BOULDER — Any celebrating by Colorado players of Saturday night’s 29-27 victory over Georgia will end when the Buffaloes sit down to watch video of their recent games against Missouri, the upcoming opponent.
During the past four years, Missouri has manhandled Dan Hawkins-coached CU teams by an average score of 44.3 to 10.
“It’s like kryptonite or something. They have our number,” CU junior quarterback Tyler Hansen said in comparing the Tigers to Superman, at least against the Buffs.
“I don’t know what it is. But we have to fix it. We have to have our horns out, as Coach Hawk says.”
This weekend’s visit by Colorado (3-1) to Missouri (4-0), ranked 24th in The Associated Press poll, will mark the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. The last time CU played at Faurot Field, the Buffs were blanked 58-0. It got ugly fast. Missouri jumped out to a 21-0 advantage in the first quarter and led 34-0 by halftime.
Judging by last year’s score of 36-17, that meeting in Boulder would appear to have been more competitive. Not so. Missouri raced to a 33-0 lead in the second quarter before shifting into cruise control.
“We have to get the Tigers,” Hansen said. “If we beat them, it would be our biggest win of the year so far.”
At this point, any CU win on the road would be big. Colorado has not won a true road game (not counting victories over Colorado State at Invesco Field) since Oct. 27, 2007, a 31-26 Buffs victory at Texas Tech.
Colorado looked inept in its only other true road game this season, a 52-7 collapse at California. But scoring 31 second-half points against Hawaii and then defeating a Southeastern Conference team will inject confidence into a team.
“The attitude we have at Folsom Field, somehow we have to find that when we’re on the road,” Hansen said. “I think if we can get some big plays early, I think that will help us out.”
Colorado’s running game and the performance of the Buffs’ offensive line against Georgia had to be a confidence builder. CU rushed for 235 yards against a Bulldogs defense that entered the game ranked third among SEC teams in rushing defense.
Buffs junior tailback Rodney Stewart came off the bench to scoot for 149 yards on 19 carries.
“We’re just starting to grow up, starting to mature,” CU offensive line coach Denver Johnson said of his unit. “Our running backs are learning to hang up in there. And then once in a while they hit a crease.”
Said senior left tackle Nate Solder: “This was our best game because we beat an SEC team. To run the ball against a team like that is not easy. We just stayed on the right people, and Rodney was taking the right holes.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
