Boulder – A review of game films sometimes reveals that an upcoming opponent isn’t as fast or athletic as reputation might suggest.
This does not happen to be one of those weeks, Colorado offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus said Wednesday when asked about Florida State.
“You only need to watch five plays of their defense and you can tell that all four guys up front could be playing linebacker,” Polumbus said.
Colorado coach Dan Hawkins is certain Florida State’s football team would win a relay race against Arizona State. And ASU, which beat Colorado 33-14 last Saturday, is thought to have above-average speed.
“Based off film, Florida State looks faster than we do,” Hawkins conceded. “We’re just going to have to be very detailed and execute.”
The Bobby Bowden-coached Seminoles (1-1) almost always have a speed advantage on their opponent. And it’s across the board, including positions not usually associated with speed.
The offensive guards are quick. The offensive tackles have great feet. Interior defensive linemen Andre Fluellen (6-feet-4, 280 pounds) and Budd Thacker (6-2, 268) can move. The linebackers can fly.
“They’re all just really good athletes,” CU sophomore tight end Riar Geer said. “They’re big and strong and really fast. They make good reads. They’re good reaction guys.
“We haven’t played a team this big and this fast. It’s going to be a big challenge. We’re looking forward to that. We’re going to try to hit them in the mouth and do everything we can to gain an advantage.”
Sound fundamentals are paramount to playing against a faster team.
“We really have to emphasize our technique,” Polumbus said. “If we get sloppy at all, they’re going to take advantage of it. They’re fast, and they’ve got motors. They run to the ball.”
There are two ways to counteract speed, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said Wednesday.
“One approach is the ‘run directly at them’ mentality,” Helfrich explained. “And there’s the misdirection mentality.
“We’re going to try to do a little bit of both.”
Footnotes
A CU student group is organizing an unofficial “Black Out” at Folsom Field for Saturday night’s game. The school’s athletic department has traditionally asked Buffs fans to wear gold to home games. … Approximately 1,900 tickets remain for the game, according to CU officials. Tickets may be purchased by calling 1-800-87Buffs. … Dan Hawkins is starting a pregame ritual for home games that he hopes will become a Colorado tradition. The “Buffalo Roundup” involves the team getting off buses 2 1/2 hours before kickoff and having each player touch the Buffalo sculpture southwest of the stadium before heading to the locker room. “Fans will get fired up, and it gets the players fired up,” Hawkins said. … This will be the first of three home games played on consecutive weekends. That hasn’t happened since the 1998 season.
Speed thrills
A sample of Florida State’s speed:
Tony Carter, junior cornerback: Made finals in Florida high school 110-meter hurdles championships.
Jamaal Edwards, junior tailback: Clocked in 10.7 for 100 meters in high school.
Michael Ray Garvin, junior cornerback: Personal best of 10.21 in 100 meters for FSU national championship track team.
Patrick Robinson, sophomore cornerback: Runs sprints for the school’s track team.
Antone Smith, junior tailback: Consistently timed at 4.3 for 40 yards.
Staff writer Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
