Boulder – The way first-year Colorado coach Dan Hawkins views it, the fact the current depth chart shows three tailbacks tied for first string is a show of strength, not a sign of struggles.
It’s also the way Hawkins likes to operate.
“We’ve always had in our depth charts a lot of ‘ors,”‘ Hawkins said Wednesday. “It drives the media crazy, I know, but we hope a lot of guys show up (atop the depth chart).
“In games, we may trot out a certain guy for the first play because he was in that personnel group for that play. But it could be somebody else the next time.”
Hugh Charles, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound scooter who rushed for 842 yards and six touchdowns last season, had been considered the No. 1 tailback until a new depth chart was released this week. He has been joined on the first line of the depth chart by junior Byron Ellis, who netted 216 yards rushing last season, and newcomer Mell Holliday, a senior transfer from Nebraska.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Charles said Wednesday after a two-hour practice. “We’re all going to be contributing to help the team.”
The depth chart also shows Matt DiLallo, Isaac Garden, Kevin Eberhart and preseason All-American place-kicker Mason Crosby locked in the battle as the starting punter. Hawkins said Garden, a junior, may have taken the lead – for now, anyway.
“Life is a day-to-day thing,” Hawkins said. “You have to come out and show yourself every single day. Nobody is in a lock-down mode in terms of their job security.”
Game preparation
CU began installing its game plan Wednesday for the Sept. 2 opener against Montana State.
That came as good news to the players.
“I’ve always said that football practice is basically not fun,” Hawkins said. “When you can focus on an opponent and you have an objective, it kind of flips a switch.”
It’s bad news for fans, however. Practices now are closed to spectators for the rest of the season. An exception will be made on Sundays, beginning Sept. 3, when gates will open at 5 p.m. for a scrimmage involving redshirts and other players who did not play the previous day.
Bobcats watch
Although Montana State is a Division I-AA program that is picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Sky Conference, Hawkins said he is impressed with the Bobcats.
“(Division I-AA) teams like that typically don’t have the depth. But it doesn’t mean their front-line guys are deficient,” he said.
When asked how much of the offensive playbook might be used against Montana State, Hawkins said there is no real answer to that question.
“So much of what we do is week to week,” he said. “Somebody told me, ‘Hey, there’s a Boise State playbook for sale on eBay.’ I said, ‘So?’ It’s not like we have 100 plays and we’re going to use 80 of them the first week. We kind of try to recreate each week.”
Footnotes
Safety Tyrone Henderson, who was suspended for the season, has transferred to Montana State, the Bobcats announced Wednesday. He will be able to play immediately. … Hawkins said he likely will hold off on announcing team captains until next week. Captains will be determined by the coaches rather than by a vote of the squad. … Wide receivers Scotty McKnight and Cody Crawford were singled out by Hawkins as walk-ons who have caught the eyes of the coaching staff. “They make plays,” Hawkins said. … The team will hold a scrimmage Friday evening, but it is closed.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
