Home › Buffzone Columnists
Woelk: CU needs to regain positive momentum
Two-thirds of the way through the season, the Colorado Buffaloes are just about where optimistic folks hoped they might be when the season began.
Four wins, four losses, and still with a chance to extend their season past the Nov. 23 Nebraska game. For a team that finished with a 2-10 record a year ago, that's a step forward.
STORY TOOLS
More Buffzone Columnists
- Woelk: In the end, no surprise for bad-news Buffs
- Woelk: One more chance for Buffs to get better
- Big 12 girding itself for gridlock
Share and Enjoy [?]
But the fact is, much of the improvement the Buffs have shown this year came in the first half of the season. Lately, the Buffs have been a team that simply hasn't shown a whole lot of progress. A sloppy win over Baylor and back-to-back losses to the Big 12's Kansas schools have the Buffs treading water, doing their best not to sink under the pressure of an extended losing streak.
Today they have a chance to begin moving forward again.
Trouble is, that opportunity comes in a place in which Colorado has never won against a team anxious to put a disturbing loss as far in the rearview mirror as possible.
"We've got a good football team," CU coach Dan Hawkins said earlier this week. "We do. But we're also playing a great schedule. So we just have to be a little bit more efficient and create a couple of more things here or there."
With apologies to Hawk — and with the assistance of a friend of mine who has patiently explained the difference — the Buffs need to be more than just efficient if they are to prevent a midseason slump from becoming a trend.
Today, the Buffs have to once again become effective. It means not fumbling near the goal line, making the key third-down catches, and creating more turnovers than they give up.
Simply, it means making the plays they are in position to make.
The difference? The Buffs were actually relatively efficient against Kansas. They put themselves in position to make enough plays to win the game.
But they weren't effective. When the opportunity presented itself, they did not produce those plays.
It's not as if they can't. We've seen enough evidence this year (Colorado State, Oklahoma) that would suggest the Buffs have the potential to be effective in make-or-break situations.
Consistency, however, is another matter — and today would be a very good time to begin displaying a little of that commodity.
The Red Raiders have a potent offense, one capable of slapping points on the board at the rate of a basketball team.
But for whatever reason, the Buffs have historically played well against Mike Leach's offense. In three games against Leach's teams, the Buffs are 2-1, and the most points they've given up is 26.
The Red Raiders, though, have steadily improved under Leach, to the point that their offense may no longer be a gimmick. Missouri is the only team thus far to effectively control Tech's offense, and it will take an outstanding effort from Colorado's defenders today to even come close to replicating that.
But just as important as CU's defense today will be Colorado's offense. It will be incumbent upon the Buffs to put together sustained scoring drives that consume the clock. Not only will that keep Tech's offense off the field, but it will give CU's defenders a chance to catch its breath from defending the Red Raiders' fastbreak attack.
Such an effort is by no means out of the question. The Buffs did exactly that a year ago in a 30-6 win over the Red Raiders, and they've put together such performances this year at various times.
But today, the Buffs have a chance to exceed expectations. They have an opportunity to take a step forward in a season that has seen some great early momentum grind to a halt.
A good team will effectively rebuild that momentum.
Posted by ChicagoBuffsFan on October 27, 2007 at 7:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jon Major coming to CU!!!
http://colorado.rivals.com/
GO BUFFS!! BEAT THE RED ROCKETS!!
Posted by Ralphie2 on October 27, 2007 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LET'S GO BUFFS!!!
Posted by BuffChris4 on October 27, 2007 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HUGE NEWS!!!!!
come on BUFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by bshoemaker on October 27, 2007 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
With Major committing to CU the future keeps getting brighter and brighter with every committment that Hawk and CO. get. The wins will come we just have to be patient, remember Rome wasn't built in a day. I strongly believe that there are alot of more big committments on the way for the BUFFS in 08' and the facilities @ CU will just keep getting better and better. Good job Bohn on getting Hawkins. ROLL BUFFS ROLL
Posted by mgmtgrad on October 27, 2007 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the Buffs win today, with the announcment of Major committing to CU, they will be getting a lot of press. May help a couple of other top prospects to pick CU too. I live in So Cal and recently ran into a father of a prospective recruit and it appears to me that CU is gaining some ground in recruiting from here too.
GOOD JOB Hawkins and staff, keep it up.
How many guys have NU lost from this class?
4 or more after today.
Posted by ColoradoPaul on October 27, 2007 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Buffs gave one away last week against Kansas. To be successful this team has to play almost error free and with emotion. The missed field goal by Eberhardt right after Sprague's dropped pass hit them hard, then Hugh fumbled deep in their end and the Buffs looked beaten. That shouldn't happen, the coaches and team leaders need to keep these guys fired up.
I clearly don't understand Coach Hawkins use of Hugh. He is a player who needs as many "touches" as possible. Last week the screen pass would have been effective since the Jayhawks brought a good bit of pressure. But the Buffs kept looking down field. Maybe it is the "Hugh" cheer the crowd does that aggravates the coach. I wish he would let that go and play the man.
Other than three huge quarterback scrambles I didn't see much that impressed me from KU. The Buffs were a better coached and a more talented team. But football is a quirky game and the best team doesn't always win. The Buffs were flat (again) and the Jayhawks were psyched, this to me falls back on the coaching. It also goes back to experience and the team is still maturing to keep their emotions on an even keel.
I would like to see a business-like demeanor from the Buffs. Come in prepared today, execute and keep penalties and turnovers to a minimum. If the Buffs are penalized less than 5 times and commit one or less turnover they will win. That also means they will score at least 28 points, hopefully this will be enough because this could be a high scoring contest.
Posted by SnowBuff on October 27, 2007 at 9:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If this team can pull itself together and make a good showing of itself on the road, There is no reason why it can't run away with this game. The TT defense is nothing to be afraid of, and historically CU knows how to shut down the offense. THey just need to stop choking... When they do that, look out Big 12, and the Buffs will go Bowling.
Posted by rswright on October 27, 2007 at 10:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As ususal Neill, you hit the nail on the head. . No axes to grind,no cheerleading just a solid and realisitic appraisal. You can take Neill to the bank. A credit to the Camera and the community.
Posted by oz_in_cali on October 27, 2007 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
While I agree with ColoradoPaul about the fact that last week's game was there for the taking in spite of some big mistakes, I do not agree with his statement about CU being better coached and more talented (last week, at least - most of CU's most talented guys are still green. Obviously, Dizon and Wheatley are exceptions). Talentwise, I think that both teams are pretty close (but that's mainly because the Buffs are so young). Just because the Jayhawks have padded their record by playing cupcakes early doesn't mean they are not talented. KU has shown everyone that they are plenty talented. But the thing that stood out to me last week and in the KU v KSU game was how well coached the Jayhawks actually are. They came to Boulder ready to play and I thought they were efficient and made good calls throughout both games. The Buffs will improve and the signing of Major will be a big boost. No matter what happens this season (which by the way, I still feel pretty good about - up 14-0 @ TT as I write this), next season will be better and the one after that will be even better still.
GO BUFFS!
(Requires free registration.)
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.