Boulder – Colorado’s last two games might not mean much other than playing for pride, but quarterback Bernard Jackson is seeing it differently.
The junior said his performances against Iowa State on Saturday and Nebraska on Nov. 24 could mean the difference between being the starting quarterback next season or spending his senior season as a backup.
“I’m sure in the spring it will be different, but, yeah, I definitely am going to go with that mindset,” Jackson said. “I want to show everybody what I’m capable of, what I can do, and that I can lead this team.”
Jackson is coming off one of his better performances in Saturday’s loss to Kansas State. He threw for 145 yards, ran for 105 and accounted for three touchdowns. But his up-and-down performance as starting quarterback has led many to ask if he is the best option for CU.
The top alternatives for the Buffs in 2007 will be Cody Hawkins and junior-college transfer Nick Nelson. Nelson is expected to graduate from Saddleback Community College in December, which will give him the chance to participate in spring football.
On Jackson’s side is Colorado coach Dan Hawkins, who said he will not look at the last two games as a tryout. He said Jackson will have to reestablish his worth in the spring.
“Once that hits, there’s no coach of the year, there’s no champions, there’s no starters,” Hawkins said. “You start all over. I want (Jackson) to play well for us to play well. I want him to gain a measure of satisfaction. I do think there’s this kind of looming thought of, ‘Well, it’s going to be the juco guy or it’s going to be Cody (next season) and we’re just biding our time.’
“But if you look at what he did in the premier moments of the Kansas State game, it was pretty spectacular. And if he can do that on a consistent basis, we can win a lot of games with that guy.”
Jackson has completed 84-of-177 passes for 967 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has run for 592 yards and six touchdowns.
Jackson said he wants to improve everything he does on the field.
“It’s hard to pinpoint a lot of things, because there’s a lot of things that I need to work on,” he said. “So I just want to go out, execute, and play like I’m supposed to play. I don’t want to leave anything out there and be regretting things I didn’t do.”
Beyond that, there’s not much Jackson can do to sway coaches’ decisions for next season, Hawkins said.
“Once January hits …we’ll see who wants to watch film, who wants to lift, who wants to come out here and throw extra, who can pass the test on the quarterback simulator,” Hawkins said. “We’ll see. And those guys will get a jump going into spring ball, and once we get into spring ball then we’ll see who can make plays in spring ball. That’s the way I’ve always been.”
Footnotes
Linebacker Thaddaeus Washington was on the field for Sunday’s conditioning. He said running into teammate Ryan Walters’ helmet dislodged two front teeth Saturday, not a hit from an opposing player. He should play against Iowa State. … Coaches let players call their own plays in practice, something Hawkins wants them to get accustomed to. “You need to have a football team that’s capable of doing that, of going, ‘What should I call here? What should we run here?’ and get out of that mode of ‘What do you want to do, Coach?”‘ he said.
EYE ON … The Cyclones
IOWA STATE AT COLORADO, 1 p.m., Saturday
For the record: Iowa State is 3-7, 0-6 in the Big 12.
Streaking: Iowa State has lost five straight games.
Who’s hot: Linebacker Alvin Bowen had 18 tackles in ISU’s loss against Kansas, giving him 134 for the season. He is the nation’s leading tackler.
Who’s not: The Cyclones’ offense. ISU gained a season-low 213 yards against Kansas.
Key stat: ISU’s last win at Colorado was Nov. 11, 2000.
FYI: Iowa State has not beaten a Division I team since a 16-10 win over UNLV on Sept. 9.
Injury update: WR Todd Blythe (virus) has missed the past two games, but should play against Colorado. WR Jon Davis (collapsed lung), RB Stevie Hicks (knee) are out.
Coachspeak: “We can go one of two ways in these last two games, and I just trust that the character and leadership of this team can remain strong and that we’ll fight through this together and try to finish up with our heads held high.” – ISU coach Dan McCarney, after the Cyclones’ loss to Kansas
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
