BOULDER, Colo.—Forget healthy competition. Given how this spring has gone, first-year Colorado coach Jon Embree will simply settle for a healthy team.
With nearly two dozen players sidelined by injuries, Embree hardly received an in-depth look at the Buffs in a spring game Saturday night.
This was a patchwork lineup at best, with numerous starters watching in street clothes.
The Buffs were hoping to create some buzz this offseason as Embree, a former standout player at Colorado, stepped in for Dan Hawkins, who was fired last November. Instead, Embree’s squad has taken quite a beating as he increased the intensity at practices.
The biggest bright spot of the scrimmage?
“We came out of it healthy,” Embree said, grinning.
He also was quite satisfied with the performance of senior quarterback Tyler Hansen, who should head into the fall with the starting job.
Hansen had an exceptional spring, quickly absorbing Embree’s new offense and showing uncanny accuracy. Hansen was solid during the scrimmage, completing 8 of 15 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown, a 19-yard strike to Paul Richardson.
Known more for his scrambling in years past, Hansen is becoming increasingly comfortable in the pocket. He’s not so quick to take off and absorb blows from the defense.
He learned that painful lesson last year.
Hansen held onto the ball a tad too long on an option play in a loss Texas Tech on Oct 23, taking a hit that ruptured his spleen and knocked him out for the rest of the season.
Cody Hawkins, the son of coach Hawkins, took over after Hansen was hurt. But Hawkins, the much-maligned quarterback, is now gone, leaving with all the major passing records, including yards (7,409), TD passes (60) and interceptions (41).
Hansen’s ready to step back in and lead the Buffs’ charge into the Pac-12 Conference.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Hansen said.
Embree was quite animated in the Buffs’ third and final major scrimmage. He hovered over his offensive players, watching their every move from 10 yards away, cheering when they ran a play to perfection, rubbing his face when they didn’t.
For such a banged-up offensive unit, the Buffs were pretty much in sync.
Then again, the defense was in far tougher shape as they were missing at least 12 players, including linebacker Derrick Webb (hip) and defensive back Anthony Perkins (knee).
“Obviously, I’d like to have some of those injured guys out there,” Embree said. “They’ve got their work cut out. They’re going to have to come in and compete. No one is getting a job, you have to earn your job here.”
A former Colorado standout tight end and one-time assistant, Embree was brought on board to restore the luster to a program that’s had five straight years without a winning season.
He brings with him a no nonsense approach he picked up while coaching in the NFL. The best players will play—simple as that.
“(Embree) asks you to be professional. That’s the biggest thing—act like professionals,” Hansen said.
The Buffs have a tough road ahead as they travel to Hawaii in the opener and then get a Pac-12 preview by hosting California in a nonconference game. They play Colorado State and at Ohio State before their first league game against Washington State on Oct. 1.
“I told the seniors they have a chance to leave a legacy. They have nine months to create one,” Embree said. “This is their opportunity and it’s up to them, what’s going to be said at the banquet (following the season).”
Before the spring game, the Buffs held an alumni flag football game, with former coaches Bill McCartney and Gary Barnett pacing the sidelines.
Almost like old times.
McCartney helped Colorado win its only national title in 1990, while Barnett won four Big 12 North titles and a Big 12 championship in his seven seasons in Boulder. But Barnett lost his job after two scandal-plagued years and a 70-3 loss to Texas in the Big 12 title game in 2005.
It meant quite a bit to Barnett to be invited back.
“I’ve never left it in my heart,” Barnett said. “It’s particularly rewarding to come back and see these guys that played for me. It was like a family reunion.”
NOTES: Sophomore RB Josh Ford rushed for 164 yards, including a 56-yard TD run. … Freshman QB Nick Hirschman threw for 170 yards and two scores. … Freshman DB Jordan Marquez returned an interception 33 yards for a score. … There were 15,655 fans in attendance, the second-biggest crowd in school history.
