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Kiesau: Smith must take next step
Colorado wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Eric Kiesau said he hasn't been able to keep sophomore Josh Smith as involved in the offense as he would like because of Smith's injured shoulder.
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Smith talked about wanting to be a bigger factor in the offense after a loss last week at Texas A&M in which he caught just one pass, dropped another and fumbled on a sweep. Smith missed a large chunk of the second half because he was getting intravenous fluids in the locker room. He has missed other lengthy stretches this season because of the shoulder injury.
Kiesau said the shoulder has limited the amount of practice repetitions Smith can take and that has cut into what he is ready to execute on Saturdays. Kiesau said Smith is a player who learns better by doing rather than by watching things from the sidelines or on film.
"He's got to mentally process things," he said. "He's very methodical in how he thinks. He's not the spontaneous reactor. I can't just throw him in the fire on Saturday.
"He's not well-versed or a veteran football player. Remember, he only started playing as a sophomore in high school and he was always the best guy. Now he's in kind of a complicated offense here. It just takes a little time to click."
When Smith has been on his game, he has been the Buffs' most dynamic playmaker. Kiesau, who has coached NFL receivers such as Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson, said Smith has exceptional physical ability but now needs to take his preparation and studying to the next level.
"He's heard me and he's heard Hawk, and he's heard people tell him what it takes to become a great player, but now it has come to the point where Josh has got to realize that Josh has got to take some steps in his life to become that great player," Kiesau said. "Everybody can tell him how great he could be or the kind of potential he could have, but that all in my mind is just talk. I think he is realizing that now."
Bad Luck Schleprock
Freshman wide receiver and punt return man Jason Espinoza became the ninth Buff to suffer a season-ending injury this week when he dived for a pass in Tuesday's scrimmage and broke his collarbone.
Espinoza had broken the bone in training camp and missed the first five weeks of the season. He returned against Kansas and played last week at Texas A&M but will be forced to sit and watch the rest of the year.
Coach Dan Hawkins said he has never been through a season in which he las lost so many players to season-ending injuries. The program has lost 83 games to injury or illness already this season and all of the players who account for those games figured in the two-deep depth chart or special teams roles when the year began.
"I'm like that little guy in the Snoopy cartoon who walks around with the dust cloud over his head," Hawkins said. "What's that other guy in that other cartoon? Bad Luck Schleprock."
Hawk on Prince
Kansas State coach Ron Prince is being forced out after less than three full seasons on the job. When Hawkins heard the news Wednesday he shook his head, but said he wasn't surprised by the news.
"It doesn't make sense, but the more this thing goes, the wackier of a profession it gets," Hawkins said. "The day you expect it to make common sense, it's not going to. If it fair? No, but unfortunately life's not fair. It's the nature of the business."
Prince will finish the season at KSU before parting ways with the school. He and Hawkins were two of the 11 Division I coaches hired in 2006. Three of those coaches are already no longer with the programs that hired them.
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Posted by buffalo_flyer on November 6, 2008 at 7 a.m. (Suggest removal)
bad luck - better to deal with it this year while we're still young, this is mizzou's last chance to get the conference title (yeah good luck with that)
Firing Prince was a mistake, It reminds me of the dark underbelly of college football. Money driven - success now!!!! Patience pays off and I hope we keep Hawk around for the long term
Posted by 1GoBuffs1 on November 6, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
From a school where their whole recruiting class was JC transfers. I don't know how you can rebuild any faster. Stupid kstate.
Posted by goalline on November 6, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
losing Espinoza again hurts. I was hoping his play would allow J. Smith to focus on offense and get the reps Kiesau is talking about. Now he needs to work more with special teams. Let's hope he cracks another one open Saturday.
go Buffs!
Posted by 20buff on November 6, 2008 at 9:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe K-State actually listens to the lynch mob idiots on their chat rooms. Are the Nebraska trolls on their sites also? What coach in his right mind will now want to go to K-State, when they know they only have 3 years to win the National Championship? Is Jerry Faust is available?
Posted by Saheeb on November 6, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, I'm glad to hear that part of the reason behind Smith's lack of catches, etc. is injury and that's it all not mental and attitude. He'll adjust, buck it up and reap the benefits. He's going to be very good.
Posted by roamingbuff on November 6, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I figure CU might win this one. Iowa St MAY be worse than CU. Heck - they can't even do the fog machine right.
Posted by cubuff85 on November 6, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
20buff, you nailed it. Who in their right mind would go there knowing they only have three years. Dumb move. In Hawk we trust! GO BUFFS!
Posted by Buff_bronc_fan on November 6, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If Josh Smith had the work ethic of a Scotty McKnight he'd be unstoppable. If Scotty had the physical tools that Josh Smith has, he'd be unstoppable.
The difference is that Josh Smith can change his work ethic. Scotty can't change his physical makeup.
I'd love to see Josh Smith and D-Scott push one another in the weight room and on the practice field this off-season. The success of this program over the next 2-3 years hinges on the development of those 2 guys. Plus, they both have the physical tools to play on Sundays, they just have to put in the work.
Posted by BlackAndGold on November 6, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
cubuff85....you don't know what was going on at KSU...you can't make that statement...."you have 3 years at KSU or else"...there are so many other behind the scene things that could have been going on.
Posted by Saheeb on November 6, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Buff_bronc_fan: Great take. DS and Smith came out of HS playing every down, being the stars, never getting injured and not having to work too hard to shine. Now they're quickly (in my mind) learning they have to work hard too to be stars again.
One of my roommates at CU was a two-time All-American guard. He was always the best player by far. He was a second round pick and lasted three games in the pros. My other roommate played center and wasn't drafted. He played 10 years in the pros. He knew he had to work hard and learn, the other had always gotten by on superior talent -- until he hit the NFL equalizer.
Hagan, Hawk and Kiesau are going to make DS & Smith realize the opportunity they have to be stars and they'll respond. Not every college student hits campus realizing they need to work hard -- in the classroom or on the field.
Posted by archalon on November 6, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Not knowing how to down the ball in the endzone properly, is not related to injury.
alligator-arming and cutting routes short, is not related to injury.
Whining in the media, is not related to injury.
Running the wrong route, is not related to injury.
Smith has poor effort and is at times just plain dumb in his decision making.
C'mon, Josh. MAN UP - you are privileged to have talent and you are wasting it with your attitude and effort. Show some heart and brains out there.
Posted by Buffalo20 on November 6, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hawkins is not getting fired, nor should he be. if anyone in here is interested in real life, let's wait and see what this team looks like once these underclassmen have matured. if you insist in living in a fantasy world, go buy an Xbox and an HDTV and win ten national championships in a row against the lowly computer on NCAA '09.
bring on the Clones!!!
Go Buffs!!
Posted by Realist on November 6, 2008 at 8:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It seems to me that Hawkins needs to spend more time studying football and less studying cartoons.He needs to get several things corrected or he may lose Smith and Scott to the transfer route.