Hawk on ESPN Radio

[NYbuffDIEHARD]

Hawk was on ESPN radio about an hour and a half ago or so, he was on with Mel Kiper Jr as were other Big 12 coaches as Kiper was previewing the Big 12 this year. Did anyone happen to hear the interview??

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

I heard it. He was pretty good. Said he knew when he took the CU job there would be "landmines" and "new challenges" and that he was up to both of them. (actually-- I may be interpreting it wrong, but the impression I got was that he had gotten kind of bored at Boise State -- and that he wanted to go someplace that would challenge him as a coach, and he thought CU would do that.) He talked a bit about last year, said that Joel Klatt was a great quarterback for CU but that previous coaches had done a poor job of developing the backups while Klatt was at QB. As a result, none of the returning QB's had the "intangibles" to be great QB's. He said the Bernard Jackson was very talented and a very dedicated worker, but that he just didn't have the QB experience to be a great QB. Didn't have experience reading defenses or calling audibles, etc. Said those types of things limited them offensively. He said they would not have the same QB problems this year-- said with either Nick Nelson or Cody Hawkins they would have true QB's who had experience reading defense and calling audibles. He also talked a bit about the defense -- said he thought the secondary would be very good with Wheatley and Walters in the backfield. He said that they were going to use Wheatley as a return man this year - something they couldn't do last year because Wheatley had a nagging wrist injury all year. Said that Dizon and Jones would be the two studs in the middle- and he thought both of them could be NFL guys. Also talked about Brandon Nicholas (DT from Notre Dame) and George Hypolite being big in the middle.

Kiper and the other ESPN guy spent most of the interview talking about Boise State and what Hawkins thought about what had happened at Boise State. He said that one of the reasons why Boise State did what they did last year was because they had a lot of continuity. They had the same coaches and the same schemes and the same plays for 9 years - and those players all benefited from that. He said they had always had a theme while he had been there, and that was to "finish" -- he said that was an attitude that he was really trying to instill at Colorado, and that Colorado would return to being a very good football team when they were able to finish every game. He talked briefly about how they had the chance to win at Georgia and how the Buffs lost several games by less than a touchdown - and if they had been able to finish those games, the Buffs would have been 6-6 instead of 2-10.

He was very positive about CU -- said he thought CU had just as much potential as any other school in the conference, just needed to realize it. He also talked a bit about his "This is Big 12 football!" comments from the spring, and both of the hosts were very supportive of those comments and said that after hearing those comments - they wanted to come play at Colorado.

[chipwich]

Thanks Lt. :thumbsup:

[Skidmark]

Any mention of the RB or WR situation?

Hope PT Gates has his nose in the books. Sounds like we shouldn't have our hopes up on him until 2008. Seems like the running game is on the shoulders of Hugh Charles. Sure hope Byron Ellis provides some thunder to go with the lightening.

Sure will be nice to see Riar Greer, Dusty Sprague and Patrick Williams benefit from a QB who can read defenses, find a rhythm and move some chains.

[exxon]

hope Byron Ellis provides some thunder to go with the lightening.

I think we will see alot of Sumler this year also. But i hope ellis will turn into a great short yardage situation guy.

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

Nope. Not a word about the offense other than the QB situation.

[NYbuffDIEHARD]

I heard it. He was pretty good. Said he knew when he took the CU job there would be "landmines" and "new challenges" and that he was up to both of them. (actually-- I may be interpreting it wrong, but the impression I got was that he had gotten kind of bored at Boise State -- and that he wanted to go someplace that would challenge him as a coach, and he thought CU would do that.) He talked a bit about last year, said that Joel Klatt was a great quarterback for CU but that previous coaches had done a poor job of developing the backups while Klatt was at QB. As a result, none of the returning QB's had the "intangibles" to be great QB's. He said the Bernard Jackson was very talented and a very dedicated worker, but that he just didn't have the QB experience to be a great QB. Didn't have experience reading defenses or calling audibles, etc. Said those types of things limited them offensively. He said they would not have the same QB problems this year-- said with either Nick Nelson or Cody Hawkins they would have true QB's who had experience reading defense and calling audibles. He also talked a bit about the defense -- said he thought the secondary would be very good with Wheatley and Walters in the backfield. He said that they were going to use Wheatley as a return man this year - something they couldn't do last year because Wheatley had a nagging wrist injury all year. Said that Dizon and Jones would be the two studs in the middle- and he thought both of them could be NFL guys. Also talked about Brandon Nicholas (DT from Notre Dame) and George Hypolite being big in the middle.

Kiper and the other ESPN guy spent most of the interview talking about Boise State and what Hawkins thought about what had happened at Boise State. He said that one of the reasons why Boise State did what they did last year was because they had a lot of continuity. They had the same coaches and the same schemes and the same plays for 9 years - and those players all benefited from that. He said they had always had a theme while he had been there, and that was to "finish" -- he said that was an attitude that he was really trying to instill at Colorado, and that Colorado would return to being a very good football team when they were able to finish every game. He talked briefly about how they had the chance to win at Georgia and how the Buffs lost several games by less than a touchdown - and if they had been able to finish those games, the Buffs would have been 6-6 instead of 2-10.

He was very positive about CU -- said he thought CU had just as much potential as any other school in the conference, just needed to realize it. He also talked a bit about his "This is Big 12 football!" comments from the spring, and both of the hosts were very supportive of those comments and said that after hearing those comments - they wanted to come play at Colorado.


Wow I feel like I heard it first hand now. Thanks a lot for taking the time to type all that up, very much appreciated!

[MiamiBuffs]

Wow I feel like I heard it first hand now. Thanks a lot for taking the time to type all that up, very much appreciated!

Maybe you should give him some rep. http://www.allbuffs.com/forums/images/v2/buttons/reputation.gif

And me too since I suggested it. :wink2:

[77buff]

Who did Kiper predict to win the north and south?

[Big Red Cop]

Missouri for the North, don't know about the South.

[Liver]

Missouri for the North, don't know about the South.

well, that pretty much seals mizzery's fate. a kiper vote of confidence = death. ... like we don't know that mizzery will choke again anyway.

the fuskers look the strongest on paper in the north. mizzery with pinky will fold, imho. maybe my Buffs will surprise some folks (in a good way!)...

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

Who did Kiper predict to win the north and south?


He said it was a toss up between OU and Texas in the South-- but he predicted OU. He said Missouri and Nebraska would lead the North- but he favored Missouri because they return the experienced QB.

High expectations are not Pinkel's friend.

[Unleash Hell]

well, that pretty much seals mizzery's fate. a kiper vote of confidence = death. ... like we don't know that mizzery will choke again anyway.

the fuskers look the strongest on paper in the north. mizzery with pinky will fold, imho. maybe my Buffs will surprise some folks (in a good way!)...

Personally I think Mizzou looks better than the fuskera on paper. MIzzou returns the two best TE's in the confrence plus the best QB in the confrence. NU lost a lot on defense and suddenly the fuskers look thin at RB. but you're probably right about Mizzou choking.

oh and don't expect the buffs to surprise you by competing for the north.

[DBT]

oh and don't expect the buffs to surprise you by competing for the north.
I always expect the Buffs to compete! :sad2:

[66BUFF]

oh and don't expect the buffs to surprise you by competing for the north.

:gun:

I think your avatar is bleeding into your brain

[chipwich]

:gun:

I think your avatar is bleeding into your brain

:yeahthat:

[MiamiBuffs]

Personally I think Mizzou looks better than the fuskera on paper. MIzzou returns the two best TE's in the confrence plus the best QB in the confrence. NU lost a lot on defense and suddenly the fuskers look thin at RB. but you're probably right about Mizzou choking.

oh and don't expect the buffs to surprise you by competing for the north.

There is some hope that we might win it. But its only for one reason; the North is the great big 'tard fest and someone has to luck into it only to be sent to the meat grinder. :sad1:

At least we can point to the fact that we have a good coach now. :smile2:

[Unleash Hell]

:gun:

I think your avatar is bleeding into your brain

Hey don't get me wrong, I love the buffs and bleed black and gold, but I think we're still a year or two away from competing in the north again. I hope I'm wrong, I'm just trying to be realist. I do think we finish 3rd or 4th in the north and go to a bowl.

[Buffalo Brad]

oh and don't expect the buffs to surprise you by competing for the north.

Man, If they do not compete for the North, why even suit up? Every year I expect them to compete for the North and with the coaching we have now, we may be able to surprise some folks. Would I pick them to win the North, no. I do not see this team getting blown out by anyone. Hawk will have the team ready to play and will take advantage of anyone who thinks they have a cakewalk in playing the Buffs!

[66BUFF]

Hey don't get me wrong, I love the buffs and bleed black and gold, but I think we're still a year or two away from competing in the north again. I hope I'm wrong, I'm just trying to be realist. I do think we finish 3rd or 4th in the north and go to a bowl.

I never mess with reality before the season :smile2: