As if embattled Colorado coach Dan Hawkins didn’t have enough problems with wins and losses, now injuries have made future wins even more difficult.
Inside linebacker Jon Major, Colorado’s leading tackler, is out indefinitely with a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee, Hawkins said on Monday’s Big 12 Conference call.
Major was hurt on Texas Tech’s final drive for the winning field goal in Saturday’s 27-24 loss at Folsom Field. The injury came two quarters after starting quarterback Tyler Hansen was lost for the year with a ruptured spleen.
“The plan right now is to kind of let that thing heal on its own and see if it takes,” Hawkins said of Major’s knee. “If it doesn’t, we may have to go in there and pack it back down. He’ll be out for a while.”
The injury is significant. The sophomore from Parker’s Ponderosa High is leading the team with 57 tackles, including 32 unassisted. He will likely be replaced by red-shirt freshman Liloa Nobriga.
Hawkins said Hansen remains in the hospital but is resting comfortably.
“Tyler’s doing well,” Hawkins said. “All his blood levels and all that kind of stuff are great. He’s still in the hospital and they’re monitoring him there, seeing how that whole process heals up. He’s doing as well as can be expected.”
Cody Hawkins, Dan’s senior son, replaces Hansen and the new backup will be true freshman Nick Hirschman, whom the Buffaloes wanted to red-shirt. He was all-region at Los Gatos (Calif.) High, and Hawkins said it’s highly doubtful they’ll move over a position player with quarterback experience to spell his son and preserve Hirschman’s year of eligibility.
“I think it’s very hard to ascertain one snap or two snaps or 14 snaps,” Dan Hawkins said. “That’s the issue. We got to get somebody in there taking some snaps. It’s always a difficult situation, a lot like with Terrell (Smith, freshman safety) getting activated last week. Sometimes you’ve got to put the team before yourself and do whatever you have to do to help the team out.”
Colorado (3-4, 0-3 Big 12) visits 11th-ranked Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1) at 7:15 p.m. MDT Saturday. The Buffaloes had no starters go down with injuries until safety Anthony Perkins was lost for the season with a knee injury at Missouri Oct. 9.
Now the Buffaloes seek three wins in their last five games for bowl eligibility without their starting quarterback and leading tackler.
“That’s football,” Hawkins said. “That’s why you’ve got to have backups. You get to this point of season, you get a lot of guys beat up.”
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
