BOULDER — This isn’t exactly the best time for Colorado to break in a young and untested strong safety. Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, the most dangerous quarterback in the Big 12, is coming to Folsom Field today.
“It’s definitely not an easy task,” said CU’s Jered Bell, one of three freshmen competing to replace the injured Anthony Perkins as the new strong safety.
A third-year sophomore, Griffin is big (6-feet-2, 220 pounds), very fast (an Olympic-caliber hurdler) and can really pass (764 yards in just the past two games).
Questions?
“On film, Griffin looks electric,” CU senior linebacker B.J. Beatty said. “That guy runs ridiculously fast. He can throw the rock too. He’s elusive and really strong. He’s just going to be a double-edged sword.”
How challenging will it be for Colorado’s safeties and linebackers? Try keeping one eye trained on a receiver or running back and another eye on Griffin — at all times. That isn’t exaggerating the mission by much.
“You’ve definitely got to peek around and look for him,” CU free safety Ray Polk said.
Baylor (4-2, 1-1 Big 12) brings its best team in decades. Under enthusiastic third-year coach Art Briles, the Bears stand just two victories from becoming bowl-eligible and perhaps participating in postseason play for the first time since the 1994 Alamo Bowl.
The return of Griffin has turned Baylor’s offense into one of the Big 12’s most explosive units. He missed the last nine games of 2009 and received an injury redshirt after suffering a season-ending knee injury (ACL tear). All Griffin has done in two Big 12 games this season is set personal marks for passing yards, with 380 in a 55-7 slaughter of Kansas and 384 yards in a 45-38 loss to Texas Tech last weekend. He completed more than 70 percent of his passes in both games and was not intercepted in either.
Six Baylor players have receptions of 40 yards or longer. Wideout Josh Gordon took a Griffin pass 94 yards against Kansas.
“I think the game has slowed down for (Griffin),” Briles said this week. “I think that’s probably the reason you’re seeing him sit in the pocket a little more and do some things you might not have seen him do (in 2008) as a true freshman.”
The good news from Colorado’s side is that the Buffaloes (3-2, 0-1) have, for the most part, played steadily on defense. CU enters today’s game ranked fifth among Big 12 teams in total defense (yielding 338.4 yards per game) and third in rushing defense (104.4). The Buffs are tied for second nationally in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (one), behind only Iowa.
Colorado has senior cornerbacks in Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown, and Polk, a former tailback, is physically gifted. But against a quarterback with Griffin’s talent, it’s impossible to hide somebody new. And CU must play either a redshirt freshman (Deji Olatoye) or a true freshman (Bell or Terrel Smith) at strong safety in place of the savvy Perkins, who has 18 career starts. Perkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear last weekend in a 26-0 loss at Missouri.
Making matters worse, Perkins was regarded as the “quarterback” of the secondary, the unit’s conductor who barked out play calls and made sure the other defensive backs knew their responsibilities.
” ‘Perk’ going down is really, really bad for us, but I’m just going to take advantage of the opportunity as well as I can,” Olatoye said. “With a running quarterback, it’s going to be a big problem keeping him in the pocket. Running to the ball is going to be the key.”
Containment has been the buzz- word among CU defensive players this week.
“When you play a guy like Griffin, you can’t just sit back and watch,” Beatty said. “If you watch and wait and give him space, that’s when he excels. You have to collapse on him. We can’t let him run around and have the day he wants to have.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
Remembering the Big 12
Oct. 7, 2006: Baylor 34, Colorado 31 (3 OTs)
With Colorado leaving the Big 12 after this season, The Denver Post is taking a look at the Buffs’ history with their opponents this season.
After five consecutive losses to begin the Dan Hawkins era at Colorado, the host Buffaloes figured they had a good shot at notching their first victory with Baylor (2-3) coming to Boulder.
But CU fell behind 17-10 and needed a late touchdown in regulation to extend the game into overtime. Tailback Byron Ellis did the honors with a 9-yard scoring run with 4:13 remaining to cap a 12-play, 80-yard drive.
In the first overtime period, Colorado quarterback Bernard Jackson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Riar Geer to match an earlier TD run by Baylor, sending the game into another extra session.
With the ball first this time, Colorado didn’t waste any time in the second OT. Tailback Hugh Charles bolted through a big hole and raced down the left side for the entire 25 yards. But Baylor retaliated when quarterback Shawn Bell hit Trent Shelton with a 10-yard touchdown pass.
CU’s defense limited Baylor to a field goal to begin the third OT period, which put the Buffs in great shape. But on second down, Jackson’s pass was intercepted for the third time, this time in the end zone by Bears linebacker Joe Pawelek.
Colorado rushed for 276 yards, led by Jackson’s 93 yards on 13 scrambles. But CU couldn’t get much going through the air, with Jackson completing just 9-of-24 passes for 75 yards.
