The Black and Gold Breakdown grabbed some time with former CU quarterback Mike Moschetti before Colorado played Nebraska. The part of the interview that talked about that game was posted. Here is the rest of the discussion.
Moschetti is currently the quarterback's coach and offensive coordinator at Mount San Antonio junior college in Walnut, CA, where he once played prior to heading to Boulder for two seasons.
In this interview, you'll immediately sense his continued passion for the program and how hot it runs. Honestly, after speaking with him, I think, no, I know he would be an amazing recruiter. Matter of fact, still trying to fudge some things on my athletic and academic resume to see if I can get to Mount San Antonio to realize my dream of playing quarterback again.
You'll read of Moschetti stepping forward to defend former coaches Gary Barnett and assistant Shawn Watson, he'll talk about playing quarterback, the problem with the receivers, specifics about some Buffs' recruits and he'll touch on Dan Hawkins, too.
Moschetti hits hard. He plays some Ronnie Lott-type safety in this space with his powerful honesty.
See what you think.
He was so excited to talk CU football, he started talking before I asked a formal question.
Here we go. Some how, Watson's name came up, talking about his coaching and all the complaints that came with it, especially the underneath routes on long down and distance plays.
Moschetti: The whole thing with the west coast offense is you want to get receivers on linebackers so you want to run a lot of short routes. The offense is based on yards after catch (YAC).
Now, when the scandal hit at Colorado, Barnett and Watson wanted to continue being the type of team they were in 2001 where you have great tight ends, great backs and you pound teams and run the football. After 2001, after the scandal hit and I hate to say this, they didn't have any players.
After 2004, they didn't have the studs up front, they had no playmakers at wide receiver after (D.J.) Hackett and (Derek) McCoy left and they couldn't stretch the field.
What Colorado tried to do was run the ball and try to throw high-percentage passes because they couldn't get by anybody, outside of (Jeremy) Bloom, who could get by people.
BGB: Being a former quarterback, was a big problem this season for CU, a lack of receivers or simply Bernard Jackson's inexperience or lack of development?
Moschetti: I've read some things and I think this is so stupid that Bernard's struggling this year is due to the fact that he didn't play (until this season) and was playing different positions (prior to this year).
People don't realize how great a player Joel Klatt was and the reason he took every snap was he put them in the best position to win. He was a coach on the field, he knew the offense inside and out, he was a warrior, a leader.
In D-1 football, you don't think about the next year. You think about the next quarter, the next game.
Chad Henne at Michigan never took prior snaps before Division-1 football, myself, Bobby Pesavento and how many snaps did (Josh) Booty take at USC when Matt Leinart was there?
Not too many.
BGB: The D-1 practice philosophy -- Hawkins said Jackson was not getting practice reps. How do the reps break down in practice amongst the quarterbacks?
Moschetti: In spring ball, Bernard had plenty of times to get a lot of reps. That's just a lame excuse that he didn't get any reps.
Once the season starts, the no. 1 (quarterback) is going to get 95 percent of the reps. That's why it's tough being a no. 2 quarterback. You're not getting reps. You have to sit on the sidelines and you're always a play away (from playing).
BGB: The quarterback position -- you played it -- you were one of the best in school history at it -- what are the biggest challenges to overcome to play it well?
Moschetti: The biggest thing with being a quarterback, mentally, you have to be the toughest guy on the field and not only mentally, but I believe also physically, you have to be the toughest guy on the field.
Another thing is when I was playing, coach (Tom) Cable used to have a saying, 'you've got to be a flat line.'
If you're playing well in the first quarter, you can't get too high and if you're not playing well in the first quarter, you can't get too low. So if you throw a touchdown you just have to keep playing, forget about the past and play the rest of the game.
You also have to be a student of the game.
BGB: Why has Colorado, which has had some very good receivers in its' past, some NFL talent even, why, all of a sudden has it gone dry bringing in strong-enough players?
Moschetti: If you're a receiver in California and you're going to take a recruiting trip to Cal, USC and Colorado and you can spend three days at USC and Cal and you go to Colorado and you have one day with a curfew and can't be with the players, where are you going to go?
The recruiting restrictions have killed them the last few years.
Going to blame a little on Barnett, too, because the first couple of years he didn't get any big-time receivers.
They don't have a guy that Nebraska is saying 'we have to base our coverage because of this guy.' They're just a bunch of numbers, no. 80, no. 82.
BGB: Is Dan Hawkins going to be able to get those types of receivers in here?
Moschetti: One of the differences I see between Hawkins and Barnett is I'm really excited about the kids they have coming in.
There is an offensive lineman out near where I coach, Garth Gerhart. He's one of the best offensive lineman I've ever seen. I know he's only rated as a three-star but I've seen him play a couple of times and he's as good an offensive lineman as I've seen at the high school level.
(His team) was in a big game a week ago and I went and watched it and he had, at least, at least, 10 pancake blocks.
Hawkins and his staff are very aggressive and right now, early in his career, it looks like they're better recruiters than the previous staff.
They do have to get receivers.
BGB: They also recruited a junior college quarterback, Mike, from California. Nick Nelson and...
Moschetti: We played against him.
BGB: What did you think?
Moschetti: I just think (CU) needed depth and Hawkins wants to bring a JC guy in and all three guys (Jackson, Cody Hawkins and Nelson) can push each other and all that's going to do is make competition and make all three guys better.
I just don't think he's a great player. I think he's good but he's not a guy that is going to come in, win the job and lead Colorado to a national championship.
He can help them win games but he's not going to be a difference maker.
Now the tailback, P.T. Gates, he's as big time as it gets. He's big, fast, he can catch, he's physical, he can block. He's a guy who on third and one can get you two yards and he's a guy on first and 10, he can go 85 yards.
BGB: Is there a player you can compare him to, that you've played with, against or seen?
Moschetti: They call him little Reggie Bush.
He's a complete back. He's not a Chris Brown, he's not Hugh Charles, he's kind of both.
If they can get him and I've heard some things, that he's a soft verbal, he's a big-time player.
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