Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing is familiar with playing in Honolulu, having made multiple trips there as a Wyoming assistant when the Cowboys played in the Western Athletic Conference.
But the Bears’ opener Saturday at Aloha Stadium is different. The No. 23 Warriors never have been this promising, or have had a quarterback like senior Colt Brennan, a Heisman Trophy candidate who finished sixth in last year’s voting.
Brennan, who in 2006 exceeded or tied 18 NCAA records and 41 school standards en route to becoming Hawaii’s first All-American since 1978, will face a UNC squad that is coming off a 1-10 record (0-8 Big Sky Conference) and missing its top linebacker, senior Asa Matthews, because of academic reasons.
Also, three of the Bears’ top four cornerbacks are underclassmen, including true freshman Colby Riggins of Mullen High.
No one would blame Brennan for looking past UNC, which hasn’t faced a Division I-A foe since 1986 (Colorado State). But the California native says the Bears present some concerns.
“They had a rough year last year, so you have to think they’ve got a lot to prove and are really trying to come out here and make a statement,” said Brennan, who was kicked off the Colorado team in 2004 by Gary Barnett. “You don’t know what kind of team is going to walk out here. What worries you is you just don’t take them serious enough and a couple of things bounce their way, and before you know it, you find yourself in a real tough ballgame.”
Brennan was a walk-on at CU in 2003 but was dismissed from the team in January 2004 after being arrested for going into a woman’s dorm room uninvited. Brennan, admittedly drunk, later pleaded guilty to trespassing and burglary. A guilty verdict for unlawful sexual contact was vacated by the court. He spent seven days in jail and currently is serving four years’ probation.
Bears QB Dominic Breazeale said he would like to outshine “the Heisman-type guy.”
“I’ve been thinking about that a lot this week,” Breazeale said. “It’s going to be a great deal. Pretty exciting. Best way to start your senior season.”
Downing said the Bears need to stick to fundamentals to have any chance of keeping the game close. Force more turnovers than you allow. No missed open-field tackles. And most important, limit Brennan’s time of possession.
“We want to avoid them going down the field in huge chunks,” Downing said. “(Brennan) is an excellent quarterback. He’s a senior and very, very comfortable in their offense. He knows where he wants to go with the ball.”
Staff writer Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
