CU @ ASU

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:34 am

I know this game doesn't really hold too much interest (be it on this board or on a national level), but I'm in the unique position of being both an ASU student and a lifelong Buffs fan, so it's kind of a big game for me. I'm just really having a hard time getting a feeling for the way this game will go. ASU's win over SJSU wasn't televised, so all I have to go by is the newspaper stories, but it sounded like they played a pretty solid all-around game. I know CU's 3-point win over CSU is nothing to get too excited about, but I'm willing to chalk it up as a rivalry game. I think 15 points is a pretty big spread. I wouldn't be shocked if ASU wins, but for some reason I just have a good feeling about this game. Erickson seems pretty determined to run the ball, and CU's run defense appears to be their strong suit. CU's pass defense looked terrible against CSU, but if anyone knows Rudy Carpenter's weaknesses, it's probably Mark Helfrich. ASU fans seem pretty confident. I'm just hoping the players feel the same way. ASU probably has better overall talent that the Buffs, but I think CU is good enough to pull off an upset if the Devils overlook them.

Myopic prediction: CU - 24 ASU - 21
I just hope they keep it close. Next week at work is gonna be pretty rough if the Buffs shit the bed.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:45 pm

i can appreciate the dynamic. as either a grad student or employee at CU since 99 and a lifelong OU fan living in Boulder (the last days of the Big 8 were hell for me here with so many buddies who were Buffs). i've weathered a few OU-CU games here.

i haven't the slightest idea what to expect from the CU-ASU game. ASU seems to get overhyped the last couple years so they are getting the unstoppable force treatment in the Bronco media. I'd stay away from this game betting, that's for sure.

even though they came back last weekend, i'd hope for the Buffs to NOT get behind early and NO bonehead turnovers. that puts a lot of pressure on RS freshman QB and a somewhat mysterious D to get stops.

Q, West Coast Style · Post by **Q, West Coast Style** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:05 am

Very intriguing late night game going on right now. 14-13 CU late 2nd quarter.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:07 am

if by "intrigue" you mean "sloppy", i'll agree.

heh.

Q, West Coast Style · Post by **Q, West Coast Style** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:13 am

King Crimson wrote:if by "intrigue" you mean "sloppy", i'll agree.

heh.

There is some interest in this game out here because we (being Pac-10 fans/media) aren't sure where to slot ASU in the conference hierarchy. They are a big mystery going into conference play for a lot of people. There are some interesting subplots too with Hawkins' true frosh son under center for CU and CU's offense coordinator Mark Helfrich being Carpenter's former QB coach at ASU.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:33 am

Hawkins is getting no help. Having Hugh Charles injured and Juco-stud Gates ineligible kills the run-game and puts the weight on Hawkins to muddle-through with unimpressive receiving-corps. Long-term I think the kid will do well.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:36 am

CU has scrapped the O altogether. they gave up trying to run the ball in the middle of the 3rd Q. i haven't been real impressed with Helfrich as OC thus far. I think Cody can be a good D-1 QB....but ASU (or any good team's speed) makes his timing routes have to be perfect.

CU has a really odd number of plays that are out routes where the ball is in the air for 25 yards for a 5 yard gain.

Jimmy Medalions · Post by **Jimmy Medalions** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:42 am

Let's be clear about ASU. They are the psycho ex girlfirend of the Pac10. The girl you fought with all the time, the girl you had epic sex with. Rinse and repeat.

If you face ASU when they're in a fight, you SMOKE them and you feel bad for them.

If you face ASU when they're having makeup sex, watch out because they can put up 50 and make you fuck up your game.

ASU is a manic/depressive program. Thankfully they spend more time fighting than they do fucking.

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:36 am

Just got back. I DVRed the game, but I think I'm gonna go ahead and just erase it before I relive that POS game. KC pretty much summed it up. Sloppy, ugly, embarrassing.

At least we have a cupcake coming up next week... :D

Cuda · Post by **Cuda** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:32 pm

1. The Buffs barely have a running game with Hugh Charles, let alone without him

2. They appear to have perhaps two receivers who can catch the ball, and a whole bunch who can't.

3. The Rush-3, Cover-With-8 Defense they've been using has gotten them only one thing in both of the last two games: Scored On.

4. Dalallo isn't even a very good punter- don't ask him to throw a pass.

5. Aside from his own kid, I don't know if Hawk had any of his own players come in last year, so this year is really his first class of incoming freshmen, which means he's still going to have to use Barnett's losers...-errr, players for at least this year & next year before enough of his recruits are ready to make a difference in the season.

6. Next two games are gonna be ugly.

Q, West Coast Style · Post by **Q, West Coast Style** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:03 pm

Jimmy Medalions wrote:Let's be clear about ASU. They are the psycho ex girlfirend of the Pac10. The girl you fought with all the time, the girl you had epic sex with. Rinse and repeat.

If you face ASU when they're in a fight, you SMOKE them and you feel bad for them.

If you face ASU when they're having makeup sex, watch out because they can put up 50 and make you fuck up your game.

ASU is a manic/depressive program. Thankfully they spend more time fighting than they do fucking.

Pretty fucking good analogy actually. Each year ASU seems to be all over the place. Hard to predict where they will finish. Now that they have a m/d drunk as a head coach I don't expect that to change.

Bearcat92 · Post by **Bearcat92** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:39 am

The Buffs still have alot of work to do but I still think this year will be ok for them in the end. The offense needs time to jell and Hawkins clearly needs a running game to be able to succeed. I still think they start Big 12 play at 3-1.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:03 am

Bearcat92 wrote:I still think they start Big 12 play at 3-1.

Which means that they'll likely end up at 4-8 with their only conference win coming against ISU.

Wait... do they play Baylor? If so, maybe 5-7.

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:51 am

War Wagon wrote:
Bearcat92 wrote:I still think they start Big 12 play at 3-1.
Which means that they'll likely end up at 4-8 with their only conference win coming against ISU.

Wait... do they play Baylor? If so, maybe 5-7.

Yeah, they play Baylor, as well as Kansas and K-State. Oh and Missouri too. So there's 5 conference wins right there...

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:59 am

K-State and Kansas are looking better than expected, so I wouldn't chalk those up a W's just yet.

Mizzou will beat the Buffs by two TD's. Like 41 - 27... after being up 38 - 7 at the half. :wink:

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:32 am

War Wagon wrote:K-State and Kansas are looking better than expected, so I wouldn't chalk those up a W's just yet.

Mizzou will beat the Buffs by two TD's. Like 41 - 27... after being up 38 - 7 at the half. :wink:

Yeah, the Big XII is actually pretty tough to call right now. OU is by far the best team with Tejas a distant second, and Baylor and ISU are god-awful, but the other 8 teams could all potentially beat one another on any given day. I think Mizzou will probably find a way to win the North in spite of Pinkel, but the only team that you can completely count out is ISU.

Bearcat92 · Post by **Bearcat92** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:38 pm

War Wagon wrote:
Bearcat92 wrote:I still think they start Big 12 play at 3-1.
Which means that they'll likely end up at 4-8 with their only conference win coming against ISU.

Wait... do they play Baylor? If so, maybe 5-7.

Missouri wouldn't be Missouri if they didn't fall short of expectations every year. Colorado has won the North three times which is three times more than Missouri. You guys need to get over the hump before you talk smack. CU will win the North again before Missouri does.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:33 pm

i read on a CU board the line for the FSU-CU game is FSU -3.5. i'm hardly an expert and i know the line is about drawing bets more than "who will win", but i would have guessed FSU about 8.5 at least. (i can't confirm this, there was no link)

interesting.

CU is most likely going to head into conference play at 2-2, which is what most CU fans i know were expecting....though while the game was UGLY and CU played poorly the last 2 quarters (and last 4 minutes of the first half)...i think some CU people i know need to come off the ledge and back to reality.

the team is still in position to maybe win 6 games....i'd have put the O/U for the season around 5.5. 2-2 hasn't really jeopardized that THAT much. i think they win 5 games but 6 isn't impossible.

what i don't see is Hawkins' staff getting the team to "play up" to better teams or have coaching/schemes/placalling be the difference in games between equal talent (CSU maybe the one example). they will need to win games against the KU's and Baylor's of the world to win more than 3-4.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:12 pm

KU plays solid-D. While it is hard to judge from playing lacklustre competition it appears Reesing could finally be the qb that gets Mangino over the .500 team hump. Even in Boulder that will be a tough nut to crack. KSU won't be easy either. Mizzou is definitely better than CU but the game is at Boulder and Pinkel has to blow at least one game this year. CU should get wins over ISU and probably Baylor anyway. Miam of Ohio is very winnable. It will be interesting to see what happens with FSU in Boulder.

It will be better when Hugh Charles gets back on the field, he isn't a great back but good enough to make a difference. The Buff receiving-corps needs to learn to freaking catch. I'm not sure what is up with the D. The D was respectable last season, why mess with it?

But the season is young and visiting ASU with Erickson at the helm is a tough match-up. CU will improve. IMO they'll scrape-out three to five more wins this season depending on how they do in close games.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:36 pm

i think right now CU has talent comparable to KU and Baylor. not any better if you go two-deep. Barney really left them with some big holes in very mediocre classes at the end.

apparently CU's most impressive WR, a frosh, Josh Smith will be back for the FSU game having been cleared after a kidney injury in a fall scrimmage. the Williams kid had a horrible day with drops...but another FR Celestine appears to be talented (also drops a sure TD).

the thing i don't get, and i point back at Helfrich, is they have at least 2 and probably 3 TE's who are really big and can play but don't see the ball much or at best inconsistently. that would take some pressure of a pretty average WR corps--though the kid McKnight has been money in both games thus far. TE Geer goes wild against Tech last year in a Buff win and doesn't see the ball at all for two weeks. what is that?