For the second consecutive year Colorado State is up against the unknown at quarterback heading into the Rocky Mountain showdown with Colorado.
The Buffaloes’ Cody Hawkins, the newly-installed quarterback who won a position battle during Spring practices, will helm CU’s offense for Saturday’s game, his first as a starter.
For scouting purpsoses, all CSU coach Sonny Lubick needs to know is that the freshman Hawkins is the head coach’s son and brings a perfect winning record from high school.
So Lubick is imagining the worst possible scenario for the Rams, recalling ex-Buff QB Joel Klatt who engineered three straight, narrow wins against CSU.
“I assume, I would guess, the young guy has been around football all his life and has earned the starting position because he’s probably very sound, solid, and does not make mistakes,” Lubick said today at his first weekly press conference this season.
“One of the guys who gave us the most trouble was Joel Klatt,” Lubick said. “His dad was a great high school coach. People were saying he’s was a walk-on. I just knew going into the game this kid was not going to beat himself, he’s going to do what he’s supposed to. He’s going to take care of the football and that’s what I expect of this quarterback.”
The bottom line is Lubick said the Rams have to prepare for everything.
Footnotes
Only one true freshman appeared on the first official depth chart. Eric Peitz, a 6-5 240-pound tight end out of tiny Crofton Neb., is listed as the fourth string tight end but the third-teamer, redshirt freshman Adam Seymore has missed most of practice with an ankle injury.
CSU still has 5,500 tickets available for the game.
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303 954-1295 or .
