FORT COLLINS — Football coaches instinctively watch tape. It’s in their DNA.
They want to watch tape before even commenting on a game they’ve just watched for three hours. As for scouting their next opponent, coaches can’t get enough tape.
Therein lies the rub for Colorado coaches. The only tape of Colorado State’s offensive schemes is securely locked inside the computer hard drives in the offices of the Rams’ coaches. That’s because first-year CSU head coach Steve Fairchild isn’t going to tip his hand.
“You look at what they did last year,” said CU coach Dan Hawkins, whose Buffs meet the Rams on Sunday in Denver. “You look at what their (new) coaches have done before. At some point, you have to kind of prepare for the unknown: They might do this, they might do that. You just have to be ready to adjust.”
But the CU staff, while armed with tape of returning CSU personnel, can’t just tap one prior school. CSU did it two years ago when Hawkins came from Boise State, where his offense ran up big numbers.
There’s no clear blueprint for CSU’s staff, however. Fairchild spent the past seven years coaching in the NFL. Before that, he was on the CSU staff. Rams offensive coordinator Greg Peterson has been at Kansas State and Washington State. Line coach Pat Meyer brings an ACC flavor.
“Everyone has input,” Peterson said. “If Steve presents an idea and someone has a better idea, we put it in. It’s a collaborative effort.”
In preseason practices, the Rams’ backfield and receivers have been lining up everywhere. Going against a freshman scout team, everything works. That will likely change against a Big 12 defense.
Fairchild said he doesn’t expect to have any advantage preparing for a team that has no idea what he will run.
“They could have a brand new defense and a brand new offense, too,” he said of the Buffs. “There’s always uncertainty with any opening game. You need to have a bunch of ‘what-ifs’ ready to go.”
CSU has worked with some no-huddle offense, as much to get its defense ready for CU as to actually using it in games.
Former CSU quarterback Justin Holland is a regular at the Rams’ practices these days, hoping to learn the coaching trade. He recalled establishing a rhythm early with star wide receiver David Anderson when he played against CU. He believes the unknown will be an advantage.
“With Coach Fairchild coming from the NFL, you don’t know if he’s taking a page from his old days at CSU or from Buffalo or St. Louis,” Holland said.
Regardless of formation, the Buffs know to look for CSU tight end Kory Sperry, who scored three touchdowns against CU a year ago.
“If he doesn’t have four, maybe people will think he hasn’t played as well as a year ago,” Peterson said.
“He did some damage to us last year, and he’s going to enjoy some time in the NFL soon,” CU senior safety Ryan Walters said. “I take it as a privilege to play against somebody of his caliber.”
For all the talk of film study, CSU senior linebacker Jeff Horinek said it can be overrated. He pointed out that CSU studied Boise State film before the 2006 game, Hawkins’ first season with the Buffs.
“The film didn’t help at all,” Horinek said. “We spent a lot of time on one look, and they gave us another.”
Staff writer Tom Kensler contributed to this report.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
