitis the 2006 winner & 2007 finalist and DE George Selvie from So Florida, also a finalist from last year. Glen Dorsey won the award last year and Aqib Talib & Chris Long were finalists. All three went in the first round of the NFL Draft. It would be hard to pick anyone other than Laurinaitis and Selvie in the preseason but a few dark horses to look for include DB Eric Berry from Tennessee, LB Rey Maualuga from USC, OU's DE Auston English for a Big 12 vote and FSU DB Myron Rolle. Maualuga has to be one of the best football players to watch every single down. He has a Troy Polamalu quality in that he seems to be around the ball wherever it is on the field. Rolle and Berry are both big defensive backs who play on both defensive oriented teams and conferences and have the ability to be a game changer especially Rolle. English is a very versatile end who led the Big 12 last year in sacks per game. OU's defense was said to be very impressive in the spring and with DL Granger (on the watch list as well) patrolling the line as well, I expect him to have big numbers on the outside. The list really makes you pumped for the upcoming year as you see how many great defensive players their are in college football.

UPDATE - Big 12 Track & Field Championship - Buffs Dominate 5,000 Meter Event, Big 12 Championship All But Wrapped Up For the Buffs

In our last post, we stated that we thought the 5,000 meter was an event the Buffs would do well in. We were wrong. The 5,000 meter was an event that the Buffs dominated. They claimed every spot except 3rd and 8th, garnering 32 points and taking an overall points lead of 40 over Texas A&M and all but sealing the Big 12 Championship for Buffalo men. Brent Vaughn didn't disappoint taking first followed by plethora of other Buffaloes. The Big 12 championships is the first ever for the Colorado program and making it all the more special was that it was on Potts Field in Boulder. The event will be remembered for the 10,000 meter and 5,000 meter in which the Buffs scored 65 points total taking advantage of the Colorado altitude. The 65 points is about half of the Buffs total points.

UPDATE - Its official, the Buffs men's team wins the Big 12 Championship in Track & Field against arguably the best conference in the nation. The Buffs came in ranked 11th with Baylor, Texas and Texas A&M ranked ahead of them. This is the first Big 12 Championship for the Colorado Buffaloes and the first conference championship for the Buffs since 1947 when it was a part of the Mountain States Conference. Congrats Buffs!

UPDATE - Big 12 Track & Field Championship - Two Events Left, Buffs Up By 4 over the Longhorns

Texas has staged a rally in the 800 meter race taking the first three spots and 24 points to put them ahead with 3 events left but Jeremy Dodson, CU's resident speedster, took second place in the 200 meter dash and Ryan Campbell took 8th for a total of 9 points putting the Buffs back in the lead by 4 over Texas with 2 events left, the 5,000 meter and 1,600 meter relay. The Buffs, Texas, Nebraska and Texas A&M, who has staged a late charge, are all still in contention within 12 points of the Buffs. The 5,000 should be an event the Buffs do well in with Brent Vaughn being the odds on favorite to win as he posted the best mark in the Big 12 this year but with the #1 team in Texas A&M lurking and a potent Texas in second, the Big 12 Championship should come down to the final event.

Hugh Charles and a team of three others, including Dodson and Campbell also finished third in the 4x100 relay event, netting the Buffs 6 points earlier today, rounding out an impressive week for Hugh as he also scored in the long jump.

On the women's side, Texas A&M has all but wrapped it up with a dominating performance leading Nebraska, who has had a strong showing on both the men's and womens side, by 46 points. The CU women are in last place with only 13 points, 132 points behind the Aggies.

UPDATE - Big 12 Track & Field Championship - Men Grab Overall Lead After First Event on Sunday

CU Buffs Javelin thrower Brandin Williams finished 3rd today and put 6 more points towards the Buffs team total moving them into 1st place overall with 48 points, 3 ahead of Missouri and 13 ahead of the Huskers. Williams has thrown well all year and finished 3rd with his personal best distance at 210-04. Check back for more updates as we know them.

Hugh Charles (Yes, the RB) Helps Buffs Stay in the Hunt

While former CU RB Hugh Charles is trying to hook up with an NFL team and finish his senior year of college, he managed to squeeze in a little time for the men's Track & Field team at the Big 12 Championships yesterday. The diminutive back competed in the long jump posting fourth and posting 5 points for the team. James Begley finished 5th in the shot put giving the Buffs 4 additional points. The Buffs find themselves in 2nd place, three points behind Missouri. No one else is within 20 points of the lead and shockingly Texas A&M, the #1 team in the country, is 29 points out of first in 5th place. The men are shooting for the first ever Big 12 competition and their is plenty of opportunity to claim that title with the 5,000 meter, 1,500 meter and the steeple chase events today. On Friday, the Buffs used the altitude and distance advantage to claim the 10,000 meter championship/sweep and expect them to do the same in the long distance events noted above.

Junior Tolan Advances to NCAA Championship Finals

Derek Tolan advanced to the NCAA Golf Championships even though the team did not qualify finishing 18th overall. Tolan, a Junior, finished 7th overall shooting a 218 five over for the tournament and becomes the first CU Buff to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 15 years and only the 12th individual in CU history to advance to the final rounds.

Darrell Scott Already Running Wild

No its not the real Darrell Scott and he doesn't play for CU per se but every Buffs fan is wishing that this will happen.

11 games, 912 yards, 10 TD's, 5 y/c...sign us up!

Can you picture a 51 yard touchdown vs West Virginia right now on that Thursday night on ESPN. For now you will have to imagine it through a Beta Game

Team Domination...Sort of

I am not really sure how this whole track thing works and how points are awarded but something strange happened in the Big 12 Track & Field Championship. So get this...yesterday at Potts Field in Boulder the Big 12 men teams competed in 8 events the Buffs only placed or scored in one of them and they lead the team event by 13 over Missouri? I guess it helps when you only score in one event that all 5 Buffs in the 10,000 meter field finished in the top 5. There is no "I" in team but in this case, there is probably 5 in team and apparently that is all you need. The Buffs, without a doubt, used the rarified air of Colorado to set the pace in the long distance event and left all the sea level teams to wonder how anyone operates out here. Hopefully the Buffs can keep the lead throughout the weekend but something tells me that they will need a few more than 5 to step up and win the team championship this week.

The womens team failed to score along with Texas. Here are the results for the first day.


In Other News...

CU Golf Team Slips Down the Standings -
In other news, the CU golf team dropped to 18th in the NCAA regional tournament in Columbus, Ohio putting there chances of advancing to the next round of the tournament in serious jeopardy. After 9 holes, the Buffs were in the top 10 as they shot a 6 over par but lost 11 strokes in the final few holes to put them in a tie for eight. With the third round coming up, the Buffs will need to make up at least 7 shots to get themselves in the top 10 to qualify for the next round of the tournament. The Buffs are playing without there #1 player in Baird.

Maiava Joins Slick Rick -
No words better to describe the transfer of former starting CU Freshman FB/OL Maiava to UCLA and Slick Rick than sh*tty. Whenever you have a chance to mention Slicker himself, you have to take full advantage. Look at these posts on another sweet college football blog The Wizard of Odds:

Slick Rick in Training

The Slicker Himself Takes in Spirit Squad Practice -Do I blame him...No...do I think he is scheming...Yes

ESPN's Spring Breakdown

ESPN recently wrote up their post-spring breakdowns on each of the BCS conferences. Tim Griffin, columnist for the San Antonio Express News covered the Big 12 and I personally feel he is one of the better authority's on the conference. I think the most important of his spring answers is the new found offensive line depth. If the Buffs D is just above average I really believe the line will be the difference between a .500 season and a great one.

Colorado Buffaloes

2007 overall record: 6-7 2007 conference record: 4-4 Returning starters Offense: 7, defense: 8, kicker/punter: 1 Top returners QB Cody Hawkins, WR Scotty McKnight, C Daniel Sanders, T Ryan Miller, TB Demetrius Sumler, DT George Hypolite, DE Maurice Lucas, CB Gardner McKay, LB Jeff Smart Key losses RB Hugh Charles, LB Jordon Dizon, T Tyler Polumbus, G Kai Maiava, G Edwin Harrison, CB Terrence Wheatley, DE Alonzo Barrett 2007 statistical leaders (* returners) Rushing: Hugh Charles (989 yds) Passing: Cody Hawkins* (2,693 yds) Receiving: Scotty McKnight* (488 yds) Tackles: Jordon Dizon (160) Sacks: George Hypolite* (6) Interceptions: Terrence Wheatley (5) Spring answers 1. Devenny develops: Converted QB Patrick Devenny has emerged as a starter at tight end after producing six receptions for 121 yards and two TDs in a late scrimmage that preceded the spring game. "He can run, he can catch, he's got good hands and he's developed some confidence," Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said. 2. Offensive line depth: Considering that only six offensive linemen worked last spring, Colorado offensive line coach Jeff Grimes had an embarrassment of riches this spring with 13. The extra numbers helped foster competition for a young group that includes only two seniors-to-be, C Daniel Sanders and G Erick Faatagi. Sophomore Nate Solder, a 6-foot-8, 280-pound converted tight end, was one of the spring's biggest surprises and is listed as first team at left tackle on the post-spring depth chart. 3. Crowd support: The Buffaloes attracted a record crowd of 17,800 to their spring game, proving that fans are eager to gravitate to a little "Hawk love" during the upcoming season. "It was great -- really fun," Hawkins told the Rocky Mountain News about the record spring crowd. "It helps the players; they got energized by it. It was a great day. We just have to keep building and going." Fall questions 1. Finding a starting cornerback: Terrence Wheatley was the Buffaloes' top playmaker last season and the kind of player that opposing teams tried to avoid. Considering the plethora of top aerial attacks in the Big 12, the need for a replacement is immediate. Gardner McKay will get the first look during the summer practices, but expect Hawkins to juggle several options before settling on a starter. 2. Running back: Freshman Darrell Scott is the most ballyhooed recruit of Hawkins' tenure. Look for Scott to immediately jump into contention to replace Hugh Charles, last season's top rusher. Demetrius Sumler got much of the playing time during the spring, and Kevin Moyd and Brian Lockridge will also be in the hunt. Scott should be the prime ball carrier by conference play, although Colorado likely will juggle several players in the feature role earlier in the season. 3. Special teams: Hawkins chose to look at his team's struggles in protecting the punter late in the spring as a positive. He said the four blocked punts at the final two scrimmages were an indication of increased athleticism on the special teams rather than leaky blocking schemes. But it still won't keep him and most Colorado fans from holding their collective breath before P Matt DiLallo's first few punts of the 2008 season.

ESPN Big 12 North Breakdown
ESPN Big 12 South Breakdown

Buffs Ante Up

Just an interesting little read for your Friday and how CU's commitment to recruiting (and an increase in the budget!) has become a poster child for how programs gain momentum. This is from the Seattle Times in regards to the football team at the University of Washington.

Q: What is the recruiting budget for the football team? Has it gone up in recent years?

A: According to a spokesman, the recruiting budget this year was approximately $275,000 which essentially covers all travel by coaches and all visits by recruits. That is 5 percent more than two years ago. The questioner noted that Colorado's recruiting budget has essentially doubled since Dan Hawkins became coach two years ago (details here) and wondered if UW should do the same --- Colorado is said to spend more than $550,000 on recruiting. However, I would warn against making a direct comparison since you don't know if the two schools are including the exact same items in their budgets. Without going over it line-by-line, it's hard to know for sure if one school is spending a lot more than another, or simply categorizing expenses differently. Certainly, the reviews on UW's recruiting class this year would seem to indicate the Huskies are spending enough. Without a complete breakdown of the recruiting budget of Colorado, hard to know if they really are spending twice as much as UW, or just counting the expenses differently. It certainly looks, however, as if they are spending more. But without knowing all the details I'd be hesitant to really judge it.Also worth noting is that the NCAA and Pac-10 each enacted reforms aimed at curbing recruiting expenses in 2005 (I examined that in this story here).

Golf Underway and Track & Field Starts at 10 am

Finally some noteworthy athletic action to report. Check back throughout the weekend to get updates on the post season results and standings of both the Golf team in Columbus and the Track & Field team in Boulder.

Track & Field kicks off at 10am today. We will bring you updates as we get them. Should be amazing weather and hopefully the altitude will slow down those teams from Texas. Look for Texas A&M to top the leaderboard when its all said and done but the Buffs men team has a good chance to contend. Just in case you can't wait until 10 am to starting thinking Track & Field (I know we are stretching it), the event is actually getting a lot of headlines from the press in Denver since the Big 12 championship is in Boulder. Here are some of the better reads:

Q&A with Sprinter Jeremy Dodson

Home Track Advantage

The Who's Who of the Big 12 Championship


The CU golf team got underway yesterday and got off to there best post season start in the last 4 years and are sitting in 12th place right now. The top 10 will qualify for the next round of the NCAA tournament. The Buffs are 11 strokes off the lead.

Buffs in NCAA 09

The football geniuses (heavy sarcasm intended) at EA Sports have released some screen shots from NCAA 2009 that show the top seven rated players of each team in the game. Once again, you have to take what they come up with with a grain of salt but it's fun to look at and argue about when there's nothing else football related going on...

Maurice Lucas - DE - 91
Brad Jones - OLB - 87
Ryan Walters - FS - 86
Jeff Smart - MLB - 86
George Hypolite - DT - 85
Brandon Nicholas - DT - 85
Brian Lockridge - HB - 85 (I guess this is Lockridge and not Scott but Im not sure.

Top six guys are defense huh.... we shall see...

Keepin' It in the Family

We try not to write too much on scholarship offers because who knows how interested a player is in a school but I couldn't resist writing about this recruit and his inherent tie to the program. Kendall Gregory-McGhee, best described as an athlete since he can play multiple positions, has received a scholarship offer from the University of Colorado. The 6'4" 220 lb Gregory-McGhee is a local kid from Cherokee Trail in Aurora. What makes this recruit appealing is that his father, Kanavis McGhee, was a former stud linebacker at the University of Colorado in the early 90's and was a major part of the successful Bill McCartney teams. Kanavis was a first-team All-Big Eight player and a runner up for both the Butkus Award & the Lombardi award which are given to the top linebackers in college football. Kanavis was also drafted in the second round by the New York Giants.

Kanavis' son, Kendall has the ability, due to his size and speed, to play DL, TE and WR hauling in 9 touchdowns during his junior season. He might not have the ideal speed for a WR at the next level but if you can get a guy who has a 6'4" frame on the defensive edge or at the TE position who can run a 4.6 forty, he would immediately become a threat. Kendall has received offers from Colorado, Colorado State and Wyoming and interest from Nebraska, LSU, Stanford, Texas and Boise State. Hopefully he will give the Buffs hometown and family preferential treatment next spring.

May 15th News...CU Athletics Honored, Mixed Emotions for the Golf Team and Track & Field Prepares

CU Earns Diversity Award -
The University of Colorado will be honored along with 11 other Division 1 Universities for the prestigious Overall Excellence in Diversity Athletics Award. This is the first time the University has been recognized since the establishment of the award in 2005. Kansas State was the only other Big 12 team recognized and CU was one of only 4 Universities to be awarded that was in a BCS conference.

CU Golf Team Preps for Regionals without #1 Player -
The good news for the Buffs Golf team is that Scarlet Course, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes, is a course the Buffs won on earlier this year. The bad news is that Michael Baird, the Buffs best player, will not be able to participate due to illness and is like done for the remainder of the season. Sophomore Justin Bardgett will replace Baird. This marks the 3rd consecutive year that the Buffs will participate in the NCAA tournament.

Track and Field move up a spot in the National Rankings -
On the eve of hosting the Big 12 Track and Field championships, the Buffs moved up to the 11th spot in the NCAA rankings. Texas A&M, Texas and Baylor along with Buffs remained in the Top 11 with Texas A&M being #1 in the country. All four teams will be in action starting tomorrow in Boulder.

Buffs Ink 2008 California Guard

The strange recruiting season for Jeff Bzdelik continued as the Buffs were able to steal guard Ryan Kelley from Pomona, California. Kelley waited until the very last moment to sign with the Buffs as the 2008 signing period is coming to a close. Kelley joins Austin Dufault, Toby Veal, Trey Eckloff, and Nate Tomlinson in the class; a class which will see a great deal of minutes very early in their careers. Colorado has been renovated by Bzdelik as he has dismissed players and had players leave on their own. This was too be expected as Jeff brings an entirely different attitude to the game than the departed Ricardo Patton did.

Ryan Kelley was receiving some late interest from schools such as Air Force, Gonzaga and Indiana but committed to the Buffs on his visit and signed with them when he returned to California. Kelley averaged nearly 17 points per game in his senior campaign and was first team all league.

2008 recruiting may not be over as Kavon Rose has also recently visited Boulder. Rose, a guard from Michigan, signed with Oregon State in the early signing period but was released when coach John Jay was fired. If Rose commits it would make a half dozen players for Bzdelik for the 2008 class.

Sunday News

Big 12 Track and Field Championships Next Weekend in Boulder

The University of Colorado will be hosting the Big 12 track and field championships at the newly renovated Potts Field in Boulder. They hope to attract around 8,000 fans to the watch one of the best conferences in track and field for both men and women. CU men are one of four teams ranked in the top 25 at No. 12. Texas A&M, Texas and Baylor are all in the top 11. On the women's side its all Texas squads (Tech, Baylor, the Longhorns and Aggies) and Oklahoma in the Top 25.

Look for CU's...

Peter Janson and Billy Nelson to compete in the 3000-meter Steeplechase as they have both won the Big 12 championship event in the last 2 years. Probably peg Billy Nelson to win this title

Brent Vaughn to contend for the 5,000 meter run as he is fresh off posting the best collegiate time this year last Sunday at Stanford.

Jeremy Dodson, who is the speedster of the team, will have to run two strong races in the 100 and 200 to compete with the Texas and OU runners. Dodson has 2 first and second place finishes this week.

Jenny Barringer to have a shot as she has finished first this year in the 800, 1500 and the Steeplechase . Look for her to have the best shot at making a mark next weekend on the women's side.

Buffs Golf Team Struggling in Big 12 Tune Up, Baird Currently in 5th seven shots back

1. Michigan
2. Oklahoma State
3. Oklahoma City
4. Wichita State
5. Middle Tennessee State
6. Tulsa
7. SMU
8. Colorado
8. Oklahoma
10. Missouri

Katoa's Season Done, Geer Likely to Miss as Well

The debut of LB Lynn Katoa will have to wait as ruling has come down from the Office of Judicial Affairs at CU that he will not be allowed to play this year due to being arrested and charged with felony assault in connection with an off-campus incident. He is appealing the charge but won't have enough credits to be academically eligible to join the team in the fall even if he won. It will be interesting to see if Katoa will transfer now as that has been a rumor in the past. You can't argue with the decision at all. It's hard to defend a guy who breaks into two apartments and then bashes one guys head into a wall and punches out another with a rock in his hand. If there is a positive to the story, and there aren't many, he is a true freshman so his redshirt is still available but still we would have liked to seen Katoa's first hit be on the football field, not with a rock in his hand.

Based on Katoa's ruling, TE Riar Geer's season looks to be in serious jeopardy as well considering he was also charged with assault in the spring session. With dwindling depth at both the TE and LB positions, the suspensions of these two players could really hurt the Buffs chances this year. LB Jake Duren, who was starting most of the spring at one of the LB positions, was also booted off the team this year on suspicion of first-degree criminal trespassing. In January, LB Nate Vaiomounga and Kai Maiava (who is no longer with the team for personal reasons and due to a change in his position from OL to FB) also had run-ins with the law. Not the best way to start the 2008 season for the Buffs. Expect two incoming freshman, Ryan Deehan (TE) and Jon Major (LB), to be given every opportunity to fill the voids left by the off-season issues. CU would have liked to redshirt these two players but the odds are that they will be seeing action early in there career.

May 8th Noteworthy News...

Big Words - "Our goal is to win a national championship at Colorado," Dan Hawkins said, veering into his booster speech. "They laugh at that now, but you won't be laughing because we'll do it, at some point. I promise you that."

Let's win a bowl game first...but it does get you pumped up.


DeVree Signs with the Patriots - Second Buff to join the New England Patriots.


Katoa to Enter Plea - The second biggest 2008 recruit will learn his fate on May 31st. The CU judicial board has to decide whether he will be allowed on campus this year or if he will removed from the university. This decision might go a long way in deciding how stout the Buffs defense may be this year and in the future.


Increased Tuition Leads to Increased Athletic Department Bill - Do you think the University of Oklahoma has an $8 million "bill" that they owe the school for over 300 student athletes' tuition? Something tells me that when push comes to shove, Mr. Stoops says I can either pay my portion of the $8 million or I can build that weight room to get that 5 star recruit...the way it should be. I guess when you put 9 democrats in a room, they forget the fact that they are in the Big 12.

Buffs Center on the Rimington Award Watch List

The 2008 Rimington Award watch list was released today which honors the best collegiate center and on it was 42 players from Division 1 teams across the country. Yes that is a lot and I did check the list twice to see if my name is on there. But there is a reason for this posting in that the Buffs own Daniel Sanders is on the list as he was last year. The release includes 7 Big 12 centers, the most of any conference, another validation that this year the Big 12 should be stellar on offense. The list includes two finalists from last year as well as the 2007 Rimington winner in Arkansas' Jon Luigs. Don't expect Luigs to walk away with the award, however, as there has never been a repeat winner of the award in its history. Man, you know you are craving college football season when you are writing about pre-season award lists.

Big 12 Round Table Recap

A good find by Woodrow this morning. Some of the round table comments from this site was highlighted by a sister Big 12 blog - Crimson and Cream Machine - an OU blog who put the whole round table idea together. Check out todays write up (5/8) to see what the other 12 blogs wrote about their teams in the conference. For the most part, CU was picked 3rd in the North, agreeing with what we said here on the Ralphie Report. You can definitely tell that the rest of the conference has gained respect for the Golden Buffaloes.

Priority #1: In-State Recruiting

The Dan Hawkins era began with a firm commitment to recruit the state of Colorado much more heavily than in the past. Gary Barnett consistently missed out on some of the top talent in that state (Calais Campbell, Jeff Byers, Zach Latimer, LenDale White). The arrival of Hawkins to Boulder was greeted with an immediate impact in in-state recruiting. Hawk was able to sign top Colorado recruit Ryan Miller in 2007. Miller was not only top in Colorado but was the second best offensive tackle in the country. In 2008, Hawkins even furthered his pipeline in Colorado by inking Bryce Givens, Jon Major, and Curtis Cunningham, three of the top four recruits in the state of Colorado.

2009 presents a new list of fresh talent that the Buffs need to get to keep their momentum going. On top of the list is Nick Kasa (right). The 6 foot 7 inch Defensive End from Legacy High School is a 5* recruit on Scout and boasts scholarships from nearly every high-major school except Southern Cal. He was an All-Colorado performer in his junior season and runs a 4.6 forty at 232 pounds. He had 22 tackles and 9 sacks his junior year. His stats fell from his sophomore year when he tallied 59 tackles and 10 sacks. The decline is no cause for concern; Kasa was constantly facing double and triple teams last year. He currently favors Colorado and Florida above all but offers from Notre Dame and Miami have to be attractive as well.

The second biggest target on CU's radar from Colorado is Jeremiah Sirles. Sirles is a 270 pound offensive tackle from Bear Creek High School. He was recently promoted to 4* by Scout. Like Kasa, Sirles was an All-Colorado performer and at 6 fett 8 inches, he is a load but quick on his feet, running a five second forty his junior year of high school. One cause for concern with Sirles is a torn ACL suffered in week 9 of his junior year but he is expected to have a full recovery by the start of his senior campaign. Sirles currently lists CU, Texas Tech, and Michigan as his top 3. He hasn't been offered yet by Michigan but it seems that they are his dream school.

Other major recruits on CU's radar not from Colorado include Manti Te'o, Cliff Harris, and Shaquelle Evans who are all 5* prospects. Look for CU's first commitment to come from Jarrod Darden (left), a receiver out of Keller, TX. He visited CU during their Spring Game and spent plenty of time with Darrell Scott. Darden holds eight scholarship offers but it seems like it will be CU or Texas Tech for 6 foot 5 inch receiver.

May 1st Links

Witherspoon Chooses Memphis - Atlanta area wing Wesley Witherspoon, one of the top three unsigned seniors in the 2008 hoops class, has chosen to attend the University of Memphis. CU was listed as one of Witherspoon's top 5 but in the end the allure of Calipari was just too great. Bzdelik will start to get these types of players in due time, but his teams need to start showing some solid improvement on the floor to help make their decision a little easier.
Witherspoon Decision Coming Today

BCS to Stay the Same - The brilliant conference commissioners met in Hollywood, Fl for the past few days and have once again decided that they are perfectly content just sitting back and watching the money flow in rather than actually giving the fans what they want. Check out Schlabach's story.
No Plus One

Mandel's Post Spring Top 25 - Five Big 12 teams in his top 25. Pretty consistent with what I have seen with the exception of Tech in the top 10. Big 12 is going to be fantastic this year.
Post Spring Top 25

Harvard is for Morons - We've landed on the moon! Way to be timely idiot. This happened over 5 years ago. LET IT GO.
Give This Clown an F

Big 12 Round Table - Take 1

So, after seeing this on the Crimson and Cream Machine, we loved the idea about previewing the upcoming CU football season and seeing how others rated the Buffs. So far, pretty good respect for Colorado. I think most of the Big 12 has gained respect for CU over the last 12 months and believe they are on the right track to becoming a contender in the conference. Check out what we think about the team and the upcoming season and head over to the C&C Machine to see what the other Big 12 blogs are saying about their '08 squads.

1. Who are some of the new faces that emerged in the spring who could be serious playmakers for your team this fall?

We are still waiting for the playmaker(s) on defense to emerge but on offense there are a few new faces that we have seen and have not seen that we hope make a splash this year. Demetrius Sumler will probably enter the year as RB1* and he earned that spot this spring being the most impressive runner of the bunch but that RB1 has a big asterisks next to it as Darrell Scott and Ray Polk are two prized recruits that will compete with Sumler in the summer. Should be the battle of the year.

I also have a good feeling about freshman wide receivers Markques Simas and Soph Josh Smith who finally look to break the unathletic trend at WR for the Buffs. You could finally see some size and speed that the Buffs have lacked in previous years. With a relatively experienced QB in Hawkins delivering the ball, this offense could be the most potent offense CU has had in years especially if TE’s Riar Greer is able to play this year (arrested in the off season) and Pat Devenney continues to impress. I am also intrigued to see Jon Major and Lynn Katoa on the field, hopefully being big time contributors to a defense that lost its only two big playmakers to the NFL from last year.

2. What is your biggest concern following the spring?

For as optimistic as my first answer was, there are plenty of concerns for the Buffs this year. Notice above that I didn’t really mention any playmakers with experience. The team will be very inexperienced and many freshman and sophomores will be expected to play important roles early.

Also, Jake Duren (LB), Riar Greer (TE) and Lynn Katoa (LB) have all been arrested this summer for one thing or another which resulted in Duren getting kicked off the team and the other two not being able to participate in the spring session. Greer and Katoa’s season and career status is still up in the air. All three of these players had a pretty good shot at being starters so filling these voids are definitely a concern.

To tell you the truth, my biggest concern is the rest of the Big 12 and the Buffs early season schedule. I have been amazed at the attention the Big 12 is getting this spring especially at the QB position. You have 10 legitimate QB’s returning in the conference this year including a few Heisman candidates in Chase Daniel, Todd Reesing and Sam Bradford who are big time gamers. Regarding the CU schedule, all that needs to be said is that in the first 6 games the Buffs play Colorado State, Eastern Washington, West Virginia, @ Florida State, Texas and @ Kansas. They may start 2 – 0 but 4 losses could follow. Who knows how a young team like the Buffs will respond if that happens.

3. Any major changes (philosophy, coaching or personnel) that you are concerned about?

There is not a lot of concern with the philosophy or the coaching. You could say the no-huddle offense might be a little bit of a concern but I don’t think it will be an issue. I am more excited that CU is finally getting the athletes to be able to do some of these offensive wrinkles that made coach Hawkins so intriguing at Boise State.

I still think that there is cause for concern around the front 7. With Katoa’s year in jeopardy, Duren already kicked off the team and Jordan Dizon graduating, the LB core supposed depth is falling by the wayside. The Buffs have an experienced but not a great starting defensive line in George Hypolite, Brandon Nicolas and Maurice Lucas. Switching back and forth between a 4 – 3 and a 3 – 4, which they might be forced to do, is a change that will lead to broken assignments and confusion the field.

4. Looking over the 2008 schedule which home and away game are you most concerned about?

Toughest question on the board. I am going to skip the first 8 because lets face it, 5 of the games concern me and they could lose all 5 play at Missouri, Florida State and Kansas and at home versus Texas and West Virginia. So let’s say the Buffs are 3 – 5 or maybe 4 - 4 after 8 games. They will have 4 games remaining to get bowl eligible. I think they beat Texas A&M but it is in College Station so it could go either way. For arguments sake let’s say they win. Iowa State should be a W. I am concerned about the last two games of the year as I seem them not only as games which get them into a bowl, but games they must win to keep momentum in Boulder and on the recruiting trail. Losing to the Pokes at home and Nebraska on the road would leave them on the outside looking in. This is truly a question that needs to be revisited after the West Virginia game.

5. Time for your way too early predictions (Yes, you can change them in August). Rank how you see your division finishing up this coming season.

BIG 12 NORTH

1. Missouri – Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin…enough said.
2. Kansas – Its tough for me to think that they can do it again but the way Reesing played last year, its hard to vote against them. They did lose two playmakers at CB and WR. Once again, Kansas plays a cupcake non conference schedule with the exception of South Florida of who tailed off towards the end of the year in 2007.
3. Colorado – Yes, I think 7 – 5 or 8 – 4 will be good enough to be 3^rd in the conference. The Buffs are still 1 - 2 years away from being on the top. Too hard of a schedule this year coupled with a lot of youth at key positions.
4. Nebraska – The Bo Pelini era will get off to a rough start. Not enough playmakers on either side of the ball to be very competitive.
5. Kansas State – Are going to need A LOT of JUCO’s to pan out.
6. Iowa State – Did Todd Blythe finally graduate?

See you all on the field