Colorado 24 West Virginia 35
Perhaps the better title should have been, “Hawkins Family 24, West Virginia 35”.
I know that might sound a little annoying to fans of Colorado, but I just can’t shake the feeling that this Colorado team was built for only one person…the coach’s son.
I blogged earlier today predicting West Virginia to win by about 7 points, but in actuality the could have, and SHOULD have, won by more than 11 as the final showed. The Buffaloes scored near the end of the game, and with West Virginia having a load of turnovers in the first half, the final score could have been something like 48-30.
It’s funny because I remember last year when Pat White was the starting QB, and it looked like West Virginia was trying some new wrinkles with the team. It cost them the first couple of games last year, trying to do what they were not really built to do…throw. But once they figured out what they needed to do, they had a very successful season.
This year it seemed that they were quite set on making the passing attack a part of the team, which has not been a major part of West Virginia the last several years. And it seemed to show, and even did so last week. Numerous turnovers by the quarterback easily tells us that when you have a star quarterback that leaves the program, it is hard to have somebody step in and fill his shoes, especially if he never had the number of snaps needed to build confidence.
This is what we saw in the first half with West Virginia, but that slice of Blame Pie goes to several other members of that offense, even one to the defense. But Colorado was not able to truly take advantage of it, missing two field goals in a row.
It seemed a little later that the Mountaineers realized that they had a running back…Noel Devine, that was actually pretty good. I am glad they remembered that, because he IS good.. Odd, that the guys on ESPN said that he would not make a good NFL running back…who are they to judge? This guy is awesome.
While both teams missed opportunities to score, the second half seemed to be redefined in how this game was going to play. When West Virginia began to run first, throw later, they took control. Noel Devine got over 200 yards rushing, which put them out in front. If you take away several sacks that were almost calculated in miles, the scoring might have even been better.
I just didn’t see anything with Colorado, and I say that knowing that this team is built around Cody Hawkins, the coach’s son. I blogged about this before, and I know it is noble for a father to keep his son first, but when does it get to a point where the team suffers when the quarterback is the coach’s son?
This loss puts Colorado to 1-3, and on pace to not going to another bowl. Consider this folks, their next game is on the road vs. Texas…this can turn out to be a 1-4 team very quickly. They are home against Kansas and on the road again vs. Kansas State. Missouri and Texas A&M come visiting, then two road games vs. Iowa State and Oklahoma State.
Colorado beat Iowa State and Kansas State last year, if you assume they can repeat that, then give them 2 more wins…but both of these games are on the road. To me, this team could be 4-7 before their final game vs. Nebraska…on the road.
Looks like another year of underachieving for the Buffaloes.
There’s a saying that goes, “can’t see the forest before the trees” which implies that sometimes the obvious is right in front of you, but we refuse to see it. Is it possible that the program is not geared to help Colorado win, but rather help a coach’s son win?
Don’t laugh, high school football around this country is filled with stories where influence puts a coach’s son, or some rich family’s son in a position he may not be qualified for. Does this mean Cody Hawkins is not a good quarterback? Of course not, but would we consider how much consideration he gets if he was not the coach’s son?
It just seems that this Colorado team sold out on favortism, sacrificing on talented athletes who may have opted away from Colorado because it was fixed for one player, rather than a team…I mean, let’s face it, the record speaks for itself. Dan Hawkins told the supports of Colorado that he expected to win 10 games…he just didn’t mean over 2 or 3 years.
And what have we learned of West Virginia? Is this a team that can “run the tables”? I remember seeing how good Devine was last year, and I believe they have a rock solid back, but they also have a very good offensive line to create the blocking necessary. This is a dangerous team, and if they can get their quarterback to stop running backwards, they can indeed be a team to beat.
The Mountaineers’ schedule looks very favorable, with games at Syracuse, home vs. Marshall and Connecticut. Easily looking at a 6-1 record, and a top 25 ranking. But how will they fare on the road against a tough South Florida team?
Consider that West Virginia lost 4 games last year, to ECU, Colorado, Auburn and Cincinnati. All four they play this year, and have avenged two of those losses. Auburn handed West Virginia their lone defeat, and they play Cincinnati later this year. The bug here is that West Virginia seems to hate playing on the road…after all, their only loss was AT Auburn, and half their losses last year were on the road.
Do I think West Virginia can run the tables…that will be hard. Outside of Louisville, the remaining 4 of the last 5 games feature teams that won at LEAST 8 games… this is not a picnic for West Virginia. It’s just too much of a stretch to expect West Virginia to win all these games, especially with the kinda defense they played tonight, loose and missing tackles. But I will say this, if this team begins to focus more on the running game, it just might make the difference in one or two more games.
Eight wins is not out of the picture for West Virginia, but I think maybe 9 could be more realistic…IF they cut down on all those turnovers. But mark my words, if they continue to turn the ball over, they might be lucky to win 7 games.
Overall, an entertaining game. I am sure Kordell Stewart is turning over in his bed wondering what happened to the glory days of Colorado. The Dan Hawkins era has apparently been a bust, and maybe he should have stayed at Boise State…
But would Boise State have allowed Cody Hawkins to take the helm as quarterback…hmmmm…..a thought for another blog….
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Colorado vs West Virginia
Colorado vs. West Virginia
Welcome October, and all the horrors it will bring to teams that are struggling to maintain an identity of success.
Such is the cloak that both Colorado and West Virginia wears, and tonight one shall have it snatched off their back in a national spotlight. Now although there are two games tonight, the other being Southern Miss vs. UAB, more eyes are in this Big 12/ Big East showdown than the Conference USA game.
Speaking of Big 12 and Big East…what’s up with the Yankee Bowl?
Err.. Another time for another blog…
So tonight we have two teams that, in the past, were once considered some of the best in the NCAA…and now, not so much. But tonight could be the first step for one of these teams to take an important step forward, especially in a year where many top 25 teams have been knocked off…there could be room on this bus for one of the teams.
Let’s examine both teams, looking last year, and what they have done so far this year.
Colorado comes in this game 1-2, and if the Big 12 had to rank all their teams from best to worst, this team might well at the basement. Long gone are the glory days when Colorado ran the Big 12 alongside Nebraska, and there may well be people wondering how a head coach can put his son as the quarterback, and not be effective at all.
Last year Colorado went 5-7 under Coach Hawkins after starting out 3-0, which included a win over West Virginia. Two of those three games were at home, the exception being the first game of the year vs. Colorado State. With a decent start, some thought maybe Colorado might be re-emerging in the powerful conference.
But a loss on the road to Florida State, followed by a Texas and Kansas quickly brought the team back down to earth. Winning three straight, losing 3 straight. The Buffaloes would rebound with a one point win over Kansas State, but would get shut out by Missouri, and losing to Texas A&M dropped Colorado to 4-5. They would win one more game over Iowa State before losing the final two games to Oklahoma State and Nebraska.
With West Virginia being their only credible win, few see much more hope this year, and mind you, West Virginia was coming off the year before when they had Slaton, their excellent back, so one could argue that they were in transition. But there are big questions about how this team may not be maximizing the talent when the coach’s son has been the starter, and last year threw 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Running the ball does not compute to Colorado, which is odd since they had some great backs in the day. Losing to Colorado State and Toledo is very embarrassing, and the lone win over Wyoming does not please the fans. Colorado NEEDS this win in a desperate way.
West Virginia seems fixed to only score about 30 points a game, whether they win or lose. Their 2-1 record looks decent, but they have much to prove. Last year’s 9-4 record is indeed respectable if you look at the numbers, but some criticize the Big East as being kinda soft.
There were big hopes for West Virginia, thought to possibly contend for a BCS bowl, and possibly the National Championship last year…that ended pretty quickly on the second game, losing to ECU 24-3. The road to redemption was blocked when they traveled to Colorado and lost there 17-14. At 1-2, the hopes for any National Championship was lost.
And perhaps with that pressure of their backs, the Mountaineers were able to focus, stringing up 5 straight wins over Marshall, Rutgers, Syracuse, Auburn and Connecticut. They would lose by a field goal to Cincinnati at home before beating Louisville on the road. But they would suffer their 3rd road game loss of the year, losing to Pittsburgh, before cleaning up the season by defeating South Florida and UNC.
Outside of the ECU loss, every other loss had been very close, close enough that maybe they could have won. This easily could have been a team that should have been 12-1 or 11-2. Was it possible that they were too overconfident when they played ECU on the road? Sometimes being cocky can be a detriment.
This year beating Liberty and ECU at home does not mean nearly as much as the greater picture. The Mountaineers need to establish dominance in the small realm of the Big East, even before conference play begins. A BCS bowl is still on the line for West Virginia if the can be the best Big East team. Losing to Auburn hurt their credibility, which seems to fall in line with how they play on the road. Three of their 4 losses last year were on the road, so they tend to like home cooking, and losing to Cincinnati at home is nothing to be ashamed of.
What West Virginia has going for it is a strong running game, with Noel Devine (how cool a name is that) in the backfield. He may well be one of the best backs in the nation, and we might get to see his powers tonight.
Having said that, West Virginia ranks about 54th in rushing in the nation, while Colorado ranks 115th out of 120. I say again, when a coach puts his son as the starting quarterback of a team that is not winning, something does not seem quite fair to the rest of the team.
If Colorado can’t defend the run, they are in trouble, and with the fear of a 1-3 record, this is a game they cannot afford to lose before stepping into the Big 12 conference games. I see West Virginia winning this at home, but maybe by 7 points. But if Colorado loses this game, their chances of going to a bowl may be almost as extinct as the Buffaloes they are…or were…or soon not to be, or something like that.
Welcome October, and all the horrors it will bring to teams that are struggling to maintain an identity of success.
Such is the cloak that both Colorado and West Virginia wears, and tonight one shall have it snatched off their back in a national spotlight. Now although there are two games tonight, the other being Southern Miss vs. UAB, more eyes are in this Big 12/ Big East showdown than the Conference USA game.
Speaking of Big 12 and Big East…what’s up with the Yankee Bowl?
Err.. Another time for another blog…
So tonight we have two teams that, in the past, were once considered some of the best in the NCAA…and now, not so much. But tonight could be the first step for one of these teams to take an important step forward, especially in a year where many top 25 teams have been knocked off…there could be room on this bus for one of the teams.
Let’s examine both teams, looking last year, and what they have done so far this year.
Colorado comes in this game 1-2, and if the Big 12 had to rank all their teams from best to worst, this team might well at the basement. Long gone are the glory days when Colorado ran the Big 12 alongside Nebraska, and there may well be people wondering how a head coach can put his son as the quarterback, and not be effective at all.
Last year Colorado went 5-7 under Coach Hawkins after starting out 3-0, which included a win over West Virginia. Two of those three games were at home, the exception being the first game of the year vs. Colorado State. With a decent start, some thought maybe Colorado might be re-emerging in the powerful conference.
But a loss on the road to Florida State, followed by a Texas and Kansas quickly brought the team back down to earth. Winning three straight, losing 3 straight. The Buffaloes would rebound with a one point win over Kansas State, but would get shut out by Missouri, and losing to Texas A&M dropped Colorado to 4-5. They would win one more game over Iowa State before losing the final two games to Oklahoma State and Nebraska.
With West Virginia being their only credible win, few see much more hope this year, and mind you, West Virginia was coming off the year before when they had Slaton, their excellent back, so one could argue that they were in transition. But there are big questions about how this team may not be maximizing the talent when the coach’s son has been the starter, and last year threw 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Running the ball does not compute to Colorado, which is odd since they had some great backs in the day. Losing to Colorado State and Toledo is very embarrassing, and the lone win over Wyoming does not please the fans. Colorado NEEDS this win in a desperate way.
West Virginia seems fixed to only score about 30 points a game, whether they win or lose. Their 2-1 record looks decent, but they have much to prove. Last year’s 9-4 record is indeed respectable if you look at the numbers, but some criticize the Big East as being kinda soft.
There were big hopes for West Virginia, thought to possibly contend for a BCS bowl, and possibly the National Championship last year…that ended pretty quickly on the second game, losing to ECU 24-3. The road to redemption was blocked when they traveled to Colorado and lost there 17-14. At 1-2, the hopes for any National Championship was lost.
And perhaps with that pressure of their backs, the Mountaineers were able to focus, stringing up 5 straight wins over Marshall, Rutgers, Syracuse, Auburn and Connecticut. They would lose by a field goal to Cincinnati at home before beating Louisville on the road. But they would suffer their 3rd road game loss of the year, losing to Pittsburgh, before cleaning up the season by defeating South Florida and UNC.
Outside of the ECU loss, every other loss had been very close, close enough that maybe they could have won. This easily could have been a team that should have been 12-1 or 11-2. Was it possible that they were too overconfident when they played ECU on the road? Sometimes being cocky can be a detriment.
This year beating Liberty and ECU at home does not mean nearly as much as the greater picture. The Mountaineers need to establish dominance in the small realm of the Big East, even before conference play begins. A BCS bowl is still on the line for West Virginia if the can be the best Big East team. Losing to Auburn hurt their credibility, which seems to fall in line with how they play on the road. Three of their 4 losses last year were on the road, so they tend to like home cooking, and losing to Cincinnati at home is nothing to be ashamed of.
What West Virginia has going for it is a strong running game, with Noel Devine (how cool a name is that) in the backfield. He may well be one of the best backs in the nation, and we might get to see his powers tonight.
Having said that, West Virginia ranks about 54th in rushing in the nation, while Colorado ranks 115th out of 120. I say again, when a coach puts his son as the starting quarterback of a team that is not winning, something does not seem quite fair to the rest of the team.
If Colorado can’t defend the run, they are in trouble, and with the fear of a 1-3 record, this is a game they cannot afford to lose before stepping into the Big 12 conference games. I see West Virginia winning this at home, but maybe by 7 points. But if Colorado loses this game, their chances of going to a bowl may be almost as extinct as the Buffaloes they are…or were…or soon not to be, or something like that.
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