BOULDER — Every new coach comes in saying every position is open. Everyone is starting from scratch. Each player has to prove something.
Colorado’s Jon Embree is no different — except for one position this spring. He’s trying not to commit to a starter, but if returning starter Tyler Hansen had a stronger stranglehold on the position, backups Nick Hirschman and Brent Burnette would need resuscitation.
In Saturday afternoon’s 82-play scrimmage, admittedly against a banged-up defense, Hansen was 18-of-19 for 246 yards and three touchdowns. You don’t need to know what Hirschman and Burnette did.
Embree tried to hide Hansen’s status. He did a lousy job.
“Kordell (Stewart) did something like that against Baylor (in 1992), and he had Koy (Detmer) breathing down his throat, right?” Embree said. “I won’t say it’s clear yet. I’m going to evaluate this through, but like I said, if by the end of spring it’s still like this then, yeah, we’ll go with Tyler.”
Embree said Hirschman, the redshirt freshman from Los Gatos (Calif.) High, could close the gap, but Colorado could close the gap on Oregon next fall too. Hansen looked sharp, confident and extremely accurate.
He threw textbook sideline bombs to Will Jefferson for a 45-yard TD and Paul Richardson for a 59-yard score. He threaded the needle over the middle and threw bullets on sideline routes.
“We’re still at him about getting in and out of the huddle,” Embree said. “But he was good knowing where to go with the ball. He did a good job of placing the ball. I thought his accuracy was pretty good.”
This wasn’t just a hot Saturday, although it was a perfect 75 degrees. Hansen has been hot all camp.
“You can tell his arm has even gotten stronger and his accuracy is incredible,” Richardson said. “It’s just up to the receivers, tailbacks and tight ends to make the plays downfield.”
This progress report, however, comes with a disclaimer. Saturday’s No. 1 defense was missing starters in safety Anthony Perkins (knee), ends Nick Kasa (knee) and Forrest West (shoulder) and tackle Curtis Cunningham (elbow).
Also, Embree has installed only about 30 percent of his pro-set offense. Hansen must learn more than that by Ohio State.
“It’s going to take a lot of study and a lot of preparation,” Hansen said. “Week to week, we’ll have different packages in. Our playbook is pretty thick right now.”
As for the backups, Hirschman is still playing like a freshman. He threw a balloon ball on a sideline pattern that landed out of bounds. When a flag was thrown for pass interference, Embree yelled, “That’s an awful ball! We decline it!”
“Hirschman is doing well,” Embree said. “I just want him to be more assertive. I want him to be more aggressive. He needs to trust himself more.”
Footnote. Junior offensive lineman Bryce Givens, a part- time starter who was arrested on suspicion of kicking in three car doors in a Denver parking garage Jan. 15, will not play this year, Embree said. Givens’ case is in the Office of Judicial Affairs, the university’s office of student discipline. He remains in school but will be suspended for the fall semester and eligible to return in 2012.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
CU scrimmage stats
PASSING
Player Cp.-Att. Yds. TD
Tyler Hansen 18-19 246 3
Nick Hirschman 4-11 27 0
Brent Burnette 1-5 8 0
No interceptions were thrown
RUSHING LEADERS
Player Att. Yds. TD
Josh Ford 5 60 0
Tony Jones 11 60 1
Rodney Stewart 11 48 3
Cordary Allen 4 17 1
RECEIVING LEADERS
Player Rec. Yds. TD
Rodney Stewart 5 6 1
Paul Richardson 4 85 1
DaVaughn Thornton 4 33 0
Kyle Cefalo 3 53 0
Ryan Deehan 3 39 0
Will Jefferson 1 45 1
KICKING
Justin Castor 6-of-8 FGs
