Finally, an answer, courtesy of Patrick Ridgell.
In his article today in the Daily Times-Call, he gets the explanation I've been seeking, which is, why isn't the most explosive back on the CU roster not getting fed the ball until can't eat anymore?
“It’s his mentality,” running backs coach Darian Hagan said of top tailback Hugh Charles. “If he had the mentality that I want him to have, he’d be the guy doing everything. “But he has to have that killer instinct, especially in pass protection. At times, he’s going to be back there by himself, protecting the quarterback. But until he gets that down and figures he can do it ... you know what I’m saying?” Hagan goes on to call Charles out, saying the best back on the team values self preservation more than the crushing block. “That guy’s bigger than me; am I going to be able to block him,” Hagan thinks Charles wonders. “Until he gets that out of his head, then the rotation is going to be like this,” Hagan said. O.K., there it is, take your best player and limit his touches because he can't block? Yes, you need the defense to respect the pass when he's in the game, but when you limit Charles' carries, you limit your already-weak offense. An enlightened mind finds a way to expect blocking yet not shoot yourself in the foot by giving up your top runner. Maximize what your best players do. Speaking of offense, did you see Mike Klis' article in the Denver Post on the Broncos' offensive woes? Go read it if you haven't. Does coach Mike Shanahan's comments sound familiar? "I take full responsibility," Shanahan said. "It just takes a play or two. We're not far away. We've just got to keep on working and good things will happen." Defensive end Abraham Wright gets some love, from both B.G. Brooks of the Rocky Mountain News and Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post. Dempsey writes that Wright's best friends are centers. "When that quarterback's foot goes up a lot of times during shotgun when you're playing at home, the center's head goes up - one-thousand-one - and the ball is snapped," Wright said. "If I watch that in film and they do that repeatedly, in the game as soon as I see the quarterback's foot and center's head, I'm going." Wright has excelled so much that he has gained the green light from the coaches, being allowed, Dempsey discovers, to audible out of called responsibilities and rush if he feels the time is right. "To have a coaching staff that has that much respect for you and wants to see you succeed, it's kind of hard for anybody not to take advantage and do good," Wright said. Well, yeah. Like I wrote above, you put your best players in position to make plays! Give Wright all he needs, Charles all he needs, to do so. Brooks gathered an interesting quote from offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus, the ex-Cherry Creek Bruin, on Wright. "He's the best speed rusher I've ever faced. I've had to face the best. That Georgia guy (All-American Quentin Moses) who's supposed to be the best in the nation, he's no faster than Abe, that's for sure." The Colorado Daily's John Mossman gets a strong quote from coach Dan Hawkins on the impending success. “Coming up with a play - that's probably the biggest thing that we need to get over the hump. That will happen and that will come. You don't know when those breakthrough moments will come. But these guys have been knocking on the door for a while, and it will happen.” Zak Brown of the Daily Camera shows that important people have not lost faith in Hawkins.
"It's only a matter of time before this Hawk gets 'em flying again," said Bill McCartney.
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