MANHATTAN, KAN. — Once again, the Colorado football team played on a national stage.
Saturday night’s ESPN2 telecast marked the fifth time in seven games that the Buffaloes were shown on national television. CU coach Dan Hawkins said he hopes that exposure will help recruiting.
“That doesn’t hurt,” Hawkins said. “There are a lot of kids that have been able to see us play.”
The Buffs are guaranteed at least two more nationally televised games. CU’s next game, Saturday against visiting Kansas, will kick off at 3:45 p.m. and will be on ESPN, the school announced Saturday. And ABC will air the Nov. 23 game in Boulder against Nebraska at 10 a.m.
Long and short of it. During pregame warm-ups, Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins chatted for several minutes with Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman.
Hawkins is 5-feet-11 and 190 pounds; Freeman is 6-6, 250.
“Josh and I are good friends,” Cody said, explaining that the two became acquainted at national QB camps while in high school.
Another newbie. Colorado offensive tackle Ryan Miller, a true freshman who earned Parade All-America honors last fall at Columbine High School, made his first career start.
“Ryan has been getting better in the passing game. … It’s hard to keep him out,” Dan Hawkins said on his pregame radio show.
According to the CU sports information department, Miller became the first-ever CU offensive tackle to start as a true freshman, starting on the right side. Miller and guard Kai Maiava are the first pair of true freshmen to start together on the offensive line for the Buffs since guards Clint Moore and Dolyn Jackson in 1991.
Another true freshman, tailback Brian Lockridge, also made his first start, as did sophomore fullback Jake Behrens. Behrens recorded his first run, reception and touchdown in the first half – the latter a 1-yard TD pass from Cody Hawkins.
Footnotes. CU senior punt returner Chase McBride returned to the lineup after sitting out the Baylor game with a shoulder injury. … Making headlines in this part of the country was an Elton John concert opening the new Sprint Center on Saturday night in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The arena will host the 2008 Big 12 men’s basketball tournament in March.
