BOULDER — Darrell Scott, on the verge of already attaining folk hero status among Colorado fans, wasn’t the only freshman tailback to make a successful debut for the Buffaloes.
Rodney “Speedy” Stewart, a 5-foot-6, 175-pound darter from Columbus, Ohio, lived up to his nickname by averaging a team-best 9.5 yards on four carries in the 38-17 victory over Colorado State. Stewart had the Buffs’ longest run from scrimmage (17 yards) but did lose a fumble in the second quarter.
Coaches say Stewart’s skill set can be utilized in a variety of ways. Look for the speedster to get more touches Saturday against Eastern Washington.
“You saw what Rodney can do, so we need to be smart about using him,” CU coach Dan Hawkins said. “He excites people. He will continue to get better. We just need him to hang onto the rock. Once he does that, he’ll explode.”
Game-time decision. Yes, that was Ralphie IV that ran onto Invesco Field on Sunday. For the first time, CU has two live buffalo mascots.
The newbie, Ralphie V (23 months old), was unveiled at the spring game. Ralphie IV (11 years old) has not retired. CU officials said it will be a “game-time decision” as to which Raphie will be used for each home game.
Footnotes. Hawkins said he expects all true freshmen who did not play against CSU will remain as redshirts for the season, barring a rash of injuries at certain positions. CU players are excited to play on Folsom Field’s new natural turf for the first time. The sod, from a turf farm near Greeley, was installed in July and not painted until this week. “We were out there for (team) pictures; it’s nice,” Hawkins said. “I mean, it’s really nice. It’s a flat, firm, fast track.” CU cornerback Jimmy Smith (back) is not expected to play Saturday. Last year’s Eastern Washington head coach, Paul Wulff, now heads the Washington State program. EWU set 10 school records on offense in 2007.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
