Boulder – Nothing could be exactly the same.
Could it?
There had to be something different. An extra smile. Added pep in the step. Something.
Colorado insists not. Players and coaches admit going through six weeks of losses stung. But getting a win at this point is no cause for celebration. Therefore, business was as usual this week. Meetings were conducted with the same eye toward improvement.
All that goes toward answering the question: How will CU react now that it has won?
“It’s very interesting to go out there and see how we’re going to handle it and know what type of poise we’re going to have going into this game,” linebacker Thaddaeus Washington said, “and when things do happen, see what type of poise we have.”
The answer started coming into focus Sunday, the day after the Buffs’ first victory of the season.
“It was kind of like ‘Groundhog Day,”‘ CU coach Dan Hawkins said. “You know, you wake up and go, ‘Geez, we turned the ball over down there, we could have scored another touchdown, tried to get a return going on punt team and kickoff return team.’ So it’s always easier said than done, but I think you have to stay out of the gutter and off of the mountaintop and stay in the middle and keep plugging.”
The mood this week was largely the same as after the losses, players say.
“The thing with Coach Hawkins is, he keeps telling us he’s going to be the same coach whether we’re 0-6 or 6-0,” wide receiver Patrick Williams said. “And it’s been the same.”
Added running back Mell Holliday: “The emphasis is still the same, about how we need to execute more and things like that. But the attitude has changed with the win. We’re not satisfied with 1-6, but we’re excited with the win because it gives us a chance to turn it around.”
In the Texas Tech postgame news conference, Hawkins said Tuesday and Thursday practices that week were the most efficient the Buffs had since he arrived. That efficiency level is determined mainly by how well plays are run. This week, he said the Buffs have picked up where they left off.
“Even (Tuesday), though the conditions were gnarly, they went hard. Nobody said anything, they busted their fannies,” Hawkins said. “Their effort has been great.”
Said Washington: “It’s been a pretty good week. We’re just getting focused on the Sooners and what they are going to throw at us and just be ready for that. They are a pretty good team, and we know that we’re also a pretty good team.”
Last year, Colorado had two two- game winning streaks and one three- game winning streak.
“We know how it feels to be 0-6. Now we’ve got this first win, and we like that,” Williams said. “I don’t think it’s going to change us. We’re still going to come out the same way, we’re just going to try to build off of last week’s win.”
Oklahoma comes into the game with something to prove without star running back Adrian Peterson, who broke his collarbone in last Saturday’s win over Iowa State. He is out for the rest of the regular season.
That could be a dangerous situation for the Buffs.
“Yeah,” Hawkins said. “Because they are fully capable. Those guys are loaded. They’ve got great players and great personnel, and the staff has been in place for a while. You look at them on film, and they are every bit as capable.”
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
GAME BREAKDOWN
Players to watch
Colorado (1-6, 1-2 Big 12): Wide receiver Jarrell Yates was a media darling this week after grabbing his first touchdown catch in CU’s win over Texas Tech on Saturday. Yates and other CU receivers will have their work cut out for them against Oklahoma’s pass defense, ranked No. 2 in the Big 12.
Oklahoma (4-2, 1-1): Whether he wants to or not, Sooners quarterback Paul Thompson has to pick up some of the slack left by the loss of running back Adrian Peterson because of a broken collarbone. Thompson has been good, with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, ranking in the nation’s top 25 in pass efficiency.
Key stat
Colorado has lost 12 straight games to ranked teams.
KEY FOR OKLAHOMA
Whichever combination of running backs Oklahoma utilizes must be effective enough to give the offense sustained balance. Thompson can carry a load, but it would be tough for him to have to be the Sooners’ “everything” against Colorado.
KEY FOR COLORADO
Fearlessness. Oklahoma has been a bully to the Buffs in recent years, and CU can expect many moments of adversity Saturday. How the Buffs deal with the rough spots will have bearing on whether they are in the game late or being blown out.
CHRIS DEMPSEY
