Boulder –
In the back of his mind, Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt knows there can be a difference in what he hopes to see Saturday against Colorado State and what he will see.
Klatt hopes the timing is good with his receivers, especially the young ones. He hopes the two new running backs, Hugh Charles and Byron Ellis, provide enough punch to keep him from having to throw on every down. He hopes there isn’t another second-half collapse, as happened last year, when CU almost coughed up the lead.
Most of all, Klatt hopes to get the CU offense running much more smoothly, as in 2003, when, surrounded by veteran talent, he was the unknown who rose to the occasion.
Klatt played the game of his life in his first collegiate start, throwing for 402 yards and four touchdowns against Colorado State.
Now he’s a senior and the rest of the offense is largely unknown, relying on his poise and wisdom.
He seems as eager as CU fans to find out how good Charles and Ellis are, and whether his top receivers, Evan Judge and Dusty Sprague, can step up their game.
“It’ll be an interesting day,” Klatt said. “Evan and Dusty will be on the field most of the time and will be our consistent guys. But those other guys really need to play well for us.”
Judging from what he has seen in summer workouts, 7-on-7 drills and preseason camp, Klatt doesn’t seem worried about the passing game.
But he is eager to get the offense as a whole running more cohesively.
To help matters, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has simplified things. Routes aren’t as complicated as they were last season, making Klatt’s reads easier. Watson hopes the subtle changes help efficiency.
In turn, Klatt has pledged not to put too much pressure on himself. That was a problem last season, which led to his benching for one half.
According to Watson and Klatt, it led to the quarterback going outside the structure of the offense to make plays, which rarely turned out well. CU coaches want Klatt to run the plays and not play hero.
“I just want Joel to have fun, be himself, stay within the system, use his weapons and be a leader,” CU coach Gary Barnett said. “That’s a lot, but if anybody can handle it, Joel Klatt can.”
To improve communication among Klatt and the wide receivers, the wideouts sit with the quarterbacks during meetings.
As a result, Klatt said, “We are able to be on the same page much more than we were in years past.”
Against CSU, Klatt is willing to do what it takes to upgrade his personal record in the rivalry to 3-0. Two years ago, that meant airing it out in a 42-35 victory.
Last year it meant letting the ground game do much of the work, as CU rushed for 255 yards. Running backs coach Shawn Simms is optimistic the Buffs’ new duo, Charles and Ellis, can be equally effective Saturday.
“If I went by the way they’re going about it, I would say they know exactly what they’re up against, the tradition of it all,” Simms said. “You know what? They want to uphold that tradition. The guys in the past few years have set a legacy. (They) want to follow those footsteps.”
Still, there are questions. Carrying the load involves a lot more pressure than the spot duty each had a year ago.
“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Simms said. “Somebody better get some yards. We don’t question their toughness.”
A 23-year-old quarterback flanked by young skill position players will define CU’s offense.
And perhaps its season.
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
