Boulder – The heat, for Colorado offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, is always turned up to broil.
Fans love to hate him. Colorado message boards skewer him. An article questioning his play-calling judgment was written from message board chatter alone.
But for one night at least, Watson could sit back and laugh.
And exhale.
CU’s offense played as he always has envisioned it – with multiplicity, efficiency and effectiveness. The Buffs shredded Texas A&M’s suspect passing defense en route to a 41-20 blowout Saturday at Folsom Field.
“Tonight is what I would want us to be,” Watson said. “It’s really fun right now. It’s like the team in 2001. You love coming to work because of the guys you work with. And then the challenge they present to you as a coach is the creativity part.”
Watson, and CU, can only hope for 2001 results, which would mean a Big 12 championship and a berth in a BCS bowl. Are we getting ahead of ourselves? Maybe. But there are parallels.
At 4-1 (2-0 Big 12), this is CU’s best start since beginning the 2001 season 5-1 before losing to Texas in Austin. The next game for these Buffs is at No. 2 Texas. The most recent time CU defeated two Big 12 South teams, as it has now done this season, was in 2002.
Those are the recent glory years, when CU won 19 of 27 games and advanced to back-to-back Big 12 title contests. CU wants that glory again. The Buffs insist they are on the right track.
Beating Texas A&M, a team with a prime-time quarterback and a talented supporting cast, wasn’t supposed to be that easy.
“Before the game you never think it is going to be like that,” tight end Joe Klopfenstein said.
But it was.
Quarterback Joel Klatt completed 28-of-36 passes for 398 yards and three touchdowns, which included a school- record 211 yards in a first quarter marked by Buffs efficiency and Texas A&M miscues. CU built a 21-0 lead and never looked back.
CU opened the game with a five-play, 80-yard drive, one of its three 80-yard touchdown drives in the game. Every CU scoring drive came from at least 65 yards. The average CU drive lasted eight plays and covered 75.4 yards.
“I thought Shawn Watson called a great game tonight,” CU coach Gary Barnett said. “We were able to take advantage of some things that we saw on film with our offense. Our tight ends got involved. We just had one of those days where we had a great plan that worked.”
CU’s 559 total yards was a season high. Its 41 points – achieved in three quarters – were its most in Big 12 play since scoring 44 at Iowa State in 2003. Klatt’s passing yards were a season high, as were his touchdowns.
The CU offense averaged 7.5 yards per play, was 5-of-5 in red-zone opportunities and converted on 8-of-15 third downs.
“I really didn’t think our offense was going to run through their defense like that,” defensive tackle James Garee said.
Seven players caught passes, five of whom caught three or more. Fullback Lawrence Vickers, tight end Quinn Sypniewski and running back Hugh Charles caught scoring passes. Meanwhile, the defense held slippery Aggies quarterback Reggie McNeal to -14 yards rushing.
“It was obvious that our team was ready to play tonight,” Barnett said. “I’m extremely pleased with the focus they had going into the game.”
Aggies coach Dennis Franchione minced no words in discussing the state of his team.
“I just think we don’t block and execute very well,” he said. “We’ve got to do the little things better.”
CU sidelines
UNSUNG HERO
Hankwitz’s defense shackled the Aggies
While CU’s offense was running up pinball-machine numbers against A&M’s defense, the Buffs defense, led by defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, was busy shutting down the Aggies’ offense. The first-team defense did not allow a touchdown.
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.