Boulder – Colorado coach Dan Hawkins has reached the bridge all coaches do whose teams have little left to play for.
Is it time to cross over and start playing for the future?
“I think you’re always playing that way, whether you’re undefeated or not,” Hawkins said earlier this week. “You always have to play that way a little bit. But we’re not going to take things away from the seniors. You’re not going to scrap it to that level where you go, ‘Forget it, you’re not going to be here next year.’ You’re still going to play the best guys.
“But I think, just like the scrimmages we have on Sundays, and our guys going to meetings and giving them tests, taking them to games, you’re always working on developing guys for the future. You always have to do that.”
Lately, Hawkins has spoken about “throwing guys a bone,” giving younger players an opportunity to get on the field and show if they deserve extended playing time. In that group has been wide receiver Jarrell Yates and running back Kevin Moyd.
Both started on special teams. Yates earned a chance on offense and responded with a 29-yard touchdown catch in the lone win this season, over Texas Tech.
Moyd has not carried the ball yet, but could get the chance as the season winds to a close.
Young players have gone about striking the delicate balance of playing hard, yet not looking too far into the future.
“Everybody has that thought in the back of their head, thinking about getting ready for next year,” Yates said. “But we still have this season to go through. People have their thoughts, but our main focus is still on the rest of the season.”
Going into Saturday’s game at Kansas, a combined 15 freshmen and sophomores have played this season. Only four of those are true freshmen – linebacker Michael Sipili, cornerback Cha’pelle Brown, defensive tackle Jason Brace and long snapper Justin Drescher.
Sipili and Brown have started games, playing considerable minutes. Sipili has 14 tackles on 55 snaps, while Brown has 26 tackles in 265 snaps. Both also have played on special teams.
Saturday at Oklahoma, sophomore safety Terry Wilson got on the field for the first time, though Hawkins said that was because of injuries during the game.
Still, Hawkins knows getting players experience now can pay dividends later. Seniors know that as well, and some say they have seen a subtle shift toward getting up-and-coming players on-field experience.
And without the added December practices for a bowl game to work with younger players, the end of the regular season becomes even more of a proving ground for younger players.
“We’re trying guys out,” senior cornerback Lorenzo Sims said. “We’re trying new things. We’re trying to put guys in positions where we can win.”
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
GAME BREAKDOWN
Players to watch
Colorado (1-7, 1-3): The good thing for players under CU coach Dan Hawkins is that even if they lose a starting job, a week or two of practice and games could change that. In that light, keep an eye on quarterback James Cox, who might see significant playing time for the first time since losing his starting job after the season opener. Hawkins said he might utilize two quarterbacks in the near future.
Kansas (3-5, 0-4): Running back Jon Cornish is a dark-horse candidate for Big 12 player of the year, and he has run through the competition to average 131.0 yards rushing in conference play. That’s almost 60 yards more than the next player, CU’s Bernard Jackson (73.5).
Key stat
Kansas has lost its five games by an average of 5.4 points.
Key for Kansas
Valuing the football. Perhaps the biggest reason Kansas fails to get over the hump is its nonchalance in taking care of the ball. KU ranks 108th in the nation with 19 turnovers committed this season. If the Jayhawks can eliminate the turnovers, their offense has proved to be potent enough to win games.
Key for Colorado
Pride. Numerous players admitted this week the season was basically over in terms of achieving the goals the team set before the season. But one of Hawkins’ slogans is “Start fast and finish strong.” This is the first of the final four games in which CU will try to do that.
CHRIS DEMPSEY
