First off, there is no excuse for this Buffalo team to lose to this CSU team. In an honest evaluation CSU has better athletes at maybe 3-4 positions on the field. This Buff team came in unprepared and unmotivated. We had no coherent plan and failed to take advantage of our advantages in talent. In the running game our most talented backs were on the bench while our fourth best back, the most limited athletically was trying to run wide plays ill suited for his talents. Our O-line, again bigger and more athletic gave the advantage to the CSU D-line by trying to play a finesse lateral movement game instead of just hitting them in the mouth until they stopped fighting it.
We couldn't get a play called in time, had no rythem on O because of a lack of a consistent plan and the chinese fire drill substitutions.
That said Fairchild took full advantage of his one major advantage, experience. He had a first year starter at QB but a guy who was a fifth year senior. He let him make throws that were suited to his talents and set those throws up with a power running game and a variety of shorter passes intended to move the D where he wanted it to be. His O-line was not asked to be athletic but rather again he used them to do what they are best at, quick hits up the middle and influence plays often on a quick count to take advantage of the Buffs confusion on D.
I am bitterly disapointed in the result of this game and Hawk had better get his act together quickly because his time may be running out if he doesn't. The big games he has won or almost won (OU, WVU, Georgia, etc.) are not enough to cover for disasters against teams we should be running out of the stadium like CSU, Montana State, Eastern Washington, Baylor, ISU.
That all said this is still basically a half a team. In that respect we have virtually no seniors and few juniors playing key rolls.
The O-line started three players in their first real collegiate action including a RS Frosh, three Soph (one of whom has played much) and a Junior in his second year at the position.
No senior WRs, one jr who was a walk-on another jr who just got here from JC, a soph walk-on converted DB, another Soph converted DB, and a true FR.
D-line one returning starter, no seniors, RS frosh, true Soph, backed up by true Fr and soph. DBs young
The only significant Seniors are at ILB and TE.
We have recruited some very good players but they still take time to develop, I only question is Hawk is the right guy to develop them since the team seems to keep making the same mistakes year after year.
Hawk did a great job at Boise, the people who try to take that away from him are making things up. Unfortunately what worked at Boise doesn't work on a consistent basis at a Big XII school. The teams the Buffs play are either gunning for them because they have a change to gain credibility (CSU, Toledo, Wyo) or have to good of athletes to get beat by gimmicks and WAC think (WVU, the confernce opponents.
