Saturday Night Buff Notes

I admit it, I'm in the Dan Hawkins' cult.

Drinking the Kool-Aid, doing what I'm told.

How else to explain me believing every word that leaves his mouth?

After an 0-5 start.

What happened to me? Really? I was a born cynic, a realist, I like to say, a curmudgeon my ex-wife once told me. I didn't think I was old enough to be slapped with that label but having watched my commentary of the nightly news was probably too much for her. Poor girl, she deserved better.

Let's take a look at the latest cuts from Hawkins, who, to me, should have a role in some movie as the never-accept-defeat coach working with the biggest underdog in sports, terrible for them being a compliment, finally turning it around to bask in the glory.

Hey, could happen.

After Saturday's loss to Missouri, here was some Best of Hawkins for you, courtesy of the Associated Press.

"Guys are starting to feel we can throw the football, we can make some plays" Hawkins said. "It's just a case of keeping it coming."

TheTruth...Can't argue much on that as Bernard Jackson was winging better than ever, even introducing the wide receiver to the offense. In week five. B-Jack might be Hawkins' match in the eternal optimist, confidence-in-self association.

More Hawkins...

"I've been down before. We're good. We're solid. We're tight."

TheTruth...Man, I love his confidence. To me, it sounds unbelievably sincere. The man can sure sell it, can't he? Maybe, just to me, but hey, I bought the vacuum, siding, encyclopedias, Girl Scout cookies, newspaper and anything else they market door-to-door. One problem that has to be fixed, though. The Buffs go 3 for 12 on third-down conversions and 0 for 5 on fourth down. Sorry, but those are NHL power play numbers, not the forumula for football success.

"At some point, you've got to play to win and not play to lose," Hawkins said. "You have to take some selective opportunities and say, 'hey, I believe in you.'"

TheTruth...His players have to love him for this approach. He shows them he just doesn't talk the talk. Cap'n Dan walks the walk, brother. And there is no greater gift to a leader than to convey his belief in those below him.

Defense!

Guess Ron Collins' defense told the offense, hey, we're in the show-me state, how 'bout you guys doin' something for a change.

O.K., maybe that didn't happen. Trying to dramatize a little for affect, you know?

Whatever happened, the defenders didn't get it done today. They didn't lose the game but they didn't win it either.

That doesn't mean, however, that players didn't continue to get better, get experience, prepping them for a better future as Abe Wright continues his impressive season, enhancing his NFL prospects with two tackles for loss, Brandon Nicolas and George Hypolite working on establishing their names in the middle with 14 combined take downs, and defensive backs Cha'pelle Brown and Ryan Walters showing up on the stat sheet with a total of 16 tackles.

Congratulations

Kicker Mason Crosby, the new all-time leading scorer for the University of Colorado.

On one hand, he's but a kicker and didn't take hits to book those points.

On the other hand, what a kicker he's been.

And will be, representing the school in the NFL.


TheTruth