Fort Collins – When the Colorado defensive backs showed up for practice last week, they were given several remedial film sessions on covering – or how not to cover – Colorado State wide receiver David Anderson.
In last year’s game against CU, Anderson had nine catches for 156 yards to reprise his sophomore performance against CU of four catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in 2003.
In gearing up for Saturday’s opener at Folsom Field in Boulder, Anderson doesn’t appear worried that the Buffaloes might know his name and number a little better this time around.
“They are the same guys I went against last year. I’m sure they’ve gotten better, but I know I’ve gotten better, too,” said the 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior from Westlake Village, Calif.
CSU quarterback Justin Holland said he expects CU, and all other teams, to double-team Anderson this season.
“That’s what we’ve counting on, especially at the beginning of the year,” he said.
Ticking off the names of alternate receivers Dustin Osborn and Johnny Walker, as well as running backs and tight ends, Holland added: “If they are too busy double-teaming Dave, there’s going to be someone open. They are going to get burnt and they are going to have to change the philosophy, and that will open up Dave.”
Second-year CU secondary coach Craig Bray isn’t revealing how much his group might double-team Anderson. But his scathing self-appraisal of his group’s effort against Anderson a year ago remains unchanged.
“We were embarrassed. We were atrocious,” Bray said. “Our corner play was atrocious, and our safety play was just as bad.”
Anderson has made a lot of secondaries look bad with his scorched turf routes. Against the BYU Cougars last year, he posted a career-best 12 catches for 232 yards. As a sophomore, he led the Mountain West Conference with 1,293 yards in receptions, a CSU record, and made the all-MWC first team.
When Holland went out with a broken leg at midseason a year ago, Anderson’s production plummeted. He had only one 100-yard game the rest of the season. While CSU offensive coordinator Dan Hammerschmidt was hoping CU might only look at those late-season numbers of Anderson, there isn’t a chance. He has the attention of every member of CU’s secondary.
“He’s fast. He’s not the tallest guy, but he’s physical,” CU cornerback Lorenzo Sims said. “He runs his routes well. He could be one of the best receivers that we’ll face this year.”
The film review, Sims said, provided a quick reminder of the challenge CU faces Saturday.
“He and Holland have great timing,” Sims said. “As soon as (Anderson) breaks his routes, the ball is there.”
Ask Anderson if he ever was covered in that game a year ago, and his stock answer is: “Every receiver doesn’t believe he’s ever been covered. That’s why we always run back to the quarterback in the huddle and say we’re open.”
Although he was on the receiving end of passes delivered by Ben Olson, one of the top prep quarterbacks in the nation at Thousand Oaks High School, Anderson got scant recruiting attention until some postseason all-star games. By then he had orally committed to CSU.
Anderson has 24 career starts with the Rams. Olson, now at UCLA after serving a church mission and transferring from BYU, hasn’t played a down of college football.
“I was kidding him I’ve thrown more TDs than him in college football,” Anderson said of his trick play last year against UNLV.
For all the praise Anderson elicits for his combination of speed, sure hands and sharp routes, Holland suggests intelligence is a bigger factor.
“David is one of the smartest receivers we’ve ever had here,” said Holland, adding that Anderson has mastered the plays at all four wideout positions CSU uses.
“It helps a lot that I watch film,” Anderson said. “I understand defenses. I understand our offense. If you want to be a great one, you have to know what’s going on around you. You can’t just focus on yourself. It’s just as important to take the attention to yourself to get someone else open. There’s a lot that goes into route running.”
Yet for all his success against the Buffs, it’s the one yard he didn’t make that haunts him.
With time winding down a year ago and CSU trailing by three points, the Rams had third- and-10 at CU’s 12. Anderson circled from out of the end zone to catch a first-down pass at the 1. Had he scored, he could have spared CSU a calendar year of angst over the Rams failing to score from the 1, sealing their 27-24 loss.
“Hindsight is 20/20,” Anderson said. “When I caught that ball, I thought I was in. If we’re on the 1-yard line and we can’t get in, we don’t deserve to win.”
Ram’s replay
Breaking down CSU senior wide receiver David Anderson:
2004: Named to the all-MWC second team. … In the CU game, had nine catches for 156 yards. … For the season, had 57 catches for 940 yards and two touchdowns.
2003: Named to the all-MWC first team. … Set school records with six 100-yard games in receptions, 72 catches for the season and 1,293 yards. Also had nine TD catches. … In the CU game, had four catches for 142 yards.
2002: Played in all 14 games as a backup, contributing eight catches for 180 yards and one touchdown.
(SOURCE: CSU)
Staff writer Chris Dempsey contributed to this report.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
