BOULDER — Through all the injuries and all the suspensions and all the ugly losses, the one positive Colorado football had this year was a healthy senior quarterback.
When Tyler Hansen left Saturday’s 45-2 drubbing by ninth-ranked Oregon in the second quarter with a concussion, 52,123 fans at Folsom Field saw Colorado football with virtually no positives at all.
First-year coach Jon Embree has not declared redshirt freshman backup Nick Hirschman as Colorado’s quarterback of the future. If tests on Hansen on Saturday night turn out not to be good, Hirschman is at least the quarterback of the present.
Hirschman didn’t exactly ignite a quarterback controversy. Working mostly against Oregon’s backups, he hit 8-of-18 for 71 yards, with a long of 28 to senior Logan Gray.
“He did OK,” Embree said. “He had some guys miss a few passes that would’ve improved some things. It was good for him to get some live reps. He had some issues with some plays getting into him, but that’s OK. That’s natural. I think with all the excitement with him and what he was doing causes that a little bit, but I thought he played well.”
The big question is if he will have to start Saturday at 24th-ranked Arizona State (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12). Embree said of Hansen, “I think he’ll be ready next week.”
Hansen looked fine after the game, saying “I’m doing all right” but putting no predictions on the Arizona State game. If he can’t go, it’s Hirschman’s time. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder passed for 5,223 yards with 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions during his career at Los Gatos (Calif.) High.
He struggled with his accuracy in spring ball and missed some receivers Saturday, but practices are closed and Hirschman has seen progress.
“I’ve improved tenfold since the beginning of last spring,” said Hirschman, who completed 5-of-9 for 54 yards in mop-up duty against Stanford and Washington. “Anytime you introduce a new offense, there’s going to be growing pains with it, but we’ve all been here long enough now, it’s just cleaning up the little things.”
Not to look ahead, but at 1-7, Colorado can’t help look at next spring. That’s when a quarterback battle develops between Hirschman, Texas transfer Connor Wood and ballyhooed incoming freshman Shane Dillon, who attended Saturday’s game.
Hirschman could get a major head start if he plays well in Hansen’s stead. Now, if Hirschman can just get used to Pac-12 speed.
“If I had a concern, that would be it,” he said. “I know I’ve played the last two weeks, but this is my first (real) live action since my senior year in high school. There’s no excuse at all. I plan on going out there and playing at a high level.”
Hansen said he doesn’t remember the play but won’t like it when he sees it on tape. Embree didn’t like it live. Hansen scrambled for 9 yards in the second quarter and slid at the Oregon 49-yard line.
Linebacker Brandon Hanna hit him in the helmet right after he slid.
“I guess it should’ve been a penalty, but I don’t know,” Hansen said.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@denverpost.com,
