Colorado’s first year in the Pac-12 Conference certainly hasn’t gone the way the Buffaloes had hoped.
Since leaving the Big 12, the Buffaloes have lost six of their seven games in 2011, including an 0-3 mark in conference play@@http://www.cubuffs.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=255&SPSID=3850&DB_OEM_ID=600@@. Injuries have played a major role in Colorado’s inconsistencies thus far, and with senior running back Rodney Stewart@@http://www.cubuffs.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=255&SPSID=3845&DB_OEM_ID=600@@ out indefinitely with a knee injury, things will only get tougher this week.
The Buffaloes are 11th@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@ in the Pac-12 in both rushing (89.9 yards per game) and total offense (337.9)@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/colo.htm@@, and last in scoring offense (21.9 points per game)@@see previous link@@. Take away Stewart’s 908 yards from scrimmage and 1,169 all-purpose yards @@team stats@@(38.4 percent of Colorado’s offense), and there’s a hole much bigger than the one vacated by Oregon’s LaMichael James@@CE@@.@@http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205318690&DB_OEM_ID=600@@
In his place, redshirt freshman Tony Jones@@roster@@ will shoulder most of the carries and senior quarterback Tyler Hansen@@roster@@ will have an even bigger role in moving the ball offensively. For the season, Jones has carried the ball 31 times for 116 yards with two touchdowns in seven games@@team stats@@.
“The only thing I’ve got to do is just pretty much come out here and play my game,” Jones said to CUBuffs.com. “I just can’t be scared (and) I just can’t be panicky.”
Hansen ought to be able to keep the young running back calm as one of just three senior starting quarterbacks in the Pac-12@@http://bleacherreport.com/articles/567441-pac-12-football-power-ranking-the-quarterbacks#/articles/567441-pac-12-football-power-ranking-the-quarterbacks@@. Oregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204770343@@ coached Hansen when he held the same position at Colorado from 2006-08@@see previous site@@, and the veteran signal-caller has been impressive so far this season.
Hansen has completed over 56 percent of his passes for 1,682 yards and 13 touchdowns against three interceptions@@team stats@@.
“I said earlier, I think Tyler Hansen’s one of the underrated kids (in the Pac-12),” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. “Very accurate. Seems like he’s got a very good understanding (of the offense).
“He’s sharp and he’s getting the ball in the hands of their playmakers.”
Though his 240.3 passing yards per game ranks ninth in the league@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@, Hansen has connected with five different receivers for at least a dozen receptions thus far@@team stats@@, with Paul Richardson@@roster@@ (29 catches for 474 yards and five touchdowns@@team stats@@) as his favorite@@is he really?@@ target.
But all numbers aside, the Buffaloes simply haven’t had much fall their way in 2011. They’ve played at Hawaii, Ohio State, Stanford and Washington@@schedule@@ — all difficult road venues — and both home losses have been decided by four points or fewer@@schedule@@. Add in the handful of key injuries and a first-year head coach, and the only way to go seems to be up.
“We’re still trying to fight through it,” Hansen said to CUBuffs.com. “We’re in a little rough patch right now, but we’re going to fight our way out, and I think it’s going to help us playing at home this week. We always play better at home.”
Head coach Jon Embree@@cu site@@ believes his team has been close to breaking through in the power running game, but still aren’t where they had hoped to be on a weekly basis.
“We need to get consistency,” Embree said to CUBuffs.com. “Our identity hasn’t developed because we haven’t been consistent on what we want to do. We flash, whether it’s a quarter or a half, we have to get better at that.”
Embree is a Colorado alumnus, having played tight end for the Buffaloes from 1983-86@@http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_18772740@@, and has coached at the university off and on ever since. He spent time as a tight ends coach with the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins@@http://coloradocoachesforcharity.com/embree.htm@@ in the NFL, and also spent three seasons coaching tight ends and wide receivers at UCLA@@see previous link@@.
Though the numbers haven’t reflected it, Kelly said he’s been more than impressed with Embree in his first year as a head coach.
“I think Jon’s doing a good job; obviously it’s his first year in the program,” Kelly said. “But when I watch those guys on tape, they compete and they play hard, and they don’t turn the ball over. That’s another mark of a well-coached team.”