BOULDER — Cody Hawkins or Tyler Hansen? Whomever Colorado quarterback is named the starter for this evening’s season opener against Colorado State at Folsom Field, the other said he can handle it.
“It’s a big deal to start, I won’t deny that, but I’m still young,” said Hansen, a sophomore. “I’ve still got time. There’s no rush. But I definitely want to be the starter someday.”
Hawkins, a junior and the son of coach Dan Hawkins, said the two quarterbacks are “selfless guys” who want to do what’s best for the program.
“We’re both comfortable with the situation,” Cody Hawkins said, “and I think the team is comfortable with it.”
Dan Hawkins has said for two weeks the plan is to wait until game time before publicly announcing the starter. The quarterbacks likely were informed of the decision by Saturday.
“It’s been good for them to have the competition go on like it has,” offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said.
Asked to give a status report, Kiesau started with Hawkins: “Cody is extremely intelligent and has a good feel for the game. He’s an exceptional leader. Guys look up to him. He’s efficient. He’s everything you want. He’s just not your prototypical, 6-foot-5 quarterback. You just have to get over that and accept that he does a lot of other things probably better than those 6-5 guys. That’s what makes him special.
As for Hansen, Kiesau said: “Tyler is obviously more athletic (than Hawkins). He can make things happen. He can scramble around. He’s got a great arm. He’s smart, as well. He’s definitely picking things up.”
As for predicting who will start, one school of thought is that CU likely will go with Hawkins because he is more experienced and the safer choice. On the other hand, some say CU will go with Hansen because the coaches already know what they have in Hawkins but may believe Hansen, with his athleticism, has more upside.
Another theory bantered around the water cooler is that because Colorado coaches have said they want to emphasize the running game this season, why not go with the quarterback with the best wheels? If that doesn’t work, the more polished passer would be ready to come in for relief.
In any case, don’t look for the duo to alternate by quarters or series. Kiesau said he will not go into the game with a predetermined rotation. Presumably that means if the starter performs admirably, he will play most of the game.
“That’s probably the best way to go,” Hansen said. “You get more camaraderie with guys on offense and they get more confidence in one guy.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
